Finally making enough progress on the 55 tbird that I can start thinking about some smaller issues.  ( Body is in primer with all body work done hurray!) Anyway, since the car is entirely apart I want to make a decision on electric versus vaccum wiper system.  I don't intend for the car to be anything but a fair weather ride, but always can get caught in the rain on a long drive.  Are there any reliable conversions or are the vaccum wipers reasonably useable.  Now is the time while I have the car apart to pick a direction.  I am way to inflexible and round to be crawling under the dash later.  I have no idea how the old wipers worked since the car wasn't running when I started the project. 

Thanks for advice.

Flicken Wiper rebuilt my vacuum unit and it works great. Cost, $99

find them via Google.  In NY area if memory serves.

good luck... post some pics along the way!

Mark

"God Bless Texas"location: Houston,TX

I had the same issue with my bird. I just found and electric motor I could use and used my bird control arms and adapted them to fit the motor and it worked very good. I fabbed a bracket to mount the motor and so far  so good. Any Tbird parts place has conversions. But really all you need is a 12V Ford motor and a switch.  Youmount the switch where the vacuum switch goes. My bird is a fair weather bird and I have never used them in the rain but every once in a while I check them to see if they still work.

55Birdman  Hickory NC

I got a conversion for my sunliner from concours parts.  I liked it because they had a switch that is 2 positions and looks stock/fits the stock opening.  Its been in the car about 9 years now, used only when caught in the rain, and works great.  Not sure if the same one fits t-birds, but most suppliers probably have something that works.

Ron Grove

Wauconda, IL

I bought a conversion to go electric on my pickup. It worked great on sunny days and on rainy days it failed miserably. Would work for a couple minutes and die. I tried everything. Finally bought a different one from Newport Engineering. They both look identical, but the Newport one works great! You can get 2 speed or variable. I got the variable. The switch is a large box. Like 3" cubed if I remember. I love it, just couldn't put it in the stock location. My 51 Fordor has vacuum wipers and they are "fun", but I make sure to use Rain-X frequently...  Roy

Life isn't about arriving at the end in a pristine, well preserved body; It's about sliding in sideways, all clapped out, yelling "What a ride!"

I converted to the two speed electric wipers in my ’55 Customline in 1990.  Was purchased from Carpenters and continues to work great.

Lorena, Texas (South of Waco)

I went with the tri-five scrub electric motor on my 57 Custom 300. Bolts right up and you use the original cable to control it.

Dan      Kingman Az.      86409

I bought a new vacuum motor,plumbed it directly to the manifold and wax the windshield.It works great,even under full throttle.I think new vacuum wipers work very well,but they do wear out in a very short time.

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

I put New Port Engineering kits in three of my cars, a 48 Ford street rod, a 54 Ford and a 56 TBird. They all work super. I hit a major rainstorm coming from Oregon (to NJ) in the Tbird and the wiper worked perfectly. The electrics are just too dependable to use vacuum. Since yours is a55, they only make kits for 12 volt systems.

54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

I should have mentioned that even though the 2 different brands looked the same, they were very different. The first one I bought was totally cheap in every way and gears came loose, the sweep was off and as I mentioned, the electric parts failed whenever it rained. I could run it on the bench or in the truck while in my garage indefinately, but when it rained, no-go. Both were easy to attach to the original linkage and when I compare the electric set up to the vacuum in my 51, the elect. wins hand's down.

Life isn't about arriving at the end in a pristine, well preserved body; It's about sliding in sideways, all clapped out, yelling "What a ride!"