3/24/2024 0 Comments 1961 ford thunderbird radius arm![]() ![]() The other option would be to custom build the stone guard. If I covered the body line in the stone guard by moving the bumper back then it would look ok to me if I covered that same body line on the ends by narrowing. Clipping the horns taking the bumper closer to the grille area lends itself to narrowing the bumper. Checking the "look" before making the next move. Sinking the tail lights 1" along with some other subtle body mods. I am raising the hump in the hood 3/4" for a very subtle cowl induction. After that I think most of the rest that needs done I can do myself. Need custom mounts (yep welding) built but hopefully I can sneak that in before spring. I know I will be one happy camper when it's in. I only have two guys I know that I trust to do it for me so I wait until one of them can do it. I can not be around welding now so I am at the mercy of others. The main problem is I had a bad heart attack back in Jan of this year and they put a defibrillator in me. I do like the look without the plate recess or bolt heads. Until it goes in for chrome you never know what I might do with it. I had not thought about clipping the horns and moving in tighter to the body. ![]() Using that as a roughing in spot for the lights. Kinda thinking following roughly a 60 degree angle from the lights to the mirrors. I am putting rectangular driving lights in the bumper as well. I took a look at the stone guard and it followed the lines pretty well in stock width. Being optimistic, I’m thinking this might work out to be a presentable car once cleaned up and gotten going again.I have thought about narrowing it. A Concours quality T-Bird from 1961-63 could fetch close to $30,000, with a fixer-upper like this one being closer to $5,000. It’s hard to make a call about the interior because the car was photographed inside the barn and there isn’t much light there. But we don’t have much in the way of photos to tell us just how much of it may be involved. The body might clean up nicely as it looks pretty straight, to begin with and the only rust the seller mentions is in the floor pans. There is no mention of air conditioning being there. It’s a well-equipped Bird, with automatic transmission, cruise control, power steering, and probably not the snappy tilt steering wheel. The car is said to have 137,000 miles on it, so a rebuild is probably in the cards anyway. We don’t know if it’s the 2-barrel carb version at 265 hp or the 4-barrel at 320. We’re told the 390 cubic inch engine is stuck, which was the only engine choice for the Thunderbird in ’61. This 1961 T-Bird looks to have been dormant for quite some time if the amount of dust, dirt, and grime on it are any indication. The source for background info was Automotive Mile Posts. While sales were surprisingly off slightly from the prior year, Ford sold 73,000 Thunderbirds for 1961, with 85% of them being coupes like the seller’s car. The ’61 T-Bird quickly gained celebrity status by serving in the inauguration parade for President Kennedy (Ford executive Robert McNamara was Kennedy’s new Secretary of State) and appearing as the pace car for the 1961 Indianapolis 500 (both used T-Bird convertibles). Another goodie was its “floating” rearview mirror which was mounted to the windshield glass instead of at the top of the windshield. With the transmission in Park, the steering wheel would slide some 18 inches to the right. One of the most creative options on these cars was the highly touted ‘Swing Away’ steering wheel which provided easier access to the driver’s seat. One of the advertising slogans for the third generation T-Birds was “Unmistakably New, Unmistakably Thunderbird” and that’s not likely an overstatement. The car is in Morristown, Minnesota and available here on Facebook Marketplace for $2,700. ![]() ![]() This 1961 coupe looks to have been inhabiting a barn for quite some time, but there are some rusty floors and a stuck motor to be dealt with. It featured sleeker, less boxy styling than its 1958-60 predecessors and could arguably be considered the best-looking of the T-Birds, except for maybe the original 2-seaters. After a successful three-year run as a personal luxury car with a back seat, the Ford Thunderbird was redesigned again for 1961. ![]()
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