Check Out This eBay '58 Beauty!

[YellowRose]

Kev, in England, sent me out this link on this beautiful '58 Tbird being sold in Texas. He also commented about this.

"Ray, lovely car but what has happen to the inner fender, metal has been cut away for hoses, never seen this done before."

Here is the link.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_rdc=1&item=290452417250&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.com%3A80%2F%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dm570%26_nkw%3D290452417250%26_sacat%3DSee-All-Categories%26_fvi%3D1&viewitem=

[tbird430]

This '58 REALLY caught my eye last week!! It reminds me so much of what my parents '58 could look like when/if they ever finish her!!

Their's is regatta blue with a white top though, but really similar in my eyes.

The front brake hoses/lines are different on the '58s. I'll have to look at my parents Bird to see if theirs is "notched out" that way. The only thing I didn't like about this Bird is they way someone painted the front suspension/engine cradle the lower body color. It really sticks out on each side of the front tire on those side veiws. Of course a little chassis black paint or undercoating would cover it right up....

Good price on this '58 too!! I wonder if someone north of Houston, TX (by Lake Conroe) could purchase her?


-Jon in TX.

[simplyconnected]

...The only thing I didn't like about this Bird is they way someone painted the front suspension/engine cradle the lower body color...

How 'bout this, Jon:
"THIS BIRD HAS HAD AN EXTENSIVE BODY OFF RESTORATION COMPLETED LESS THAN 6000 MILES AGO."

I wonder how he got the frame off of a unibody...
That might explain why the lower body color is messed up. - Dave

[keith]

Interesting how the '58 inner fender is different than the '59. I can't quite figure out what the inspection hole is for. It looks like a grease zerk.

[RustyNCa]

[COLOR=royalblue]The front brake hoses/lines are different on the '58s. I'll have to look at my parents Bird to see if theirs is "notched out" that way.

Here is a photo of my 58 fender, it doesn't have a cut out like that. It also looks like someone added some metal where they did the cutout to give it back some structural integrity.

[RustyNCa]

Interesting how the '58 inner fender is different than the '59. I can't quite figure out what the inspection hole is for. It looks like a grease zerk.

It is actually a way to get to the top of the shock mount, what you see in the photo is the nut at the top of the shock.

The 58 had two options of how to mount the shocks, or I suppose you could run two shocks on either side actually. I have no idea why they did that, I am running my shocks in that spot.

Why, because that was where the shocks were mounted when I started, I never noticed that you could run them either way till I had gotten and installed the shocks. Knowing my cars history, I would guess that is where the shocks were installed from the factory, at least on my car....

Cheers
RustyNCA

[tbird430]

How 'bout this, Jon:
"THIS BIRD HAS HAD AN EXTENSIVE BODY OFF RESTORATION COMPLETED LESS THAN 6000 MILES AGO."

I wonder how he got the frame off of a unibody...
That might explain why the lower body color is messed up. - Dave

That is funny Dave. I forgot about reading that part last week.


I know for a while there (in the past) is was impossible to get 1 of the 2 front brake hoses on the '58 Bird. I bet this is were the "MOD" came into play on this '58 in question. I bet his mechanic has to remove some metal to get in that space and plumb the brake lin/hose together. That's MY best guess anyways...

-Jon



-Jon

[YellowRose]

Check Out This eBay '58 Beauty!

I will give you some more insight into this car... I also saw the comment about the "body off restoration".. This car is in John Rotella's tbirdregistry as #3985. Cathie ~ Coral reported this Tbird in February of 2010. What caught my interest is the last statement in the registry. I know the owner, or past owner of this Tbird! "This Thunderbird was documented in November, 2002 as being owned by Phil Skinner of Orange County, California." Phil Skinner works for Kelley Blue Book and he and I have corresponded a lot. In fact, it is he who provided me with the 1960 production history he dug up. As I recall, he has a ranch or land in Texas, that he had mentioned before. I sent him an email about the sale of this Tbird, in case he does not know it is up for sale. Perhaps he does know and has consigned it to them for sale. If he responds, I will ask him about that cut out and see what he says.

Speaking of www.tbirdregistry.com John told me that he is experiencing problems with the server his database is on. He never dreamed he would have 33K+ cars in that old database. Yes, his system was down for a number of days, as he works on this problem. I think he is moving it to a new server. So if you find it down, just bear with him as he works on making it better. Also, if you report cars to him, please bear with him. He will get to them and upload them as soon as he can.

[bird 60]

Hi Ray, just a little off topic but with John Rotellas Registry, is it only for Squarebirds or all T.Birds?

Thanks

Chris....From the Land of OZ.

[YellowRose]

Check Out This eBay '58 Beauty!

I just got an email from Phil Skinner. He said the entry in the Tbird Registry listing him as a previous owner is in error. He was just reporting it, as was Cathie! Here is what he had to say.

"Ray, if the listing on John Rotella's registry has me as the owner, it is in error. It should say I contributed this number but was not the owner. This car was recorded by myself at the 1995 Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Please correct any references to my having owned this car, I just saw it and contributed the number to John's fine site!."

In answer to Chris's question, www.tbirdregistry.com is for ALL Tbirds, regardless of year or status: crushed; parts car; or presently owned.

[keith]

It is actually a way to get to the top of the shock mount, what you see in the photo is the nut at the top of the shock.

The 58 had two options of how to mount the shocks, or I suppose you could run two shocks on either side actually. I have no idea why they did that, I am running my shocks in that spot.

Why, because that was where the shocks were mounted when I started, I never noticed that you could run them either way till I had gotten and installed the shocks. Knowing my cars history, I would guess that is where the shocks were installed from the factory, at least on my car....

Cheers
RustyNCA

Thanks Rusty, I had no idea. Were 2 front shocks very common on that era of cars?

[GTE427]

Keith,
Two front shocks can be found since owners have taken advantage of the ability to do so. The factory didn't equip cars this way, nor did they intend to. The 58 TBird was slated to have an air ride --bagged-- suspension option, this is why the 58 had rear coils and the front suspension was fitted with outboard shocks as the bags and inboard shocks cannot occupy the same spot. The air ride was an option in the full size Ford, was troublesome and never make it into the Squarebird.

For 1959, 60 the TBird suspension was redesign to the more conventional setup, rear leafs and front shocks thru the coils appeared.

[frank58]

I just want to get a screwdriver and straighten out that air conditioning bezel.
I wonder what that car sold for at Barrett-Jackson?

[keith]

Keith,
Two front shocks can be found since owners have taken advantage of the ability to do so. The factory didn't equip cars this way, nor did they intend to. The 58 TBird was slated to have an air ride --bagged-- suspension option, this is why the 58 had rear coils and the front suspension was fitted with outboard shocks as the bags and inboard shocks cannot occupy the same spot. The air ride was an option in the full size Ford, was troublesome and never make it into the Squarebird.

For 1959, 60 the TBird suspension was redesign to the more conventional setup, rear leafs and front shocks thru the coils appeared.

Thanks Ken.

[JohnG]

A while back I gave some shop some flack about advertising a Squarebird as having "frame off restoration". I find the phrase misleading and ignorant in the case of unibody cars.

The shop responded that their use of the phrase was not intended to be literal but that the car in question had a comprehensive, professional grade restoration bringing it back to near factory condition.

The response didn't really change my opinion but at least I found they weren't using "frame off restoration" out of ignorance.

Different note: how different is Cascade Green from Teal ?