I thought this was an interesting piece. A little rich for my wallet though.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-VINTAGE-1955-FORD-THUNDERBIRD-COMPLETE-SUPERCHARGED-ENGINE-/171100830368?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item27d6677aa0&vxp=mtr

Don

"installed at the factory" seems unlikely. It's missing more than hoses... it's been in a fire, for pete's sake!
Seller seems to be emphasizing the Jane Mansfield connection to justify the high starting bid. Interesting motor, clearly a '55 with air cooled FOM and the '55 McCulloch VS57 thunderbird kit, but the deal still smells a little funny to me.

THANKS for posting this, Don. Interesting piece based upon the write-up included by the seller.

Rare, but as you said... a bit E-X-P-E-N-S-I-V-E for most of us.

Amazing the stuff that surfaces from time-to-time...

NoShortcuts
a.k.a. Charlie Brown
near Syracuse, New York

So I guess the fire melted off the finned rocker covers and added power steering to the engine.

More eBay hype jobs

Oldmics

Old Mic. I agree that it is way over priced and not factory installed, but a McCulloch T-bird kit,was the P/S relocated to use the V.S.57 ? and not all T-birds came with the Alum. Valve covers! This looks like a unit that was installed by a speed shop that sold mcCulloch superchargers and it is great to see things like this turn up.

  JUST A MIDNIGHT CRUISE DOWN THUNDER ROAD!!! TOM DRUMMOND MIDWEST DIRECTOR 57 FORD INTERNATIONAL

Thunderbird valve covers were part of a optional dress up kit. By the length of the valve cover studs, it looks like this one had aluminum covers at some time.

Don

How about the size of those exhaust manifolds? They resemble the larger style... who knows after all these years.

Gotta love the way the seller writes this up... he was going to put it in his 1956 F100 but when he saw how rare it was he just knew it had to go back in a Tbird. hahahahahahahahahaha... all at a price my friend, all at a price.

Think this guy will share what he's smoking?

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

Jane Mansfield was a hotty (Google if under 30/40 years of age), however, the for sale engine is not the same as the historic photo, he does show in his feedback record, the sale of Thunderbird valve covers, and those currently on the engine don't have a tight nut on them. Also shows the sale of a heater control valve which doesn't appear on the manifold of the current for sale engine. Who knows if he's sold off parts for cash, but with the manipulation of the provenance I certainly wouldn't trust anything attached, and I doubt Jane ever touched that dipstick.

Ted, Redding, CA

Just FWIW. I bought some of the original VS pieces from Conley years ago. The s/c bracket (that really doesn't show in the pictures), woud put the charger in that position. The tension arm looks about right, but I'd have to dig mine out of storage to be sure. I had a really bad copy of the installation instructions, and they noted you had to relocate the p/s pump to high on the right side. I think it also said to relocate the battery, but I never figured that out. The air cleaner across the rear of the motor is correctly located, but doesn't seem quite right, as I remember . I never had the Mc bonnet (used one of Frank's), or the assorted strap steel braces that supported the main bracket. I reverse engineered it all to the right side, and designed my own hoses and a/c.

Never heard the Jane M story, but heard one was put on Nancy Sinatra's '56, and blew up within sight of the shop when she picked it up.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

The one famous picture you see is Clark Gables T-Bird with the McCulloch super charger on it.

  JUST A MIDNIGHT CRUISE DOWN THUNDER ROAD!!! TOM DRUMMOND MIDWEST DIRECTOR 57 FORD INTERNATIONAL