1955 Ford Thunderbird

Description

Please see the photos of my 55 Thunderbird.  Due to some personal issues, I am going to have to sell it.
The car is about 90% complete.  All it needs is paint, carpets, door panels and installation of the windows.
Here are some details:
The car was originally sold at a dealership in Florida.  Several years ago, it was purchased by a Ford dealer in Minnesota who planned on restoring it and putting it on his showroom floor.  The shops at his dealership did quite a bit of work on it. (including taking the body off the frame)   This work included new floor pans, new body panels, new fuel tank, new steel brake lines, a rebuild of the front and rear suspension, and a complete refinishing of the frame, undercarriage and engine compartment. The underside is a perfect as the outside.  The tires have virtually no miles on them. The body is virtually flawless and is ready for paint.  The car was always kept inside and there is
no
rust anywhere on the car.  The engine is a .40 over 292 that was supplied by the Fred Jones company.  I'm not sure when the rebuild was done but it is very tight, with no leaks and no smoke.  The auto trans works well and I repaired any leaks.   All new exhaust system and I did a full rebuild of the brakes last year,  I have all the chrome for the interior and windshield- these are rare pieces and are in great shape.  The pieces that were in bad shape have been repaired and re chromed. I also had  the original factory aluminum valve covers polished. The car now has electric wipers and a high grade high tech radio.  The clock and tach work as do all the gauges.   The car has no power steering or power brakes.  I repaired and installed all of the fresh air vent system that runs from the grille to the passenger compartment. There is no heater motor, but the heater core is there.  The grille and bumpers are all factory parts and in excellent condition.  The car has been converted to 12 volts and everything works- including the lights, turn signals, horn and even the interior light. I re-did the under dash wiring and added a modern fuse system and a common ground bus bar.   The front seat has all new foam and seat covers.  Before I got the car, the power seat mechanism was removed and replaced with a manual sliding seat frame.  The mechanism works well but it does have the driver sit a little higher than normal. I completely refurbished the seat frame before I had the new foam and covers installed.  The interior floor panels are covered in new Dyna Mat and are  ready for carpets.  The dashboard and trim are all new and show quality.  (The dashboard was removed from the car and professionally refinished)
Before the car was finished at the dealership, the owner sold his business and sold the car to a collector in Minnesota.  He was going to finish it but didn't and it sat for several years in a warehouse he owned.  When I got the car a few years ago, it needed a lot of TLC and updating which is what I did.   I have the original hardtop.  It is perfect condition outside but it needs new glass and has no headliner.  I also have the complete soft top frame, but it needs new fabric. The photos show the car without the fender skirts, but I have them and they are in excellent condition.  The car was built to be as close to factory stock as possible.  The is NOT a "resto-mod".
Overall the car is very close to being done and as I mentioned, the body is in pristine condition and straight as an arrow.     The car is only a little bit shy of being a finished beauty.  I have the Minnesota title and a ton of receipts for work done and parts replaced.
Only 16,155 1955 T- Birds were made and this is the first version of the iconic two seat sports car.  Not many have survived.  With just a paint and a little interior work, this will be a show winning example of Ford's first attempt to compete for sales with the new Corvette.   It is a piece of automotive history that is in need of a caring owner.