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1958-1960 Tonneau Cover Revisited....
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This is a sticky topic.
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John Pizzi - Squarebirds Administrator
Thunderbird Registry #36223
jopizz@squarebirds.org 856-779-9695
https://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/trl.htm -
lol.. The original owner of Tee-Boyd might have been, but Wildwood, the original location, is about as south in New Jersey as you can get without being in the water!
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.htmlComment
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Martin re-sent me this pic of a '60 Convertible with the Tonneau Cover on it. Here is what he had to say...
"Ray : here is the picture of the 1960 convertible taken in the mid ’80’s down in New Port Beach at a VTCA convention . This tonneau looks just like mine except perhaps the shape of the head rest pads . Would be nice to find the owner of this one ."
I agree! Does anyone know who owns this Tbird?
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This gallery has 1 photos.
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.htmlComment
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Martin ~ OUR5T8BIRD and I have been digging into the foundation of Tee-Boyd Products, in Wildwood, NJ. According to what we have found out, in speaking with the present owner, Bill Stratton, it was founded sometime in 1962-1964.. Founder was thought to be Bill Booth - NY/NJ. Later in the mid-late 60's company changed hands several times. 1973-The company was bought by Dean Stanton, the Uncle of Bill Stratton. When the Tee-Boyd company was bought, they did not find any mold for the 1958-1960 Tbird, (or for the Bulletbird either, I gather), among the molds they received. No one knows for sure what happened to those Tonneau Cover molds. We know for certain now that Tee-Boyd was marketing (and we assume), manufacturing it in house as they were also making the fiberglass hardtops for the Babybirds. And the Tonneau cover is listed in their catalog they put out in the early to mid 60's. Martin has a copy of it and sent me the .pdf files for it and I converted it to .jpg files. You will see it below. Also, Martin's Tonneau Cover that he purchased back in the mid 80's was made by Tee-Boyd back then. He knows that, because the seller who owned that Tonneau Cover told him that when Martin bought it. And it fit exactly in place on his '58 when he installed it. Unlike other models who have had problems with ill fitting covers..
A number of companies were making them back then. I have a report that an Al Smith in California who had a fiberglass company, was making them. But the person who told me this visited them to check out the possibility of buying one for his Squarebirds. But he quickly saw that the cover was not centered properly on the car, and the workmanship was not the best. We know that Bob Mensch of Bob's Birdhouse was also marketing the Squarebird Tonnea Cover, but we do not know who was making them for him. Martin knows it had the same problem of the cover not being centered on the Squarebirds front seats because he saw one at Carlisle years ago. And saw right off the bat that it was off center, as I recall. Also that Pat Wilson made them for quite a few years, but has stopped doing so, but still offers the cover for the Bulletbirds and Flairbirds. From what Martin and I have been able to find out, the only company that did not have a problem with how it was made was Tee-Boyd Products back then. Then, sometime after the mid to late 60's, they (after being sold several times) no longer offered them. Tee-Bird has never offered them after acquiring the company in 1973. As we learn more we will let you know. You will see the pictures for the 1958-1963 Tbirds Tonneau Covers, which they also marketed.. Tee-Bird still sells used Babybird hardtops, but from what I understand, do not make them... But they have thousands of parts for Babybirds... Now for the pages of that 1960's Tee-Boyd Products catalog. You will drool over the prices back then and what all they were offering. I tried to get the pictures as best I could..You do not have permission to view this gallery.
This gallery has 8 photos.Last edited by YellowRose; March 17, 2021, 09:40 AM.
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.htmlComment
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Well done Ray , and the saga continues . Perhaps we should forward this to Bill Stratton and see if he has anything to add .Comment
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Martin and I have been chasing down more information on the History of the Tonneau Covers for our old Tbirds and have come up with some additional information.. In speaking with a number of people, including the present owner of Tee-Bird Products, in PA, here is what was learned... In speaking with Pat Wilson he said he got his tonneau cover molds from Tbird Hqs! He does not know who was commissioned initially to make them for Ford. In speaking with Tbird Hqs, I was told that owner Don Johnson of Tbird Hqs either bought the tooling (or the molds) and had a fiberglass company make the tonneau covers for them or they did it in house. It was mentioned that perhaps he got his molds from Al Smith in California, which, he apparently knew about. It was said that Don was searching for Tbird stuff all over the place to add to Tbird Hqs inventory. Don has since passed away and that information went with him. No one at Tbirb Hqs knows who was making the 1962-1964 tonneau covers for Ford... We know from comments that I have received from someone who personally inspected the Al Smith tonneau covers at their shop in California, that those Squarebird tonneau covers of Al Smith were off centered and defective...
Pat Wilson told me that Bob Mench of Bob's Birdhouse was buying his tonneau covers from him. It is reported that 61-66 tonneau covers were being sold by JC WHITNEY in their later catalogs. Also, having been told that they were selling 1958-1962 Tbird Tonneau Covers, in their 1964 catalog, I found one on eBay and bought it! I got it yesterday, and on Page 91, there is the ad! 1958-1962 Tbird tonneau covers for sale, but no mention of who made them. It says they will be shipped from their Indiana warehouse.... See attachments...
Pat said that a number of companies, besides the ones we know of were also making tonneau covers. Florida, (who was only making Flairbird 2-piece tonneau covers, Martin said), Michigan, California, NY, have been mentioned.You do not have permission to view this gallery.
This gallery has 2 photos.Last edited by YellowRose; March 18, 2021, 06:31 PM.
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.htmlComment
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Great to finally see that advertisement in the J.C. Whitney catalogue Ray . Thanks for finding that as I have been looking for it for a few years . It pretty well confirms the production and sale of the '58 to '60 tonneau covers in the mid '60's by Tee-Boyd .
Thanks again Ray for all you do .MartinB.👍 1Comment
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For those interested in buying a Tonneau Cover for your Tbird, you will find that they are very difficult to come by and when you do, they can be quite expensive. Also, you have to be concerned if it is the correct model that will fit properly on your Tbird. About the only way you will find that out is to actually see it installed on the Tbird that you are considering buying it off of. Or see detailed pix showing that it is a perfect fit. More than one company was making them back then, and not all of them fit properly on our Tbirds. The Squarebird is one example of that. Some have bought one only to find, to their chagrin, that it is not a good fit on their Tbird. In other words, Buyer Beware...
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.htmlComment
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