Paul Perry

In 1959 my uncle bought a 1955 goldenrod yellow Ford Thunderbird. The car looked good but had been abused mechanically. Within a few years both the engine and the transmission needed major overhaul. I volunteered to do the job for him with the ulterior motive of being able to drive it occasionally. My uncle agreed to this arrangement and for a few years following the repair I drove the car now and then. What a great thing it was to drive that little convertible around town on a hot summer night.

My uncle kept the car for another ten years and when he decided to get another car, he offered it to me. At that time, Barbara and I were building our home here on the mountain and didn’t have the time or the money to restore the car since it had again fallen into major disrepair. With regret, I refused the offer but I did not forget the enjoyment of driving the T-Bird.

Time passed and after getting settled here in the mountains, I took on the restoration of a 1950 pickup, which I completed in 1994.

In 1996, after two years of not having grease under my fingernails, I again had the urge to do another car project.

On a whim, I went to a car show/sale at the Fashion Island Mall in San Carlos. There weren’t many cars there but I didn’t care since I only had eyes for one of them. You guessed it. I saw a 1955 goldenrod yellow T-Bird. Well, the rest is history. I can again ride around in a yellow T-Bird on a hot summer night.

The car is not quite original. It has a 1957, 312 cubic inches 245 horsepower engine which doesn’t make me unhappy except when I have to buy gas. The little T-Birds were unusual in that they had many amenities that one found only in luxury cars of that vintage. Mine has power windows, power steering, power break booster, power seats and automatic transmission, all of which make it seem more modern than a typical fifties era auto.

Barbara and I are members of two T-Bird clubs, which adds to the enjoyment of having the car. When you convoy to a club event with twenty or more other T-Birds, it really draws attention. For those of you who appreciate these cars, a large number of them (more than sixty), including mine—can be seen at the “T-Birds on the Wharf” event on September 24, at the Santa Cruz Wharf.