Vehicle Description
1956 Ford Thunderbird Roadster
Some vintage Thunderbirds have all the elements of a quintessential
classic car; round headlights, chrome bumpers and accoutrements,
exterior design elements that don't function other than for
aesthetics, tail fins, simple tail lights, fender skirts, hood
scoops. Then there are things that make the baby birds particularly
special; the two seat configuration, a Continental kit, and the
most epic of all, the portholes.
For consignment, a classic with all the bells and whistles, a 1956
Ford Thunderbird in Navajo Gray. It's not a color we see often at
Classic Auto Mall, so a little research revealed that only 2.3% of
1956 Thunderbirds were painted Navajo Gray. It's not the rarest
color, but it is the third least common, (behind Sunset Coral and
Goldenglow Yellow). This one's been owned by the same caretaker for
18 years and although in need of some cosmetic TLC, it has some
redeeming qualities that warrant a close look.
Exterior
Let's get this out of the way, the paint is rough. It's cracked
from stem to stern and even peeling off in many places. While the
symmetrical shapes and patterns in the cracks are interesting, the
car will eventually need paint. That said, the body is straight and
provides the perfect candidate for paint restoration. 15-inch
wheels present dramatically with Ford hubcaps and whitewall tires,
the rear partially obscured by fender skirts. More positives can be
found in the chrome bumpers which are in decent condition as are
the lenses of all lights. The body matched case for the spare tire
and rear mounted Continental kit are in good condition and really
add to the profile of the car. A Raven Black hardtop sets off the
gray and could also use some fresh paint, but the portholes are in
place!
Interior
The top edge of the driver's door shows a bit of patina but the
rest, and the passenger door, are in great shape. Red is the
perfect complement to the gray exterior and appears on the door
sandwiching a ribbed aluminum trim piece and surrounded by white
vinyl panels. The bench seat is in good condition and continues the
red and white vinyl pattern found on the doors. Red protrusions and
the metal insert on the doors flow seamlessly to the dash and form
a continuous design. The beautiful dash is preceded by a red
plastic steering wheel with metal horn ring. An arching speedometer
tops out at 150 mph and is flanked by two round gauges denoting
RPM's and time. An AM radio is in place and looks to be original
and the vent controls with sliding knobs are situated further
right. We note some duct tape residue on the glove box but it
appears its falling problem has been fixed. A short shifter sits on
the hump and the floor is covered with red loop style carpet which
shows some wear.
Drivetrain
A 312ci V8 is under the hood and was rated at 215 horsepower from
the factory. It receives fuel from a 4-barrel carburetor and
garners forward momentum via a 3-speed manual transmission with
overdrive sending the spin back to a Dana 44 rear with 3.92 gears.
That's good for some giddy up which is tempered by drum brakes
front and rear. The engine bay is clean and what we would call
driver quality with slight patina.
Undercarriage
Despite a coat of checked paint, the underside is remarkably clean.
It's darn near flawless under here with no surface rust save for a
bit on the mufflers, very little dust, no grease or grime, and
plenty of clean, shiny components. Independent suspension in front
is equipped with coil springs while leaf springs hold the tension
in the back. Dual exhaust comes off the manifold and intersects a
pair of glasspack style mufflers, then exits in epic fashion
through oval ports in the side of the chrome rear bumper.
Drive-Ability
We chose "top off" for this ride and Morgantown's weather
cooperated for a short jaunt around the test loop. The car didn't
disappoint with decent acceleration and handling, although we note
the car tends to pull left while driving. Beyond that, only
theclock made the list of things that didn't work. Warning: if
you're going to drive this car, especially with the top off, be
prepared for waves, thumbs ups, smiles, and questions.
All this car needs is paint to make it a fantastic and collectible
show car. All the bones are there, the interior, engine, and
undercarriage are ready to go. You can pick any color you want but
there's something special about the Navajo Gray and being part of
the 2 percenters!
P6FH342758
P-312ci 4bbl V8 225hp
6-1956
F-Dearborn, MI Assy Plant
H-Thunderbird
342758-Sequential Unit Number
WARRANTY PLATE
BODY 40A-Thunderbird Roadster
COLOR XB-Navajo Gray, Raven Black
TRIM XA-Red & White Vinyl
PRODUCTION CODE 27GB1024-July 27th
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
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