Gold Bird History

[Gold Bird]

Hey Dad, Cool stories, keep posting them when you can. How about when I was a baby riding in the back seat crying the whole time!

[Original Goldbird]

gold bird V

Before I post todays story please look at picture Tom Jr posted showing me in drivers seat of gold bird at a huge car show in Bay City Mi last summer. Trans Am behind bird is Tom's and behind that is the 1936 5 window rumble seat coupe I purchased at an auction in Cincinnati in 1975(now belongs to Tom) Tom was with me and he drove my 75 Caddy home on the expressway . He was not old enough for a drivers licence and had only practiced driving at our local fair grounds and certainly never in highway traffic. .The Ford needed a lot of work and we were advised to have it shipped .It was about a 200 mile trip but both the 36 and Tom made out fine. My wife did not know we were going to buy a car at this auction so to appease her, we named the Ford "Sally Ann" after her . It's a beauty (car and wife) and you Ford guys would love both of my Sally Anns.

Tom suggested I tell you about his first ride in gold bird with the top down. He was about 9 months old and did not just cry, he screamed in terror about riding in a car with the sky in view above him . Now as you all know he not only loves gold bird but continues to care for her and spend money on her like I did for 50 years. All of you know how much it costs to maintain an old car(many of your wives don't know thank goodness) I quit keeping a log on my costs long ago but would estimate I have spent about $20,000 since my purchase price of $3500 and that does not include fuel, tires and batteries and general mainteinance.

Thanks again for your comments. Those positive comments urge me on to write more and I will Old Tom

[DKheld]

These are great stories - I am enjoying them all.

My Dad was training to be a navigator on a B25 Mitchell about the time the war ended.

Tom and I have something in common - I had a crying episode in our Tbird leaving from a Florida vacation - I need to write down my stories too and no clog up your thread.

Thanks again for sharing the fun and glad the repo man missed you!,

Eric

http://www.tbirdregistry.com/ft.asp

[simplyconnected]

I agree with Eric and the rest... Keep those stories coming! Hearing about your father and father-in-law, and their influence on your financial well-being, brings me back to the days when families were much closer and tighter.

Back then, we all took financial and moral responsibility for all of our decisions, and there was no sense of entitlement. The family was always there to help, but they ALL closely scrutinized 'your business'. Like you said, if you didn't have the cash to buy something, you sacrificed and waited until you did. That's where appreciation comes from.

My dad went 17 years without a car. I'm the last of five kids. During WWII, dad got a permit to buy a bicycle (because steel was scarce). He rode that bike winter and summer, to a co-worker's house, to get a ride the rest of the way in his Chevrolet. Mom didn't drive until she was 46. She learned on the family '54 Ford Country Sedan; a straight six with three-on-the-tree (and overdrive), in a snowy Michigan winter.

Mom never told dad she was taking Adult Education Driver's Training from our high school. One Sunday, dad got peeved at mom while driving. He said, "Catherine, if you don't like what I'm doing, why the **** don't YOU drive?" She said, "Ok, Al. Pull over." The car was full of us kids, and we thought dad would drop over dead, as mom took the wheel and drove us all over town. He never said another word. The year was 1957.

Sorry to hijack your thread. Sometimes I get carried away. - Dave

[LuckyJay]

This country would be better off, if folks today had the monetary disipline that the Grandparents did.

[fomoco59]

My son would always STOP crying when in the back of my '73 Olds 88 convertible.
I think with all the rushing air he couldn't catch his breath and would give up.

[Original Goldbird]

gold bird history VI

Today I am going to talk about color of our birds. My preference in 1960 was to order either a red car or a white and I searched a bit for either but it was the end of the model and the 61's were out so I had to take what any dealer had left. Also because of the $3500 offer I had to take gold bird (real name beachwood brown). to tell you the truth I really didn't like that color at the time. Other than mine I never saw another one. A few years ago at Vintage Thunderbird International's National convention the judges loved gold bird but did not believe it was an original color option. I
carry an original sales brochure in the glove compartment showing it was a FEATURED color which apparently did not sell well. that convinced them and I took 1st place at that Dearborn International convention and have the plaque to prove it.

My explanation for the fact that few T Bird lovers have ever seen this color is that for one to be around today it almost certainly would have to be an original owner. the reason being that a subsequent purchaser when the car was older would have most likely had it painted RED, which many collectors including me call "retail red" because nothing sells as well as a red convert in most marques.

This will be my last post for about a week because I leave for Michigan Thursday to attend the big gala at Dearborn. Look for us there. I don't walk well and will probably spend most of Saturday at our car. You can spot me because I'm the good looking, white haired, fat old f--t with a VTCI shirt on.
sure hope I can meet some of you nice people there Old Tom

[Guest]

Hey Tom,
You made a great decision on the beachwood brown. She is one awesome Bird!!! Keep the stories coming!
Richard D. Hord

[Original Goldbird]

Gold Bird History VII

Hello fellow Bird Lovers

Here is ole Tom to continue my stories for you after my 5 day trip to Michigan where it was hotter than here in Floida and it was HOT here. I did post a thread in 55th anniversary Dearborn about how Tom and I were nearly killed by a truck. In that same thread you will find lots of photos of birds including goldbird and us (probably over 220 there but only about 10 squarebirds) See how special we are! the white 59 convert ist in line belongs to Larry Seifarth whom I have known for years. He was a Ford official before retirement and it was he who founded VTCI (vintage thunderbirds international where I was a member for many years. Originally we only had square birds but later added all birds.you might want to check their website, it is a great club.

There was at least one of every one built including 4 door and others. Most prevalent were retro birds but about the same
number of 55 56 and 57s. We did not participate in driving on the Ford test track which everyone said was great. We went to the Henry Ford Museum at Greenfield village instead. The banquet was packed with lots of great people. The MC asked if any one had owned their car for more than 50 years. I thought at 50 I was a shoe in but there was a man who owned his little bird since 1954.

There was a 60% chance of rain on Saturday while we were at the glass house so we decided to leave for home at 1:30PM because our windshield wipers don't work. It is a 2 1/2 hr drive from Dearborn to Bay City and we just arrived home when it really rained hard so that was a good decision.

Sorry, no history here but I thought the above would be of interest too. History VIII will follow in a day or two

[Original Goldbird]

Gold Bird History VIII

By now you guys are getting tired of my ramblings but here is another anyway plus I am saving the best and probably last two for my finale. When the car was about 10 years old it was starting to show some rocker panel rust from Michigan winter driving and I made the mistake of choosing the wrong body shop to do the repairs because he was the least expensive of those I contacted.He put new panels on but called me to report that the wheel openings were different and he could not re install the fender skirts. He asked me what to do with them and suggested throwing them in the dumpster. I can't still believe I agreed but at the time it was just an old car without much value so I watched him throw them away. Later when I found replacements I found out how valuable they were. Sure glad I was able to replace them and have a good shop fit them to the car. Same bad shop burned the rubber drain hoses from the drain on hood top so water built up and later had to put another set of rocker panels on and repair more rust. More later

[scumdog]

Keep 'em coming, all very interesting - I gasped when you mentioned the fender skirts being thrown out, hells-bells!

[Anders]

I love these stories and histories. Please let them come, forever

[Original Goldbird]

to Anders and scumdog

It blows my mind that I can type these messages and get responses from Sweden and New Zealand. thanks for your interest. I never really figured out how a telephone service with wires worked let alone this. Because you asked I will send a couple more memories later Tom Sr

[Dan Leavens]

Tom Sr. I agree keep these stories coming as they are classics and also show the mentality used in the " day "

[Original Goldbird]

Gold Bird History IX

Here is one more "fun" recollection with a strange twist. Hope you enjoy it. By profession I was and still am for that matter a jeweler and gemologist as is son Tom. We have a fine retail jewelry store in Bay City Michigan which has been in business in our family since 1867 (that's 144 years folks) See, we have been saving things other than cars for a long time. In addition to my work I had a long history from age nine as an actor in Michigan's oldest community theater organization. THE BAY CITY PLAYERS.
In about 1970 while in the make up room back stage preparing or an appearance someone came in and asked "does anyone in here have a thunderbird parked out on the street?" It has been hit by a hit and run driver! I rushed out complete with stage make up on my face to discover gold bird badly damaged in the rear and pushed up onto the sidewalk. As I surveyed the damage and talked with the police officer who responded, another car drove up stopped and out of the drivers seat popped SANTA CLAUS
He was making house calls for children during the Christmas season ,witnessed the crash, pursued the drunken driver and brought him back to face the music. Turns out the drunk was driving a car taken for a test drive from a used car dealer and the car was un insured. My insurance company paid for the repairs but then raised my rate because I had been in an accident. Sure changed to another company after that.
End of story (probably one more left. I am saving the best for last)