Suspension

[LON O'CONNELL]

Gearhead,

The only reason the T-Bird has the x-bracing is because it is a convertible. Had the vehicle been built as a coupe there would be no need for the x-bracing. On a couple the roof is the main structure bracing the car.

If you think the bracing is bad, you should see what other manufacures have done with convertibles. In the 60's GM's convertible Corvair had a 3lbs coffee can filled with cement and a eye hook stuck into the cement. Four of these were hung, one each, in each corner of the car hidden from view with trim and inner fenders. This was to help the car from flexing in the middle. Nearly every convertible on the road has extra bracing of some sort or another.

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Yellow/Yellow Prem. 02 Bird w/full accent
1999 F150 Super Cab 4x4 Off Road
1998 Taurus SE Sport 24V

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[gearhead]

Dear Lou-I realize that the cab area is reinforced on a unibody by the roof.My 1967 Mustang covertible has extra sheetmetal gussetting underneath the front seats and a piece of 1/4 " plate that bolted between the two underneath the driveshaft.This car had so much unibody rust that my father (when I was 16),designed a 1/4" angle iron /plate steel exoskeleton that ran from the torque box area back to the rear leaf springs.I had two buddies weld it on.The torque box was built up with 1/4" plate and the 1/4" angle iron ran back from it underneath the rocker panels,and also ran back from the inside rails to the back.This solved the problem.The new TBird has TWO X braces,so the front end must be pretty tweaky.The head service manager at the local Ford dealership agreed about this.Now,if YOU want to believe that the new TBird is a really well built unibody,go ahead-it's your bucks.It will be interesting to see how well these hold up over time.If you ever chased parts for a 1960-'63 Falcon Tudor,you'd realize what FoMoCo dedication is.Ford sold the tooling to Argentina after 1963 since they were retooling for the as yet unannounced mustang.I would not be so vehement about this,but Ford generally over the years has gotten too cheap and their parts prices have gotten to high.I feel NO remorse for their current fiscal problems.Later-Gearhead

 

[gearhead]

Dear Sir-Almost forgot,but the Corvair was an overengineered POS that Chevrolet gave up on in 1969.It did make Ralph Nader famous,though.The Falcon,with its model T engineering,thoroughly trounced the Corvair.As you probably know,the Falcon was produced until 1970,when it morphed into the Torino.Like I wrote earlier,Ford USED to build cheap decent cars!The don't anymore!Don't know about the trucks,though-GO HONDA!🙂-Gearhead

 

[LON O'CONNELL]

My first car was a 63 Falcon with a 200 inch six and the Ford Cortina 4 on the floor transmission. My second car, and probably my most favorite was my 64 Falcon Ranchero with 289 & 4 on the floor. But with all of its flaws I'll still take the T-Bird. Both Falcons had no power steering. no power brakes, no air conditioning, no FM or 6 CD changer, and no ooohs & aaaahs from people stareing at my car. Thanks but no thanks, I'll stick with the 02 Thunderbird, the coolest car on the streets right now.

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Yellow/Yellow Prem. 02 Bird w/full accent
1999 F150 Super Cab 4x4 Off Road
1998 Taurus SE Sport 24V

 

[gearhead]

Dear Sir-I will agree-the Falcon was bare bones economy,with no frills!The Thunderbird was ,and is,supposed to be one of Ford's best!The lines are beautiful,and very reminiscent of the '55-'57.But as a salesman said at the dealership,it's rolling eye-candy.For $40,000 ,Ford could have built a higher quality car.It's really sad when you realize that the $2,000 MSRP Falcon was actually built BETTER than many of the early Mustangs,simply because Ford could sell all of the Mustangs they made!And of course this applies to the new T-Bird!I owned a 1965 Mustang Notchback and a 1967 Convertible. The Camaro,albeit a more $ car,was STILL better built-especially the front end.The 60's Ford intermediate front ends are light duty at best,and you must constantly grease them.GO HONDA!-Gearhead

 

[buck74]

Gearhead,

The only reason the T-Bird has the x-bracing is because it is a convertible. Had the vehicle been built as a coupe there would be no need for the x-bracing. On a couple the roof is the main structure bracing the car.

If you think the bracing is bad, you should see what other manufacures have done with convertibles. In the 60's GM's convertible Corvair had a 3lbs coffee can filled with cement and a eye hook stuck into the cement. Four of these were hung, one each, in each corner of the car hidden from view with trim and inner fenders. This was to help the car from flexing in the middle. Nearly every convertible on the road has extra bracing of some sort or another.

------------------
Yellow/Yellow Prem. 02 Bird w/full accent
1999 F150 Super Cab 4x4 Off Road
1998 Taurus SE Sport 24V

I would also like to know if anything could be done to avoid that boating feeling on my 1957D. Also is there anything that can be done to improve the ride? You go over a bump and it rides like a lumber wagon. I put new shocks on but this did not do to much. 🙂

 

[The Flash]

1957D? what has been replaced on this 63 year old car?

 

[bobk250]

I would also like to know if anything could be done to avoid that boating feeling on my 1957D. Also is there anything that can be done to improve the ride? You go over a bump and it rides like a lumber wagon. I put new shocks on but this did not do to much. 🙂

What do you have for tires? I friend of mine has a 57 Black with Red gut. He was not happy with the ride either. He did get some improvement by putting on radial tires which did help and I presume is a lot safer and last longer than new/old bias ply