Thunderbird car 19598/9/2023 ![]() ![]() ![]() The interior of the '59 T-bird is little changed from the revolutionary design of '58 that earned Motor Trend Magazine's Car of the Year award. Handling improved in 1959, when leaf springs returned to the rear suspension from an earlier coil spring design that did not work out in 1958 as the designers planned. Motivated by the powerful new 352ci V-8 Interceptor engine, the Square Birds were swift and sporty, though not high performance. The four-passenger second-generation Thunderbird provided all the luxury and convenience expected in a luxury car, but in a smaller size than the contemporary Cadillac, Lincoln, and Imperial, making it easier to park and maneuver. That leaves driveline installation, paint, interior, and final assembly to do before Mom’s T-Bird is loaded on a trailer for a trip to Vegas in late October.Terrific '59 Ford Thunderbird: More Seats, More Friends, More Fun!įord reinvented the Thunderbird in 1958, and though sales for the first generation '55 to '57 T-birds had been strong, they really took off with the "Square Bird," as '58 to '60 T-birds came to be known. A group of 10 female car enthusiasts showed up in mid-July to help with some welding, body panel fitment and alignment, and final bodywork to get the Thunderbird ready for paint. Other interior upgrades include updated gauges, Vintage Air A/C, and a factory-appearing radio with Bluetooth.Īs you’re reading this, Steve and Molly have finished up the major sheetmetal work. Charcoal accents and embroidery will tie the interior to the paint scheme. The upholstery will be upgraded to leather in the factory black with white inserts pattern. Once the bodywork is finished, the Thunderbird will be painted pearl white with a charcoal gray top. You can see how bad it was in the photos. In additional to the usual dents and dings, rust had eaten through the rockers, the lower rear quarter panels, and trunk extensions on both sides of the car. Steve and Molly are both handy with a welder, which was a good thing as the Thunderbird needed a lot of rust repair and metal work. of torque gets routed to a Ford 9 inch axle with a Moser Engineering third member fitted with 3.25 gears and an Auburn Gear limited slip differential. The engine’s 460 horsepower and 420 lbs.-ft. It comes with the ECU and wiring harness, Boss 302 alternator kit, starter, bellhousing, billet flywheel, and clutch kit for a (relatively) easy install. The Module mates a production Gen 3 5.0L engine to a 680R six-speed automatic. Speaking of power, Mom’s T-Bird gets a Ford Performance GEN 3 Coyote 5.0L Power Module. The benefits-a much stiffer car that allows the suspension to work properly and can handle more power than the original 352 FE made-more than outweigh the extra work. “We had to make all the structures on the bottom of the car to make it safe and strong.” “There has been a whole lot of adapting and troubleshooting,” Molly Gursky explained. Adapting the ’59 to the new chassis meant cutting out the floor, transmission tunnel, and subframe assemblies and building a new underbody structure. The 1958-60 ‘Squarebirds’ have a unibody design with the sheetmetal structure acting as body and chassis. That meant some serious metal surgery was required to mate car to chassis. The decision was made to go with a Scott’s Hotrods and Customsfull frame chassis that has custom-built front and rear coilover suspension and Wilwood disc brakes. Steve and Molly’s idea was to keep the T-Bird stock-appearing on the outside with a modern chassis and drivetrain underneath. They wanted to make it safe and comfortable for cross country travel while not having to stop every 50 miles for fuel.” “They asked us what it would take to bring it back to her former glory and add a little more "oomph" under the hood. “When the family got in touch we were thrilled to hear the story behind this car,” Molly Gursky explained. The car was mostly summer driven and stored for the majority of its life, so it was complete when it arrived at Driven Restorations in late 2018. The Thunderbird faithfully fulfilled its duties for three decades until mechanical issues forced the family to park it the early 1990s. The Colonial White car was purchased in 1961 for the current owner’s mom to use as a daily driver, thus earning the name “Mom’s T-Bird”. They’ve built everything from muscle cars to classic trucks, many of which have sentimental value to their owners. Steve and Molly opened Driven Restorations in 2009. For example, Steve and Molly Gursky of Driven Restorations are hard at work getting this 1959 Ford Thunderbird finished in time to make the show. The 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas is less than four months away.something the folks building display vehicles for the show know all too well. ![]()
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