Steering Column woes...my right leg is bruised already....

[Meridious]

1960 T-bird....need more clearance between my leg and the steering wheel. (Doesn't help that I have had 4 back surgeries and already have a tougher time getting in and out than a normal guy)

Is there a fix for this other than moving my seat back 5 inches to help clear my leg under that steering wheel? I am a fairly big guy...not huge, mind you, but not small either.

I am retired military and used to pride myself on my quadriceps....now the thickness of my legs (well, my right leg, as it is the one that has to move under the wheel so I can sit) is a problem with my new Square-Bird. I bruise my right leg getting it between the seat and that rather large steering wheel.

Couple of questions:

Is there a telescopic, or tilt steering column from an older bird that can be interchanged? I don't even want to consider the newer side-moving column.

If not, is there an after-market solution that would allow me to keep as much originality as possible, and keep that same steering wheel?

Or should I just move the seat-frame back about 5 inches, and just resign myself to adjusting the seat back to get in and out, and forward to drive?

I have power steering, and non-electric, standard 60-bird seats.

Help! My leg hurts!

[Dan Leavens]

Meridious I know what your talking about as I am 6'3" and these old birds don't provide a whole lot of room to get in and out. One thing I have found is by sitting down first and them swinging your legs in does help not only the back but the ribs.
I have the P/S seat track as far back as it goes, as when my wife drives 5'2" she needs the front position. You having non P/S it might be easier to move the track back farther to allow easier entry and driving. The large steering wheels on these squarebirds are quite unique and keeping the originality is your decision. Do you have seatbelts installed ??
One thing to remember is IF you move your seat track back your mirror (s) if you have them, will have to be adjusted.

Dano Calgary,Alberta Canada

[LuckyJay]

I'm 6'2" and abbout 245. This is a problem for me as well. I think this is why the Bullet Birds went to the swing away column. Anyway, I use the entry technique described above to enter and exit our 60 Bird. Also, the foot space between the seat and the door opening is limited. Maybe I notice this because I'm accustomed to driving vans and pick-ups. I would not want to go too far away from the original set-up on the Bird.

[Guest]

Yep i sit down first. I learned this after smacking my knee on the dog leg a couple times. There is two sets of holes in your seat track. I moved mine to the front holes it's a little better.

[bcomo]

I'm only 5' 10" and I still hit my knee if I'm not carefull.

I have a power seat and it does go back more than the passenger seat does, but not a great amount.

Maybe you can drill new mount holes to set the seat back, but the carpet pad might show in front -- I dunno.

[Meridious]

I set the seat as far back on the rails as it would go, and then did some practicing on the best way to get in and out...and I have the system down. May seem like a trivial complaint, but I have a 4-inch bruise on my right quadricep where I previsouly have been rolling it under that wheel.

I've got it down, now...very happy..

Now, on to the bigger things, such as the carb rebuild and then the frontend rebuild....

[dgs]

I'm a hair over 6 feet and I know what you mean. The things folks did for style back in the day. I mean, if it didn't have that wrap around windshield, and if it weren't so low, things would be much easier.

Then again, it wouldn't be nearly as cool either.

As a toy, it's livable. If I had to get in and out of the thing every day, it'd get pretty old.

[Meridious]

I'm a hair over 6 feet and I know what you mean. The things folks did for style back in the day. I mean, if it didn't have that wrap around windshield, and if it weren't so low, things would be much easier.

Then again, it wouldn't be nearly as cool either.

As a toy, it's livable. If I had to get in and out of the thing every day, it'd get pretty old.

Yes...and that is precisely what I plan on doing...probably 3 days a week minimum, and 5 sometimes...

She is/will be my daily driver to and from work and lunch, etc...except on days where I will need to travel outside town during or just after work.

I will have to get used to it.

On days where I need to travel outside town, I will revert back to my Nissan Maxima.

It will be great having the car as both my hobby and my daily driver. My list of things to do is peaked, but I will still find more to do, i am sure.

I have enough to do to keep my Saturdays occupied for quite a while...not to mention the research and searches for parts and supplies.

[dgs]

I seriously thought about an old daily driver a couple of years ago when my '93 Escort spit up a throwout bearing. Some mid 60's something as a commuter sounded pretty neat. Maybe a Nova or a Falcon could be neat and would likely be worth what I paid for it after driving it for a couple years.

In the end, I decided that I didn't want to spend my limited 'car working' time (I'm married with 3 school age kids) working on my go to work car. I wanted to use that on the 'Bird. So I got a 2005 Mazda3 that ought to run for years with little attention. Besides, it's a hoot to drive.

The idea of an old car daily drive is still appealing to me. It'll be neat to hear how it works out for you.

[Meridious]

I have 3 girls, one boy. 2 girls recently married and no longer live at home. My son is 16 going on 21, and my youngest, the 3rd daughter, is 12 going on 15.

I used to restore cars as a serious hobby and my wife would call it a side-profession, as I would restore one, sell it, start another...had my own shop and paint room, and did my upholstery in the garage.

My father was an all-around restorer and hot-rodder specializing in upholstery work. I can use a pfaff with the bess of them and create upholstery for autos pretty darn well...I've done upholstery for a plethora of American cars and a few MGs as well.

I retired from the military and then just recently had to have back surgeries that have ended my 'full-restoration' days. I finished a 100% original restore of a 1965 Barracuda and sold it in 2001. If I had known then that my back would stop me from doing ground-up restorations, I would have probably kept that ugly old long-back-glass monster...

When I finally hung it up, sold my motors and parts and a lot of my shop equipment, and my part-ownership in my most recent shop...I decided I would get ONE more car.

One that I could afford, but would also be good enough to keep as a daily driver in-town.

I went to college, got a computer science degree, and am now employed at a job that my back can handle. So, the next step was to grab that car...

Anyway, I decided that this would be my last, and would be one of 3-4 cars I have always wanted but just never had the opportunity. A 55-56, or a 59-60 Thunderbird. 60 being special to me because when I was a kid my dad owned one. The earlier ones were out of my financial league.

I have the normal soccer games and practice to go to, science fairs, art fairs, boy-scout camps, church-events, and things that all parents have, but this car will definitely be occupying my weekends for quite a while. The font-end being the biggest job. I will have to break my son in on that one.

No reason why I can't make my hobby something that the whole family can be in-on sometimes.

We shall see.

Oh...and this is only the second Ford I've ever owned. I restored and drove a 67 Mercury Cougar back in the 80's and have worked on quite a few Fords...but this will be my first Ford that I've planned on keeping as my very own.

[dgs]

I finished a 100% original restore of a 1965 Barracuda and sold it in 2001. If I had known then that my back would stop me from doing ground-up restorations, I would have probably kept that ugly old long-back-glass monster...

A 55-56, or a 59-60 Thunderbird. 60 being special to me because when I was a kid my dad owned one. The earlier ones were out of my financial league.

I wish I could have seen that Barracuda. My Dad bought a '65 new in El Paso Texas where he was in the army. Red on red, 273 V-8 & Hurst shifted 4-speed. Drove it every day until 1982 when a potato chip truck ran a stop sign and T-boned it. The rear glass popped out in a single piece and crashed onto the ground. Not a piece of glass in the cargo area. Tore a giant gash in the side so you could get in the back seat without opening the door. Mom was driving, but she was fine - just scrapes and bruises.

The car was almost unrestorable by then anyway, but it was Dad's first new car so he had intended to restore it. Serious rot on all corners and 15 years of wear inside from hauling the family around. I spent my childhood in the back of that car. I remember going to the drive in and flopping that back set down & spreading a blanket for my sister and I. We'd watch the Disney flick and sleep through the Bond movie Mom and Dad wanted to see. It had something like 125K on the clock and had served Dad well. It was a sad day when it left the family.

Dad's got a '56 'Bird too. It's a good driver/20 footer. Get closer you start to see the paint bubbles, but he gets compliments anyway. My '60 came from Grandpa who bought it from the original owner in 1978. I come from 3 generations of car nuts.

Sorry for rambling, your post brought back memories.

[NC Tbird]

At the risk of uttering a blasphemy, I AM considering removing the original steering wheel. Does anyone know what aftermarket steering wheel will fit / adapt to my'60 square bird? Mine is a quasi- restomod, exterior and most of interior is original, the engine, exhaust, wheels & tires are definetly not.

[bygrace]

Sure. There's a small-diameter steering wheel made which replicates the Little- Bird wheel. I think it's kind of expensive, but that's up to you. Apparently the little Birds have the same problem, big-time.
Since your bird is not strictly original, it might suit your need. Not a perfect match, but probably the most 60- Ford-looking wheel I have seen.
Good luck.

[bygrace]

https://www.classictbird.com/mobile/Steering-Wheel-Small-Od-56_57-15-1-Per-car/productinfo/3600SM/

Here's a link to the 15 inch little Bird wheel.
There's also a plethora of other 'classic-era' after-market wheels that might suit.

[NC Tbird]

Thanks!
I will check that out!