I have an interesting story that I think folks on this forum might like to hear. My Grandma bought her 1955 t-bird in San Diego sometime in the spring of 1956, probably from a military family going on deployment. She kept the car until she died in 1962 (stomach cancer), one month after my 4th birthday. I actually remember riding in that car with her, but I don't remember may specifics. I do have fond feelings toward Grandma, even though I don't remember her very well.



My Aunt got the car when Grandma died, and took it to the bay area. She had driven it with Grandma on several road trips, and was quite fond if it. She kept it for 10 years, during which time it got an awful green metallic paint job and almost no maintenance. She felt guilty that she couldn't keep it up, and was looking into selling it. By this time I was 14, and my Mom decided to buy the car for me! Of course I was thrilled! My aunt drove the car to Whittier (with a case of 40wt oil in the trunk). It had 120K miles on it (and still does), and barely ran. With youthful exuberance, I took the car to high school auto shop and pulled the engine. I had a local machine shop do a short block, and I did a valve job myself. I put the engine back in about a year later, but I didn't have a secure place to put the car. Parts started disappearing. By the time I graduated from high school, quite a few parts were gone, including the grille and the seat. My Dad wasn't particularly helpful, and it became clear to me that I just didn't have the means to make the car run again. With a heavy heart I decided to sell the car.



My uncle (not related to Grandma) bought the car, and took it to Santa Barbara, where it sat for 20 years. He then gave the car to his son, who kept it for almost a decade, but didn't do anything with it. Finally, he took it to a t-bird restorer in Santa Fe Springs, and realized that he would never get much money out of restoring the car. Last April, my cousin asked me if I wanted the car, and I promptly bought it!



I admit that I have an emotional attachment to this car, and not all my memories of it are good ones. I have started a blog about my current experience. My thought is to finish the engine first, then work on making the car safe to drive, then work on exterior paint, then interior. This will be a multi-year process, limited by both time and $$ flow.



My son and I have pulled the engine, and I'm working with a mechanic to build it up. My goal is to make it a pleasant, safe driver with just a little more power than stock. I plan on keeping the Ford-o-matic, but not the Load-o-matic. I got 113 heads, Mummert Y265S cam, B manifold/carb, and plan to zero deck the block & shave the heads to get an honest 9:1 CR. Everything else is up in the air right now. This is my first (extended) restoration project, and I have a few wounds from my earlier experience, but I'm feeling pretty good about it now.



Please post any similar stories, especially involving family members! Thanks!