8/31/2023 0 Comments 1958 tbird![]() The soft-top was also hydraulically operated, and when lowered, hid completely in the trunk. What Ford engineers came up with instead was a rear-hinged trunk lid that raised and lowered with hydraulic cylinders. However, engineering issues with the retractable roof prompted the decision to reinstate the convertible. In its place, a power-retractable hardtop, like Ford's Skyliner, was slated for the Thunderbird. With limited funding available, the convertible body was to be discontinued. A 3-speed manual transmission was standard with an automatic transmission optional. Powering the T-bird was Ford's new FE block, a 352ci V8 producing 300 horsepower. To accommodate the back seat, wheelbase was stretched to 113-inches.Ĭonceived as a personal luxury car with distinctive style, Thunderbird interior had bucket seats in front with a full-length center console running into two rear buckets. A solid rear axle used coil springs, and front independent suspension used control-arms and coil springs. The unit construction process allowed the second-generation T-birds to sit long and low. The majority of today's modern cars are based on a unibody structure, but in 1958 it was new technology. Along with the convertible, a hardtop coupe was also offered, whose boxy lines and wide-pillar roof earned it the nickname "Squarebird." Distinctive styling featured quad headlights, a large chrome grille, and prominent tail fins. The Ford Thunderbird was now a four-seater, measuring eleven inches longer and weighing nearly 1,000 pounds more than the original two-seater it replaced.
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