Projects '55 T-Bird "Wild Bird" Ayala Custom - Restoration

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Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Gil Removed the hood scoop and louvers, and also the extended fins, and made this second version. He also redid the headlights. In order to keep the most of Gils work, I've decided to go for the secong version.

 

Leo of Team V-Auto spraying the gold base.

 

Gil Ayla painted it first Purple. His favorite color. After Gil's wife said the car looked like an Easter egg, he painted it dark Red. Yaril shared this photo, showing the different layers of paint on the car. Gil's Thunderbird was originally factory red. The first version was painted Purple over a Black base. Dark red was then laid over the Purple. Later on, when Gil restyled the car for the second time, he did a Gold base with Candy Red over

 

Candy paint done!





Dashboard ready!

Awesome work, Yaril!

 

Aces!

 

WOW stunning color

 

You've done an amazing job, really like the car.

 

When I was a pre teen kid, this car sat in the Ayala Bros shop window. I used to ride my bike there. Gil would modify bikes for local kids. He heated and bent my forks, for sweeping up in the shop. My dad was furious about the bike. I'm really happy to see your good work on this, Yaril.

 

Looking great def makes me wanna take a break from working on my house and get my 40 in the paint booth

 

It's fantastic to hear these stories! Do you have any pictures of Gil, or from the shop? Or your custom made Ayala bike?

 

Here's a picture of him taking the car to high school when he graduated


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Those are great pictures. Ralphy Morales on the pics helped Gil customizing the car in 1956. I will be meeting him amongst others in LA with the car when I arrive in april.

 

Chrome is getting back on.

Yaril writes: Ayala customized 54 Caddy bumper for the Wild Bird. Those are the brackets they made to mount them. Notice how back then brackets were torch cut unfinished made to do the job. The pioneers of customizing

 

@Firechief ... ... ... how's the 'Bird doing ? Been a bit. Just checking in.

 

Amazing...Thought this 'Bird was just gone. Thank the gods of kustomizing that wasn't true...

 

killer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

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

 

... UN'believable link ! Damn. Thanks @'Mo ! Tons of extra photos that weren't seen here. Wow. Thank you to Rik Hoving too !

 

Congrats, Firechief, i've seen your car several times, like it so much. good to see that it ended in your good hands.
Cheers, Carsten

 

I wish I had pics of Gil's shop, or my bike. We didn't have much money in those days and film was saved for family pics.