TBird Audio Records from 1958 - Want Copies?

[Alexander]

RE: TBird Audio Records from 1958 - Want Copies?

The engineers designing the new 1958 Thunderbird wanted to give it disc brakes, but Robert McNamara nixed it. He forced the engineers to use the same brakes as the full-sized Ford to cut costs. Due to cost cutting moves like this the Thunderbird actually earned money for Ford instead of losing money like the previous series did.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[JohnG]

RE: TBird Audio Records from 1958 - Want Copies?

That would have been something (disks)! I dont think disks appeared on any American car until 1963 (Studebaker Avanti) although they had been on some obscure cars like the Crosley before that.

As a compromise I wonder how much extra it would have cost to have made the drum and shoe another inch wider, substantially increasing the total contact area yet seemingly changing little else?

[JohnG]

RE: TBird Brakes

I found some information on why the brakes are on the small side.

The following web site, on the history of TBird production, includes:

" There were other problems engineering the 1958 Thunderbirds as well, but they seem minimal when compared to what was going on over at Lincoln with their new 1958 platform. At one point late in the design phase, the Thunderbird had to be split down the middle and widened to accommodate tire clearance, and the brakes had to be reduced in size by a full inch from 3.5 to 2.5 inches wide to allow the front wheels to turn properly. This left the Bird with just 175.32 square inches of lining space, which was not enough for the 3,708 pound car. The suspension and the brakes are generally regarded as the weak points in an otherwise excellent package. "

which comes from

http://automotivemileposts.com/prod1958tbird.html#wixom

John

[Alexander]

RE: TBird Brakes

I have heard about the problems of getting the car to make a reasonable turning radius, but it stems from the fact that the car used suspension parts from the full-sized Ford. If it had the engineers wanted, it would stop and run circles around anything else made at the time.

The Squarebird still has a turning radius of a Boeing 747.

Alexander
1959 Hardtop
1960 Golde Top

[NYsquarebird58]

I have transferred the material on the first 4 sides to digital files. The last side was not playable but of the least interest as it is on steering adjustments.

All material is at the following url:

[http://users.wpi.edu/~goulet/TBird/TBirdAudio.html]

where you may either play or download MP3 files. I also have them in WAV format playable on any CD player to mail to anyone interested. I will be catching up on mailing next week.

The material is interesting both from marketing and technical viewpoints, depending on which ones you listen to!

have fun!

John

I know I'm reviving an ancient thread, but I would LOVE to hear those recordings! I tried the URL but it was a dead link. Do you still have a copy in digital format to share?

[JohnG]

I will hunt around and see what I have. The digitized vesions are here someplace. . . .

John

[YellowRose]

TBird Audio Records from 1958 - Want Copies?

I also would love to hear those recordings as I am sure others who came along after 2006 and never saw that thread or heard them would also. We could probably put those audio files on our server for you. I have fixed that broken link to Automotive Mileposts and put in the correct link to the Wixom plant and the report on the 1958 Tbird. So when you click on that link in a previous post it will now take you to the page it was referencing.

[JohnG]

Try this link:

http://users.wpi.edu/~goulet/TBird/TBirdAudio.html

I converted them into (smaller) .MP3 files which you can download to your own computer if you run into buffering delays while playing them over the Internet.

Let me know if there are problems.

Note: there were companion video tapes available which I have never had access to (a set appeared on Ebay a couple years ago but I got outbid. Not sure what I would have done had I gotten them . . . )

John

[NYsquarebird58]

Try this link:

http://users.wpi.edu/~goulet/TBird/TBirdAudio.html

I converted them into (smaller) .MP3 files which you can download to your own computer if you run into buffering delays while playing them over the Internet.

Let me know if there are problems.

Note: there were companion video tapes available which I have never had access to (a set appeared on Ebay a couple years ago but I got outbid. Not sure what I would have done had I gotten them . . . )

John

John, this is great; thank you! How can I download them?

[YellowRose]

TBird Audio Records from 1958 - Want Copies?

Hi Marcelo, click on the link that takes you to the audio files. When there, right click on each file, one at a time, and do a Save As or Save Link As, and save them to your Desktop so you can find them. Then, later on, you can move them to whatever folder you want them to be in.

[NYsquarebird58]

Hi Marcelo, click on the link that takes you to the audio files. When there, right click on each file, one at a time, and do a Save As or Save Link As, and save them to your Desktop so you can find them. Then, later on, you can move them to whatever folder you want them to be in.

That was a piece of cake. Thank you!