I love that fact that you have personalized your bird.Too many people think they need to remain 100% stock! P S Engineering,does nice work,I have a set on the rear of my 65Comet drag racer,been abused for about 14 seasons now. ROY
I'd still have to nix the conti... Never understood those any way! maybe you can trade the conti for the right bumper and put some cash in your pocket as well?!
Yeah, I vote no on the Conti kit too. Minter might be willing to trade for the right '55 parts. But I LOVE the car with the PS wheeels - and it sits just right for me.
I would be ok just buyin a '55 bumper, but I think sheet metal has to be cut on the car to convert. Don't really want to do that. Although w/ a 5.0 roller motor under the hood the car will always be custom 'Bird. The front wheel specs are 17x7 and 4.75" b/s. The car has a Granada disc conversion, I think there's a small spacer on. Tires are 225/50's. Rears are 17x8 and 5.25" b/s. Works great, no rubbing, would lean to fractionally more b/s. Tires are 245/45's.
I'm with those that think the car looks great..........the color and PSE wheels...but the conti is too much. Always thought that about the '56 'Birds. I'm no expert on them, but I think the primary difference in the rear panel is that the '55 has the exhaust ports through the panel and into bumper guards with exhaust ports. I really don't see the need to modify the '56 panel unless the full '55 treatment was desired. I really like the '56 'slotted' bumper exhaust ports and have always imagined a hybrid bumper consisting of '56 outer sections and a '55 center section minus the ported bumper guards. Maybe use a set of front bumper guards on the rear to finish off the appearance as it "might" have looked. In any case, I envy your possession of such a fine machine and the mods you have performed to date. Ray
Hybrid bumper is a great idea, my TBird buddy here in Plano mentioned that approach... unbolt that center section, have a piece made that goes in, and keep the slotted outlets.... I like it!
Love the car and wheels, usually think anything over 15" is gay but they look great. I agree that trunks are for spares. Really nailed the stance.
Do you have the contact info for PS engineering and are you willing too tell us about what it cost for them. I just picked up a non hamb friendly 70 chevy truck half ton and was thinking about these whees for it.
Bird looks good with those wheels. Gives it a real sports car look. My wife likes the old T-birds, I think if we ever get one, I would be tempted to outift it with the same wheels.
Thanks everyone for all the comments, I'm glad you guys are liking the look. That green is an attention getter! Thought hard on wheel style, finish, size/bs and tire size too, shooting for a nice balance and stance. Phil does nice worK!! Here you go, give him a call: http://psvintagewheels.com/ PS Engineering, Inc. 2675 Skypark Drive, #101 Torrance, CA. 90505 (310)534-4477 - phone (310)534-4977 - fax or E-Mail psewheels@yahoo.com To the attention of Phil Schmidt
Always thought the PS Engineering wheels were perfect for the '55-'57 Birds. Actually isn't the PS wheels a copy of ones that were origionally run on the T-Birds?
Yes they are. Doanne Spencer ran the first set that I can think of on his '55, but many others seemed to as well. The same basic "kindney bean" type wheel showed up on all sorts of sports racer type cars through the mid to late fifties and into the early sixties as well. I got a kick about six years ago when I put my American racing kidney bean replicas on my avatar.(admitedly not nearly as nice a replica as these P.S.Engineering wheels) Some of the local "traditional hot rod gurus" accused me of putting BILLIT wheels on my hot rod (HOW HORRIBLE!) because "they didn't look like any Halibrands I ever saw..."
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