The Stainless Steel '60 Tbirds

[Coral]

We have received written permission to recopy the articles !

Now comes the challenge to get them scanned and uploaded in a readable format....

[YellowRose]

The Stainless Steel '60 Tbirds

According to what was recently received in the way of information about the below subject, this is an example of how information gets passed on as gospel over the decades. We recently received information that the dies were NOT destroyed during the production of the two SS Tbirds, as recently posted on the Forum... Nor were those two cars built at the very end of the production run as has been stated all these years, after all other Tbirds were run. We know now, from Allegheny-Ludlum themselves, that they were built on July 11, 1960. Nearly two months before the end of production on Sept. 9, 1960..

"Being the end of the regular production run, and since 1960s ended the Thunderbird's third year of the second generation body style, these dies would no longer be needed and were ultimately, and unfortunately, destroyed during the production of these two "ageless" 1960 Thunderbirds."

[Anders]

Wow. I was 4 years and two days then....

[Coral]

I wasn't even a thought in my parent's heads yet...
hum..maybe I should get a bullybird...

[Guest]

Hey Guys,
Ray has pretty much covered all the bases on the Stainless Steel Thunderbirds.
But I dug up some more slides.
Go to You Tube, type in Stainless Steel 1960 Thunderbird.
SWEEEEEETTTT!!!!!

[Coral]

Until Ray gets these pages attached to the Stainless Steel webpage he created they can be viewed on this web album

http://picasaweb.google.com/astikenn...eat=directlink

The slide show portion will not work with the pix enlarged, so to read them, simply click on a page and then click the small magnifying glass over to the right hand side.

[YellowRose]

The Stainless Steel '60 Tbirds

Marcelo sent me a link last night to Automotive Mile Posts and their information they have posted regarding the 1960 Stainless Steel Squarebirds. There is some good additional information here. Thanks, Marcelo! Here is the link to it.

http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird...lesssteel.html

[YellowRose]

New Information- 1960 Stainless Steel Tbirds...

One of our newest users on the Forum (joined yesterday), Leon Dixon ~ Leeedy, has just provided me with additional information regarding the 1960 Stainless Steel Squarebirds. What he has to say about them is found in his book...

"Creative Industries of Detroit–The Untold Story of Detroit's Secret Concept Car Builder"

The book is available in all major book stores such as Barnes & Noble and it is also available on Amazon. Or you can order an autographed copy directly from me at $40 + $7.95 postage (via PayPal to my email address).

There is a whole section in the book that addresses and debunks the myths about the stainless steel 1960 Thunderbirds. And like i said, I had friends who worked on these cars. The book features photos of these cars never published before and explains the stories behind the photos.

You might also want to know that there is other info on Thunderbirds in the Creative book... such as the prototype 1955 gas turbine Thunderbird... with photos and background story and why it was built, etc. Leon Dixon"

Here is a little more information regarding Leon...

"I worked for Ford on the original Mustang in Dearborn. I also did work for Ford in more recent years via Ford of Australia and more. I was also employed by ford's relative, Mazda Corporation for nearly 20 years.

As for Budd... they only did what Creative directed them to do. Creative was world expert in stainless steel."

The above information is "reprinted by permission of the author"...

[Leeedy]

One of our newest users on the Forum (joined yesterday), Leon Dixon ~ Leeedy, has just provided me with additional information regarding the 1960 Stainless Steel Squarebirds. What he has to say about them is found in his book...

"Creative Industries of Detroit–The Untold Story of Detroit's Secret Concept Car Builder"

The book is available in all major book stores such as Barnes & Noble and it is also available on Amazon. Or you can order an autographed copy directly from me at $40 + $7.95 postage (via PayPal to my email address).

There is a whole section in the book that addresses and debunks the myths about the stainless steel 1960 Thunderbirds. And like i said, I had friends who worked on these cars. The book features photos of these cars never published before and explains the stories behind the photos.

You might also want to know that there is other info on Thunderbirds in the Creative book... such as the prototype 1955 gas turbine Thunderbird... with photos and background story and why it was built, etc. Leon Dixon"

Here is a little more information regarding Leon...

"I worked for Ford on the original Mustang in Dearborn. I also did work for Ford in more recent years via Ford of Australia and more. I was also employed by ford's relative, Mazda Corporation for nearly 20 years.

As for Budd... they only did what Creative directed them to do. Creative was world expert in stainless steel."

The above information is "reprinted by permission of the author"...

In the "Mileposts" link, I see their info has been updated to include mention of Creative Industries, again, not crediting me or my writings. This despite me publishing this information in the 1970s before anyone knew it. They also mention De Lorean... again something reviewed in detail in the "Creative Industries of Detroit" book. It was Creative that also built the original production prototype De Lorean and De Lorean's first de facto headquarters was actually at the General Offices of Creative Industries of Detroit on East Outer Drive in Detroit, Michigan.

Finally, Creative did numerous other stainless steel cars, including the Lincoln convertibles for FoMoCo and A-L Steel... which gets the credit for having made them when actually Creative Industries did these too.

[simplyconnected]

Congratulations on your book, Leon. I'm interested to know what group you were an employee of at Ford Motor Co., and when did you start there? Which building were you in?

I'm also retired from a great career at Ford in Dearborn. I worked in two functions of 'staff', one at Manufacturing Development and the other in the Controls Group. of Body and Assembly (in the Pilot Plant). To be honest, we dreaded seeing Lee Iacocca because he was responsible for chopping a lot of heads right after each visit. One day, he combined Scientific Research and Manufacturing Development but not before cutting 50% of each. Our secretaries were swamped, making resumes for scores of PhDs of every discipline.

Where was your office? - Dave

[simplyconnected]

Leon, please answer my post. I believe we have many parallel lines in our careers at Ford and I believe we are close in age. - Dave