The essential '59 T'Bird chop thread.

After a couple of years hiatus on the '59 T'Bird, I'm back at it. Here's where I started with this re-incarnation of the venerable 'Bird.

The fist picture is the car before it got tagged in the parking lot at work, caving in the right rear quater, a day or so before the Salt Flat wheels I'd ordered arrived. I couldn't stand it, so I DA'd the candy paint and flames off.

Then I stopped...

 

I wanted to change the color, and add disk brakes to the front to bring it up to date. It already had a 5.0 HO/AOD from an '87 or '88 Mustang GT, but the stopping was not up to par. So, I started in on that.

Then I stopped. For a couple years.

Then, I decided the car needed to be chopped, so I uncovered it, blew the dust off, and started figuring out how to achieve a subtle chop. I started a couple of threads on the topic here, got some ideas, and decided to sink the windshield into the cowl.

Then, I stopped.

 

I had a graphic artist do a sketch, and then some finished art of the project as I envisioned it. I got the art, and then, you guessed, I stopped...

James D here did a photochop for me as well, and with the two, I had an idea what it'd look like.

 

Armed the artwork and the photochop, I got busy and sunk the windshield into the cowl as far as would go, leaving me with a chop of 1 3/4 vertical at the windshield. The car was originally a coupe, the original top I'd made removable, but never had it on the car. I didn't like it.

 

looks good,how long is it going to sit this time ?.....get'er done

 

Although it looks like I should have abandonded the project, I kept at it, and ended up with this. Just what I wanted. Then, of course, I stopped working on it again.

 

Fast forward to this week. I cleaned up the shop, dragged the 'Bird out where I could get at it, and got busy. I'd been worried about what to do with the folding top, a set of bows from a '64 'Bird. They were really a little too tall before the chop, now, they were totally wrong. And, I wasn't sure I wanted a folding top any longer anyway.

So, I abandoned that, and drug the old hardtop out. It's easy to chop a top that's off the car, and that's what I did. 2 1/2" off the back, and while I was at it, I thinned up the sail panel, and canted the rear window forward a couple of extra inches. The result, while hard to see in the dark garage, is pretty cool looking, and I'm excited about it again.

Now, I just have to stick to it. Next project, get a battery and fire it up.

 

Dropped the car down off the jack stands, and headed out now to finish welding, mount the latches, and stand back to admire my work. Think it'll start after setting for 6 years? I hope so...

 

I didn't get the car started because I haven't gone to get a battery yet. I buy a battery for something here at least once a year, and this year is was for the Tini-Home camper. So, I'll wait untill next year for the T'Bird. Since that's only a couple weeks away, I can wait.

Meanwhile, I got the latches mounted in the sail panel that hold the rear of the top. These are Chrysler K car hood latches, the stud mounts to the top in the sail panel, and the latch is in the quarter panel just behind the rear windows. The front latches are Chrysler LeBaron convertible latches, bolted to a bracket on the side of the roof. Works slick.

When I got the latches done, I searched for about half an hour for the trim pieces that go on the top above the windshield, which I'd had out a couple days ago. Proving I should not clean the shop, I finally found them, having put them away with all the dash and interior pieces that had been just tossed in behind the seats, under the tonneau.

So, here's where I am now. I am debating finishing up the LTD II front disk brake swap, vs. going back to the original drums. The master cylinder I've already swapped for a Granada style booster and MC, whatever I end up doing I'll keep that, but swap the disk/drum MC I have in it now for a drum/drum MC if I go back to the stock spindles and brakes. We'll see...

 

Is this one chopped? The visor is gone over the w/s, but the w/s looks stock height?

 

So, after a couple days of frustration and expense with a rusty gas tank half full of old, nasty fuel, I turned my attention elsewhere today. The front of the car was way too high, and when I originally built it, I simply heated and stacked the coils. Not good.

I had an extra pair of front springs from something (? maybe '62 Impala ?), and without pausing, I cut 4 coils off them and put 'em in the spring pockets.

Perfect, although clearly now the back end is too high. I'm thinking 1" blocks and pull the air-shocks off. Took the Reese hitch off it too, so we won't be towing anything with it anyway.

The new fuel pump is in the trunk, the tank is at my buddy's radiator shop, "Kings Radiator" in Kalamazoo, for anybody local needing radiator, A/C, or gl*** work, and I've decided to keep the front disk swap and see how it works out. LTD II spindles and brakes, in case you wonder, with a Granada booster and MC.

 

Gad to see your working on the bird, looks cool. I have a 64 convt, not far from you in Holland

 

Thanks! I'm about an hour from you. I'd bought a '64 convert as a "donor" for this, as the PO had "lost" the tansmission, driveshaft and radiator when he dis***embled the car. How do you "lose" a transmission? Anyway, by the time I'd gotten the '64 dragged home, I changed gears and put a 302 HO in the car. At the same time, we'd gotten a '64 coupe, and I thought of using the (very rusty) 'vert as a donor and doing a conversion, but I had to many projects and sold the 'vert for s****. Tried to give it, to a couple local guys with 'Birds as a parts car, tried to give both it's 390 and the good 352 from mine away with no takers, finally s****ped all of it.

 

I have quite a few of those 64 parts around also but I may have taken some of them convt only parts. Some of that elec stuff is getting pricey. Good luck on your project

 

64-66's have a fairly low value but certain parts are expensive.

 

Yup. I found that out when I couldn't GIVE a complete convertible away. I had managed to get the top working, although I had to jump the solenoids behind the seat to work each step! I kept the amazingly good interior, and made a man-cave couch out of the back seat and front bumper. The front buckets went into my '68 Catalina convert along with the console, and the top bows I kept and used on the '59. This incarnation will not see the folding top back on, but I'm keeping it, and the '61 top bows as well, just in case.

 

The T'Bird LIVES! Got the tank back, put the new pump in, cycled it a couple times and the car lit up like it'd been run yesterday! That's the good news. The bad news was all the short pieces of rubber line in the system were brittle and leaked. So, those are all replaced with new, ethenol friendly, high pressure friendly, FI line. I also replumbed things a little, replaced the filter, and new connecters. Helpful hint: GM fuel line connectors fit the Ford filters/tank lines, and use a much better retainer clip that can be re-used. The little "hairpins" Ford uses to lock the fittings in place break when they're removed.

The '79 T'Bird/Cougar front disc brakes are also plumbed and bled, so we'll see how well they work. I used a Granada booster/MC. After I get the front end comes down (still have to install the shocks and sway bar links), the back end goes back up to replace the fuel filter and secure the new hard lines. I replaced about 6 feet of fuel line and return line that had been rubber with hard line and re-routed them a little more neatly.

The car sounds BAD ***, I'd forgotten what a great exhaust note it has. I used the entire stainless exhaust from the donor-mobile, an '88 or '89 Mustang GT that'd had a very minor underhood fire and was totalled. (Actually, the left headlamp had fallen out of the housing, melted it, and the short section of wiring. That's all. The car had a full tank of gas, I drove for two weeks before parting it.) When I started DA'ing the paint off, I also pulled the "H" pipe, cut the Cats out, gutted them and put 'em back in. So, to hear it run now, on just the mufflers, is great. Has nice sharp, raspy but not loud, note.

More at "Cool McCool's Garage", just click on the link in my signature line.

 

Glad to see you back at this one Brian!!

 

Thanks koolkemp! It's been warm here, we haven't had any winter to speak of, so it's been nice to fire up the woodstove, heat the shop up to 70 and work in shirtsleeves. I'm almost ready to pick back up on the Diamond T, it HAS to be done by May. The 'Bird I want to get the mechanicals done, then it can set for a bit.

Brian

 

After a LONG hiatus from this car, I'm back at it. Today I fired it up and pulled it outside. I resumed DA'ing all the old paint (Candy Blackcherry) off, to get ready for it's new silver paint tu-tone paint.

I had to re-hang the steering column so as to be able to steer it, and I realized I've got a big job ahead in fitting the dash to the newly sunken w/s frame. It'll be 2" too low if it goes on the mounting lip it used to set on, which means some kind of stanchions on the w/s frame lip for it (the dash) to set on. Otherwise, I think it'll be pretty straightforward to finish up the chop. While I'm doing that, I may lose the mid 80's Mustang GT column, switch gear and gauges, and return to the originals. If I can figure out how to re-wire it. I never used the cruise control anyway, so that can go.

Of course, in my usual fashion, I hadn't tightened up a fitting on the fuel (return) line, and it sprayed gas ALL OVER the underside, mainly on the tailpipe. Luckily I shut it down when I smelled gas, the pipes were still cool.

The chop looks better outside than it did up close in the shop, the proprotions look good, and I think shortening up the C-pillar works. The lines look good, at least to my eye. One thing I don't like is the downward tilt of the headlights above the bumper, they look droopy. Maybe lower the inner lamp and reshape the inner lip over the bumper. It just looks wrong as is. Maybe the photoshop boys can come up with a fix...

Anyway, here it is outside, in the light of day after 7 years.

 

Thanks to the photo-shop wizards here, I have a new headlight treatment! Original quad lights, with the whole ***embly dropped down about 3/4" on the inside, to get rid of the "droopy" look it has now.

Thanks guys!

New improved version first, old droopy lidded version second... Subtle, but it'll make a big difference in the finished car.

 

Hmmm, the rectangular parking lights have got to go now... Round ones in same location would look better as long as I'm cutting things up.

 

Awesome work Brian. Here is a picture of mine. The '59 I have finished working on. I've cut out all the rust and fabricated new pieces in sheet metal, welded and grinded. I'm liking the bare metal look. The '60 looked decent when i brought it home, but i've been digging deeper and deeper into the bondo and will be cutting out all that damn cancer. I want to make it into a roadster. Any advice on how to reinforce the ch***is prior to cutting the top off? www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200800530950550&set=a.3858550617203.154924.1081515803&type=3&theater

 

Here is the'60 as it sits today. www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200900555371098&set=pb.1081515803.-2207520000.1379102381.&type=3&theater

 

Found my old thread, I guess the "search" function wasn't working right, or I couldn't do it right, or something. Anyway, this is what I started with. Goodby dark candy paint and goofy flames! Goodby 80's BMW style wheels! Goodby fade-y stock brakes and torched front springs!

Brian

 

Wow. That IS rusty. Is that a Florida car? I'd lop the roof off that in a heartbeat. The coupes and converts share the same basic body shell, the hardtops are added. I cut through the Z shaped stamping that mounts the top to W/S header with a Sawzall then drilled the spot welds out, and just cut the top off the quarters with it too. Then I found the rear "C" pillars are attached the wheel houses with long sheet metal brackets and I could have drilled those spot welds as well, and with a little t*******, just lifted the top off. You don't need to stiffen the body, unless the inner rockers and sub rails are rusted out, as it's a convertible body already. It doesn't flex a bit. Cut it up!

Brian