Emblem and Identity

 "Is that an Italian sports car?"  No, Ma'am,  it's a Ford Thunderbird.  

I was initially shocked that the woman in the church parking lot didn't immediately recognize this '50's American icon!  After some reflection, I realized that she had a good point.  Her comment now has me looking at "Nell" in a different way.

Many of the original Thunderbird's stylistic accents were inspired by the great sports cars of the day... Jaguar, Ferrari, Mercedes.   The wheelbase of the t-bird was taken from the Jaguar XK-120 (incidentally the same as the Corvette).  The proportions, with the wind screen positioned equally between front and rear axles, typify these great sports cars.  The t-bird is low, even by today's standards.  It is sleek, the grille is wide, and the bumpers are low.  Very sporty.

Most Ferraris had hood scoops, egg-crate grilles and fender vents,

1952 Ferrari 212

...so the t-bird was designed with a hood scoop, egg crate grille, and fake fender vents. 

Some of this worked, and some of it didn't.  The scoop was actually necessary to make room for the carburetor while maintaining a low hood line.  One of the designers even wanted a "shaker hood" with the air cleaner protruding through the hood (ala the 1969 Mustang Cobra Jet), but marketing understandably nixed the idea.  Stylistically, I think that the fake fender vents (a.k.a. "hash marks") were a patently bad idea, along with the crossed-flag and "Ford crest" clutter on the nose and trunk lid.  

You don't see crossed flag emblems on Ferraris, now do you?  Just on Corvettes!  And the "Ford crest" was a total fabrication, feigning ties to European nobility... which undoubtedly had the friend-of-the-working-man Henry Ford rolling over in his grave!  Even though the red-white-and-blue triparte field with three lions appeared on Fords for over a decade, it never caught on like the Chevy bow-tie, the Chrysler star, or the Ferrari prancing pony.  Personally, I don't see what was wrong with the Ford oval logo, which had identified the brand since 1912... but I'm probably not thinking "upscale" enough.

I like my cars clean and simple.  Any emblem or badge on the car should mean something, covey some purpose or emotion.  The statement that they make shouldn't be cluttered and confused by unnecessary or meaningless ornament.  I had no problem taking the hash marks, flags, and ersatz Ford crests off the car and filling the holes.

On the other hand, I like the V8 emblem.  Apparently, Zagato liked it too.

1953 Fiat 8V Zagato.  Gorgeous and fast!

 The V8 icon says something.  Something like power and sophistication without pretense, and an allusion to inner strength.  The counterweighted crossplane American V8 incorporates perfect primary and secondary balance, yielding an engine that is remarkably smooth, yet is still relatively compact and powerful.  Few engines perform better.  Rolls Royce used crossplane V8 engines exclusively for four decades, never finding a need for more cylinders until the company was purchased by BMW, and forced to use their "top of the line" BMW V12.  Even today, V8 emblems are proudly displayed on various truck and car fenders.  The V8 emblem seems to state "I am capable.  I am reliable.  I have nothing to prove."   Environmentalists may scoff, but most folks admire the V8.  Especially on the freeway on-ramp or passing lane!  

The V8 emblem is the principal badge I have chosen for my Thunderbird, because it conveys my sense of identity for the car... balanced, confident, smooth, and powerful.   I've posted elsewhere about re-positioning the y-block V8 emblems on the fenders. When I installed the grille, I used a spare fender emblem on the grille to divert the eye from areas where the chrome is kind of funky.  This emblem is really too small, and looks wimpy compared to the Fiat 8V pic above.  Still, it makes the car look unique.

 At a cruise night last summer, I saw a stock '55 F100 pickup that had a much larger V8 emblem on the grille.  For $20 on eBay, I picked one up, and then test-fitted it to the grille with a piece of wire.

I have mixed feelings about this.  At first, it seemed like too much, and it goes against my goal of simplifying and streamlining.  But as I look at this picture again, it's growing on me.  It's all Ford, and it makes a consistent statement.  Actually mounting this emblem on the grille will require some minor metal fabrication, because the studs on the back don't line up with the holes in the grille.  I think I will try this.  I can always undo it later.

UPDATE: here's  a shot of the F100 installed, with a backing plate painted Ford Thunderbird Red (the same color as the engine).  I really like this!

What is identity, anyway?  How do we go about defining who we are?

Emblems and icons are shorthand ways of remembering who we are, or who we want to be.  Choosing an emblem is a way of setting priorities, and clarifying purpose.

What sort of emblem do I envision for myself?  Right now, my fenders are cluttered with too many emblems.  I feel like I need to scrape them off, let go of them, and choose one that best suits me.  This is not flippant or insignificant... it is the essence of self-purpose and intentionality.  I can, and must, choose for myself.  But, I don't have do be alone in my decision.   

The process of choosing the V8 emblem for Nell was a fun journey.  I expect the process of choosing an emblem for myself to be even more exciting!

The Third Top

Convertible or Removable Hardtop?

Early Thunderbirds usually came with a removable fiberglass hard top.  For a little extra money you could substitute a convertible top that folds up and stows behind the seat. completely disappearing from view.  For still more money, you could get both tops.  Today, if you are in the market for an old t-bird, you will see some advertised as having "two tops", meaning that the car comes with both the convertible and hard top.

"Nell" never had a convertible top.  While it could be quite handy in a pinch, the stock convertible top is notoriously heavy and complex, and difficult both to erect and stow.  The eisenglass (plastic) rear window gets permanently creased when the top is folded behind the seat for any length of time, and it is perilously easy for someone to inadvertently tear the fabric if they open the linkages in the wrong sequence when erecting the top.  All things considered, it is considerably easier to remove and replace the hard top than the convertible top.

I'm fine not having a convertible top.  Instead, I have a small folding cart for the hard top that I can stow in the trunk on long trips.  That way I can take the hard top off when I arrive at my destination, and stow it in a hotel room while I explore the countryside.  I stowed it in his living room when I gave my Uncle Toronado a ride to breakfast last week.

At home, I stow the hard top above the t-bird using a home-made hoist arrangement in my garage.  This makes it a simple one-person operation to remove or replace the top.

 There is a third kind of top for early Thunderbirds.  The tonneau was a dealer installed option in '56 and '57, and some '55's were retrofitted with them.  In fact, I have seen an ad for a '56 t-bird advertising that it came with "three tops", which included the tonneau!  It is very handy if, like me, you prefer driving with the top off, but want some security and modest weather protection when you park.  It is particularly good for keeping dew off the seats when parking at night!  Most tonneaus are split, so that the driver's side can be opened by itself when not carrying a passenger.   This helps the heater keep the driver's legs warm, and keeps things from blowing out of the passenger side of the car.

When I was a lot younger, I traded my motorcycle for an MG midget.  The MG had a tonneau, and I used it all the time!  I think it made the car look more sporty.  I decided that I wanted a tonneau for Nell, so I bought a kit.  It was available in the same color as the dashboard, and I figured that would look good.  I thought about paying Upholstery Guy to install it, but after reading the instructions I figured I could handle it myself.

The back edge of the tonneau fits under the rear garnish rail, at the back of the cockpit.  Per the included instructions, I removed the rail and carefully punched holes in the rear flap of the tonneau to fit the bolts in the rail.  I then carefully applied a layer of yellow weatherstrip adhesive to the rear deck where the garnish rail goes.  With the help of #1 son, we lined up the holes in the tonneau flap with the garnish rail bolts, then fitted both back in place, thus cementing the rear of the tonneau cover to the rear deck.

 The next step was to install the "male" snaps on the top of the garnish rail, doors, and around the windshield trim.  The instructions were very clear on where to position each snap, but I did feel a little uneasy drilling through the door!

Rear snap installed on the garnish rail

Two snaps had to go in the top of the painted door.  It felt a little funny drilling into the door!

12 snaps go on the lower windsheld trim above the dash.  After I marked the positions for the snaps, I had to remove the trim pieces to drill them.

A shot of the windshield trim snaps installed.  Yes, drilling these holes permanently alters the trim, but I think it is worth it.  Besides, this is the way the dealers installed the tonneau covers back in the day...

The center snaps are actually posts

With the male snaps installed in the car, I then had to install the corresponding female snaps in the tonneau.  I started with the center posts, which serve as a reference for the rest of the snaps.

 With the center snaps done, the instructions recommended using chalk on the male snaps, and then stretching the tonneau over them to mark the right position for the female snaps.

 This worked very well!  I was able to then use a hollow punch to make holes for the snaps.

The female snaps are two pieces, with the outer piece acting as a rivet. 

I was lucky to already have an appropriate tool for installing the snaps.  I had never done this before, but it turned out to be pretty easy.

The center punch starts to flare the center rivet in the snap.  The dish-shaped thing I found in my wife's sewing kit for installing snaps.  It keeps the top of the snap from getting smushed when hammering the rivet.

This is the same rivet tool I used to install the window guides in the door pillars.

This rivit tool just fit!

Perfect snap installation!

Here are a few celebration shots.  I really like the way that it turned out!  The entire installation only took a few hours.  When not being used, it folds nicely behind the seat.

My cousin told me today that me that he is planning a memorial party for my Auntie in two weeks.  Perhaps I'll be driving Nell back to Uncle Toronado's house.

Uncle Toronado

I have a dear uncle, the husband of my Mother's older sister, who was a fighter pilot in WWII and Korea.  He's now in his '90's.  For decades, he owned and treasured a 1966 Olds Toronado.  I'll call him Uncle Toronado.

He also owned the this t-bird for 20 years after I sold it to him.  It remained non-functional but stored high and dry under his house until he gave it to his son, and then 20 months ago his son sold it back to me.

Yesterday, #1 Son and I drove the t-bird 200 miles to visit Uncle Toronado.  I had dinner with him and my cousins, and spent the night at his house.  They had all gathered together because my Aunt, Uncle Toronado's wife, my Mother's sister, is ill.  Suddenly, unexpectedly, and very likely terminally... ill.

We talked well into the evening.  Uncle was quite taken with how the car turned out, and was very pleased that the car had "come full circle" back to me.   Even though he owned the car for 20 years, he didn't know the full story of how it related to Grandma & Grandpa, my Dad's parents.  Uncle Toronado was flying a P-38 over the Normandy beaches while Grandpa was leading the 8th Infantry on to Utah beach.  Grandpa was killed in action a week later, near Cherbourg, leaving Grandma a war widow.    We talked about what that did to my Dad and his siblings, and how they are still unable to fully grieve that loss.

Uncle Toronado had quite a few close calls himself, of course, but by the grace of God he was able to come home to his family and the woman he loved.  This same woman was laying on a hospital bed, mustering the strength just to keep breathing. 

This morning I took the top off "Nell", and drove Uncle Toronado to the club at his local golf course for breakfast.  My son and my eldest cousin joined us in another car.  Uncle seemed thrilled to ride in this shiny car that he had spent so much time dreaming about.

After breakfast we went to the hospital.  The staff called a family meeting, where they explained the grim facts, one by one.  There is nothing else that they can do.  Putting her back on a ventilator would be painful and unfair.

My Mother in Law's recent cancer journey has made me familiar with this kind of situation.  I sat there in the counseling room with my Uncle and my cousins, not saying anything but feeling their pain.  They were grappling with a difficult decision, and it all depended on Uncle.  This brave and gentle warrior was now facing his biggest life challenge... and it wasn't in combat, it was in his own heart.  How can he possibly let go of the love of his life?

It was heartbreaking, but I felt honored just to be there with them at this most personal moment, to hold Uncle's hand and let him feel my presence.

After the meeting, I went down the hall to visit my dear Auntie in the ICU.  She had regained consciousness but was wearing a pressure mask and couldn't speak.  I told her that I had taken Uncle for a ride in the t-bird, and her eyes smiled at me.  I thanked her for always being so kind to me, and told her how I loved the way she got crazy with my Mom when they got together.  I tried to tell her how much she meant to me.

Then I had to leave, and take my son home.  It was a sad drive, but we took the coast road and it was an absolutely beautiful day!  I was lost in my own memories, but I periodically tried to relate my feelings to my son.  Nell behaved herself nicely, and we got lots of encouraging comments and gestures during the drive.

I'm expecting a sad phone call in the next few days.  I am emotionally exhausted, but I'm extremely grateful for this trip, this memory.

Yes, it's just a car, but today it was a vehicle for something more.

UPDATE 9 January: My dear Auntie Toronado passed away this morning.

Overcoming Fear of Polish

Buffing the paint...  this scares me a little, because it is easy to ruin a good paint job with a poor buffing job.  "Burn-through" is what happens when the paint gets completely rubbed off in one spot, showing the primer underneath.  This is easy to fix on edges, but a pain in the middle of a panel.  I'm not confident in my abilities with a buffer.  I buffed an oxide layer off the paint of an of an old MG some 25 years ago, but this is completely different.  There is a lot more at stake here.

I chickened out and asked Paint Guy to buff out the car.  Paint guy took a first crack at it in October, but he didn't finish.  The hood and trunk still show sanding marks from rubbing out the paint, and it's really noticeable under artificial light.  I've put about 600 miles on her since then, and I've been eager to finish the buffing process and give Nell a good shine! 

I called Paint Guy before the holidays, and he's booked solid for the next few months.  I got the distinct feeling that it was time to "man up" and face my fear of polish!  I have researched buffers and polish, and finally felt that I knew enough to proceed.  But I was still a little afraid.  Have you ever felt that you knew the right thing do do, but were afraid of screwing it up?

I got a buffer kit and professional polish from TCP Global, some micro-fiber towels and buckets from Harbor Freight, and got to work.

First step was to carefully wash the car.  Twice.

 

I started in back.  As an amateur, I taped all the edges.  This is where burn through happens first, so masking is cheap insurance.  I will have to hand polish the edges later.

Note the scratches in the paint.  These are really noticeable under bright artificial light.

 There were three grades of professional polish available.  This stuff isn't cheap, but it's "the best"!  The guy at the paint store suggested starting with a medium grade, instead of heavy cut.  He also suggested using a medium foam waffle pad instead of a heavy-cut wool pad.  This slows down the polishing process, but it helps avoid the dreaded burn-through!

#2 Polish is a good start.  Heavy cut may cut too fast.

For the initial buffing, I was advised to use a variable speed rotary buffer.  Fine finishing and detailing may use a Dual Action (DA) buffer, but only a rotary will remove sanding scratch marks.

I used the heavier-cut "red" pad to start, and applied the polish in an "x" pattern

I stared in slow speed, of course! 

 To avoid splatter, I kept the pad on the work when starting and stopping.  The buffer has a slow start feature, which starts the motor gradually and avoids flinging polish everywhere.  Here's what the trunk looked like after two passes with the red pad:

First pass

Second pass

The scratches weren't getting any better at this point.   Are these "swirl marks" from the buffer, or deep scratches that need a more aggressive compound/pad?  I decided to play it safe and try a finer compound.

#3 finish polish, a compliment to the other stuff.

The blue pad is a finer cut.  I also used the black fine-finish pad.

After one pass, the difference is dramatic.  Note that there are still a few deep scratches, however.  Oh, well.

This is as good as I can do with a rotary buffer.  I then got out my Christmas present, a DA buffer and heavy pad.   Dual Action buffers don't spin like rotaries, but rather giggle like an orbital.  The pad also rotates slowly to prevent heat buildup.  DA buffers don't burn through, but do provide a very fine finish for final polishing and waxing.

The DA buffer is smaller, but still pretty heavy.  I used #3 polish.

Results are impressive!  Note the deep scratch remaining.

So there are still some scratches in the paint, but the appearance is greatly improved.  I'm quite happy with the results, especially since I want to drive and enjoy this car.   Now, for hand polishing the edges.

Good shine in the middle, but the paint is dull where the tape used to be.

Close up of the previously taped edges.

#2 polish on a pad, and...

Apply liberal amounts of elbow grease.

The results were good, especially after following up with #3 polish.  

Pink clouds reflected in the trunk lid.

Looking good!

Another day, time to buff the hood. Same procedure for masking the edges and buffing...

Before buffing.

After rotary buffing the driver's side with #2 polish

After DA polishing.  Pretty shiny!  Of course, there are still some scratches.

Here are some celebration shots.  Note how the color seems to change based on the lighting... florescents make the car look blue, incandescents make it look turquoise.

There are still some minor areas to buff out on the sides, but I am very happy with the results!  The car is ready to be enjoyed!

I will try to visit Uncle Toronado this week.  He's about 200 miles away, but he owned this car for 20 years.  He's 92 years old, and a WWII fighter pilot.  Auntie Toronado has been in the hospital.  I need to make this visit a priority.