With SCT Tuners, they were able to clean up the air-fuel ratio and make the car a little more tractable–specifically with the cam timing–in a variety of conditions. So, they redesigned theirs to emulate the pathway of the factory piece. Putting their heads together, they realized their airbox wasn’t providing the right airflow characteristics that the motor demanded. At first, the motor would die under deceleration. The motor cranked over quite easily, but they still had their share of teething problems. The airdam was modified to funnel air to the radiator core, which had been relocated from the stock position, and then custom designed an airbox to fit over and in front of the radiator, which looks spiffy and generates a little more flow over the factory airbox. To suit the constraints of the engine bay and all the surrounding ancillaries, they first ordered a custom radiator for more airflow. To complement the added thrust, they wisely added a power rack & pinion steering system from Flaming River, a Hydratech hydroboost brake system, and quite a lot more. At only 412 pounds, the 5.0-liter crate engine, backed by a Richmond 6-speed manual transmission, would give this old ‘Bird new wings. What caught his eye was the lightweight Coyote motor, which would give him plenty of grunt without mounting an anchor in engine bay, an Oeste agreed wholeheartedly. He’d taken it to other builders, but being concerned with the weight distribution of his Thunderbird, he wasn’t too thrilled with the other shops’ suggestions of big blocks. This man was a engineer who once ground his own camshafts, so calling him detail-oriented would be an understatement. However, this man was quite different from many enthusiasts longing to relive their halcyon years.

Then 75 years old, the owner wanted a machine to revisit his youth he had a T-Bird back in the sixties. When the owner of this Thunderbird came to Kevin Oeste of V8 Speed & Restoration Shop to put together this 1955 Ford Thunderbird, he had lofty expectations. Photo credit: V8 Speed & Restoration Shop

59 ford thunderbird