History Restoration Ethics (Your Thoughts)

https://kustomrama.com/wiki/Charles_McDonald's_1955_Ford

Check out this candy red mild custom '55 T-bird, it's even got a black vinyl hardtop!

Just imagine this car with radiused rear wheelwells, a few more things shaved, the Dodge tail lights and the louvers in the hood. Sounds pretty sweet to me.



Also, there's no rules that say customs can't be fast or have hot engines in them, or have a taller/wider tire in the rear. The steel wheels on the back of the car appear to be either 61-62 Cadillac, or the extremely rare optional 65 Oldsmobile reversed wheel with studs to hold the aluminum wheel inserts in place. Those wheels are kinda cool in and of themselves.

 

My Photoshoppery is pretty weak, but here's a hackneyed quickie. Someone better at it than me could do it more justice.

 

I assume you are asking about this one? I shot these in Dewey OK. Very cool mild custom. I don't think it was a dragcar, but it did have a nailhead Buick, if I recall. Never saw it because customs should be seen with the hood closed.

Anyway, it had a rubber rake, big and little tires. Normally I would think this to look funny when running fenderskirts, but I REAALLY liked it on this car.

With Scotch Buzzard King's big radius wheel wells, a taller tire on back may just do the trick. And chrome steel wheels, (NOT smoothies) would really set this car off.

There is a '59 Impala from southern Nebraska that runs custom chrome reverse wheels. He went big and little, and upon closer inspection, the rear wheels were custom made larger diameter. Not like 20's or nothing, But maybe 18's?? LOOKED pretty good. I'll see if I can find a picture.

 

Thanks Bill. The 59 Chevy is owned by Bob Smith from Pawnee City. He has been in Des Moines Goodguys for the last 5 years with that car. He has other cars as well. The T-Bird had been raced at the dragstrip in earlier life. You can`t tell by the pic`s, but the front end is really low. It has the Wichita rake. Kinda like the Tittus Merc. Raised in the rear and slammed in the front with radiused rear wheels . @Sancho.

 

You're asking a far bigger question than you might realize! There is actually a huge pile of philosophy in restoration ethics, questions like what the basis of ownership is or ought to be and how that is constituted, such that the position "it's your car; do what you want with it" already presupposes philosophical assumptions you may or may not go along with; or that tricky complex of concepts around the notion of originality, i.e type, model, pattern, copy, etc. We could take this stuff apart all week. This isn't so much meat for a PhD thesis as for an entire academic discipline!

I'll say two things, though. First, thinking around heritage preservation has been shifting from "the Real Thing" to the entire story between then and now. It's the same way with the high-end coachbuilt pre-WWII cars, where it becomes fairly obvious that it's better to recognize the rebodied-in-1937 story because it's much more interesting history than what the first owner "originally" ordered in 1929. (Having said that, lots of very interesting history has been destroyed building yet more Le Mans replica vintage Bentleys during the '80s and '90s, and I'd have no qualms erasing much of that part of the story!) So, think 4D: there is a time aspect. Think of whatever you do now as a new chapter in a story which already exists.

Second, I really don't think you're sitting on significant history there.

If it were me I'd go the "fast mild custom" route some have mentioned. Then the design challenge is dealing with the rear quarters. I think the rear wheel arches as they are now represent too much of a limitation as regards design options, but repop quarters aren't the only alternative. Perhaps be creative with a skirt design? Perhaps fairly substantial skirts which add some visual mass to the rear, to suggest a sort of muscularity, a sort of gorilla-in-tux vibe?

 

Rick King, Hot Rod Magazine, 70's. Dig the Autolite inline 4 barrel!

 

If you paid for it with your own legal tender, and has a legit title, not much more ethics to talk about. It looks like maybe no one ever loved this project to carry it through to completion, you could be the first. The louvred hood looks like a highschool learning exercise. The wheel wells look reasonable., as does the seat. Build it to that standard. By the time you get the body and mechanicals sorted out, and a few busted knuckles it will start to talk to you, or it will go down the road to the next visionary. That poor bird needs a good home.

 

Thoughts?...Okay.
When I contemplate buying yet another car, I have to see it finished in my mind, another words recognizing its potential to accomplish my taste/direction for it.
Does it make sense timewise/financially, if so, I pull the trigger and go forth with it.
Apparently, for you there was something about it, for you to buy it...expand on that, and accomplish your vision...history be Damned.

 

Very well thought out. Bravo!

I think of ownership more along the lines of caretaker. It wasn't mine when it was new, and it won't be mine when I pass.

With that said, I have the power to care take, or I have the power to ruin. That's my dilemma.

 

You nailed it. That's exactly what I see in my head. The fact that you guys also pointed out steel wheels and even went as far to say revered, chromed steel wheels means that we are on the same brain wave.

 

Don't do a lot of hacking, don't get rid of parts that should stay with the car, and you'll be fine. From where you're starting with this one, I really doubt you're going to take anything away from it.

 

Yep!

 

Chrome reversed wheels, the louvered hood. Tires that fit that rear radius. Those minor custom touches like the taillights.
Mmmmmm

 

I really like this car and think it is because it actually bridges the gap between custom and hot rod pretty well. I struggle a little with the amount of rake on the car, but it does seem to work. And, I have seen the nailhead in it so can testify to its existence.

 

A little more side view to show the rake on the yellow bird.

 

Sure, I know better than that. I don't have a pic anyway. But being a larger diameter version of a traditional chrome reverse wheel, I didn't 'notice' it being out of place when I first saw the car. Moot point.

Anyway, the talk of new T-Bird quarters being available got me thinking... 55/56 passenger car quarters are also available. I'd love to see a real or photoshop profile shot of a baby bird with Fairlane lower quarters, with the cool body line.

A T-Bird like that would not need to have a rake. In fact, should set level for a premium profile.

 

You'd be right. I forgot why I bought this car until yesterday. I love the fact that it's a forgotten Panhandle hot rod. That's what I wanted to save from day one.

I could not agree more with the other guys who have pointed out that if I wanted a factory 55 Bird that the market is full of great examples for fairly cheap right now.

I didn't buy this car for that reason. I bought it because I wanted what some guy did 50 years ago. I just forgot that until yesterday.

 

I'd do as little as possible to it. Accept the radiused wheelarches and go with appropriate tires. Stripped down, minimal interior, no customising. Very few customised T-Birds look better than the originals. I'd also try and not pour too much money into it.
I own a 57.
Mart.

 

I really like the look of the Doane Spencer 'birds. I would do something like that with a strong FE and a five speed. Make it go, stop, handle like the sports car it should have been, not some boulevard cruiser.

 

Always thought those cars would look great with Nomad Wheel arches. Plus it will REALLY piss off the Blue oval nerds

 

The concept of the Nomad rear wheel arch, is that it's the same as the front arch. I'd love to see a T bird done like that! using a Tbird front arch, of course.

But this car we're talking about already has the bodywork done, it just needs it's candy red paint back on it

 

Could not agree more.

 

Pick your year theme. If it's '62-63 then keep all modification within that time period.
Gauges if added from those years not newer.
Find a FE or Y block from those years and dress up with accessories from those years, nothing newer.
Too many builders start out wanting to build a era correct ride but add items that were not available until later that clash with the theme.
We all have seen beautifully done fifties/early sixties cars that have modern steering wheels and mags that totally destroy the look.
Your car...your money...your vision

 

I can't find a good FE or Y Block anywhere in my area. I had a running 292 from a 1960 F250 that I sold about six months before I bought this car. I haven't been able to find another runner since. That was almost four years ago. I'd love to have another 292.

As for FE's, those are even harder to find in my area. People bought up or scrapped most FE's back in the 90s. Around the time I was in high school, the most popular thing to do in my area was to take 390 Fords and 390 Cadillacs to Scrap Processing.

The other FE's like 427s and 428s got bought up by the Mustang circle here thirty years back. Unfortunately, those guys aren't selling (if they're still alive) or the engines all need to be machined. I've heard its a year to two year wait at machine shops now, so that's out.

 

I picked up my 57 bird in about the same shape as yours but with a little better 30 year old lacquer paint, no engine or trans, clapped out interior, funky wire wheels and skirts. I always saw the baby birds as Fords little hot rod. Built a 292 bored and stroked to a 312, 2 two hollys,5 speed , wired and plumbed, interior kit, sanded and buffed the old lacquer and drive the hell out of it. Lots of restored birds out there. Build it how you want and enjoy.

 

Totally agree.

 

https://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/pts/d/oklahoma-city-ford-fe-valve-covers/7559388557.html

 

Agree with Anthony 100%. Have at it, do whatever you want with it.

 

Those are the cool ones. Those are from a Second Gen ("Square") Bird.