Then, after a couple of years, he reworked the car once again into a mild custom, much the same, but with a custom grille, extra chrome, and a wild candy-pink paint job topped with pink flames. At first he followed the traditional resto route, adding a low stance, some trick wheels, and wild murals over a black base.

There will be no disappointments here, with plenty of ‘bang-for-buck’.In the early '90s Paul bought a '59 Thunderbird, beginning the long journey that would eventually lead to making his own statement with the frustrating custom Squarebird. The ‘space-race’ was well & truly at full steam ahead in the late 50’s and there was plenty of size & bling on offer with the ’59 Thunderbird. This ‘J-Code’ Thunderbird is a beautiful looking and driving classic, and is in above average condition, almost showcase. The interior is like new throughout and all the chrome is excellent. The exterior paint and bodywork are of very good quality, with only a few small chips to be seen, mainly on the door edges. The undercarriage has been cleaned and painted black. There is no rust to be found on the car and all the floor pans and rockers look excellent. The restoration was completed some years ago now with only approx 4,000 miles being driven since it’s full rebuild, and it has been in storage for the past three (3) years. This Bird went into manufacture in Ford’s Wixom, Michigan plant on the 7th November 1958, and today we see it fully restored to it’s former original glory featuring an exterior colour of Cordovan (Copper) Metallic with Hickory Tan on Colonial White soft vinyl interior. A new V8 engine, the ‘J-Code’ 345hp 430cui-4V 7.0L MEL-series, was available in limited numbers. The rear suspension was revised, discarding coil springs for Hotchkiss drive with parallel leaf springs. As a result, sales soared and the new model dramatically expanded the personal luxury car market.įor the 1959 model year, Ford made changes to the front, rear, and side ornamentation and leather upholstery was available for the first time. In response to Ford-conducted surveys, two major changes were made to attract potential buyers: two (2) rear seats were added and the level of luxury and features of a full-sized car were incorporated into a mid-size platform. The 2nd generation T-bird, or ‘Square Bird’ as it was known, was produced by Ford for the 1958 to 1960 model years as a successor to the ever popular 1955-1957 two-seater. 1959 Ford Thunderbird 2-dr Hardtop Coupe powered by a 7.0L 430cui 4V Ford V8 engine and driven by a ‘Cruise-O-Matic’ 3-speed column shift automatic transmission.

59 t bird