1956 Ford Thunderbird for sale $32,900

At some point this andlsquo;Bird was switched from its original Raven Black to its current Colonial White, which is the archetype of the two-seater ever since Suzanne Sommers drew appreciative stares in an identical car in American Graffiti. This is a California car, so itandrsquo;s every bit as clean as youandrsquo;d hope, and while it hasnandrsquo;t had a frame-off restoration, it just hasnandrsquo;t been necessary for something so clean. Itandrsquo;s exactly the right color, not too bright, but a little creamy that softens the look just a bit. Panel fit is typical Thunderbird, with great gaps around the hood and trunk while the rear edges of the doors are a little proud of the bodywork. Interestingly enough, fender skirts were optional on the Thunderbird, although you rarely see one without them, including this one here. They fit well and thereandrsquo;s no sign of rust in the top of the rear fender arch, which is quite common on these cars. The chrome trim has been refinished at some point and looks great, and the exhaust system is still routed through the rear bumpers, although they use cool deflectors that help keep the chrome bright.

The red and white interior is how this car was originally delivered, although it has been restored and freshened. The seat cover accurately reproduces the original look and provides comfortable seating for two. The carpets are the right square weave with a few splashes of black woven in, and the handsome door panels are beautifully rendered with bright inserts that continue into the dashboard. The original speedometer, tachometer, and fuel gauge are all fully operational, but auxiliary dials for temperature, oil pressure, and voltage were added under the dash (theyandrsquo;re easy to remove if theyandrsquo;re not your thing). Thereandrsquo;s a modern AM/FM/cassette stereo radio in the dash with speakers behind the seat, which is easy because thereandrsquo;s no folding top (the original radio is included with the car). The removable hardtop remains in great condition with recent weather seals, and it doesnandrsquo;t take much effort to take it off if an afternoon of open-air motoring in in your plans. The car also includes a removable soft tonneau, so no worries about traveling without the hardtop. The trunk is neatly finished with a correct plaid mat, and thanks to moving the spare tire out into the continental kit, thereandrsquo;s plenty of room for a weekandrsquo;s worth of luggage for two.

The first digit of the VIN is an M, which means a 292 cubic inch V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor, which was exclusive to the cars with a 3-speed manual transmission. Itandrsquo;s easy to start and fires with only a few turns of the starter, settling into an even idle which only comes from careful tuning. Itandrsquo;s plenty energetic out on the road and as I said, the manual gearbox makes it feel like an entirely different animal altogether. The proper Holley teapot carburetor lives under the air cleaner and the distributor is a correct unit with functioning vacuum advance. Experts will quickly spot the modern alternator tucked down low and out of sight, but thatandrsquo;s the lone modification to the hardware and makes a difference in keeping the battery topped off at all times. It runs cool and doesnandrsquo;t get cranky in traffic, but youandrsquo;ll probably enjoy it even more on the open road where the dual exhaust burbles away and the engineandrsquo;s considerable reserves of torque can be better exploited.

The 3-speed isnandrsquo;t anything remarkable, with a standard H-style shift pattern, but having it in an early Thunderbird makes a huge difference in personality. The clutch and throw-out bearing are new, so no worries, there, and the engine makes enough