I love these early Birds. Visually, it doesn't get any better than 55-57. My dreams of ownership shattered after shoehorning myself into one, so I share your pain. An uncomfortable crouch is not an ideal driving position. I'm glad you got to drive it, though! Great video. Toodaloo!
Yeah someone asked me years back if I was ever in one and told me they are small inside which I didn’t believe him, he was right, that’s why I made it a point to show how small it is inside. I forgot to show what the bottom looks like it’s as clean as the top is this one is for sale not up on the site yet but for sale at jk galleria in Salem Ohio, thank you for watching =)
My dad bought a new 57 Thunderbird & loved driving it with the top down!!! The headroom was cramped with the top up!!! Thanks for sharing this fun video!!! 👍👍
Congrats on getting to experience one of these! They're fun cars, but they sure are small... I can definitely understand why ford went to the square bird for 58. What they lost in pure cool and style, they made up for in livable space.
I love 50s cars always have 30s cars are starting to grow one me that’s what this channel is vintage ads old car commercials made old road and track tests and a 33 year old guy shoe horned in some of them =)
Thank you for the The correction this was an early episode I didn’t know the difference between that windows and wing windows but since learned there is a difference =) glad you dig this episode
This car was designed for driving to the country club for golf or tennis, cruising the PCH or for the VP of a bank driving to work. It’s not meant to be a practical family car by any means. I’m 6’4”… my dad owns a few 55-57 birds and have no issues fitting in/driving these beauties. It’s def one of the most beautiful American cars of all time and this is by far the best Thunderbird generation. If you want room don’t buy a sports car.
When I was a boy one of my Mom’s sisters and husband bought a’56 new in the fall of’55. It was raven black with Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels. From time to time they would stop by (we lived in the next town over from them) and my uncle would take me for a ride. I promised myself that one day I would own one. A number of years ago I bought a 2002 in tuxedo black (hardtop and all). I couldn’t afford a restored’55-57 and this one was available . They’re terrific to drive and I get comments or people wave. It just turned 21,000 miles. After my uncle passed away, their Thunderbird was parked in storage. A couple years later my aunt gave it to their oldest son. Far as I know he still has it.
Hey, this is your best video to date! Congratulations on a job well done. And, no, power door locks weren't even heard of in the 1950's! We 're going to have to give you a course in 1950/1960 mind set. What you take for granted today was still years (or even decades) away in the 1950's. Don't sound surprised (or irritated) when a car of the fifties doesn't have a particular feature. It simply wasn't developed, thought of or invented yet. It doesn't suggest the manufacturer was trying to cheapen the car. It was, actually, a dynamic time in automotive design and development. Like I said above, you did a great job. Always talk about these cars like you were there, back in the day.
Ford was one of the last companies to have power door locks that’s why I mentioned it in the video =). 58 Biarritz had power locks the I featured but that car had every option one could get I was in another metropolitan today and I firmly stand behind what I said there is more room in that car then tri 5 tbird Thank you so much for watching and the positive vibes
@@What.its.like. Many "luxury features" took awhile to filter down from cars like Cadillac to the low priced three. Remember, while you have discovered all the stand-alone options that were available, the most commonly equipped new car on a dealer's lot in the late fifties/early sixties had a heater, V8, auto trans, radio, power steering, whitewall tires, full wheel covers, and back-up lights!
Awesome Video. As a classic Tbird owner (56 & 66) you did a great job. I am 6’3 over 275, The only way I get in my 56 with the top off. Keep up the good work
With my size I would fit quite nicely in it. This is the year of my birth. Thanks for sharing this icon of American automobile styling. Someone wrote they should have done both the 2 and 4 seat versions. I think that would have been cool. A Thunderbird Roadster and a Thunderbird Victoria Coupe. How cool would that have been.
These Thunderbirds do not have vent windows, they are wind wings. With the main window open, the wing helps control how much wind you get in the car. The wing window cannot be moved when the main window is up. A vent window operates independently from the main window.
These were great looking, interesting and iconic cars but all style with little thought to ergonomics. Im six 1 and I experienced exactly the same as you when trying to sit in one. For us in the 95th percentile its to cramped to safely and comfortably drive the car. Even if you’re shorter but a bit heavy, that steering wheel would seem in the way. Fortunately they got it right in 58. Those 2nd gen TBirds were fantastic and heralded the personal luxury movement. Maybe find one of those to review. 👍🤓
It’s so hard to explain, but the seat cushion is right on the floor the floor isn’t tubbed out but it slants downwards it’s super awkward. I have at been in a vette from 57 but I’ve seen they are small. 56 golden hawk is the best seating position in any 50s car I’ve been in.. if the thunderbird was that it would be close. I did a second gen car (1960) the problem with those are the steering is in your crotch.. I haven’t done the bullet bird yet (1961-1963) i’ve done a 64 square bird and by then it’s a really comfortable seating position. Don’t get me wrong there’s lots of space in the second GEN the issue is it doesn’t have a tilt wheel and where the wheel comes out of the dash isn’t up high enough. If I remember correct it comes straight out of the dash and there is little room under the wheel that’s when I started showing crotch view because that’s a view point no one else shows and it’s huge point as to whether or not the car will work for you. =)
@@What.its.like. I will look for your review of the second gen.. A friend of mine had a second gen back in the day. It was fine but he was really thin. I think people in the fifties were shorter and thinner than now. 👍
I always thought it was a showcar, rushed into production...thats why you dont fit, and the afterthought side vents. It wasn't built for people's comfort, it was built to look good, which it does!
Good review 👍 But I think you enjoyed it more than us. What a thrill to drive an early T-Bird in such great shape. I think that color is Coral. Those T-Birds were available with a dual quad 312. Almost 70 years later and it’s still bee-yoo-tee-full 😉
1955 292 was the only engine available 1956 292 and 312 1957 most powerful version of 312 and if that wasn’t enough Paxton supercharged Version 312 was available
@@What.its.like. , I think you’re right. If I remember correctly the factory colors at that time were white, turquoise, black and only a few others and that salmon/coral was one of them. Good video 👍
I'd like to take a 292 Y-Block or 383 MEL and make a high revving rods out of them. I know the MEL came out in 1958. On the MEL 383, the stroke is 1.000" shorter than the bore dia. 4.300" : 3.300", sick motors with a 4.900" bore spacing, a real big block.
If you are buying an original watch carefully the front fender about the vent or windshield line as if driven much in lots of bad weather, the inner shield (inside the wheel well) on many bird's had to replace the fenders or might have lots of bondo to hide where they rusted out along that line.
Awesome information I totally forgot to say watch out for reproductions they did a run of fiberglass birds in the 80s along side well about the same time as the shay model A
I am 5' 11" and when I was 16 this was the used car I wanted to be able to afford.. but could not. It was fun going for a virtual ride. I still think I might fit this car better than you. haha!
Everyone is different I have a long torso but the seat in reference to the position of the floor is weird it’s also like sitting in one of those low beach chairs at the beach that’s the best analogy I can come up with seating position is weird
@@CORVAIRWILD the only mods I would do on these cars would never involve an engine swap. 1. Gas charged shocks. 2. Dual chambered master cylinder. 3. Aluminum radiator. 4. A/C. 5. Radial tires. 6. Alternator. 7. Either clutch fan or electric fans. Maybe a few details I am not thinking of.
It’s confusing but the two speed ford o matic didn’t come out until 59 this unit was renamed cruise o matic then fmx then aod it was a borg Warner unit
I "D" you start out in 2nd gear. In "L" you start out in low gear, move to "D" and you are now in 2nd, and if you move back to "L" you are locked in 2nd until you move to "D" again. If you FLOOR it in "D" you kickdown to low gear. These 1950s Ford-O-Matics are 3 speeds. The Ford-O-Matics of the 60s are 2 speeds once the 3 Speed Cruise-O-Matic came out in 1958.
@@MostlyBuicks Your explanation is correct. Normal driving, Ford-o-Matic starts in second gear. But, beginning in 1955, Trigger Torque was introduced. Floor accelerator on take off and car starts in LOW, automatically upshifts to SECOND, then to THIRD. Or, select Lo (LOW) with gear selector and car starts in low or first. Move gear selector to D (DRIVE) and car goes into second then automatically shifts to third or high. Also, if you are cruising at (about) 60 or under and you need quick acceleration, floor the accelerator and the car goes into passing gear (down shifts to second). Car automatically upshifts into third at 70 mph.
Ford dropped the ball with the Thunderbird when they kept making it larger and larger until it was a Lincoln. Ford handed the sports car title to the corvette willingly. But then Carroll Shelby changed all that with the AC Bristol and turned it into the Cobra. He put Ford back into the game.
55-57 T-Birds were classic beautiful cars .... Ford lost it, going from sporty to luxury in 1958. Had they stuck with sporty ... they could have killed corvette.
Well of-course the 4 seater birds far outsold the 2 seat ones. I think what they should done was make both. But the two seater needed a bit more room inside!
I wasn’t kidding the Nash metro is bigger inside than the thunderbird is just saying.. that’s what this channel is showing what the vehicles advertised and seeing what they really are yes years or decades later and people must be bigger now than back then I’m going to make a point to show how much space there is inside as a point of reference =) on all the cars moving forward except for one that is coming soon I wasn’t allowed to sit in it and it will totally make sense when that episode is published
The early Thunderbirds wern't for everyone. They were meant to be sporty and stylish. The single successful guy would want one. The guy with a wife and kids may have wanted one but that wasn't in the cards for him. By the time the kids were grown and he was divorced from the wife it would be too late. So it would be corvette time. Still, not too late for a two seater though.
I love these early Birds. Visually, it doesn't get any better than 55-57. My dreams of ownership shattered after shoehorning myself into one, so I share your pain. An uncomfortable crouch is not an ideal driving position. I'm glad you got to drive it, though! Great video. Toodaloo!
Yeah someone asked me years back if I was ever in one and told me they are small inside which I didn’t believe him, he was right, that’s why I made it a point to show how small it is inside. I forgot to show what the bottom looks like it’s as clean as the top is this one is for sale not up on the site yet but for sale at jk galleria in Salem Ohio, thank you for watching =)
I owned a 57 Bird 🐦 for 31 years. Loved the two seater birds!
Awesome is yours supercharged.. they put Paxton superchargers on some of the 57 models they’re super rare
My dad bought a new 57 Thunderbird & loved driving it with the top down!!! The headroom was cramped with the top up!!! Thanks for sharing this fun video!!! 👍👍
=) the 57 is a stand alone styling year that we will take a look at sometime this year for sure
great video - love these cars, my pick of coolest 1950's cars
Congrats on getting to experience one of these! They're fun cars, but they sure are small... I can definitely understand why ford went to the square bird for 58. What they lost in pure cool and style, they made up for in livable space.
58 is bigger inside but steering wheel is still in crotch until bullet bird unless steering wheel tilts
Really digging the nostalgia man
I love 50s cars always have 30s cars are starting to grow one me that’s what this channel is vintage ads old car commercials made old road and track tests and a 33 year old guy shoe horned in some of them =)
Excellent review - loved it !! 2 other differences were the wing (vent) windows added in the 56. Also the steering wheels were different.
Thank you for the The correction this was an early episode I didn’t know the difference between that windows and wing windows but since learned there is a difference =) glad you dig this episode
Would beva great Sunday car.
This car was designed for driving to the country club for golf or tennis, cruising the PCH or for the VP of a bank driving to work. It’s not meant to be a practical family car by any means. I’m 6’4”… my dad owns a few 55-57 birds and have no issues fitting in/driving these beauties. It’s def one of the most beautiful American cars of all time and this is by far the best Thunderbird generation. If you want room don’t buy a sports car.
I’m 6 2 and I felt cramped, not sure I’d want to go cross country in it driving position was weird to me
@@What.its.like. that particular car you were driving also had a power seat. Did you try to adjust it?
Yeah it was all the way back and down
@@What.its.like. Didn't '57 solve some of the space issues of the first 2 years?
@@What.its.like. you also didn’t mention the Telescopic steering wheel. It adjusts. My dad owns 2 56s and a 57. You can’t adjust it
When I was a boy one of my Mom’s sisters and husband bought a’56 new in the fall of’55. It was raven black with Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels. From time to time they would stop by (we lived in the next town over from them) and my uncle would take me for a ride. I promised myself that one day I would own one. A number of years ago I bought a 2002 in tuxedo black (hardtop and all). I couldn’t afford a restored’55-57 and this one was available . They’re terrific to drive and I get comments or people wave. It just turned 21,000 miles.
After my uncle passed away, their Thunderbird was parked in storage. A couple years later my aunt gave it to their oldest son. Far as I know he still has it.
That’s awesome what a great story thank you so much for sharing =)
Hey, this is your best video to date! Congratulations on a job well done. And, no, power door locks weren't even heard of in the 1950's! We 're going to have to give you a course in 1950/1960 mind set. What you take for granted today was still years (or even decades) away in the 1950's. Don't sound surprised (or irritated) when a car of the fifties doesn't have a particular feature. It simply wasn't developed, thought of or invented yet. It doesn't suggest the manufacturer was trying to cheapen the car. It was, actually, a dynamic time in automotive design and development.
Like I said above, you did a great job. Always talk about these cars like you were there, back in the day.
Ford was one of the last companies to have power door locks that’s why I mentioned it in the video =). 58 Biarritz had power locks the I featured but that car had every option one could get
I was in another metropolitan today and I firmly stand behind what I said there is more room in that car then tri 5 tbird
Thank you so much for watching and the positive vibes
@@What.its.like. Many "luxury features" took awhile to filter down from cars like Cadillac to the low priced three. Remember, while you have discovered all the stand-alone options that were available, the most commonly equipped new car on a dealer's lot in the late fifties/early sixties had a heater, V8, auto trans, radio, power steering, whitewall tires, full wheel covers, and back-up lights!
William “Bill” Boyer was 1 of the Head designers. He wrote a Book in 1985 called “ Thunderbird A Design in Odyssey”.
Awesome information =)
Awesome Video. As a classic Tbird owner (56 & 66) you did a great job. I am 6’3 over 275, The only way I get in my 56 with the top off. Keep up the good work
I will say there’s more space in a 57 Thunderbird and a 57 Corvette Corvette is a hard car to get into until the stingray
Glad you dig this channel =)
With my size I would fit quite nicely in it. This is the year of my birth. Thanks for sharing this icon of American automobile styling. Someone wrote they should have done both the 2 and 4 seat versions. I think that would have been cool. A Thunderbird Roadster and a Thunderbird Victoria Coupe. How cool would that have been.
That would have been really cool they did offer a four door in late 60s not sure how long that went for but did offer that
@@What.its.like. Yea, I liked the 4 door Bird, especially the '67. They made the 4 door '67 thru '71.
I think your vent is a wind deflector for top down. A number of old roadsters had them.
Wing windows I couldn’t think of the term that day
@@What.its.like. I kept thinking Brooklands.
These Thunderbirds do not have vent windows, they are wind wings. With the main window open, the wing helps control how much wind you get in the car. The wing window cannot be moved when the main window is up. A vent window operates independently from the main window.
Awesome information I knew they had a different name thank you for correcting me =)
That little window is actually called a "wing" and has a purpose.
Thank you so much for that correction sometimes the words just escape me =)
These were great looking, interesting and iconic cars but all style with little thought to ergonomics. Im six 1 and I experienced exactly the same as you when trying to sit in one. For us in the 95th percentile its to cramped to safely and comfortably drive the car. Even if you’re shorter but a bit heavy, that steering wheel would seem in the way. Fortunately they got it right in 58. Those 2nd gen TBirds were fantastic and heralded the personal luxury movement. Maybe find one of those to review. 👍🤓
It’s so hard to explain, but the seat cushion is right on the floor the floor isn’t tubbed out but it slants downwards it’s super awkward. I have at been in a vette from 57 but I’ve seen they are small. 56 golden hawk is the best seating position in any 50s car I’ve been in.. if the thunderbird was that it would be close.
I did a second gen car (1960) the problem with those are the steering is in your crotch.. I haven’t done the bullet bird yet (1961-1963) i’ve done a 64 square bird and by then it’s a really comfortable seating position. Don’t get me wrong there’s lots of space in the second GEN the issue is it doesn’t have a tilt wheel and where the wheel comes out of the dash isn’t up high enough. If I remember correct it comes straight out of the dash and there is little room under the wheel that’s when I started showing crotch view because that’s a view point no one else shows and it’s huge point as to whether or not the car will work for you. =)
@@What.its.like. I will look for your review of the second gen.. A friend of mine had a second gen back in the day. It was fine but he was really thin. I think people in the fifties were shorter and thinner than now. 👍
👍👍👍👍👍
I always thought it was a showcar, rushed into production...thats why you dont fit, and the afterthought side vents. It wasn't built for people's comfort, it was built to look good, which it does!
All 56's also used a 12 volt electrical system rather than the 6 volt of the 55's.
=) I said most later on in the video wasn’t sure if they kept heavy duty trucks 6 volt
Yes, but initially the very early 56s had 6 volts.
Good review 👍 But I think you enjoyed it more than us. What a thrill to drive an early T-Bird in such great shape. I think that color is Coral. Those T-Birds were available with a dual quad 312. Almost 70 years later and it’s still bee-yoo-tee-full 😉
1955 292 was the only engine available
1956 292 and 312
1957 most powerful version of 312 and if that wasn’t enough Paxton supercharged Version 312 was available
It is not Sunset Coral. It is Fiesta Red.
@@What.its.like. And you COULD have two 4bbl carbs in 1956 on a 312. Everyone knows that you could in 1957, but few know you could also in 1956.
It looked almost like a coral color but then didn’t it was almost a salmon color it was a weird off red color
@@What.its.like. , I think you’re right. If I remember correctly the factory colors at that time were white, turquoise, black and only a few others and that salmon/coral was one of them. Good video 👍
I'd like to take a 292 Y-Block or 383 MEL and make a high revving rods out of them.
I know the MEL came out in 1958.
On the MEL 383, the stroke is 1.000" shorter than the bore dia.
4.300" : 3.300", sick motors with a 4.900" bore spacing, a real big block.
That would be awesome
Build a hot Edsel engine
I've never been able to appreciate any thunderbird from 1955 till late 60s, then they still confused me, then the mailaise era, monster bumpers...
If you are buying an original watch carefully the front fender about the vent or windshield line as if driven much in lots of bad weather, the inner shield (inside the wheel well) on many bird's had to replace the fenders or might have lots of bondo to hide where they rusted out along that line.
Awesome information I totally forgot to say watch out for reproductions they did a run of fiberglass birds in the 80s along side well about the same time as the shay model A
1st view!
Beautiful car but too tight for people of today's height. I think tall in 1956 was somewhere around 5' 9''
I’m 6’2 and it’s hard for me to fit in, I kid you not there is more room in the Nash metropolitan
@@What.its.like. I saw. Tiny interior
I am 5' 11" and when I was 16 this was the used car I wanted to be able to afford.. but could not. It was fun going for a virtual ride. I still think I might fit this car better than you. haha!
Everyone is different I have a long torso but the seat in reference to the position of the floor is weird it’s also like sitting in one of those low beach chairs at the beach that’s the best analogy I can come up with seating position is weird
@@What.its.like. Most of my height is in the legs.. it was a long time before I could find a car that I didn't have to have the seat all the way back.
LS swap it!
Blasphemy. Even those guys who do Coyote engine swaps should be tried for heresy.
@@MostlyBuicks how about a Cummins swap?!?! I'm sure it's been done!
@@CORVAIRWILD the only mods I would do on these cars would never involve an engine swap. 1. Gas charged shocks. 2. Dual chambered master cylinder. 3. Aluminum radiator. 4. A/C. 5. Radial tires. 6. Alternator. 7. Either clutch fan or electric fans. Maybe a few details I am not thinking of.
I have owned 3 1956 and 3 1957 T-Birds in my life. They were my first car fetish.
I believe the Ford-O-Matic transmission in the '56 T-Bird was a 2 speed not 3
It’s confusing but the two speed ford o matic didn’t come out until 59 this unit was renamed cruise o matic then fmx then aod it was a borg Warner unit
www.hemmings.com/stories/article/ford-o-matic-transmission
I "D" you start out in 2nd gear. In "L" you start out in low gear, move to "D" and you are now in 2nd, and if you move back to "L" you are locked in 2nd until you move to "D" again. If you FLOOR it in "D" you kickdown to low gear. These 1950s Ford-O-Matics are 3 speeds. The Ford-O-Matics of the 60s are 2 speeds once the 3 Speed Cruise-O-Matic came out in 1958.
@@MostlyBuicks Your explanation is correct. Normal driving, Ford-o-Matic starts in second gear. But, beginning in 1955, Trigger Torque was introduced. Floor accelerator on take off and car starts in LOW, automatically upshifts to SECOND, then to THIRD. Or, select Lo (LOW) with gear selector and car starts in low or first. Move gear selector to D (DRIVE) and car goes into second then automatically shifts to third or high.
Also, if you are cruising at (about) 60 or under and you need quick acceleration, floor the accelerator and the car goes into passing gear (down shifts to second). Car automatically upshifts into third at 70 mph.
Ford should have included a manual transmission. They would have sold even better.
23 T Birds for every Corvette
In 1955
In 1956 10 thunderbird birds to every corvette sold
Ford dropped the ball with the Thunderbird when they kept making it larger and larger until it was a Lincoln. Ford handed the sports car title to the corvette willingly. But then Carroll Shelby changed all that with the AC Bristol and turned it into the Cobra. He put Ford back into the game.
55-57 T-Birds were classic beautiful cars .... Ford lost it, going from sporty to luxury in 1958. Had they stuck with sporty ... they could have killed corvette.
Yeah there are pros and cons to both ways
Well of-course the 4 seater birds far outsold the 2 seat ones. I think what they should done was make both. But the two seater needed a bit more room inside!
I wasn’t kidding the Nash metro is bigger inside than the thunderbird is just saying.. that’s what this channel is showing what the vehicles advertised and seeing what they really are yes years or decades later and people must be bigger now than back then I’m going to make a point to show how much space there is inside as a point of reference =) on all the cars moving forward except for one that is coming soon I wasn’t allowed to sit in it and it will totally make sense when that episode is published
The early Thunderbirds wern't for everyone. They were meant to be sporty and stylish. The single successful guy would want one. The guy with a wife and kids may have wanted one but that wasn't in the cards for him. By the time the kids were grown and he was divorced from the wife it would be too late. So it would be corvette time. Still, not too late for a two seater though.