Time to Get The Old 'Bird Out

This weekend is supposed to be 70+ degrees and sunny both days. What a change from last weekend's driving snow. Being the first real spring weekend, it was time to get the old T'bird out again. That's my 1960 Thunderbird convertible at the right, ready to take on spring. Well, not quite ready actually. Last fall when I discovered I had a fuel leak that I knew I'd have to take care of before driving it this year. So today I decided to see if it was going to be an easy fix.

After about 60 seconds of engine cranking and accelerator pumping, she roared to life. I was able to pull her out into the driveway but that's it. The left rear tire (against the wall all winter) had gone completely flat. I wanted to get out and check that fuel leak anyway. Well, this wasn't gong to be a simple loose fitting. There was gas dribbling rather profusely from all around the fuel pump. So much for top down fun this weekend. I got air in the tire and put her back in the garage to await a replacement pump. Thankfully, it only leaks when running so there's no danger of burning the house down (I had checked that last fall.)

This is going to be a big year for the old 'Bird. I've got some play money from doing a small design project for a friend that my company wasn't interested in. Part of that money bought the laptop that I'm typing this on. The rest is going to some 18" Boyd Codington Smoothy II wheels for the T'bird. You might be able to tell from that picture, but she's riding on undersize second hand blackwalls (that don't hold air well). These cars originally came (most of them anyway) with a 2 1/4" wide whitewall. The small 14" wheels and the undersize blackwalls have just made the car look wimpy. Not any more. The 18" diameter polished rims will almost match the diameter of the original wide whites. They're a nice meaty five spoke wheel that ought to give the 'Bird the stance it should have.

So I've got some measuring to do to see wheel back space I need and how wide I can go and still use the skirts in the back. I also want to make sure I don't have any rubbing in the front when I turn the wheel. I'm also planning to go through the front suspension while I'm at it and replace the shocks. So I poked my head underneath today just to see what I'm up against and I found a surprise.

This magnetic 'key locker' was tucked up underneath the right front wheel near the bumper. It was wrapped in electrical tape to keep the water out and there was a sponge inside with the keys soaked in something like Navel Jelly. Someone was trying to keep these keys from rusting. I got this car from my grandfather in 2000. He bought it in California in 1978. Based on the care put into stashing this key locker, I'd bet it wasn't my grandfather who put it there. Nothing against grandpa, but he wasn't that kind of a detail oriented guy. If that's the case, then that means this key locker has been under there for nearly 30 years. Inside was three keys, including one of the original Ford logo keys, not very warn. Pretty cool.