A lot of folks think that the early Chevy Corvettes and Ford Thunderbirds competed in the same market. Sure, they both were two-seaters, but Chevy was going after the sports car space while the Ford was a small personal luxury car. The 1955-57 T-Birds sold well enough, but really took off after a back seat was added in 1958. This ’56 edition was driven into a garage 14 years ago and hasn’t moved since. Fortunately, the motor isn’t stuck, but the body will need some work. From Cartersville, Georgia, this mostly buried Ford is available here on craigslist for $13,000. Thanks, Arkie, for the heads up on this one!
After a modestly successful launch in 1955, Ford made only a few changes to the Thunderbird in its second outing. The spare tire was moved out of the trunk and into a Continental-style rear bumper, freely up space in what was a crowded small storage area. Portholes were added to the sides of hardtops for better visibility. And, the cars also shifted to a 12-volt electrical system. A 292 cubic inch V8 remained the standard engine, which is what we’re told is in the seller’s car. Ford sold a little more than 15,000 T-Birds in ’56.
In storage for a decade and a half, this T-Bird has become a shelf for all sorts of things to get piled up on top of. So hopefully that hasn’t done any harm to the body and paint, which have other issues. While the trunk floor is said to be passable, the floorboards in the passenger compartment have already been cut out but just lying in place for now. The car received a change in paint color at some point, from Sage Green to some form of yellow. There is no soft top for the auto and the hardtop that’s there is not the correct one (a ’55 or ’57?).
Surprisingly, the automobile will start and run off an external gas can, so maybe the engine is still sound. The seller says the odometer reading is just 26,600 miles and he/she believes that’s accurate. The T-Bird will need a full restoration, but that will have to be done without a title as the State of Georgia did not issue titles before 1985. I would check the process of getting one from your DMV before taking the plunge. No traders will be considered, so the seller is more interested in reclaiming the space.
Looks like a family of mice made their home in the front seat.
🐭🐭🐭
“ALL ORIGINAL,” but it has the wrong hardtop. People just don’t understand what an “all original” car is.
Portholes in the hardtop were optional in 1956. In fact, the available porthole windows are neither pictured nor referenced in the 1956 Thunderbird brochures I’ve seen. So if the seller believes the hardtop is incorrect because it has no porthole windows, he may be wrong.
and a lot of the portholes out there were installed by a dealer to satisfy a blind spot complaint
No floors, no soft top. She will be quite the project and could be beautiful again.
Common mistake regarding titles in Georgia is that you don’t need one if the vehicle is twenty five years old or older. The truth is that Georgia started issuing titles in 1963, so this 1955 TBird would never have had one, and they won’t issue you a title on any vehicle that is older than 1963. People buy and sell cars in Georgia without getting a title but I won’t do it and never have.
I have a 1948 Chevrolet Suburban and Georgia issued me a title. Maybe because it came from Tennessee with a title?
13k for this junk pile? Take off the 1 before the 3 and then maybe. Besides, it’s most likely that 26k milage is after the century mark as well.
Definitely a good parts car, but that’s it. Complete restoration will cost more than it’s worth.
Unfortunately, when you add the sales price and potential restoration cost of most projects, very few would make sense.
This one again!? If it were that good a deal, it would already be gone.
“A 292 cubic inch V8 remained the standard engine, which is what we’re told is in the seller’s car.”
The 292 remained the standard engine in ’56 but was offered only with the non-overdrive 3-speed manual. The seller says this has an automatic and with the automatic (and the 3-speed manual with overdrive) you got the 312, not the 292.
This piece has finally made it to parts car status, and it’s really too bad it was left to rot like this. Resurrecting this bucket would be too expensive to make it a worthwhile endeavor. One would be much better off spending $25K on a decent driver and then putting some coin into it.
Have you heard/What’s the word/Thunderbird…
(to quote)
What’s the price? Thirty five twice. What’s reason? Grapes are in season.
After shelling out $13k for this car? You’d need a case, to make yourself feel better.
Poor guy. He thought T-Bird meant Trash Bird, so he acted accordingly…
I have owned a ’56 that I purchased from the original owner back in ’74. The car came with a 292 and automatic. Since I was in the VTCA back then, we had a charter member who lived in Michigan and worked for Ford. I believe his name was Larry Seyfarth. Anyway, he blessed my ‘bird as authentic.
No, I’ve not heard, I thought Bird is the Word.
Such wit!
This is a car site, if you haven’t noticed…
Such wit!
That is a strange looking carburetor. I’m not familiar with T-birds especially the 55+57. Can anyone tell me what kind of carburetor is on this one. Thank you in advance
Looks like the stock Holley 4000 to me.
Or otherwise known as the haystack 4 barrel.
55-56 had Holley 4 BBL, with finned aluminum tbird valve covers, probably not original engine
Pricy for what you’d get if you ponied up the asking price.
My thought, if you could wrangle an acceptable buy-in price I’d just make it a runner, as opposed to any full on restoration. Not every vintage vehicle needs to be done to the nines to be enjoyed. We’ve seen plenty of them. I’d be happy just to see a solid runner being put to use.
Patch as needed, clean and clean again, rebuild the brakes, tune-up the motor, attend to the rotten rubber throughout as needed, suspension will probably need attention … then drive it!
Simple.
Just not at the asked for buy-in. My guess you’ll need at least 3/4 of that, if not more, to get it road worthy.
Thanks. As I said I am not familiar with this particular carburetor
I have been restoring 55,56,57 T-birds ground ups only since 1982. I am not as passionate as I was back then when I was obsessed with them, Anyway it has been my experience that it just isn’t worth the money! 13,000???? To do this bird correctly and I’m talking professionally will cost 1000.00’s of $. You can buy one already done for much less than what you would have to put into it.Why not reap someone else’s misfortune of putting way to much cash in a junk that will never be worth the time, money and aggravation of looking through books for parts and the labor you can’t get paid so who cares! It’s just another rat infested rotted out and believe me they rot like no other car from the 50’s, Plus the bodies were made by the budd company that made train cars and they were sloppy body’s that fit like crap because they were just slapped together to compete with another junk called the 53,54,55 Vette. I hate them both!!!! JOEY DEE.