Eric's 1960 T-Bird

[Deanj]

Dean

are you on the right post? What light are you talking about?

Eric

I swear I replied on the correct post about the oil light. I confirmed that after I made the post.

Dean

[Eric S]

I went back from our trip in the alps after about 1.000 miles done flawlessly.
The car probably reached more altitude, went through more curves than it probably had in its previous 58 years. She saw rain and snow maybe for the first time (car was last located in Arizona).
Sorry I can not find how to post pictures here.
Anyway this allowed me to see what was not right on the car.

Among the few details that need to be adressed :
- Is the turn lever supposed to reset by itself? If yes how do I remove the lever on the steering column?
- On the gear shift, I can not access positively the L, D1 and D2 positions.
Most of the time the L do not engage and I can find only 2 positions right of Neutral.
What can be checked there? Is there any chance to make it right?
- The ash trays seems to be missing. I do have screwed on frames with the flipping cover but it looks like a tray is missing from inside as there is no actual tray to receive ashes. I can see directly on the transmission channel.
On the other hand should I insert an ash tray in the front one, I would cover the light except if the tray has a window to allow the light through??
Is there any way to find reproduction ash trays?

This is it for now. I will try to fix this and then will move forward on next points.

Thank you for any help or comment.

[Frango100]

To post pictures, or you need to use a pictures serving host and mention the link here, or be a paying member and you can post directly on here.
The turn lever is supposed to return to neutral automatically.
It can be that the canceling cam, which should be mounted on the lower side of the steering wheel, is missing. It was on my Bird as well (with some other parts as well). I got all the parts from Carl Heller (partsetal on here). If you only want to remove the turn signal lever itself, you can just unscrew it by turning counter clockwise.
The shifting problem is also well known, it mostly is a combination of too much play in the parts (especially the lever on the lower side of the steering column) and a worn detent plate. The detent plate can be bought and changed easily.
The play in the mechanisms is more work. It starts already with the shift lever, which pivot point normally wears out.
Then the already mentioned lever on the lower side of the steering column, which requires the steering column to be removed. The lever itself probably is worn, but also the side on the steering column itself. Adding some metal by welding and filing it down to the right size seems to be the remedy.
And yes, there should be an ashtray under the cover, it is normally one unit with the cover. Which light would be covered by the front ash tray? Try Carl Heller as well for the trays.

[Eric S]

Frank
in the front ash tray, I do have a light that goes on with the cars lights and that illuminates the inside of the ash tray...
However as I said the cover is part of the frame that is screwed in place??
Thank you for the rest. I will have a closer look.

Do we have a website for Carl Heller / partsetal or is it only through this forum?

[Frango100]

I'm not aware of a website from him, i normally contact him via his e-mail: hellerc1@verizon.net

[Eric S]

I need to remove the doors inside panels to access the window mechanism.
I can not find how to remove the door's openinbg handle.
Also the panel being held in place with wire steel hooks, where can I get them as I fear some will break in the process.

I need to remove the cigarette lighter. It is a bit tricky as the access is difficult. What kind of fastening I am looking at? 1 or 2 Screws or nuts. Or Maybe I just have to remove the chrome bezel?

Same for the clock...

How to remove the tank's level indicator?

Thanks for your help.

[Tbird1044]

Eric:
To remove the door handle, there is spring type C clip (see picture) on the backside of the handle. It fits in a groove on the shaft to hold the handle in place. It needs to be pushed back, away from the handle shaft to release the handle. The metal clips, for the door panel, are available from the TBird parts houses. I'll post a pic from Macs, if these are the clips you are referring to.
To remove the clock, first remove the chrome bezel by just pulling it away from the dash. There are no screws holding it in place. Then there should be 3-4 screws securing the clock to the dash. Remove the screws and the clock should pull out.
Once the clock is removed, you should be able to access the cigarette lighter through the clock hole. There is a metal collar that goes all the way around the lighter assembly that is screwed to the backside of the lighter socket. Unscrew the metal collar and the lighter socket should pull out the front of the dash. Make sure you disconnect the battery before pulling things out of the dash.
If you want to remove the tank level indicator in the dash, it comes out the same way as the clock. Remove the front chrome bezel and unscrew the gauge assembly. The temperature and gas gauge come out as one unit.
Nyles

[Eric S]

Thank you Nyles

As for the door handles
I removed the window handles in the back and doors but the door handles do not seem to have the same C Clip.
On the windows handles, there is a spring loaded cup that I can push to access the clip. Not such cup on the door handle?!
As for the tank indicator, I was talking about the indicator in the tank.
I guess the dash gage should work as (although only 1 day) it made some movement to indicate a full tank.

[Eric S]

As for parts, you're talking about MAC which I visited before.
I also knows bird nest.
Frango100 also told me about Carl Heller (partsetal)

What is the best 1 place stop for parts for decent pricing and parts availability?

[DKheld]

Here's the info you need on the fuel tank sending unit - accessed via the trunk.

http://www.squarebirds.org/picture_g...eplacement.htm







Eric

[YellowRose]

Eric's 1960 T-Bird

Eric, as for the best Tbird parts houses, keep this in mind... According to what I have been told, Thunderbird Hqs, and the Bird Nest manufacture 80% of the Tbird parts available to us today... The other Tbird parts houses order from them when they need to replenish their stock... But you should get all the free catalogs that you can get by emailing them and asking for them. Then you can do price checking and parts availability checking to determine who you want to order from. Mainly, I order from the Bird Nest because Don and the guys there have always been very helpful to me in answering questions. The same applies to Tbird Hqs.. Also, if I order from others and they are out of stock, they have to re-order from the Bird Nest or Tbird Hqs. So I tend to cut out the middle man and go to the source of manufacture...

[jopizz]

As for the door handles
I removed the window handles in the back and doors but the door handles do not seem to have the same C Clip.
On the windows handles, there is a spring loaded cup that I can push to access the clip. Not such cup on the door handle?!

The door handles have the same C clip as the window cranks although they do not have the spring loaded cup. You need to slide the removal tool carefully between the handle and the door panel. If there's a plastic grommet between the handle and panel slide the removal tool inside the grommet.

John

[Eric S]

This afternoon I managed to remove the clock and the cigarette lighter.
The latter is currently soaking in a rust removing solution as there is enough voltage coming from the wire. I guess too much rust prevents good contacts.
The clock will be adressed later.
I located the gage in the trunk (I happened to fell on Wheeler Dealers this morning on TV where they worked on same on a TBird 57!)
Again nothing wrong but a bad connection. I need to change it as it is broken and do not positively contact.
In the meantime I noticed 2 squares holes on both sides of trunk's floor. About 2"x4". Do we have plugs for that?
Also the trunk is painted same color as the car's body. I treated some rusty dots. What was the original finish on the trunk's floor
What do you recommend?

I will work later on the doors.
Thank you all guys for your help so far.

[jopizz]

In the meantime I notied 2 squares holes on both sides of trunk floor. About 2"x4". Do we have plugs for that?

Those square holes are relief holes for the convertible top frame on convertibles. Hardtops use the same trunk pan. Those holes do not go all the way through. They are covered by tar paper and the trunk mat so they are not visible normally.

John

[Eric S]

No they are not visible. I was just wondering if a "cover" might exist to plug them.