Repairs made to the T-Bird under my ownership

Ring gear -

Starter

Front pump seal

Cam Plug

Pinion seal

Courtesy Lights

Dash Lights

Blinkers - Sort of -

Electric Choke on order

I was contemplating getting a whole new carb because the original heat tube for the choke is no longer functional and so the choke is set to be all the way open all the time or it totally "Chokes" the engine off because there is no heat to open it up.

Hunting for new carbs on ebay I came across an electric conversion kit that eliminates the tube and utilizes a power wire to heat up the choke instead.

Thunderbird Update

Went to French Lake Auto Parts yesterday looking for parts for the T-Bird. There were scant few t-birds out in the yard of any year. I did find one 1964 model however and was able to find a couple small items that were needed.

Found the spring and clip for the horn button that had been missing.

Worked on the contacts of the horn buttons and they both now operate properly and deliver proper voltage to the horns. The horns however will need to be replaced they sound weak and scratchy (yes they are properly grounded) and when removed the rattle inside.

Found a new head light post and knob (the old one the knob is broken off) however the 1964 model is about an inch longer so it sticks out too far. But looks better than a broken off post and a lot easier to grasp.

1966 Thunderbird Interior

The interior on this car is in very good shape.

Gauges: Oil pressure, Fuel Level, Engine Temperature and Charging (volt meter)

All gauges are operating properly and there is very good oil pressure.

I have had the dash apart to replace bulds and all dash lights illuminate properly.

Turn signals - the turn signals are current working intermittently due to the motorized sequencer which are known to cause problems. Electronic sequencers can be puchased for around $99.

Spedometer works properly

Clock - had the clock working but it has since stopped again.

Steering wheel currently has an aftermarket wrap on it - have not removed to inspect.

Steering column - Slides away to allow easy exit/entrance to vehicle.

Shifter - The shifter works fine and causes no problem however it is loose feeling and moves a little too freely, (this is common to this vintage T-bird).

Windshield Washer - Works as it is supposed to even has the original bag reservoir.

Winshield Wipers - Work properly - They are the style the style that meet in the middle instead of swinging both left then both right. The wipers are also variable speed not just slow and fast as most of the old cars were.

Headlights - Switch works properly but the chrome knob is broken off.

Remote Door locks - There is a vacuum switch on the center console to lock and unlock the doors. It currently does not work - I have not taken the time to look at yet.

Window Cranks - Main windows operate properly. There are vent windows also - the drivers side vent window does not work and have not looked at passenger side.

Air Conditioning - Car is equipped with Air Conditioning but it is not currently functioning.

Upohlstry - The upohlstry is in very good condition with only a couple flaws. The Divers door panel has a crack in the arm rest. The drivers seat has some surface cracking on the side of the seat only seen with dood open and barely noticeable then. Front passenger seat is seperated front to back along center seam. Those are the only things I have noticed with the interior.

Pictured here is the 1966 Thunderbird I purchased with the intent of making some repairs so that it was a fully functional driver and then reselling with hopefully a profit in there for me somewhere.

This blog will cover every possible detail I am aware of with the car, good and bad.

I knew the car needed some work, but it needed a little more than I had anticipated. So true for many old classics. Additional blog posts will detail everything.

The T-Bird is really eye catching though and is so much cooler than I realized. The gauges are all set up bullet style under the speedometer bar (no needle the strip under the numbers turns red indicating the speed. Also the seating arrangement is very neat as well. Instead of plain old bench seating it has front buckets with a console and contoured rear seats making it a four passenger car.