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1960 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop - Project Sparky

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  • Daleo56
    Experienced
    • Dec 27 2014
    • 315

    1960 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop - Project Sparky

    I have been up here in Reno for the holidays and while the wife was out walking the dog she saw this 1960 Thunderbird for sale down the street for $3,000. We talked about it this morning and went to see it. We offered the gentleman $2,000 and he accepted. Now the work begins...

    The guy we purchased it from bought it from the original owner. He never transferred it into his name so that makes us the second registered owner. It seems to be all original except for the tires, new battery I put in today and a couple hoses. The odometer shows 7,330 miles which seem to match the limited drive train wear and small amount of original receipts we found in the glove box. I got it to turn over once I got it back to the house but the guy removed the gas tank and put it in the back seat so it will have to wait to run until I take it back to Los Angeles in a couple weeks.

    It has a 352 4v with automatic trans and 3.10 gears. It is Moroccan Ivory color code R with code 84 beige leather seating. It was made on July 26th.

    It needs quite a bit of restoration but I am fairly certain I can do most of it myself. It has a small amount of rust on the center of the rear fenders, a little bubble on one door bottom and a large dent on the passenger rocker. The floors are solid and the engine bay is only in need of a cleaning. It has all of the original molding and except for a cracked windshield (that's snow on it btw) and some questionable tires it relatively roadworthy.

    I hope to find out more about it as time goes on and look forward to learning more about these cars.

    Tim Daleo












    Tim Daleo
    Azusa, California
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/daleo1/albums

    Thunderbird Registry Entry
  • jopizz
    Super-Experienced


    • Nov 23 2009
    • 8316

    #2
    Congrats on your new acquisition. It looks like you have a pretty solid car to start out with. I really like the tan leather seats with the two tone door panels. It's one of the prettier interior combinations in my opinion. The Moroccan Ivory exterior is pretty rare also. If the mileage is correct you have quite a find. If you have a chance go to the Thunderbird Registry and see if it's registered. If not please register it. Good luck and don't hesitate to ask for help.

    John
    John Pizzi - Squarebirds Administrator

    Thunderbird Registry #36223
    jopizz@squarebirds.org 856-779-9695

    https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm

    Comment

    • 840 840 840
      Experienced
      • Dec 30 2008
      • 161

      #3
      COOL! CAR! Ready to see the project move ahead.
      Charley

      Comment

      • YellowRose
        Super-Experienced


        • Jan 21 2008
        • 17191

        #4
        1960 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop - Project Sparky

        Tim, the link to the Tbird Registry is: www.tbirdregistry.com

        Go to Browse Tbird Registry and then to Is It Already Registered? Type in the VIN # and if it has been registered in the past, it will give you the Registry # to look it up. If it has been registered, you can possibly get a bit more of its history and you can update it now belonging to you and your wife.

        Ray Clark - Squarebirds Administrator
        The Terminator..... VTCI #11178 ITC #6000 Yellow Mustang Registry (YMR) #12188
        Contact me via Private Message for my email address, or Call (Cell) 210-875-1411

        https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm
        Faye's Ovarian Cancer Memorial Website.
        https://faye.rayclark.info/index.html

        Comment

        • Daleo56
          Experienced
          • Dec 27 2014
          • 315

          #5
          Originally posted by YellowRose
          Tim, the link to the Tbird Registry is: www.tbirdregistry.com

          Go to Browse Tbird Registry and then to Is It Already Registered? Type in the VIN # and if it has been registered in the past, it will give you the Registry # to look it up. If it has been registered, you can possibly get a bit more of its history and you can update it now belonging to you and your wife.
          Thank you for the link. I just registered it with the prior owner information!

          Tim
          Tim Daleo
          Azusa, California
          https://www.flickr.com/photos/daleo1/albums

          Thunderbird Registry Entry

          Comment

          • DKheld
            Super-Experienced
            • Aug 27 2008
            • 1583

            #6
            Nice find!

            I believe the Moroccan Ivory car is one of the featured cars in the dealer brochure.
            Here's a link from the web....



            I'm lucky to own the '60 Tbird my Dad and Mom bought new so the '60 model is my favorite of course.

            Hope to see the restoration progress on yours.

            Eric

            edit

            btw - save yourself some grief and go ahead and buy a new gas tank. First tow bill home and the tank will pay for itself.
            Rock Auto carries them now. Made in Canada.

            Comment

            • Daleo56
              Experienced
              • Dec 27 2014
              • 315

              #7
              Originally posted by DKheld
              Nice find!

              I believe the Moroccan Ivory car is one of the featured cars in the dealer brochure.

              Eric
              My paint must be really faded or that is Yosemite Yellow.

              Just got my registration notice.


              Tim
              Tim Daleo
              Azusa, California
              https://www.flickr.com/photos/daleo1/albums

              Thunderbird Registry Entry

              Comment

              • Daleo56
                Experienced
                • Dec 27 2014
                • 315

                #8
                Originally posted by DKheld
                btw - save yourself some grief and go ahead and buy a new gas tank. First tow bill home and the tank will pay for itself.
                Rock Auto carries them now. Made in Canada.
                http://www.squarebirds.org/vbulletin...ad.php?t=18118
                I just ordered the tank from Rock Auto. It was $191.98 shipped. Almost 10% of the purchase price of the car.
                Tim Daleo
                Azusa, California
                https://www.flickr.com/photos/daleo1/albums

                Thunderbird Registry Entry

                Comment

                • simplyconnected
                  Administrator
                  • May 26 2009
                  • 8779

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Daleo56
                  It was $191.98 shipped. Almost 10% of the purchase price of the car.
                  That's as cheap as I have ever seen. Car restorations cost money.
                  Member, Sons of the American Revolution

                  CLICK HERE to see my custom hydraulic roller 390 FE build.

                  "We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?"
                  --Lee Iacocca

                  From: Royal Oak, Michigan

                  Comment

                  • tbirdregistry
                    Apprentice
                    • May 24 2009
                    • 30

                    #10
                    Timothy's car is about my favorite 1960 combination of color and interior. Moroccan Ivory was a Thunderbird-only color for Ford Division while Yosemite Yellow was for the other Fords. The brochure pictures are of course not very good representations (of the color itself). This color was available for Lincoln (called Pastel Yellow) and Mercury (Sun Haze Yellow), "yellow" in the name but still Moroccan Ivory code R Ditzler Mix Code 81052.

                    There is really no bad Thunderbird color for sure but being an exclusive one makes for another subtle point about what makes a Thunderbird a Thunderbird. Just the marketing name alone seems to place the distinction above and beyond even Lincoln.

                    Thanks to you all for recommending that Timothy register his car. It was the 1,296th (1960) Hardtop be registered, out of 1,839 1960 models total, and is RN 57741.

                    By the way, on Registry web pages I use that brochure picture as a stock image when no picture of the actual car itself is available.

                    Happy New Year everyone.

                    Comment

                    • Daleo56
                      Experienced
                      • Dec 27 2014
                      • 315

                      #11
                      The color is more like Sierra Snow today. It will become an indoor car in another week.

                      Last edited by Daleo56; December 30, 2014, 10:52 AM.
                      Tim Daleo
                      Azusa, California
                      https://www.flickr.com/photos/daleo1/albums

                      Thunderbird Registry Entry

                      Comment

                      • tbird430
                        Super-Experienced
                        • Jun 18 2007
                        • 2648

                        #12
                        Great score! Thanks for saving another one!!

                        -Jon in TX.
                        sigpic
                        The 1960 Ford Thunderbird. The WORLD'S most wanted car....

                        VTCI Member#6287.

                        Comment

                        • Dakota Boy
                          Super-Experienced
                          • Jun 30 2009
                          • 1561

                          #13
                          you will find this site to be exceedingly helpful for your new project. Welcome-
                          http://www.tbirdregistry.com/viewdat...ryNumber=33517

                          Comment

                          • Daleo56
                            Experienced
                            • Dec 27 2014
                            • 315

                            #14
                            This site so far has been a lot of help! We leave next Friday to drive back to Reno to get the car. We had to pay almost $900 in back fees for the registration but at least we brought it up to date and made her legal.

                            I have already bought the new gas tank, a bunch of filters and plugs and brake shoes.

                            I noticed that the valve covers had been painted red and there is some yellow under them so I did some research and found the spray can equivalents of the Goldenrod Yellow valve covers and Colonial White for the air cleaner. I cross referenced these with the MacsAuto online catalog pictures and they match!


                            Seymour 620-1446 Industrial MRO High Solids Spray Paint, Ryder Yellow


                            Seymour 16-140 Hi-Tech Enamels Spray Paint, Gloss Colonial White


                            Tim Daleo
                            Azusa, California
                            https://www.flickr.com/photos/daleo1/albums

                            Thunderbird Registry Entry

                            Comment

                            • YellowRose
                              Super-Experienced


                              • Jan 21 2008
                              • 17191

                              #15
                              1960 Ford Thunderbird Hardtop - Project Sparky

                              Timothy, according to what Alan Tast has previously posted on here, these are the correct paint colors to get for the 1960 valve covers, and the air cleaner. He states that is best to go with the DQE enamel paint rather than the DAL lacquer. Alan is one of the worlds foremost authorities on Tbirds, having written several books about them. Here is what he posted.

                              Goldenrod Yellow: Valve Covers
                              1960 Ford/T-bird 352-300 hp
                              Ditzler Enamel/Lacquer #: DQE-80653 / DAL-80653
                              duPont Stock #/ Duco #: 1939
                              Martin Senour Lacquer #: 93-58044
                              Ford #: M2J-358

                              Colonial White: Air Cleaner
                              1958-1960 T-bird 352 & 430
                              Ditzler Enamel/Lacquer #: DQE-8103 / DAL-8103
                              duPont Stock #/ Duco #: 2214
                              duPont Dulux #: 93-59543
                              Martin Senour Lacquer #: 61T-2542
                              Martin Seynour Synthol #: 80T-1040
                              Ford #: M4J-524

                              The current online Ditzler Paint listing for 1960 Thunderbirds shows this for Corinthian White paint. Goldenrod Yellow is not listed.

                              http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcod...page=6&rows=50

                              Ray Clark - Squarebirds Administrator
                              The Terminator..... VTCI #11178 ITC #6000 Yellow Mustang Registry (YMR) #12188
                              Contact me via Private Message for my email address, or Call (Cell) 210-875-1411

                              https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm
                              Faye's Ovarian Cancer Memorial Website.
                              https://faye.rayclark.info/index.html

                              Comment

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