Well pulling the exhaust manifolds to fix the exhaust leaks proved to be a bigger pain than originally planned. Several of the bolts that are exposed to the weather had gotten quite rusty and snapped off in the heads.

Well the decision was made to pull the motor and go through the entire thing as we had it down to the "short block" in the car. So outcomes the engine, that way the rest of the frost plugs can be replaced the block cleaned inside and out and freshen up andthing that might need attention.

Well we some had success. The modifications to the radiator worked and that is all straightened out. We did a quick rebuild of the 2bbl carb, and pulled the intake off to resolve some oil leaks. With replacing the intake and putting the distributer back in she fired right up and with the exception of the exhaust manifold leaks, sounded nice and smooth.

The first round of motor work wasn't all that big of a deal, so we thought. The fan flange for the water pump had broken and the fan had made contact with the radiator. So the two things that were needed straight away were a water pump and a radiator. The water pump is no big deal, but 1964 thunderbird radiators are a little tougher to come by. With some contacts Charlie located a radiator. The unfortunate thing after getting it we found it wasn’t from a T-bird. But another 60’s ford car. The dimensions were ok but the brackets and bolts holes didn’t all line up.

Well after some begging and pleading with the main financial adviser (His wife Patty). The purchase of the Thunderbird was approved for a sum of 3800$. Charlie is the way he is, the first thing he set out to do is clean and polish the entire car.

My neighbor Charlie being a bit of a “car nut” has recently been casually looking for a project of his own. With the help of a friend he found a fairly nice 1964 Ford Thunderbird. The body is in great condition, but the interior and some of the mechanicals are in need of some attention. I guess that’s where I come into the project, as I have a little experience with turning a wrench.

I openly admit I don't know a whole lot about this website stuff. But with the help of my good Limey Pal Stuart, I'm starting to get the hang of things. I've come a long way in the last week and I have a long way to go in as I have piles of pictures to upload, but as I move along I'm finding my way around better and better! LOL