Used 1956 Ford Thunderbird for sale in Island Lake, IL

312 cubic inch Thunderbird V8 Ford-O-Matic 3-speed automatic transmission Factory drum brakes 15-inch wheels New Coker white wall tires original sheet metal / Colonial White paint Town and Country radio Sale includes mechanical restoration notes & receipts of work just completed in February of 2019. Two cars literally defined the newfound freedom of the 1950s: the Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird. Eventually, Chevrolet took their Corvette to the racetrack, while Ford continued to turn their Thunderbird into the ultimate boulevard king. Now, over sixty years later, first-generation Corvettes are cool, but first generation Thunderbirds are more endearing. If you're looking for a sweet 50s-era classic that's valuable, fun to drive and has the ability to turn Main Street into a parade route, this Thunderbird may fit the bill. This 1956 Thunderbird is backing a freshly tuned 312 cubic inch V8 with a Ford-O-Matic 3-speed and can thoroughly be enjoyed as-is, or you can be a part of the car's history and let us help you restore it back to show-room condition. The Thunderbird was Ford's refined response to Chevrolet's crude Corvette. And when introduced in 1955, it outsold Chevy's newly minted halo by almost 24 to 1. Part of the reason for that big success was the car's versatile mix of American substance and European aesthetic. INTERIOR Colonial White paint is legendary for its characteristically upscale feel. And when paired with this Thunderbird's black & white vinyl interior, it creates the perfect culmination of class and sophistication. Thanks to the way this car was stored for over 20 plus years, its pleated bench seat is livable for years to come and still in great shape, the carpet is also in good condition too. Front and center, classy telemetry and a familiar Town and Country radio look great inside engine-turned bezels. In the middle of the floor, a chrome automatic shifter. In front of the driver, a covered steering wheel spins a chrome horn ring around a mirrored steering column. At each side of the dash cluster sits a tach on the left and a clock on the right (clock is not currently working). At the sides of the passengers, door panels center perfectly placed armrests below engine-turned aluminum trim. Also, behind the soft top, a fully well kept neat trunk and factory looking trunk floor mat. EXTERIOR This car was restored & repainted many years ago, and is now showing signs of age. The pictures we took came out great but please note this body is not perfect and could use some attention if you're a perfectionist. If not, well then this is what I would call a driver-quality type of car. The chrome in areas is also showing signs of age but still presents itself ok. This is a car you're going to need to inspect for yourself and take it for a test drive. The current owner, who has owned this car for many many years now just spent about $25,000 repairing all the mechanical issues and waking the car back up after sitting in his garage for many years. Here is a list of what was just completed. (All invoices go with the sale of the car!) Complete new exhaust system New spark plugs New points & condenser New dist cap and rotor New spark plug wires New ignition coil Complete professional rebuild on the carburetor (sent to Ohio for professional rebuild) New fuel filter New air filter New fuel tank A new fuel sending unit New fuel pump & gasket New fuel tank vented cap New v-belt Transmission flush and new filter New upper and lower radiator hoses and clamps Re-cored radiator New 13lb radiator cap New water pump New heater core New heater core seal & gasket kit New heater core hoses and clamps Oil and filter change New brake master New brake hoses front to back All new brake shoes and brake cyl kits on all four corners New motor mounts New rubber trans mount New upper ball joints New lower ball joints New upper control arm bushings New lower control arm shaft bushings New rear leaf springs New rear leaf spring bushings New leaf spring shackle kit New front and rear shock absorbers New idler arm bushings New inner and outer tie rod ends New front grease seals New front stabilizer bushings New front coil springs New battery New battery hold down kit 4 new Coker tires P205/75R15 The hood, headlight bezels, side fender vent, and gas door were just repainted too. Final notes about the car. It was test driven and shook down after all this work was done to it. The top is in nice shape as you see, and the car was stored for years with the top in the up position. It's tight to operate and is a manual operating top. There is no hard top for this car. It was also just buffed and detailed and waxed and looks good as you can see in the pictures. We have done numerous touch ups on it to cover any misc chips that were on it, to finish getting it ready to sell for the owner. So if your looking for a nice classic car for the summer and don't have an extra hundred thousand laying around for a frame off perfectly restored one, then this might be your car.