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03-09-2018, 11:30 PM | #1 |
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Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
Is it an easy job to remove the continental tire 'kit' from a 1956 Bird and make it like the cleaner back end of a 1955 Bird? I know the bumper treatment is different for the '55. What about bumper brackets?
Thanks Guys!
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03-10-2018, 12:35 AM | #2 |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
Most of it unbolts. But there is some extra horizontal bodywork just forward of the bumper.
If it's cut off to fit a '55 rear bumper & brackets to the car it may make the car slightly less valuable to a subsequent owner, since it won't be as easy to return to original. If that matters to you... or the next owner. Maybe you could just remove the center section of the bumper? Like this yellow '56. . Last edited by dmsfrr; 03-15-2018 at 05:35 PM. |
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03-10-2018, 10:34 AM | #3 |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
Along with the tail pan dmfrr mentioned being shortened, there is a issue with the bottom of the quarter panel where the 56 exh came out, then the licsene plate doesn't fit where the 55 plate went. But once the pan is shortened a 55 bumper and brackets will bolt right on.
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03-10-2018, 11:51 AM | #4 | |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
Quote:
that isn't there on a '56, to make room for the exhaust pipe. . Last edited by dmsfrr; 03-10-2018 at 12:01 PM. |
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03-11-2018, 08:44 AM | #5 |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
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03-11-2018, 07:02 PM | #6 |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
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03-11-2018, 07:22 PM | #7 | |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
Quote:
But they look excellent anyway. Sedan bumper guards? That could be a very good idea. "Placing the spare tire at the extreme rear of the car caused some changes to the way the car handled. Drivers soon became familiar with the tendency of the rear to fishtail, and experienced some instability during strong crosswinds. This was a new concern, and one that Ford would need to address before the next model year." http://automotivemileposts.com/tbird...lections.shtml |
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03-11-2018, 09:17 PM | #8 |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
There’s a story about the Connie kit. First one was the 55 wouldn’t holding 2 sets of golf clubs. So they added the Connie to solve that. I found that hard to believe till my buddy bought a Caddy STS, and it had a plaque in the trunk on how to fit 4 sets of clubs. Ha!
The other story is the 55 floated in the rear at high speeds, and the Connie weight and drag kept the rear end down at speed. That’s opposite to the rear heavy wandering story, and I have no clue which one is true. At one point I had a custom Connie kit on my 55, I used a reduced size spare off an Aerostar van. Had the right bolt pattern, rolling radius, and cleared the front disc. Those are all pretty old now, but I’m pretty sure you can find a light reduced size spare at the junkyard that would take up less trunk space if you want to carry a spare. I personally like the 56 rear panel (no exhaust openings) and the 55 bumper with pipes turned down under the rear quarters. Clean and light. |
03-12-2018, 10:04 AM | #9 |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
the only issue I was ever told about the addition of the continental kit was that the early '56's had the same frame as a '55. The frame would flex too much with the continental kit hanging off the back. Ford then added some plates to the frame to beef it up to stop the flexing. One of the guys in my Thunderbird club told me of a guy once restoring a '56 who cut those plates off the frame which caused the flexing problem to rear it's ugly head.
The sedan bumper guards sounds like a good idea if you want to add that "dress up" to the area. I don't think the '55 guards would look right. |
03-12-2018, 12:23 PM | #10 |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
Or, you could...
The first and second attachments show the rear bumper-ettes with what are called bullets inserted and the exhaust outlets under the rear bumper.
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03-13-2018, 03:57 AM | #11 | |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
Quote:
As far as the 56 frame reinf kit, that most likely would have been described in a PRODUCT SERVICE LETTER of the period. If an owner experiences the 56 malady (CONT KIT), a stronger rear spring, shock and possibly rear sway bar would correct it (while retaining the reinf kit if so equipped). IMO of course...
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03-13-2018, 05:47 AM | #12 | ||
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
Quote:
SOURCE- http://www.tbirdforum.com/forums/ear...d-chassis.html Quote:
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03-13-2018, 12:51 PM | #13 |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
I stumbled across these guys selling the bumpers on eBay a while back. No visible bolts. You need to build your own brackets off the frame (or modify the existing). But you might be able to shift the bumper enough to accommodate a filler panel. I don’t own a 56, so I don’t know. Might be worth a call.
http://www.regalroadsters.com/gallery_custom_01.html |
03-13-2018, 03:43 PM | #14 | |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
Quote:
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03-13-2018, 10:48 PM | #15 |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
I removed the continental kit off my 56 a while back, I never liked the look of it myself nothing against the guys that do. I purchased 55 rear brackets from one of the many t-bird vendors and found a very nice 55 rear bumper. I cut off the rear valance down to about an inch and welded on a trimmed down 64 galaxie front bumper to grill filler piece perfect contour to match the bumper, and filled in the bottom rear corners were the exhaust use to go through with pieces of left and right 57 ford lower quarter patch panels another perfect match. For the license plate I made a bracket and mounted to the existing holes from the cont. kit, also used a 55 license plate lite mounted to the existing holes in the deck lid.
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03-13-2018, 11:10 PM | #16 |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
Tried adding pictures to big ?
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03-14-2018, 11:16 AM | #17 |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
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03-14-2018, 03:11 PM | #18 | |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
Quote:
Someone mentioned car bumper guards. Look into StationWagon or Sedan Delivery bumper guards. They are shorter to clear the open tailgate. I think they would look nice. |
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03-14-2018, 03:12 PM | #19 | |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
Quote:
Someone mentioned sedan bumper guards. Look into StationWagon or Sedan Delivery bumper guards. They are shorter to clear the open tailgate. I think they would look nice. |
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03-14-2018, 11:41 PM | #20 |
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Re: Remove Continental Tire from '56 Bird?
If you go over to Vintagethunderbirdclubinternational and click on 1955-1957 modified/custom thunderbirds and go down about 8 threads and click on 56 bird minus continental kit I some pictures of mine.
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