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By Lou - 12 Years Ago
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This car has on it the reproduction of the correct wire wheel offered by Ford dealers in 1955, 56/57. Not the 62 roadster wheels everyone is using.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1956-Ford-Sunliner-Convertible-Ground-up-restoration-/170995049829?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item27d0196565
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By slumlord444 - 12 Years Ago
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To the best of my knowledge, Ford never offered real wire wheels in '55, '56, or '57. They did have wire wheel hubcaps in '55 and '56 as an option. Someone here correct me if I am wrong on this one.
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By 56_Fairlane - 12 Years Ago
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In the listing the seller writes "Engine: Thunderbird "M" 312 V-8 with 4bbl. carb and dual exhausts"
An "M" is a 292. 
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By MoonShadow - 12 Years Ago
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But it sho is purty. I'd take it even with all the errors. But my garage is overfull now. Chuck 
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By LordMrFord - 12 Years Ago
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What a fine lookin' piece of american steel.
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By 56_Fairlane - 12 Years Ago
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It looks nice in most of the photos but the restoration is looks amateurish on the chassis. The paint is too thick many places. It's as if they just painted over everything without stripping off the old coatings.
I don't care for the extra bumper guards either.
These are the correct wire wheel covers for a '56.
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By bird55 - 12 Years Ago
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As stated previously no REAL wire wheels were available. Also those that choose usually get the 62-3 tbird roadster wheels, HOWEVER those shown on that car are the Chrysler MOPAR variety I believe. Correct me if I am wrong, but these have a slightly different look. A much BETTER look IMHO!
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By paul2748 - 12 Years Ago
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Regarding TBirds, for 55 and 56 Ford only had the wire wheel type hubcaps that also used the dog dish center caps. I think the sedans used the same ones. For 57, no wire wheels or hubcaps were offered, the same for the sedans as far as I know.
Lots of TBird owners have gotten aftermarket wire wheels for their cars, that is why you see a lot of the Birds having the wire wheels.
The door upholstry looks like a amateur job as Ford did not use screws at the bottom of the doors as far as I know. They used the clips, screws may have been used at the corners (like TBirds).
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By junkyardjeff - 12 Years Ago
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The door panels do not look right and are the pleats in the seats supposed to run in that direction on a 56.
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By dbird - 12 Years Ago
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Those wires look very much like TrueSpoke wheels from the seventies.
Don
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By 56_Fairlane - 12 Years Ago
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paul2748 (2/25/2013)
Regarding TBirds, for 55 and 56 Ford only had the wire wheel type hubcaps that also used the dog dish center caps. I think the sedans used the same ones. For 57, no wire wheels or hubcaps were offered, the same for the sedans as far as I know.
Lots of TBird owners have gotten aftermarket wire wheels for their cars, that is why you see a lot of the Birds having the wire wheels.
The door upholstry looks like a amateur job as Ford did not use screws at the bottom of the doors as far as I know. They used the clips, screws may have been used at the corners (like TBirds).
They did have screws at the corners of the panels on the Fairlanes. Mine interior is totally original and unmolested and all the door panels on my Town Sedan have them on the corners.
So I'm not the only one who felt the interior looked like it has issues.
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By MoonShadow - 12 Years Ago
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Found this picture. Has two screws. Chuck
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By Lou - 12 Years Ago
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I posted the picture of the car for the wheels. Wire wheels were offered as a dealer installed option, but as far as Ford was concerned they were not a FoMoCo option, because of the liability. I can't see the point of restoring a mid-50s Ford and putting wheels on it that were not available untill 1962, in my view that not restoring it's modification.
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By Lou - 12 Years Ago
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I posted the picture of the car for the wheels. Wire wheels were offered as a dealer installed option, but as far as Ford was concerned they were not a FoMoCo option, because of the liability. I can't see the point of restoring a mid-50s Ford and putting wheels on it that were not available untill 1962, in my view that not restoring it's modification.
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By DANIEL TINDER - 12 Years Ago
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Lou (2/25/2013)
I posted the picture of the car for the wheels. Wire wheels were offered as a dealer installed option, but as far as Ford was concerned they were not a FoMoCo option, because of the liability. I can't see the point of restoring a mid-50s Ford and putting wheels on it that were not available untill 1962, in my view that not restoring it's modification.
I believe the 50s Chrysler spoke wheels were made by Kelsey Hayes. Did Mopar wheels fit FoMoCo hubs back then? If so, then maybe some Ford dealer who also owned a Chrysler dealership would schlep parts back & forth to please picky customers? Even the factories back then would bend over backwards to custom build what you wanted. When Henry (any-color-if-black) Ford started losing business to GM because they offered more/brighter colors, he eventually gave in.
The current practice of 'packaging' and limited model selection might make some options cheaper, but I REALLY hate having to buy several accessories I don't want merely to get the only one I do!
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By 312T85Bird - 12 Years Ago
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Dealer option wires on the Early Birds were Kelsey/Hayes and 52 spoke, the reproductions that people put on their Early birds today are 55 spoke if I remember the numbers correctly. Finding the original K/H spokes is a tough thing to do and anyone with them knows what they are worth. A friend has a set that have been in storage since the '60's and I cannot get him to part with them.
312&85Bird
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By 312T85Bird - 12 Years Ago
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Dealer option wires on the Early Birds were Kelsey/Hayes and 52 spoke, the reproductions that people put on their Early birds today are 55 spoke if I remember the numbers correctly. Finding the original K/H spokes is a tough thing to do and anyone with them knows what they are worth. A friend has a set that have been in storage since the '60's and I cannot get him to part with them.
312&85Bird
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By Hoosier Hurricane - 12 Years Ago
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Something else that gets my goat is the early Birds sold with "factory air conditioning". Ford did not put air on the early Birds, though many have had aftermarket kits installed. I understand the need for air conditioning in them, they are hot in the summer with the mufflers right under the passenger compartment and the transmission mounted so high in the tunnel.
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