The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2

General Category => Totally Off-Topic Discussions, Rants, Tire & Oil Threads, Etc. => Topic started by: thrang on April 28, 2008, 11:38:35 AM

Title: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: thrang on April 28, 2008, 11:38:35 AM

hiya Gang.

My boss had a brain storm and has imported a 66 ford thunderbird sight unseen from Texas after seeing it on the internet. Well he commited the cardinal sin of beliving a PO and according the the MOT station he's bought a rust bucket underneath. Well guess whose got to get it UK road legal?

Help! So anyone know any reliable sources for parts in the US?

I've looked online for advice about these things because I've found lots for sale, looked at endess classic car dealers pages but found very little useful hard information.

Cheers
Tony

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: Rob Valdez 79 R65 on April 28, 2008, 04:41:03 PM

Spoiled brats shouldn't rely on their employees to make things right on their toys.

Unless that is what you are employed to to do, I guess.  

He is still a dweeb in my book.

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: Bob_Roller on April 28, 2008, 05:30:14 PM

Did a search for 1966 T-Bird Parts, and came up with this site in the US : http://www.tbirdparts.com/.

Hope he's got a lot of cash to pound down this bottomless pit !!!!

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: Rob Valdez 79 R65 on April 28, 2008, 06:32:26 PM

Texas, huh?  That is right next to Louisiana, where New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina are/were.

I wonder if he bought a "floater"?

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: Justin B. on April 28, 2008, 09:52:57 PM

The only rust issues I could see coming from here would be leaky windows/windshield, etc. letting in water and rotting the floor.  I had to weld in a complete set of new rear floor pans in the '65 Impala SS I restored...

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: nhmaf on April 28, 2008, 10:02:53 PM

Yes, unless it was in a flood, or "imported" from one of our northern states, usually Texas cars aren't rusty - though the paint is usually severely faded/gone...
There are some clubs in the united states that specialize in T-birds, I'll keep my eyes and ears open.

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: Lowen on April 29, 2008, 04:43:29 PM

North Texas cars are not rusty. Cars from Houston and other areas on the coast are always rust buckets.

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: Justin B. on April 29, 2008, 05:03:45 PM

That's true, I sometimes forget that...

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: thrang on April 30, 2008, 12:03:30 PM

I've lobbed a few snaps of the underside on my flickr page.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thrang1963/

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: Bob_Roller on April 30, 2008, 12:23:09 PM

Lots of work ahead on this disaster !

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: nhmaf on April 30, 2008, 01:47:44 PM

Jeepers, that isn't a restoration looking ya in the face, it is a resurrection - cause I've seen cars that were just buried that were more sound than that !

Well, good luck to you and the boss - I hope that you can find some way out of this, because it is going to require some miracles and alot of work.

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: Rob Valdez 79 R65 on April 30, 2008, 06:02:33 PM

Tell him you want to be paid by the hour, and overtime after 8 per day.
You might want to raise your hourly rate, while you are at it.


OTOH, if you enjoy this sort of thing, it looks like you have it made!

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: Lowen on May 01, 2008, 06:18:15 AM

Perhaps this will help.
http://www.tbirdhq.com/
http://www.tbirdhq.com/bbparts/bbpatch/6466patch.htm

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: Lowen on May 01, 2008, 06:14:19 PM

Or this.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thunderbird-Restoration-Guide-1958-66-Authentic/dp/digital-features/0760303908

Title: Re: advice needed about a 66 ford T-bird
Post by: not-so-fast-ed on May 08, 2008, 01:37:55 PM

Good grief Thrang, That's one rotted Bird!  Hope you're not in it just for the "fun".
Another parts place that may be of assistance is www.tbirdsanctuary.com
I really don't know much about restoring T-Birds, but spent quite a while on my frame off GTO.  Did 90 percent of the work myself and got pretty much "burned out".  Now I'm having "fun" getting my R65 in shape.
Good luck,
Ed