Resources On Thunderbirds (1958-1966)

Thunderbird Production Numbers - Automotive Mile Posts  (top of page)
    1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966

Thunderbird Specifications - Automotive Mile Posts   (top of page)
    1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966

Thunderbird Exterior Paint Colors - Automotive Mile Posts   (top of page)
    1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966

Love Fords Color Codes   (top of page)
    1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966

Thunderbird Interior Trim - Automotive Mile Posts  (top of page)
    1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966

Thunderbird Standard Equipment - Automotive Mile Posts  (top of page)
    1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966

Thunderbird Optional Equipment - Automotive Mile Posts (top of page)
    1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966

Vintage Thunderbird 1958 - 1966 Data Plate Decoder - tbird.org(top of page)
    •Data Plate Decoder

Replacement Data Plates: - datatags.com   (top of page)
    •Replacement Data Plates

VIN - Vehicle Identification Number Explanation - Courtesy of John Rotella
    •VIN ID # Explanation A
    •VIN ID # Explanation B (top of page)
 
    •VIN # Locations-1958-1960 (top of page)

•Tom Maruska's Tbird Square Website
His Technical section is chock full of information regarding ROT/Build Sheet explanations, Engine weights, Part # Decoder, Convertible Electrical Diagrams, Paint Color Chips, Wiring Diagrams and '58-'66 Body Parts. Check it out! (top of page)


Books, Magazines And Other Publications

BOOKS

•Thunderbird 50 Years by Alan Tast & David Newhardt Motorbooks 2004

•Thunderbird, 1955-66 (American Classics) Alan Tast

High Performance Ford Engine Parts Interchange 221-CID to 460-CID...by George Reid

Ford - TBird Shop Manuals
Available through any Tbirds Parts House, as are many of these books in this list.

•Thunderbird Books

•The Old Car Manual Project
A generally remarkable resource

Jim Osborne "1959 Thunderbird Body, Trim & Sealant" and
"1959 Thunderbird Electrical Assembly Manual"

1949-59 Ford Parts book (Look for it on a CD)

•MRE Books

•Ford Factory Manuals

•Automotive Mile Post Tbird Reference

Thunderbird: An Odyssey In Automotive Design
William P. Boyer 1986 Taylor Publishing Co.,Dallas

•Thunderbird Restoration Guide 1958-66 William Wonder
Also published in 1997 by Motorbooks International Highly recommended!!
Much sample material may be found at: •Sample Material

T-BIRD: 40 Years of Thunder John Gunnell (ed) 1995 Krause Publications

How To Rebuild Big Block Ford Engines (FE & FT) Steve Christ HP Books 1983.
Must reading if you are rebuilding your 352 or 390 FE

•1958 Ford Shop Manual

•Hardtop-Convertible Difference
Bill Van Ess's book on Hardtop-Convertible Differences, also the 58 Convertible Registry

MAGAZINES & PERIODICALS

•1958 Service
The Ford Mechanic January 1958 Service Forum No. 4 Thunderbird Service

•Skinned Knuckles
The monthly magazine for the old car repairer and restorer, in its 32nd year.

•AutoRestorer Magazine Monthly wealth of information!

New! The actual article is available (in 2 pdf files, scanned in):
•June 1958 Hot Rod Magazine-TBird Test Ride 1
•June 1958 Hot Rod Magazine-Tbird Test Ride 2

June 1993 Collectible Automobile pp. 24-27 1958 Convertible

Oct 2006 Hemming's Classic Car pp.66-72 Restoration of a 1960 Sunroof "One of 377"

June 1995 Auto Restorer pp. 28-35 on a 1958 convertible

January 1984 SuperFord Magazine.
Special Thunderbird issue including an article on William P. Boyer

1960 Press Release from Ford showing hardtop, sunroof and convertible
•1960 Press Release

Your Tbird Value Calculator
•Tbird Value Calculator



TECHNICAL INFORMATION

This Technical section is broken down in the order of how a car is built.
Body - Paint - Trim - Chassis - Final


BODY

Trunk
•Trunk Droop
The factory based droop in the trunk lid at the corners is discussed at length.

PAINT

Cowl Drains
•Cowl Drains
Inside of the splash pans behind each of the front wheels

TRIM

Interior

Dash

Clock Conversion & Repair
•Converting an electro-mechanical clock to quartz
•Fix Your Own Clock M.H. Fox
in the May 1992 Skinned Knuckles, pp.12-17

Dash Gauges CVR
•IVR3 Solid state replacement for the "Constant Voltage Regulator"
Supplies 6 V DC to your Temp & Fuel gauge, as well as photos & instructions for installing it.


Dashpad
•The rebuilt article by Alexander on dashpad replacement
•Dennis Vieira-Dash Pad Replacement
•Dashes Direct

Factory Radio
•Manual For Factory Radio
(includes parts and wiring diagram) (model 84MS)
•Restoration & conversion to modern AM/FM stereo
Repairs - Barry Dalton radiodoc@rvi.net
(JohnG got excellent results from him) No website
•American Classic Restorations (Uxbridge, MA)

Glove Box Light
•Glove Box Light
How to fix or install one

Headlight Switch
•Removing & Repairing Your Headlight Switch (58-60 TBirds)

Instrument Gauge Pointer Color
•Instrument Gauge pointer color

Tachometer
•Adding a tachometer (Mel Waldorf)

Tail Lights
•Sequential Tail Light Flashers
•Web Electric Products
(If you scroll far enough in Customer's Cars,
you will find John Mooney's 59 TBird and Alexander's 1960.
John's is provocatively decorated...)

Steering Column & Steering Wheel

Detent Plate
•Shift Lever Detent Replacement (Alexander)
•See also Post #22 in this thread

Special Tools
•Steering Wheel Puller- photo and details

Converting Or Rebuilding Your Wiper Motor
•Converting from Vacuum to Electric Wiper Motor
•Tips on installing electric wipers, including the switch
•Ficken wiper motor rebuild and wiper parts

Wiring Diagrams
•1958-1966 Wiring Diagrams
•Multicolor wiring diagrams
•Accessory Wiring (Seats, Windows...)

Chrome
•Paul's Chrome (PA)
•NuChrome (Fall River MA)
•'59 Tbird Engine
•Hotrodders High Performance Kits
Southwest Chrome Plating, Inc.,
San Antonio, TX 210-658-8087

CHASSIS

Powertrains


Engines

352CI Engine
•Engine rebuild
Valve Seal Replacement
•Dennis Vieira-Valve Seal Replacement

390CI Engine
428CI Engine
430CI MEL Engine

•High quality exhaust manifold gaskets
•Ford Power Train Headers

Alternator/Generator
•How to troubleshoot your generator charging system
•Understand & troubleshoot Your Generator
Great photos and discussion
•PowerGen - Alternator In A Generator Case
A 75A alternator that looks like a generator
•Alternator Conversion
Discussed in this Squarebirds thread on 11-06-2006 by Alexander and others
•3 Wire vs 1 Wire Alternators & Generators
The pros and cons of 3 wire vs 1 wire generators is discussed at length
also see: •Ford Muscle (membership required )

Carburetors
•Pony Carburetors
specializing in restoration and repair of carbs for Fords and Mustangs
•Ford Forum, especially carburetors
•Another Ford Carb Forum


Decoding Casting Numbers
The location of all the casting numbers can be found in the current version of
VTCI's concourse rules. The rules also decode the dates.
•Ford Decode and also Steve Christ's book on FEs

Fuel Pumps

Ignition Components
•How the ignition system works on a V8 engine
•Using an oscilloscope to analyze your ignition
•MSD (coils, billet distributors, hi tech ignition systems)
•Pertronix (Flamethrower, Ignitor I & II)
•Pertronix Systems
Lots of information about Pertronix systems including what coil parameters to check

•Testing your Voltage Regulator, installing a new one & polarizing it

•Neutral Switch Adjustment
Additional information on adjustment of the neutral safety switch
when installing a detent plate (or any other time!)

Overflow/Radiator Supply Tank

Starter


Suspension

Brakes & Replacement Brake Hoses
•Brake Hoses

Control Arms
•Control Arm Bushings
(especially rear of '58 problem)

Power Booster Rebuilds
•Booster Dewey Exchange

Rims & Wheels
•Bolt Hole Patterns
How to measure and determine bolt hole patterns on rims
•Wheel Vintiques
•MRT Wheels

•Salguod Suspension Rebuild

Sway Bars
•Sway Bars
Custom Built to your specs

Tires
•Tire Calculator
•Determining the age of a tire
•BF Goodrich on how long to use tires
•Coker Tires
•Diamondback Classic Tires

Exhaust Components

Mufflers
•Flowmaster mufflers
You can listen to the various mufflers over the web!
(see sound clip next to muffler photos)

Rear Ends
•Dennis Vieira-Solving Rear End Leaks

Transmissions

FINAL

Liquids

Oil and Oil Filters
•Dennis Vieira
Oil Changes Instructions ~ For 1958-1959-1960 Thunderbirds
Oil filter study of 20 different filters
•Final opinions on oil filters

Tune-Up
58 Tbird Tune-Up Chart
•58 TBird Tuneup Chart (59 and 60 needed!!)
Spring Start Up Tips
•Dennis Vieira-Spring Start Up Tips

Torque


Common Repairs
•Alexander has a collection of detailed help with common TBird repairs on this site
•1960 Tbird AC Service Instructions
It probably pertains to the '58 & '59 Tbirds also
•1958 Convertible Top Adjustments
May also apply to 1959 Squarebird convertibles
& maybe to some extent, the 1960 also.
•'60 Tbird Power Brakes & Power Steering Service
It probably pertains to the '58 & '59 Tbirds also
•Squarebirds Power Window Glass Replacement Tip
•Squarebirds Power Window Switch Cleaning Tips
•'60 Tbird Radio, Speedometer & Clock Service Manual
It probably pertains to the '58 & '59 Tbirds also


Sources For Parts

Common Tbird Parts
•Tbird Parts
Most all companies who carry New, NOS, Reproduction or Used Tbird parts are listed in this Forum.
Please check there for company and contact information.

Convertible Parts
•Tbird Convertible Parts
•Thunderbird Ranch - John Draxler
•Bobs Bird House - 302-449-1966
•The Bird Nest - 800-232-6378
•Convertible Parts (New March '09 )

Golde Top Parts
•Possible Golde Top Parts Source
•Photos of 1960 Golde Top components (excellent source!)
•ASC Automotive Styling
Possible Golde Top parts source


Conversions

Air-Conditioning Installation
1960 Squarebird A/C Install

Disk Brakes
•Drop-N-Stop
•Combination valves usable on TBirds
•Disk Brake Conversion discussions
(very lengthy...tons of information)
•Gary Hamm Disc Brake Conversion
•Disk Brake Ready Rims (incl part #s)

Fan Shroud & Fan Blades
•Bird Nest ABS Fan Shroud
The Bird Nest has an ABS fan shroud that requires no modifications to be made.
It is less expensive and some say better.
•Dearborn Classics
(see Squarebird's Forums for discussion of installation. Some of us have used the metal ones from early 60's Galaxies, which also had FE motors. They require some modification for mounting onto the TBird engine compartment, but not a lot) Legend has it that Ford used a shroud on the 1960 convertibles for better cooling but no actual examples have been found)

Hardtop To A Convertible Conversion
•(Bill Van Ess)
Structural Differences for anyone considering a conversion
•Squarebird Frame Differences
-Chassis article on the differences between a hardtop and convertible in terms of
reinforcement of the chassis (or... why a convertible is not just a hardtop

Trunk Light
•Trunk Light
•John Draxler - Thunderbird Ranch Technical Tips
John has a ton of information on his website regarding
conversions, repairs and many other things. Check it out.


Restorations

•Alexander's 1960 Golde Top project
Includes a brief movie of him getting the motor running for the first time!

•Tom Young - Part II
A view of Tom Young's concours restoration of his Squarebird-Part II

•The unforseen body & chassis challenges of Travlin's restoration

•Kevin Hanson's turquoise 59 convertible project (and great house in VT!)

•Pa-Bob's great website on the story of his 59 Convertible.
Lots of great information! (Bob has great TBird hats for sale, too!)


Historical Events

•The Last '60 Tbird Off The Production Line
•Alexander Sosiak 2002 Retro Bird Test Drive
In 2001, Alexander introduced a just off the production line 2002 Retro Bird to his original 1959 Squarebird. Here you have the chance to see rare video clips of Alexander driving the Retro Bird
•1960 Squarebird Daily Production Numbers
An attempt is being made to locate the production numbers breakdown for the other years


Big Fords

•Dennis Vieira-Y-Block Engines
Although the title applies to the Babybirds, you will see that it applies
to other Ford cars of that era that ran the Y-Block engines.


Created: 26 July, 2010

Last Modified: 31 July, 2010

Email: webmaster@squarebirds.org