| 1956 Ford Thunderbird
With Removable Hardtop - "Porthole" Windows
Original Drivetrain - 312 CID You are viewing a privately owned 1956 Ford Thunderbird!
Classic Cars Online is helping the owner with the presentation and listing of this vehicle.
You will be purchasing this vehicle directly from the private owner who has owned this Thunderbird the past ten plus years.
We believe this vehicle was originally from the North Carolina area. After spending most of its life down there,
it made it up to New York for a quick stop and then over to Ohio. The solid rust free body along with the frame is a result of this.
We will try to describe and go over most of the car, please read and view all of the 92 pictures listed below.
Would you buy a car on ebay with four pictures and one paragraph of description? NO.
That is why at Classic Cars Online, our listings will go over and show every area of the vehicle that is up for auction.
Bid with confidence!
Paint and Body: The vehicle was repainted about 2 years ago with a base coat/clear coat type of paint. The paint color is called "Raven Black" which is the correct original color for the vehicle. (Paint Code "A". See photo of the Data Tag.) During the repainting, the vehicle was stripped down before it was refinished. It is a very solid North Carolina vehicle. There were no patches used to fix any rust repairs. All the body panels and floor pans are still original to the vehicle. The paint is holding up well and looks good. It's not 100 point show perfect, but it is better then most other "driver" type cars. The body panel fit and alignment are good. It has the correct panel gaps on the doors, trunk, and hood. The vehicle has a "Continental Kit" on the rear bumper. It is also equipped with rear fender skirts that give the vehicle a great look. The factory "Porthole" hardtop is also included with the sale of the vehicle. The hardtop was repainted when the rest of the car was refinished. It does have a black convertible soft top that is in good shape with no rips or holes. The plastic rear window is clear and not foggy. The owner doesn't believe it's original to the vehicle. (Added on.)
Chrome and Trim: All of the chrome pieces are in very nice condition. (Some are still original, some were replaced.) No pitting or major dulling. (Some pieces do show some age and discoloration.) There is some discoloration around the exhaust ports on the rear bumpers. The stock stainless steel trim is in good shape with no dings or scratches. All of the light lens are in good condition including the optional back-up lights.
Interior: The factory black and white interior is very nice. (It is the correct interior Trim Code: "XA") There are no rips, holes or marks on the seats and door panels. The black carpet was replaced. The original dash does have some "Gatoring" from the all years the vehicle spent in the sun in North Carolina. A new dash cover was installed over the original dash. Everything in the instrument panel is working correctly including the factory clock. (Upgraded to quarts movement.) Remember, in 1956, all the Thunderbirds came with a 12 Volt electrical system. The factory "Town and Country" AM radio is also working. The factory windshield wiper Vacuum motor is not functioning. It could be replaced with a more affective electric wiper motor version. At some point, seatbelts were added for safety reasons. The power Seat along with the power windows are both working properly.
Engine Compartment: Sitting under the hood is the original 312 cu.in. V 8 engine that was rebuilt. Very stock looking with most of all the correct items. (The owner has the original oil bath air cleaner that will go along with the sale. Not shown.) It is equipped with Power Steering and Power Brakes. (See the "Mechanical" section below for more details.)
Trunk Compartment: The trunk compartment is clean and very solid. Original trunk pans. It is sporting a plaid trunk mat with an added gray carpet over that. There is a new cardboard trunk divider installed. The vehicle has a spare tire in the "Continental Kit". In fear of scratching and chipping the paint on the continental covers, the owner has included an extra full size spare tire and a basic jack that would go inside the trunk. (He only puts them in the trunk when going on long road trips.)
Glass: All of the tinted glass pieces are in nice shape. No cracks, chips or delamination. The windshield doesn't have any wiper marks/scratches. The power side windows go up and down without any problems or issues. The glass pieces in both portholes still have the "Ford" logo on them. The side glass "Windwings" are operational and in good shape.
Wheels and Tires: The vehicle sits on four newer P205/75R15 Coker Classic radial 2 3/8" wide white tires. They are in very good condition. These tires are mounted on the factory rims with the factory wheel covers. All four hubcaps are in very nice shape without any dings, dents, scratches or other problems.
Undercarriage: The underside is clean but not perfect. Primarily rust free and very solid. The frame is straight and shows no sign of past repairs or any accidents.
Nine times out of ten, people selling a car would not talk about or take any photos of the underside.
The undercarriage tells you a lot about the car, that is why we took a few pictures of the bottom.
Mechanical: Engine/Transmission:
This Thunderbird has the optional 312CID engine. It was totally rebuilt in 2012. (6,000 Miles ago) Feeding the power plant is the original Holley "TeaPot" 4000 carburetor that was rebuilt. The owner has installed an additional electric fuel pump to help prime the carburetor if it has not been started for a while. A new Pertronix electronic ignition was installed. The onl;y negative is a slight oil leak from the rear main seal, which was common in Ford V8s of that era.
The "Ford-O-Matic" automatic transmission was also rebuilt around the same time as the engine and is also working great. It shifts out very nice and does not slip, jerk, or leak. During the time we were taking the photos, the owner noticed a small leak in the radiator. So he is currenly installing a new period correct radiator. (The old radiator will go along with the vehicle also.) The owner has the receipts from all the parts and work that he had done since he owned the vehicle.
Brakes:
Power brakes. The brake system has been gone over. There are no leaks or other problems with the brake system. The brakes do not squeal, fade, pull or pulsate.
Suspension:
It does have power steering, but it is not connected. The owner believes there is a leak in one of the hoses and has had time to track it down. So he removed the belt from the power steering pump. The vehicle operates just fine without the power steering connected. The vehicle sits nice with new shock and front-end bushings. It drives straight and doesn't pull.
Exhaust:
The exhaust system is stock from the correct exhaust manifolds to the rear tips. It is in good shape with no known leaks or problems. It does have the typical surface rust. It has the factory exhaust tips that exits out the rear bumpers.
Reserve Price: Please don't ask what the "Reserve Price" is, or if we have a "Buy it Now" price.
If you like this outstanding '56 Thunderbird, please call us with an offer.
The owner will consider your offer and if they decide to accept your offer, we will end the auction early or
add a "Buy it Now" price that you and the owner both agree on.
If you have any questions on any areas or items on the classic,
(Click Here) and Ask Classic Cars Online!!
Or call: (440) 237-3974 (9AM -9PM EST.) Ask for Ken
If the "Reserve Price" is not met,
we will contact the highest bidder FIRST to see if we can negotiate a price.
So, make sure you place your bid. Sorry NO TRADES! All information supplied is correct to the best of our knowledge and will not be responsible for any errors in the script. 1956 Ford Thunderbird
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