Help identifying a 1955 continental kit

[CuriousCarl]

Hello,

I found your forum after extensive searching to try and identify the back of a 1955 Thunderbird. I would really appreciate any and all help. So here's the backstory. This car (pictured) in my great grandmother's garage for... a long time (as evidenced by the condition). I know VERY little about cars or Thunderbirds. I've learned a bit trying to identify the back portion of the car but I'm still stumped.

I'm fairly certain this is a 1955. The front sides have no flaps, and the exhausts are '55. I was also told that it's a 1955. However after that, it gets a bit strange. The back has an exterior spare tire which wasn't available on the '55. So it has to be a continental kit, right? Except no kits I've found online look like this one. The taillights are extended and there's no seam where a kit would have been attached. All the '55 continental kits I've seen online have the exhausts extended but not the taillights. There are also two radio antennas on the back which is abnormal. There's also two emblems on the front (the crossed flags and the Thunderbird) which is odd.

Does anybody happen to know what this is?

Thank you for any and all help.

 

[Ward 57]

Ahh, I hate to repeat myself but archeology is in your future. Yes it's been heavily modified but not irretrievable. If it's been in the family that long SOMEBODY must know something.
Grandpas, uncles, anybody in the family must know something and why the modifications were made. What a story is to be told. But thanks for wanting to preserve this unusual specimen and a bit of family history to be explored. Kind of like the testing for family DNA but something physical.
Could be a fun journey and a family heirloom albeit a bit unusual.

 

[292ci]

Hello,

I found your forum after extensive searching to try and identify the back of a 1955 Thunderbird. I would really appreciate any and all help. So here's the backstory. This car (pictured) in my great grandmother's garage for... a long time (as evidenced by the condition). I know VERY little about cars or Thunderbirds. I've learned a bit trying to identify the back portion of the car but I'm still stumped.

I'm fairly certain this is a 1955. The front sides have no flaps, and the exhausts are '55. I was also told that it's a 1955. However after that, it gets a bit strange. The back has an exterior spare tire which wasn't available on the '55. So it has to be a continental kit, right? Except no kits I've found online look like this one. The taillights are extended and there's no seam where a kit would have been attached. All the '55 continental kits I've seen online have the exhausts extended but not the taillights. There are also two radio antennas on the back which is abnormal. There's also two emblems on the front (the crossed flags and the Thunderbird) which is odd.

Does anybody happen to know what this is?

Thank you for any and all help.

View attachment 19884View attachment 19885

This was my ‘55 and the Continental kit was described to me as a ‘Dealer‘ option from new. It now resides in a lovely little classic car museum in Trussville Alabama.
I never had a reason to doubt the story and after asking at both the Knoxville and Flagstaff conventions there was nothing untoward mentioned regarding the provenance. It was never going to be a concours competitor and we just enjoyed 12,000 miles with the extra boot space over two summers touring. Yes, the car does look more ‘Nimble’ without the kit but it does add a certain something that we were happy to live with.

 

[Shawnski]

View attachment 21384
This was my ‘55 and the Continental kit was described to me as a ‘Dealer‘ option from new. It now resides in a lovely little classic car museum in Trussville Alabama.
I never had a reason to doubt the story and after asking at both the Knoxville and Flagstaff conventions there was nothing untoward mentioned regarding the provenance. It was never going to be a concours competitor and we just enjoyed 12,000 miles with the extra boot space over two summers touring. Yes, the car does look more ‘Nimble’ without the kit but it does add a certain something that we were happy to live with.

What’s really fascinating about your white ‘55 with the continental kit is that it has a reduced trunk size, which was exactly what Ford was trying to increase in the ‘56 being sold with the continental kit…. and the location of the antenna…WOW, I would certainly do some digging into who, why and how this was completed. I’ve seen the checkered flags on a ‘55 several times and if I’m correct, that is factory…