New Project 63 Thunderbird!

Hello All,
Don Jr here (son of Itolduso, Should I admit that?)

I just picked up a new project since the "mr Blue" T bucket is done. The new project is a 1963 "bulletbird" T bird. I got it for a super low $600! No engine with the car (originally a 390 car) Cruisomatic Transmision, 9 inch rear. No rust except rear quarter area. Easy enough to repair. My thoughts are full air ride suspension (low enough to squash ants) built 390 FE engine. Perhaps just a suede paintjob or perhaps a heavy flake roof. Tuck and roll interior with Astro Supreme wheels and thin whitewalls. Your thoughts? Let me know what you think. I will keep posting the progress. Thanks!
(:) Yellow bird below is the goal):)

Welcom Don Jr. even though you are an older member then me, I see it is your first post.
(I meant longer, not older as in years) I thought that sounded pretty bad, not many people are older then me.

That will be a nice car from your ideas.

You have a famous name here already. Love those older Thunderbirds.

Richard

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Originally Posted by Mr Blue

Hello All,
Don Jr here (son of Itolduso, Should I admit that?)

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I wouldn't..........but hey, you just got stuck with that!!!!!!!!!:LOL: :LOL:



Good start on a cool custom, my fav 'bird body.

I have been a member for a while. Apparently I am better at cars than computers:LOL: We shall see where this TBird goes. Can't wait to see it bagged inches from the ground! Thanks for the reply:)

Forgot to comment on being "Itolduso's" son....................I did get stuck with that! Actually............Learned all of my bad car habits from him....Lucky to have him. (Dont tell him I said that, he is already impossible to live with):rolleyes:

By far the best looking series of 'Bird. Keep us updated.

Welcome Don. It has been fun seeing all of the projects come out of the family shop. You blue t bucket came out great, and the classy tbird should make for a great lowered project. Your Dad is a great guy. I'd hit him up for that 460 he's hanging onto!:LOL:
I'm putting a 460 in my old truck as well.
Looking foward to watching this build. :cool:

Cool project Mr. Blue. My stepson has a 63 Bird I'd love to redo. I'd like airbags, shiny paint(Dark blue), 20" inch Foose wheels, all the chrome trim redone, and a healthy FE big block.:3dSMILE:

I thought I taught you better...........NOTHING BIGGER THAN A T BUCKET!! :eek: :LOL: :LOL:

Welcome to the forum , Pal.:)

Don

i'm no Ford guy, but i have a soft spot for those T birds. there was one sitting at a house nearby for years and i drove by often and decided i really like the way the back of those look especially. one day it was gone, but i could have seen myself one day stopping by to make an offer. i haven't ever thought of what i would want to do to one, but low sounds like a good start as does the rest of your plan :toocool:

I saw this car on Craiglist forever and then it just disappeared (figured it sold) turns out the guy was sick of getting calls from people asking if a car without an engine would drive OK to California the next day! Crazy! Oh well, it showed back up and I towed her home. Reminds me of being a kid with dad telling us to remember to tell mom the car we just bought was "only $50 bucks" Just stretching the truth a bit:) :) :) That 460 is looking better to me all the time for this project......What do you think dad?????? :confused:

P.S. Dad..........Do the rest of the guys know that girl is not your girlfriend sitting in your car avatar pic???????

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Originally Posted by Mr Blue

P.S. Dad..........Do the rest of the guys know that girl is not your girlfriend sitting in your car avatar pic???????

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Uh Oh, this could get ugly real quick :HMMM:

Don, don't worry about it, we all know, kids say the darnest things!!! :LOL:

Mike

Mr. Blue, I think she might be one of Uncle Bob's beauties that he morphed into your dad's car!(just kidding Don, if she was one of Bob's we'd all go running!)
Those old Tbirds have such great lines. The huge round tail lights have tons of character! I always thought it would be fun to have a convertible version for out here in CA. My problem is limited storage and a short garage to where anything over 18 feet long wouldn't fit inside.
Some of the guys on here are very talented with photoshop, etc. So if you want to try out different wheels or paint jobs, they usually are game putting them on your car.
Keep posting. Steve.

Ooooooohh...............a high, hangin' pitch.....................:LOL: :LOL:

Jr., dad already admitted he had to pay her (or was it beg?) for those services..........isn't that kind of stuff illegal in Florida? Thanks to my spies we've posted up a picture of his real gf leaving the photo shoot before..............:3dSMILE:

Is she pretty or what?

Richard

Bob
:LOL: :LOL: :LOL: **) **) :D :eek: :eek:
I was hoping you'd jump in! How are yah doing?

She looked better sitting in the car! YIKES!

Oh well, dan and i like her more than his last relationship (picture below) Sorry pops:rolleyes:

Doin great! Spending as much time with dad and dan as possible. Dans project is coming along well and dad actually dusted off the 39 dodge pickup project lately. Lots goin on. Thanks for the welcome! Don Jr:whacked:

My great aunt had a 63 bird like that.I think it had a swing out column.It was a brown metalic color.My neighbor had a 63 fairlane the same color.

Well, she's not overweight . . . LOL!

I am another person who really likes the '61-'63 T-Birds. I see a red one at shows with that sport tonneau cover that covers the rear seats. Very cool!

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Originally Posted by Mr Blue

Oh well, dan and i like her more than his last relationship (picture below) Sorry pops:rolleyes:

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You're gonna do juuuuuusstt fine around here................:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

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Originally Posted by Mr Blue

She looked better sitting in the car! YIKES!

Oh well, dan and i like her more than his last relationship (picture below) Sorry pops:rolleyes:

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What a gap between the mounds!!!!

Richard

Ok need some direction here on my empty engine bay.
This bird came with no engine:(
This tbird originally came with a 390 four barrel (z code) engine. I do have the cruise-o-matic tranny (is this worth using?) that originally came with the car and all engine accessories (timing cover, all accessory brackets, air cleaner, powersteering pump,etc minus exhaust and intake manifold) The easiest way to go would be to put a 390 back in..........................BUT BEING A HOT RODDER..Bigger sounds better.......

I am new to FE engines, but wouldn't any FE up to a 428 go in??? Need all of your expertise and opinions out there. Love the way the 390 sounds in the movie bullet's star mustang for sure. I know this is not a drag car, but a few extra cubes can't hurt? Right?
Thanks for the help, Don JR:)

Welcome to the site. Looks like a fun project. While almost all of us will be willing to offer opinions, remember to do what you want. Make it a car you will enjoy (even if your building it to sell it off). In my humble opinion, unless you are trying for a restored show car, get bad with it. A 428 would be nasty. I love the old cruise-o-matic trannies, (hence the user name) but if you are going more power, get a tranny that will play better with teh horse power. Again JMHO and welcome.

Thanks for the advice:)
I am not a "restored" kinda guy. (I admire them, but like hopping them up too much) A 428 from what I am reading is the same engine family and the same dimentionally. That appeals to me.

Of course dads got that nasty 460 (385 engine family) sitting there:cool: I wonder what that swap would be like/ Anyone out there done it? Fab some mounts and a tranny crossmember. call it a day...hmmmmmm:rolleyes:

Don there are a lot of aftermarket kits for the 429 and 460's as far as motor mounts and tranny mounts. I don't know much about the cruisomatics, but a c6 bolted to the back of the 460 with your existing 9" rear would do a fine job! I'll hunt arpound for a bolt on motor mount kit, but I bet Dan could fab up some brackets that would be pretty slick!:D

Dan the man to the rescue for sure :toocool: He can fab up anything.

I have been on a few of the thunderbird forums and websites and the problem becomes that they do not want anyone "modifying" the thunderbirds so very little swap info is available there. A torch and a welder go a long way!

Thanks again for the help, Don Jr.

I know what you mean. I looked at quite a few sites. It seems the height of the cruisamatic tranny is a bit different than c6's in relation to the motor, but people have done it, it's just hard to find any info!

I knew it was just a matter of time........who woke Bob up from his nap?:p :LOL:

And Don, keep your hands off of my 460!! :eek: :D

Don

hmmm. Well I guess I will have to keep digging for info. The cruise a matic was used in many vehicles. Mine is in good shape. Pops....Already digging that 460 out of the corner of the shop:LOL: :LOL:

Pop in the 460, and hide it well. That would be a hell of a sleeper.

I agree. Looking into the swap now..........Sleepers are too much fun.:LOL:

The 460 swap should be a piece of cake. I wouldn't bother with the old cast iron trans though, if you do you'd have to see if a later FMX bellhousing would fit since the patterns are different...The C6 is a lighter and stronger unit, you'll have to refab the crossmember some to move the mount back and shorten the driveshaft as well as reworking the trans linkage.

Hi Don Jr and a belated welcome. I've been following the thread and thought I'd throw in a couple of cents.

I had a 61 Bird a few years back the biggest problem with the FEs in the 61-3 birds is the exhaust, the car was designed to use the fla log type manifolds. There is virtually no room for anything else that will clear the shock towers. On a hot dog 390 (mine had Tri-power) power really gets killed with those manifolds and a 428 would probalby suffer even worse.

Either way you go you may want to take some carefull measurements and my end up wanting to do some triming on the shock towers like they did on the Thunderbolts.

Oh wow...I'll take back what I said...I just looked at the engine well pic...I thought these were the same platform as the full sized Fords 57-64..I was wrong...Is that a unibody car??

Hello there and thanks for the welcome. :)
Yes it is a unibody car (Done by ford in these birds to save production costs im sure) So those towers are part of the support there. From everything I have heard the exhaust issue is a tough one on these cars. Very restrictive. I have checked into headers for the 390 tbird and they are pricey ($500-$700) My car did not come with the factory log mainfolds. I have not found alot of swap info online...seems most bird owners go with the 390 again some swapping to a c6 tranny for more reliable and beefier shifting. Of course they are usually restorers and not looking to hot rod the car much.:confused:

Put a sbc in it, you will find a lot of fans among Fordaholics for sure. :eek: :eek: :D

Don

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Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Put a sbc in it, you will find a lot of fans among Fordaholics for sure. :eek: :eek: :D

Don

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Or a sbf with 2-4's. :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :D

Just thinkin' back to those years. Those cars also came with a 430. The same motor was enlarged to 462 in the mid-60's Lincolns. This was the MEL motor (Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln). The bell housing is the same as an FE, so a C6 can be bolted up. If you install an FE, there are sources for stroker kits (I know you already know this, I'm just including it for others to learn).
390 stroker kit....
http://www.speedomotive.com/ps-556-8...roker-kit.aspx
Or starting with a 428 (larger bore) block....
http://www.speedomotive.com/ps-559-9...roker-kit.aspx

Here is a source of Ford stuff that may be helpful.....
http://www.critesrestoration.com/

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Originally Posted by NTFDAY

Or a sbf with 2-4's. :LOL: :LOL: :LOL: :D

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Actually, this wouldn't be a bad idea either. A 347 stroker all dolled up would leave plenty of room for headers. The theme for the car is not drag race anyway, so what does it matter if you don't have a world-beater between the fenders.