I’ve been to many car shows and admired many classic cars, like a young man watches a beauty contest. I knew I would love to have a car for myself, but it was just a dream. However, the dream came true in 1998 when I purchased a 1959 Ford Thunderbird.

The car needed almost a total rebuild, the large chrome bumpers looked great and it was a straight car(no wrecks). The car had a little rust and needed a nice paint job but there was no doubt that with work it would look great. I learned more about people and myself since I’ve started my classic car restoration project.

My car is 1959 Ford Thunderbird Convertible, colonial white exterior, red leather seats, power windows, steering and brakes. The Thunderbird was the Motor Trend car of the year four times, the first in 1958, the same body style as my bird. The last is the retro bird in 2002. The Thunderbird model I own is known as a “squarebird” because of its long angular appearance. While these cars were popular in their day, they were not considered to be collector cars, thus making the bird a rarer find today.

I started the project in the summer of 1998, thinking I could get the car ready for following years Fourth of July parade. I worked on the car nights and weekends for about six months. I took the car apart piece by piece until, like a giant jigsaw puzzle, the car was spread out over the garage. The rollback (tow truck) then came and took my bird to a friend’s body shop to have the bodywork done and painted. I was at the shop almost every weekend sanding and helping as much as I could. It took about five months to get the bird completely painted and ready to be reassembled. The next phase took most of the summer of 1999. I had to remember how to put that puzzle back together but with the help of the Thunderbird shop manual I had no major problems. I had to pay close attention to detail and be as careful not to scratch the new paint. I missed the parade that first year, but I was ready for the next year.

I started another project at the same time, building a web-site to document the process of rebuilding my classic car. I purchased a scanner for my computer and learned how to upload the images to the web-site. I helped people find parts for their cars and assisted the connecting the buyers and sellers. Several pages are devoted to posting images and stories about other people’s birds. My web sites has a guest page were viewers can post comments on the page and most of the are encouraging. I have seventy seven thousand hits on my homepage. That averages out to about fifty hits a day for the last five years. My web-site address: www.angelfire.com/pa/59TbirdConv. I have my e-mail address on the site and receive mail from all over the world. I like to feel I help others restore their cars and answer question about the process.

The summer of 2000 I had the chance to fully enjoy my classic car. Every American has watched the marching bands, old soldiers and classic cars in their hometown Fourth of July Parade. I lived one of my childhood dreams that summer when I drove my car in the Millville Parade. I also took my car to many car shows, there I came to understand that people love to talk about cars, countless people have came up and talked. One old gentleman came up to me with bright eyes and said “I had one of these when I was in college.” Kid’s love looking at old cars and their parents would say, “My dad had one of these cars when they were growing up.” Many time’s couples would walk by and smile, maybe they remember a special time they shared in a car similar to mine.

Once I was able to look at a car and tell the make and model, but now they all look the same. Modern cars may be more comfortable, or even be more reliable at times; but do they still have the same appeal as their predecessors? Uniformed streamline design hardly leaves room for unusual shaping. Small fuel-efficient engines have replaced the high horse power motors. Nostalgia from the “good old days”, can bring fourth a new fountain of youth. Classic cars inspire again and again. They rekindle memories that grow into the beautiful classic cars we enjoyed today.

Classic cars mean different things to different people. The first car they first owned, the car in which they learned to drive the car they shared with a special someone. These are some of the reasons that spark the fire of classic autos in the hearts of the public. The window to the past, the youth of yester year, and the thoughts of long past good times, continue to make the classic automobiles as American as hot dog and apple pie.

I was able to breathe life back into my Thunderbird and all that energy continues to be given back to every one whom enjoys her beauty. I take pride in my car and smile when, for whatever little reason, I walk into my garage. My web site has opened the doors to new friendships and the sharing of my knowledge. I’ve become one of those fanatics who love their old cars. My classic car is the fulfillment of a childhood dream and I came to realize dreams are a fleeting thing.