Vehicle Description
Inspired by the success of the Corvette, Ford took a different
track with its two-seater and billed the 1955 Thunderbird as a
personal luxury car, putting a greater emphasis on the car's
comfort and convenience features rather than any inherent
sportiness.
This nicely restored '56 T-bird has been in a museum collection in
Tucson, AZ for the past 10 years. The underbody was refinished
during the restoration process and shows quite well. A front disc
brake conversion was also done which is a vast improvement over the
stock driven drum brakes. The engine was separated to dual cabs
during the restoration process as well.
Designations aside, the Thunderbird achieved its goal and more,
outselling the Corvette by an amazing 23:1 ratio for 1955 with
16,155 Thunderbirds compared to just 700 Corvettes. Ford pressed on
with their corporate foot on the gas and made plans to continue
that success for 1956.
With the 1955 T-Bird considered a financial success, few changes
were made to the car for 1956. The most notable ones were moving
the spare tire to a Continental rear bumper-style to create more
space in the trunk, switching to a 12-volt electrical system and
adding functional vents in the front fenders.
The 312-cubic-inch engine, featured in this car, was an option over
the standard 292-cubic-inch V-8 in 1956, as was the new porthole
hardtop.
The bodywork on this Thunderbird remains excellent, with fine panel
gaps and fit and Colonial White paint is also in very nice
condition, with only very minor imperfections. Likewise, the
matching white hardtop looks great, with no scratches to be found,
no soft top. The front and rear chrome bumpers retain a great shine
with no major scratches or corrosion and the trim looks good with
only a few spots showing some early signs of pitting.
The incredible T-Bird dashboard still looks amazing and all gauges
are in good working order except for the original clock. The
headlights and taillights, turn signals, two-speed vacuum wipers
and horn all work well.
The previous owner installed an aftermarket AM/FM radio that
retains the classic look of the rest of the dash and sounds great.
The data plate indicates this is an original 312-cubic-inch V-8 car
with four-barrel carburetor and three-speed automatic transmission.
During the restoration process the engine was upgraded to dual
carburetors. he engine runs strong and sounds great through the
dual exhaust system that exits through the rear bumper.
This car runs on a 12-volt system and the engine bay is in clean
overall condition, with no visible rust to be found. It was
undercoated some years ago and can easily be described as clean and
lightly used fuel gauge and tach are inop.. On the road, the car
has plenty of power for modern highway speeds and shifts smoothly.
Adding to its drivability and comfort, this example is equipped
with power steering, disc front brakes, power windows, power seat
and aftermarket gauges. The Michelin P215/75 R15 whitewall tires
have good tread life left, and they look great with the 15-inch
wheels and wire hubcaps.
Inside, the red bench seats with white trim, matching inner door
panels, red metal dashboard, white three-spoke steering wheel and
red carpet all look clean, with some typical minor wear but no
flaws. It is obviously a Thunderbird that has lived a good life and
been well-cared for, with only honest wear showing from its careful
usse Ffoor-mounted shifter and two aftermarket gauges mounted below
the dash round out the interior.
Thunderbirds continue to sell well, show well and drive well, so
this 1956 Thunderbird is ready to enjoy, whether it is at local car
shows, Thunderbird tours, car club outings or simply taking a nice
long country cruise. Stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today to
check out this T-Bird.
VIN: P6FH285595
This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis,
Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 66,917 miles. It is
sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title.
GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!
Note: Please see full terms and conditions listed below that
pertain to the purchase of any said vehicle, thank you.
