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**YellowRose** · August 11, 2011, 09:55 AM

mattyel's 60 hard top custom

Hi Matthew! It is looking good! As to what color to paint it, you have all the choices in the world to choose from. Since it is not going to be an OEM tbird, the choice is yours. Here is a list of the Paint colors used on the 1960 Tbird. I am partial to the turquoise and the Sultana Turquoise, and yellow colors. However, Raven Black with the engine and external dress up package really looks sharp! It makes the car look like it is dressed up in a tuxedo, so to speak. If you want to look at other colors, just change the year on the Automotive Mile Post website and click on Exterior Paint Colors. Pick a color that YOU like, since it is your Tbird.

http://automotivemileposts.com/paint1960tbird.html

**Guest** · August 11, 2011, 10:16 AM

Hey Matthew,
Looking good, keep us posted!
Richard D. Hord

**jopizz** · August 11, 2011, 10:37 AM

I'm with Ray on the Sultana Turquoise. Great color. I also like Casino Cream with a white top.

John

**Anders** · August 11, 2011, 06:35 PM

After looking at those oversized wheels, I can�t concentrate on a color.....

**fomoco59** · August 12, 2011, 06:46 AM

Is the interior in good shape?, especially the dash pad. If so, that usually helps with the exterior color decision. Black and White interior goes with almost everything. I went thru that once and it took me all winter to finally decide on re-sale Red.

**mattyel** · August 13, 2011, 07:18 PM

That turquoise is a great color ill have to keep that in mind for sure, I was thinking black but my painter is trying his hardest to talk me out of it (too much work for him I think hahaha).

The interior is in a pretty bad way. All the foam in the dash has crumbled away as well as the door cards and the seats, what isn't too bad i guess concidering it was a horrible green/beige color.(if anyone knows where i can get a new dash and door cards i would love to hear from you).
I do realy like the look of your black and white interior but unfortunatly I work in an allumina refinary so white is probably not the best choice for interior for my grubby bum.

**YellowRose** · August 13, 2011, 08:09 PM

mattyel's 60 hard top custom

I see you like the Sultana Turquoise. You can get the matching dark turquoise/light turquoise interior in Morocco Grain Vinyl or the leather in turquoise/turquoise interior. As for your seats, you can do what I have done. I had a set of black pull over seat and back covers made for my front seats by my interior guy when he did the interior for me. When I am driving the car, or it is just sitting there, or being worked on, my black seat covers are on. When it is show time, they come off in about 5 minutes, and I put them in a special zipped case he made for them and my fender protectors. Below is a picture of what they look like in place and what it looks like when they are on show. Except the first picture was taken when I was having the car painted.

As for the dash pad, you can get them from any of our vendors, but they only come in a few colors, black being one of them. You could have it painted, as I did mine. Mine was black and now it is yellow. Seat and back foams you can get directly from Jed Zimmerman ~ Ca58Tbrd on here. He is the one who supplies all the dealers anyway. Seat covers and door panels you can get from the dealers. All the dealers are listed in the Advertisements Forum below. Call or email them and ask for their free catalogs. You will need them.

As for external color, since your painter does not seem to like black for an exterior color, how about red with a black and white interior? Or red and white? That will solve the problem of having to get a dash pad painted some other color. Get a black dash pad and do your seats in black and white and have someone make cloth pull over covers for you to put on them when you are not in show. Mine are held on with velcro, and the back rest one with velcro and a bungy cord.

Here are those pix. Mine used to be Casino Cream with a White top. Now, as you can see, it is Tweety Bird Yellow and white. I also chromed my car seat wrap around pieces that had black material one them. I also have white floor mats encased in plastic with a long stemmed yellow rose on them that go down for show. I just put the usual Tbird black ones underneath.

Attached Files

**mattyel** · March 10, 2012, 03:18 AM

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n552/mattyel01/DSC_00181.jpg

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n552/mattyel01/wheel-0543_sml.jpg

Just a quick one to show the new 460 BB and C6 being measured up and all the mounts/brackets ect being made. pluss a pick of the wheels that are going on her

**Dakota Boy** · March 10, 2012, 08:26 AM

You have the same motor/transmission combo that my car has.

Are you going to have headers on that 460?

I'm ordering mine from fordpowertrain.com on Monday.

Also, your intake looks pretty tall. Will you still be able to close the hood, or are you cutting a hole in it?

I've got an Edel. Performer, and only about an inch to spare between the top of the air filter and the hood.

**mattyel** · March 11, 2012, 05:21 AM

Yeah a mate of mine says he has found some ceramic coated extractors (headers) in the states for about $750 I'm yet to find out who they are from but I will let you know. I will defenatly look at fordpowertrain also. but thats still a little wat off yet its still got to come back out for painting

Yeah we will have to cut a hole in the bonet. Depending on how high the air filter sticks through will depend if I need a scoop or somthing to get it registerd (in Australia there are laws on how high you can have your inlet sticking out of the bonnet). To tell you the truth I was a little excited to see the engine didnt fit under the bonnet

I was reading the other day somwhere on here that you are changing your diff ratio, what did you end up settleing on?

**Dakota Boy** · March 11, 2012, 07:48 AM

fordpowertrain.com is the only place you will find the headers you need. The price your buddy quoted is correct. A bit spendy, but the quality is top-notch. I'll have to post up some photos on this site once I get them installed. I've traded a few emails with the owner of the company, and they should bolt right in with no trouble; actually gaining some clearance by the steering box vs. the stock manifolds.

My 460 block sits 2 1/2 inches (63mm for you metric people) up off the crossmember mounting plates, just enough for the oil pan to fit.

I ended up buying 3.50 gears for my car. I dont have them installed yet.

I'll be interested to see what you do with your hood.

Here's a pic of those headers:

Attached Files

MVC-002S.JPG (45.5 KB, 162 views)

**juantejeda** · March 11, 2012, 12:00 PM

1959 Squarebird Coupe

Restoration completed in 2000, by Jim Jacobs, Prescott, AZ.
Ground up, to a 60's style restoration. Mint Green exterior, dark green metallic on engine block. Lots of chrome. Engine is an upgraded. 63, 390HD, with Edlebrock upper and a .060 overbore. Twin Holly 750's, Shelby Valve Covers and matching Oil Pan. Spoke Wheels, an ARC, 45 RPM, Record Player (unrestored) mounted under dash. Original AM radio was restored with AM/FM Digital components, all working with original push buttons.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/833127/1959-ford-thunderbird

**dgs** · March 14, 2012, 09:19 PM

Looks like fun, I wish I knew how to do body work. I may have to learn to afford to get my rockers fixed up.

Personally, I think 20" and 22" are too big for these cars. They look better with a bit more tire. I've got 17" and 235/55R17 tires and they fill the wheel wells quite well. If I had to do it again, I might go to 18" but that's about it. Seems to fit the old school style better in my opinion with more than a rubber band tire. To each his own, though. It's your car, you should do what makes you grin.

**mattyel** · April 10, 2012, 07:56 PM

http://i1139.photobucket.com/albums/n552/mattyel01/tbirdpaint2.jpg

Just a quick photo I recieved form the painter today.

dgs, I do know what you mean. I do also like the look of a bit extra rubber around the rim but because of the look I'm going for on the rest of the car I (at this stage lol)feel the bigger wheels will work better.Unfotunatly I could not get the 22" wheels like I had hoped as they don't make them in the style I want so I had to settle for 20x8" in the front and 20x10" for the rear and all seems to fit thankfully

.

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mattyel's 60 hard top custom

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