1960 Thunderbird Convertible ~ By Mark Bennett

It all started with an innocuous 2 line ad in Hemmings touting a 1960 Thunderbird Convertible, all original but in need of total restoration. Had it not been located in Vermont, I would have scanned right by it. Like most old car buffs, I'm always somewhat in the market, but only somewhat.

A check of the telephone exchange located the Bird less than 20 miles away in East Montpelier. I held little hope of finding anything other than a rust bucket , but its proximity demanded a look. Telephone contact revealed only that the Bird had been stored for the last ten years. When pressed, the advertiser admitted he really didn't own the car. He was storing it for his uncle and had had some thoughts of restoring the Bird. However, he said he was a Corvette guy and couldn’t get too enthusiastic about the Bird.

I followed some not too complicated directions and spotted the Bird perched in a yard some distance from the main road. Initially, I couldn't get too enthusiastic about the Bird either and I'm not a Corvette guy. Cosmetically, the car was close to the bottom of my range of expectations. It looked a lot like a frat house the morning after a keg party. The closer I looked, however , the better the Bird looked. The panels were mostly solid and straight and they fit together well. And there was no rust to be found on the floors. Considering that you could hear these cars start to rust when they left the showroom, this was pretty miraculous.

Next, I asked if there were any records with the car, half expecting him to produce a Dinah Shore vinyl. Instead, he presented me with a tattered trash bag full of crumpled papers. I put my hand in reticently, somewhat afraid of being bit. The trash bag quickly became a treasure chest as I pulled out both the original window sticker and the original invoice along with what appeared to be receipts for every bit of work ever done to the Bird. It must have had a loving owner.

A review of the records revealed that this was a one-owner car from November 1959 to 1988 when the owner died and the car went into storage. Better yet, the car was purchased new in Connecticut and was stored every winter while its snowbird owner relaxed in Florida (the rust free floors now made sense).

Negotiations took a few days because my offer had to be relayed to the real owner in Connecticut, who turned out to be the son of the original owner. The purchase price was, of course, merely akin to the down payment and my bag, I mean book, of receipts began with the bill for the flatbed home. I began to entertain in my mind various strategies for resurrecting the Bird, hoping to come up with a way to maintain solvency. I ultimately decided to blow the bankbook to bits and undertake a real restoration.

Two and a half years and untold and untalied events later, the Bird regained its former glory. The finished product has been judged by others to be respectable. The Bird has taken first in its class in every show it has visited. This spring, it added a Best of Show to its trophy collection. I know all of the flaws, but I didn't tell Jim Willett about any of them!

Some time in 1975 my son David brought home a plastic 1950 Mercury model car that set off a flashback to 1968 when I was in dental school. I had owned a 1950 Merc coupe, which I sold to my brother-in-law Tony for $75, just before I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Now I wanted more than David’s model, I wanted that “car I let go and wish I could get back.” Knowing nothing of the Antique Automobile Club of America or any car club, I searched locally and found a four door 1951 Mercury sedan. Close enough, I thought, as I started the fantasy trip, which led a quarter century later to a Grand National winner.

Slowly, over a ten year period, I restored the sedan and after three attempts, won AACA awards; a junior in 1986, a senior in 1987, and later a preservation award. During this process two things unfolded: I received many compliments along with the proverbial “but it’s not a convertible.” What car owner hasn’t heard this or deep down yearned for the dream rag top? I committed to the challenge and started a search at the Hershey Pennsylvania car show each year, Mercury parts dealers all over the country, and every junkyard I passed.

Fast-forward seven years to 1993 and a tempting Hemmings Motor News advertisement. I dial, the phone rings, and I hear the typical “I just sold the car to a fellow in Massachusetts.” By the time I tracked down that Bay Stater, Sam Gagliano, thru 411, I figured he would have lost interest. “Yes, I have the car,” he replied, “but I’m using it as a parts car for another 51 Mercury convertible I’m restoring.” I visited Sam and offered him my AACA Preservation Merc for his two cars. We settled on the good car for cash, and I kept my four door Merc as a back up parts source for the 1951 Mercury convertible Restoration [an extreme make over].

Over the next five years I filled my spare hours searching for parts and patiently assembling my dream car at my dental office garage in Bloomfield, New Jersey. Fellow AACA NJ Region member, Al Smeraldo, supervised the restoration process. Some of my patients, for whom I was providing a somewhat different restoration, namely their mouths, kept my spirits up by cheerfully inquiring, “Hey Doc, when are we going for a ride in the Merc?”

Other participants who supplied parts and Merc savvy were Sam Gagliano, Bob Boos the Lincoln man, Cathy and Wendy from Mr. Merc, Robert Azario of Seneca Falls New York, Steven Balog Jr. and Sr. of the Merc Shop from Piscataway, New Jersey, and Ron Westwood the Early Ford V/8 Club of America’s 1949-51 Mercury advisor. Ron also furnished copies of original Mercury templates and blueprints. AACA members Don Symonds, and his son Eddie of Roxbury Radiator Great Meadows New Jersey, whom I met at AACA region meetings, restored the chassis and exterior.

It was a pleasure and learning experience as I watched each step from bare bones frame to final single stage urethane Vassar Yellow paint. Frank of F and T Automotive in Belleville, NJ rebuilt my engine and transmission. The Great Buffalo Upholstery Shop in Union, NJ restored the interior in early 1998. I purchased the golden and chestnut brown leather combination materials from LeBaron Bonney in Massachusetts. Maurice of the Great Buffalo and I stripped, repainted, assembled, and covered every seat spring in hand sewn burlap prior to custom fitting the interior and black top. Maurice was cautious and covered the exterior body with matting to prevent scratching the car’s finish.

This expert team and I had created an authentic factory restoration by using original Mercury parts, manuals, and literature. But the total cost was twice my original estimate, so to acquire the needed funds, my wife, office manager, long time mentor, Lucille, and I taught dental assisting skills to high school students on my day off.

In 1998 and 1999 the car won both Junior and Senior AACA awards at the annual Hershey, Pennsylvania fall car show and in 2000 an AACA Grand National Award at Montoursville. PA . The car also won two “Best of Show” awards from the Vermont Automobile Enthusiasts at the Stowe 2000 and Shelburne 2001 car shows.

I also joined the Early Ford V/8 Club of America and the 51 Mercury convertible received this club’s Dearborn Award at the Vernon Downs New York car show in July 2002. Thank you Antique Automobile Club of America, Vermont Automobile Enthusiasts, Early Ford V/8 Club, restoration participants, and family for the past quarter century journey that led to a “Green Mountain Top Experience” for me.

In virtually every old car publication you read editorials from folks who have taken an adamant stand on how we all should conform to their way of enjoying this hobby. Some express indignation regarding those who accumulate more than one or two vehicles, calling these enthusiasts "greedy" or "selfish" and, in the vernacular of the politically correct, "not being willing to share".

Others are firm in their belief that "cars were made to be driven and that is that!" There should be nothing but chastisement for anyone opting to create a "trailer queen" or Pebble Beach contender. Then, how about the folks who rant that street rods and "modifieds" should simply be outlawed, no ands, ifs, or buts!

I don't get it! Why is there reluctance to embrace the wide spectrum of this wonderful pastime? There is ample room for all of us to pursue this "hobby" in a manner which allows each of us to maximize our individual enjoyment. Doesn't the "hobby" benefit from the eclectic assortment of treasures we collectively preserve, restore, modify or horde? Of course it does! Isn't it great that we can hone our craftsmanship skills to create the best of the best. Pristine concourse specimens? Don't you enjoy seeing an original car that has been lovingly maintained over the years since its birth proudly exhibiting a patina that cannot be replicated?

For those who choose to drive their cars, can't we accept their efforts to maintain the roadworthy condition of their treasures? We all should experience the joy they derive from pelting down the road in their functional collector vehicles. Have you ever attended a gathering of street rods?

If you haven't, you have yet to marvel at the ingenuity and craftsmanship that is essential for recognition in this sector of our "hobby". In fact, the efforts of this group of automobile enthusiasts have spun off many innovations that have made life a lot easier for those doing authentic restorations.

That's my opinion! Let's here from you folks (pro or con) on this subject. Let's get some dialogue going and make a contribution to your newsletter at the same time.