From - Classic Car Clubs - Hemmings Motor News



February 2020Thunderbird Owners of New YorkWeb-page Classic Thunderbird Club International – Chap. 49 OFFICERS:PresidentStan Matusewicz – 631-231-3156curver@Vice PresidentDennis Benfante– 631-447-3847 tbirdden@SecretaryJohn Cattonar - 631-269-4705cattbird@TreasurerPete Cochrane - 631-363-6662pcochrane45@CTCI Advisory Council Rep.Bob Ceraso - 631-757-9476legendbirdbob@Tech Advisor: 1955’sBob Ceraso - 631-757-9476legendbirdbob@Tech Advisor: 1956’sStan Matusewicz -631-231-3156curver@Tech Advisor: 1957’s Lou Realmuto - 631-226-1733louebird@Computer Advisor & Newsletter Editor Sal Perrotta - 631-991-0306Salperrotta1951@ Thunderbird Owners of New YorkMonday February 3rdAt 7:00 PMBethpage Public Library 47 Powell Avenue, Bethpage, NYNewsletter MessageNewsletter Message Sal PerrottaNewsletter Message Sal PerrottaHappy New Year to you and your families. I hope this year brings great times, good health and blessings to you all.I talked with Al Continelli yesterday and he gave me an update on January 12th Holiday Party. Being in Florida is great however I do wish I was in New York for the party. Based in the feedback from Al, those of you who attended that party had a great time. Al told me the food was very good, there was plenty to eat and the restaurant Sophia Italian Bistro delivered as promised. Al, confirmed the head count at the party at 43. That was just a little short of the goal of 50. I am hopeful that next year's event attendance will exceed our goal. Al, send me some very nice pictures thank you Al for sharing them with us. I have included them in this month's newsletter.Al, I know you put allot of effort into helping the club secure a restaurant for the annual holiday party and I know I can speak for the entire club when I tell you that your efforts are much appreciated.Arlene Swenson has sent out a number of E-mails related to club dues. Please review the information in this month's newsletter and if you have not provided payment please take care of this oversight as soon a possible. Arlene reports that 28 of our members have not paid their annual dues. That is a significant number and ask if you can please mail your dues to Pete or bring it to the next club meeting on February 3rd.If you have sent in your dues please know that it helps support our events and the club expenses. The entire club appreciates your support.Enjoy the newsletter and please feel free to send me anything you would like to have included .salperrotta1951@I am looking forward to a great year and hope that any project plans you have for your Thunderbird will be shared with us. Please send me a detailed recap of your 2020 projects so we can post them in the newsletter.Sal Al Note from Al Continelli Hello to all: This year's Christmas party was a very big success. Based on the feedback I received the consensus was that everyone had a good time. The members reported that the restaurant and the food were both great.This year we did not meet our goal to have 50 people attend however, we did have 43 members come who enjoyed the day. Next year it would be nice to see the event better attended. I am looking forward to seeing you at the February TONY meeting and thank you all for coming and have a happy new year.SECRETARIES REPORT Meeting Recap December 2019 JOHN CATTONAR, Thunderbird Owners of New York Secretary? ? ???As you all know there do not meet in January therefore there are no minuets to report.The Next meeting will be Monday February 3rd at the Bethpage Public Library. The minutes from our last meeting will be reviewed as well as new business.Arlene Swenson has suggested that as part of the next meeting the club should consider the following:Re: 2020 Dust-Off Brunch. To all our TONY Members please bring in information for any restaurants suggestions that would be suitable for the club to meet for our Annual Dust-Off event (Good food and ample parking for our cars should be a primary consideration).A suggested date for consideration is April 19th which is the 3rd Sunday in April and it is generally when we meet. The objective is to insure the club has time to vote on a location and make necessary arrangements with restaurant. SYMPATHY ANNOUNCEMENT:It is with deep regret that I tell you the sad news that on December 19th, Maureen Natalie died - wife of club member, Lou Natalie. The Thunderbird club extends our sincere sympathy to Lou and to his family.Lou – we send you thoughts of peace and courage – because those we love can never be more than a thought apart. …for as long as there is a memory, they’ll live on in the heart.May memories comfort you and bring you peace. From: Al Continelli From: Casco (Issue Number 20 December 2007)CONVERTING THE '55 TO 12 VOLTSSome of you are making way too big a deal of the 6V to 12 V conversion on the 55 T Bird. For instance, you don’t, or should not need a wiring diagram. You don’t need to rewire the car. All the wire for the 6V system is twice as large as need be for 12V service. The only thing you need to change under the dash is the dash lamp bulbs and maybe the cigar lighter if you still smoke. The polarity for the clock must be changed to neg. ground from pos. ground. You may need to remove the clock to do this. There is a little tab that is designed to be positioned for pos. or negative ground.Position it for neg. ground or just disconnect it if you like. Major damage will occur if it is powered up in reverse polarity. Install a 125 ohm 10 watt resistor in series with the 6 volt clock to drop the voltage to 6 or 7 V. Of course the radio will need to be replaced or converted to 12V, or powered through a voltage dropping resistor. It is not polarity sensitive. Your choice, or do nothing and disconnect it. You do not need to change any switches or gauges. The fuel and temp gauges will work on 6 or 12 V and are not polarity sensitive. If you miss some of the lamps you can change them after they burn out, no big deal. The direction lamp flasher also must be changed for best performance but you can change it later. The fuses may need to be changed to values smaller than original or use the ones rated for the 56 57 Birds. The tail lamps, the back-up lamps and license plate lamp will need to be replaced with the 12V ones.Now for the firewall forward, You do not need to change the battery cables, the horns, the horn relay or the starter.If converting to a generator install a 12V one and a 12V 30 amp voltage regulator and wire it up exactly as the 6v ones or do the alternator conversion. This is done same as a 12V gen to alternator conversion. You will need to install 12V head lamps and park and direction lamps. No changes in lamp wiring or the light switch is necessary, leave it alone or repair it as necessary. Of course you will need a 12V battery,there are 12v batteries that will fit the 55 battery carrier with little or no modifications, connect it neg. ground.The 6V coil can be used but the polarity must be changed, just switch the bat. And dist. wires or install a 12 volt coil same as used on 56-73 Fords or get good used ones from salvage yards from 60-64 Falcons.They have yellow tops. Now for that very minor wiring change that has everyone confused. Install a 12V starter solenoid such as used on 56 through 73 Ford products. They are still cheap at AutoZone. It will have the extra I terminal, I as in ignition. Run a wire from the I terminal of the 12V starter solenoid to the battery terminal of the coil, remove the ignition wire that is presently attached to the coil and add a new wire about a foot long to the bat. terminal before securing the nut. Now connect both the new wire attached to the battery. terminal of the coil and the original ignition wire from the ignition switch to a new ignition resistor, Motor craft # DY 35.When the job is done, before you start the engine, remove the field wire from the voltage regulatorand strike it (draw an arc) to the battery terminal of the voltage regulator in order to properly polarize the generator then reconnect the field wire to its position on the voltage regulator. The heater blower motor, the seat motors and window motors will work on 12V but they will run very fast. The seat motor running too fast should be no problem.The heater motor running on low speed will be acceptable. The window motors will require some expertise in use in order to prevent mechanical damage but most of my customers don’t change them. You can if you want, they may cost you over $200 each for 12V window motors. You might use a dropping resistor in the motor ground wire circuit to drop the voltage but I have not determined what the correct value would have to be. Maybe someone else knows. It will have to be a very high power resistor, maybe 1000 watts and it will give off some heat. I don’t have a 6V window motor to test or I would give you the numbers. I would recommend just using the window motors as they are and release the window switch before the window gets to its stop. This may take some practicebut it is easy.From: Arlene Swenson:????????????????????????????? For our TONY Members: Club Dues ( 28 Members have not submitted their dues to Pete)Club dues for 2020 are over-dueFamily membership:? $25.00? Single/Regular membership:??? $20.00Board members: ?FREE – spouse of Board Member:? $5.00Newsletter Advertisers:? $36.00 annual fee for advertising in the NewsletterSend your check, made out to T.O.N.Y. and mail to:Peter Cochrane, 41 Arthur Avenue, Blue Point, NY? 11715From: Sal Perrotta:Ford Built This Thunderbird Phase 1 to Set Speed Records in 1957, and It DidEveryone now knows the story of how?Ford took on Ferrari?at Le Mans, thanks to the passion and dedication of a team of engineers and drivers who saw the Blue Oval can be much more relevant on the track. But not many know that the American carmaker was trying to prove itself from long before 1966.Anyone now knows the story of how?Ford took on Ferrari?at Le Mans, thanks to the passion and dedication of a team of engineers and drivers who saw the Blue Oval can be much more relevant on the track. But not many know that the American carmaker was trying to prove itself from long before 1966.17 photosAbout a decade earlier, Ford introduced the?Thunderbird. As soon as it hit the market, the car was deemed essential in both keeping the carmaker’s reputation at high levels, and also fighting the development of new technologies by the competition, including a new fuel-injection system by?Chevrolet.Since there wasn’t enough time to beat Chevy’s tech with something similar (the Thunderbird came to be in 1955, and Chevy’s mechanical fuel injection was launched one year later), Ford’s Robert S. McNamara demanded the fitting of a McCulloch supercharger on a 312ci carburetor engine, and make it better than any fuel injection system.Thus a special and very limited run of 1957 Thunderbirds was made, fitted with a McCulloch VR57 Phase 1 supercharger for the 312ci single 4-barrel carburetor engine.The result? One of them set a new record in the flying mile competition for American sports cars at Daytona, reaching speeds of 138.755 mph, 6 mph faster than the previous record.The car that actually achieved this is not the one pictured here. In fact, of the 15 built, only 8 are believed to have survived to this day. And this is one of them.Believed to be the last made in the limited run, this particular?Thunderbird?has been restored a decade ago in Melbourne, Australia, by Gil Baumgartner. It still packs the original McCulloch supercharged engine, the 3-speed manual transmission, and pretty much everything else.The car is listed on the list of cars to be sold by?Mecum?at the Kissimmee auction in Florida, and will sell on Saturday, January 11. The auctioneers estimate the car could get as much as $320,000.?From: CTCI:May 4-9, 2020 : CTCI International Convention “Birds on the Bay”, Sarasota, FloridalefttopThe Trail Birds of Southwest Florida is proud to host the 2020 CTCI International Convention at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Sarasota, Florida. The Hyatt Regency is giving us a great rate of $145.00 per night. This rate will be good for three days prior to and three days after the convention if you want to extend your visit in beautiful Sarasota. Hotel Reservations can be made by calling the Hyatt Regency, Sarasota, Florida at 1-877-803-7534 or local 941-953-1234. Code for discount rate is: CTCI.Please note the schedule for this event is Tuesday through Friday. The banquet will be on Friday night rather than Saturday night as might be expected.Registration is now open!?Download registration form HEREFrom: Richard Moriarty: 1956 Thunderbird For SaleOwner:Alex KiddCar Location:Huntington, NY? Contact Number:(862) 432-2082 or (631) 923-1675E-mail:kiddventures@ Asking: $ 42,000.00This 1956 Thunderbird underwent a frame off restoration in 2011The car has not been used since? Recently has had a Valve Adjustment New fuel system (Carburetor, New Fuel Tank, and fuel pumpFull Tune-Up (Points, Condenser, & Plugs)From: Al Continelli: Part of a series to be published in the newsletter Engine Tune-Up and General Maintenance Tip’s Part 4From Pat Scomello: (Reprinted from By Hemmings Classic Car)OK, Boomers, your American Graffiti-inspired museum is hereWhere were you in '62?A rendering of what part of the proposed museum would look like. The plan includes a functional drive-in restaurant patterned on Burge’s, one of the turnarounds on the Modesto cruise route of the ’50s and ’60s. Image via Graffiti USA Museum.No film captures the aura of “cruising,” the gasoline-filled youth activity that peaked in the 1950s and ’60s, like American Graffiti. As its tagline “Where were you in ’62?” implies, the 1973 film was aimed at nostalgic baby boomers (then mostly in their late 20s), but subsequent generations have also been caught up in George Lucas’s idealized vision of early ’60s youth culture. Talk to any Gen Xer or Millennial driving a pre-muscle car and odds are good they’ll mention the influence of Bob Falfa, Kurt Curt Henderson, Toad and the rest of the gang from AG.Now, according to the Modesto Bee, the town of Modesto, California–where the film was set (it was actually filmed in San Rafael and Petaluma because they had changed less in the interim decade)–may receive an American Graffiti-inspired museum, thanks to the efforts of some community members.Backers of the plan are quick to emphasize that there’s no official tie-in with the film, rights to which are owned by Universal. But, just as Mark Twain is everywhere in Hannibal, Missouri, so, too, are cruising memories of Modesto in the ’50s and ’60s.Modesto has celebrated its connection to American Graffiti for many years, including with an annual Graffiti Classic Car Parade and an American Graffiti Festival, both put on by the North Modesto Kiwanis Club. The museum is seen as a natural extension of those events and a way both to draw visitors to Modesto year round and to educate locals about a significant era in Modesto’s history.The project’s current phase involves acquiring a pair of 1920s grain warehouses on US 99 near Modesto’s old cruising route. From there, the project organizers intend to construct a drive-in restaurant, space for changing car displays, an event center, and a gift shop. Later steps are anticipated From: Sal Perrotta:What is the official name for Buick Port Holes?Port OrificesShip HolesCruise Air Venta PortsPort HolesWho was the "Boss", as in the Boss 302 and Boss 429 Mustangs?Henry Ford IILee IacoccaBunkie KnudsenBruce SpringsteenStarting with what model year did all US cars come equipped with dual master cylinder brake systems?1966196719681969What was the first mass-produced OHV V8?Oldsmobile Rocket The Chevy small-blockThe Buick Nail headThe Ford Y block\The Chevy 409 is the bigger version of what engine?283327348350When did Chrysler first officially use the "Hemi" name?1951195519641965When did Chevrolet begin producing their famous small block engine?A. 1955 B. 1957B. 1961C. 1964What model year did Pontiac's V8 debut?1950195519591961Why did the Mustang get bigger for 1971?wider stance for better corneringto hold a bigger engineroomierbigger back seat for making outThe decal on this Buick Nail-Head says "Wildcat 445". What is 445?Displacement in cubic inchesHorsepowerTorque in ft-lbs4.45 inch boreFebruary Quiz Answers1 –C4 – A7 – A2 – C5 –C8 –B3 – B6 – C9 –B10 -C??From: CTCI: ARE YOU A MEMBER NOW WOULD BE A GREAT TIME TO JOINNote: Have you seen the updated CTCI Web Site. The new site is amazing and you should check it out. Thunderbird Club InternationalToll Free 800.488.2709 ? PO Box 7393, North Kansas City, MO 64116 USA? ? Email: ctcioffice@ Web site: MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT:Name____________________________________________________Spouse’s Name______________________________________Mailing Address_______________________________________________________________________________________City_______________________________________________ State/Province______________ Zip/Mail Code___________________Telephone (______)_____________________________ Email Address__________________________________________________CTCI Chapter Affiliation (if any) _________________________________________________________________? New members please fill out application and send payment (in U.S. funds ONLY*) to the address below.? Make checks payable to CTCI, or pay by credit card by email, fax or phone.? Mail to: CLASSIC THUNDERBIRD CLUB INT., PO Box 7393, North Kansas City, MO 64116Please select one of the following prorated amounts:Month Joining One Time Initiation Fee + Dues = TotalJanuary thru March $15.00 + $37.50 = $52.50 April thru June $15.00 + $29.00 = $44.00 July thru September $15.00 + $19.00 = $34.00 October thru December $15.00 + $10.00 = $25.00NOTE: Add $18.00 to select Premium Packet with CTCI Grill Emblem.Annual dues renewal will be $37.50, payable January 1 of each year.Signature _______________________________Date ______ Check here ? if you wish to be listed in the CTCI roster, as of April 1st.I give permission for my ? phone number and/or ? email address to be listed in the CTCI roster.(NOTE: Phone numbers & email are for office use only, or for the roster if you choose to have it published. Roster addresses may be sold only to T-Bird vendors to be used only for catalog purposes.Are you a former member of CTCI? ? Yes ? No If Yes, what is your former CTCI membership number? ________________Sponsored or Referred by _______________________________________________ CTCI # (if known) ________________ From: Sal Perrotta: The rise and fall of the Ford ThunderbirdReprint from the Chicago Tribune: By Casey Williams Tribune Newspapers Apr 28, 2015During the Steel Age, the sixth generation T-Bird was massive. To match the weight, the 1976 came standard with a 460 cubic inch 7.5-Liter V-8 engine. Big Bird got 8 mpg city, 11 mpg highway. (Ford Motor Co.)Sixty years ago, Ford and Chevrolet stood grille-to-grille with competing ideas for an American sports car. Corvette evolved into a sexy performance icon while Thunderbird aimed at a more leisurely crowd. Thunderbird won the early sales race, but embarked upon divergent roads that led to its demise in 1997.A retro-modern Thunderbird coupe took off in 2002 but was grounded by 2005. Yet eleven generations of the Thunderbird have had a lasting effect on Ford and the American car market."American car companies had always wanted to get into the sports car market," said Bob Kreipke, Ford Corporate Historian. "The Thunderbird turned out to be a great, great car."OriginsDuring the 1951 Paris auto show, Ford vice president Louis D. Crusoe asked George Walker (later Ford chief stylist) why Ford didn't have a sporty car like those on display."We have a job just like that in the works right now," Walker responded, then quickly called headquarters to ensure one was started. Or so the official Ford story goes.Others are credited. Frank Hershey, Ford's then-chief stylist, guided initial designs. Chase Morsey, marketing manager, helped make the business case while Bill Boyer is recognized as the car's designer. After 5,000 names were considered, stylist Alden Gilberson submitted "Thunderbird.""There were a lot of players involved, a lot of stories involved," Kreipke said. "Ford studied Jaguar and MG and wanted to keep the car around $3,000. We cobbled up some vehicles from '52 to '53 to see what we could do."Thunderbird debuted for 1955 with a $2,695 starting price. DesignAlthough the car's design was reminiscent of contemporary Fords, details like the roof design stirred emotions."The idea for the blind quarter came when Chase Morsey came to the Continental Division for a sneak look," recounted William Clay Ford for Bill Boyer's book, "Thunderbird: An Odyssey in Automotive Design." "We were months ahead of the T-Bird in clay, and he 'borrowed' our roof line for a car that was to precede the Mark II by a year."Ford was head of Continental Division and de-facto chief designer.In his own book, The Man Who Saved the V8, Morsey said, "I still feel a little guilty about borrowing one of the Mark II's major design cues. But the hardtop was gorgeous!"So was the color pallet that included Snowshoe White, Goldenrod Yellow and Thunderbird Blue."If you stand back and look at the car, that vehicle has really, really beautiful styling," Kreipke said. "It looks nice, like you could get in and drive without it hurting you."Styling innovations came from necessity. Spare tires were mounted on rear "continental kits" to free trunk space for golf clubs. Planned square windows to improve hardtop visibility became elegant portholes."When the T-Bird came out, it was something," said Rodney Wake, president of Vintage Thunderbird Club International, Inc. "Thunderbirds were exciting versions of Ford automobiles and they have continued to be that way through the years."T-Bird gets its wingsThe Wiz Kids running Ford determined four seats sell better than two so Thunderbird grew for 1958, eliminating Corvette's domestic competitor. Purists wonder if four seats were a mistake."Not for sales, it wasn't," Wake said. "Ford sold almost as many '58s as the prior three years combined. It became a more practical car for more people. In the classics, you can't pick up a couple and take them to dinner."Wake has owned four Thunderbirds including a '56, two '61 "bullet birds" and a 2004 "retro bird.""I bought my first '61 in 1963 and brought two sons home from the hospital in it," Wake said. "When I sold it, I missed it so bad that I bought another. I've had the second one 46 years and will never sell it. The '61 has always been very special to me."Ford produced 198,191 of the 1958-1960 models, far more than the 10,000 annual production planned for the two-seat model. Sleeker style came in 1961, but square themes returned for 1964. The larger 1967 model wasn't available as a convertible, but you could get a "four-door coupe."Moving into the '70s and early '80s, Thunderbirds were aligned with the Lincoln Continental, meaning they became large cars with long hoods. A more efficient mid-size model debuted for 1977.Redesigned for 1983 with an aerodynamic body, Thunderbird begat Taurus and set enduring trends, but wouldn't last. Adrift in an SUV-dominated market, Thunderbird ceased after 1997. The coupe migrated from the American market and Ford already had a proven sports car in the Mustang.Retro birdFord re-introduced the two-seat Thunderbird for 2002 with retro styling that recalled themes from 1955-56. It shared its chassis and V8 with the Lincoln LS and Jaguar S-Type, but thin nostalgia and tough competition limited sales. T-Bird went back on hiatus after 2005.Given ups and downs, what does the car mean to Ford?"It means a lot," Kreipke said. "We brought it back, but it had limited marketability. Young people want something new. It may not have had the sales figures, but it was a real eye-opener. We wouldn't have T-Bird clubs if it wasn't."Today's younger drivers prioritize practicality over style, leading them to crossovers and sport sedans. But back in the '50s, Thunderbird gave Ford a sportier image that was parlayed into today's Mustang and GT supercar.Some want to compare Thunderbird's uneven history with Corvette. Chevrolet has maintained clear vigilance over Corvette's style and performance while Thunderbird's image is convoluted. But, Ford's fatal decision was downsizing Thunderbird during the '80s and allowing it to encroach upon Mustang's turf."The Thunderbird is not dead," Kreipke said. "I love the Thunderbird — can't say enough about it!"The retro roadster re-established Thunderbird as a comfortable two-seater while evoking the 1955-57 models that defined it. When Ford needs another roadster, Thunderbird will be ready to fly."I hope there is a next-generation T-Bird," Wake said. "I would want it to be a more rakish car designed for beauty rather than satisfy everybody at once. It should be a car that says, 'Look at me, I'm a T-Bird!'"The Birthday list I have been using is a little dated so please be sure to let me know if I miss any club members birthday or have an incorrect date so I can add/correct my list.ThanksSalJay Fitzpatrick2/2Jim Fonaro2/2Ken Wolcott2/9Geraldine Vorisek2/10 ................
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