Project

We returned the ’63 Thunderbird to her rightful owner a couple of weeks ago, roadworthy and ready for cruising. She’s a head-turner. Here’s a couple of minutes from the final road test… https://www.johnaustinmotorworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/63-TBird-Road-Test.mp4

Have you seen the 1983 John Carpenter supernatural horror movie, Christine? It’s based on a Stephen King novel of the same title and features a possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury. Sometimes we think this old bird has a mind of it’s own but instead of repairing herself like Christine, she instead seems to say, “Nope, I’m…

We removed umpteen pounds of oil-soaked sound deadener in the truck area. It’s asphalt-based (tar and paper). A leaking convertible top hydraulic system made a mess of things. We also found remnants of trunk mat material. The weatherstrip around the deck lid was deteriorated and had been painted over. We used chemicals and abrasives to…

Here’s a another progress report, video style… https://www.johnaustinmotorworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/63-TBird-Progress-Part-2.mp4

Troubleshooting electrical problems in old cars can be a challenge sometimes. When a component fails, like a light bulb, it’s relatively easy to track down and repair. Other faults, like corrosive resistance at a connection, an open circuit, or short circuit to ground somewhere can take time. The ’63 T-Bird came in with a couple…

Seems like we spend a fair amount of time just waiting on parts to arrive. Some parts are generic in nature as they were used across many years and models. They can be picked up at the local parts store. Others are Thunderbird specific and they’ve got to come from the specialty suppliers. And then…

The ’63 Thunderbird sat for a long time and we’re finding evidence of decay and signs of neglect in a past life – which, in many cases, is to be expected. We wonder what stories this old drop-top bird would tell, if it could. Kudos to the current owner for wanting to get her back…

Working on old cars that have sat for a long time are always interesting and a bit like an archaeological dig. One of the first things on the ’63 T-Bird was to determine why there were no brakes. A quick inspection turned up at least one leaking wheel cylinder – so we know where the…