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Too Solid For Parting: 1956 Ford Thunderbird

According to the seller, this 1956 Ford Thunderbird is largely solid underneath and recently exhumed from long-term storage in a southern California warehouse. Looking borderline tough on those wide steelies with big sidewalls, we see no reason why this Thunderbird couldn’t return to the road – but the seller says he’ll part it out if it doesn’t sell. Idle threat or serious concern? You tell us. Find the Thunderbird here on eBay with a $16,499 opening bid and no action.

I’m not normally a Thunderbird guy, but I am digging the stance this car has. The steelies look wider in the back, but it could just be the photo. Either way, I’m a fan. Paint is tired and not original, but the seller says almost all of the sheetmetal is solid except for one area they’ve already repaired – which makes it even more confusing to me as to why they’d just as soon strip this car down and sell it off piecemeal? Someone’s already picked the spare tire off the rear carrier assembly, a one-year only option.

The engines in these cars weren’t exotic; this one has the 292 V8 good for 202 b.h.p and 289 lbs.-ft of torque. The seller says the car runs, drives and brakes but the engine does have leaks; more detail would be appreciated to fully understand the scale of the leaks. Does the engine need a full re-seal? Is it just a leak-prone area, like the rear main? You can also spot in the engine bay the color change to green on what was once likely a very pretty white body with a green top.

The seller notes that the original Town and Country radio remains in place in what is otherwise a fairly rough looking cabin. There are no carpets and photos are limited; the dash shows a variety of damaged areas and parts of the fascia with missing components. The old-school Athletics logo on the glovebox could be a relic of a former major league ball player owner, but whatever its history is, we hope the seller doesn’t write a sad ending for this T-Bird by parting it out. What do you think its future should be?

Comments

  1. Avatar KKW

    Part it out? Are they really that stupid? Unbelievable, I don’t even know what else to say.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Treebeardzz

      Too bad movie magic isn’t for real, for jerks like the “owner”….justice would be the same end as Arnell in “Christine”. They are the type that do not even deserve a Yugo. HE should be “parted out” like in “A Law Abiding Citizen”.

      Like 0
  2. Avatar Nick G

    Hostage sales tactics.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Ikey Heyman Member

      Yep, a thinly disguised variation on the old “send money or I’ll shoot this dog” ploy.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar Dave McNally

    It will cost you more to fix it than it’s worth.

    Like 0
    • Avatar KKW

      As will all restorations. Wake up and smell the roses. Or the coffee.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Jim S.

      Always cheaper to buy them done.

      Like 0
  4. Avatar Moparmann Member

    Did Ford have an “invisible radio” option?, as I can only see a hole where the radio should be! LOL! :-)

    Like 0
  5. Avatar JW

    Wants his money quick but thinks parting it out will be a breeze, I guess dealing with hundreds of buyers for parts over years seems easier to him than dealing with one buyer. Moron !!!

    Like 0
    • Avatar RayT

      If you click on his “see other items” link, you’ll see that he has a lot of two-seat ‘Bird parts for sale. This isn’t his first part-it-out rodeo, I’m willing to bet.

      That said, yes, he’s a moron. A hefty reserve/opening bid scares away a lot of potential buyers. As it should.

      Like 0
  6. Avatar KSwheatfarmer

    Lusted after one of these in my youth,still don’t have one, lust all died( thanks Jerry Reid). Figure what it’s gonna cost to get a good restoration on this one and very possibly it’s worth more to the guy hacked to pieces. Think if he might of inherited it so has nothing invested up front, and all he wants is dollars.All depends on his end goal,hard for us to guess what that might be. Agree he should at least try the old E-bay appraisal method,reserve not met,run it again.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Dick Johnson

      Son, I SAY SON! Pay attention BOY! That’s Jerry REED Hubbard, suuuuunnnn. A fitting song fir this Ford; “Lord Mr. Ford.” Or, “She Got the Goldmine, I Got the Shaft.”

      It’s easy to visualize Jerry driving the Bird as is with mechanicals fixed and cherry bombs for effect, sliding across the gravel drive of a roadside bar.

      Thanks, KS, for keeping his spirit alive.

      Like 0
  7. Avatar Canada 🇨🇦 boy

    This car still never brings the big bucks.

    The price offered is similar to getting
    one in better shape .
    Divide by half and live with the flip price 👍👌

    Like 0
  8. Avatar 86 Vette Convertible

    Go through the engine, tranny and diff and reseal them all. Ditch the remains of the continental kit, get a set of fender skirts, some original wheels, hub caps, redo the interior, redo all the chrome and a good paint job. Minor stuff – right ;-)

    It’s a first gen T-Bird for crying out loud, why would anyone be so stupid as to say they’ll part it out if it doesn’t sell right away! Typical flipper language.

    This is one bird that needs to spread it’s wings again and hit the highway again where it belongs.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar leiniedude Member

    Any one know what the black box is on the tranny hump in photo 8?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Classic Steel

      Old radio 📻 aftermarket to not cut dash. I first thought old cb or 8track . I guess added fm to car without hacking dash 👍

      Like 0
      • Avatar 86 Vette Convertible

        Can’t tell for sure, but may be the original radio removed from the dash, may or may not have been disconnected.

        Like 0
  10. Avatar Classic Steel

    Tell daddy to put T bird 🦅 away it’s too high 😮

    Like 0
  11. Avatar Bob c.

    The rear main seal in those y blocks were rope seals, prone to leaking. They make replacement rubber lip type seals to solve the problem.

    Like 0
    • Avatar KKW

      A lot of things are prone to leak after 62 years. When installed correctly, I’ve seen rope seals outlast the neoprene type.

      Like 0
  12. Avatar gaspumpchas

    The 2 seat Birds never really took off in value- you can get a decent driver in the 20’s–you’d be upside down in this one fast. Would need to check out the bodywork that was done and every square inch of the underneath. Had a 55 that never got done, would still like another-

    Like 0
  13. Avatar chad

    1 yr only option on the ‘continental kit’ U say? (’56)
    How bout the ‘opera’ window? (?yr?)

    Like 0
    • Avatar 86 Vette Convertible

      Opera Window – 57

      Like 0
  14. Avatar ben

    Probably part it out. All the good stuff goes right away and you have a bunch of unsellable junk.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar JoeBazots

    I like quite a bit about this car. To me, it looks like a solid starting point —– but, it’s also pretty pricey for a starting point. As gaspumpchas pointed out, you aren’t that far off from a pretty decent driver at this price. Still, I think I’d fix the leaks, and drive (mostly) as is.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Brian

    It would help the value if the parts didn’t all need refurbishing. I don’t see anything that would be anyone’s first choice option when searching for parts.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Gary

    Suzanne Somers made me, and probably most other teenage boys in 1973, fall in love with these cars.

    Did you say you think the car was originally white? Huh…

    Like 0
    • Avatar Gregory J Mason

      Oh yeah. American Graffiti.

      Like 0
  18. Avatar Madmatt

    Back in 1972 my dad bought a 56 tbird,that was way “rougher”
    than this,for $650.00.He did a lot of work to it,but it was far from done,
    when he sold it in 1981,he got $6500.00 for it,but it still needed
    alot of work. This feature car was originally a very pretty car,
    but the top is a 55, as 56/57 had “portholes”. Nice project,
    but Nice driver quality early birds can be had for 20/30G ,
    This isn’t a supercharged/rare model,…,or a Porsche 356…LOL

    Like 0
    • Avatar KKW

      Not all 56s had porthole windows, they were an option that year.
      And I would buy this before I’d pay some insane price for an overrated rusted out skeleton of a Porsche.

      Like 0
  19. Avatar Beatnik Bedouin

    I’d like this one better if it had a manual trans…

    For those interested in 1955-57 T-Birds, make sure you look at the X-member, as many were cut out to allow for the trans to be removed for servicing. Normal procedure was to remove the engine/trans as a unit.

    My brother is a fan of the two-seater ‘Birds and we saw a lot that had been hacked, that way, over the years.

    Like 0
  20. Avatar Steve A.

    Too much time watching Barrett Jackson again I think. I might go half his price. Be a shame to part it, but some people value money more than cars. Just as others are the opposite. 😜

    Like 0
  21. Avatar GP Member

    I would like to see him part it out and then let us know on Barn Finds how long it took to get 16,000 dollars. ( proof of sales). I’m sure we’ll all be here in a couple years from now.

    Like 0
  22. Avatar Ian C

    I love the looks just as it sits, and would roll it all day.

    However, if parted out, I fear we will see the body next year on a Bronco chassis.

    Like 0
  23. Avatar Miguel

    I would rather have this one for 60% of the price.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jack Quantrill

      A 2002 sold out here in AZ for $6200.

      Like 0
  24. Avatar Jose Delgadillo

    I think that it is kind of stupid to threaten possible buyers that the seller will part the car out if he doesn’t get the price he wants. Obviously potential buyers are only going to pay what they think the car is worth. There are sellers at times who really do want the car to go to a good home, and will drop the price for the “right” buyer. But these sellers are not in business. They are usually letting go of a car that they have strong emotional connections with, and they care what happens to it.

    Like 0
  25. Avatar Maestro1

    Some Sellers aren’t very smart, including this one. Threatening the purchase is not the way to do business. Don’t buy from this guy. The car: I’m also a tri 5 Thunderbird enthusiast and would like to see this one on the road again at half the price the Seller wants for it.

    Like 0
  26. Avatar Warren

    I got my buds 56 running, driving and safe for the road several years ago. The value of these are such that it made sense to stop there. Ended up being a solid car that can be driven daily without the upside down issue that would come with body, paint and interior restoration.

    Agree, parting out not a good direction for this one and at 16K soon to be upside down..

    Like 0
  27. Avatar 53MGTD

    1958 sittin’ in a T-Bird going duck hunting north of Denver. My friend driving says “lets see what this thing will do”. Over 100mph, bird dog sittin’ on my lap as the tires go thump-thump on the concrete road. What a blast.

    Like 0
  28. Avatar roundhouse

    Having had one of these, I’d say this is a $10 – 12k car. Better off buying a fair driver quality car for low $20K, plenty of them out there.

    Like 0
  29. Avatar roundhouse

    This is worth more in parts than as a complete car. Be a shame to part it out, but rear quarter panels are $4500+ each, front fenders $3500+ each, the list goes on. Hood, trunk, hardtop, you’re approaching his asking price.

    Like 0

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