Modern ModDED TBird

With the driveline in place, Richard Sr. built custom headers. Sadly, that's as far as the project got before his untimely passing in 2001. Fortunately, he got to hear the Cobra mill purr, and that was enough to motivate Mike to complete the project.

Working in the same garage in which the project began, Mike and his pals replaced just about every part of the floorpan. "I ended up replacing most of the floor and trunk one section at a time. The doorjambs and all the lower metal were gone, and the hood, decklid, and trunk all had rust holes."

With the body once again looking straight, it was attached to the frame and prepped for paint. But first Mike bolted on new disc brakes up front from Stainless Steel Brakes (the stock discs on the IRS were used in the rear). A rebuilt front suspension then went into place, and he fitted Billet Specialties wheels that were wrapped in BFGoodrich rubber.

In keeping with his father's original plan, Mike selected a unique House of Kolor hue called Tangelo Pearl Metallic. Dave Sano of Sano's Auto Body (Dayton, New Jersey) laid on the wet stuff, but it wasn't completed until he spiced it up with ghost flames, plenty of clearcoat, and shiny chrome.

There's not a spot on this car that doesn't catch your eye, and the interior is no exception. Mike restified the cockpit by working some magic on the T-bird's dash. Rather than sticking with the original blacked-out-style speedometer, he painted the background white and laid some white paint on the dash to match. The effect is awesome, as the light blasts through to make the speedo come alive. He then modified a Haneline tachometer and a clock to match the white-faced design.

"The T-bird uses different size gauges than most aftermarket [gauges]," Mike says, "so I had to disassemble and fit the clock and the tach into the T-bird [gauge] cans. I fit custom curved glass and moved the numbers from the stock '55 lenses to the faces of the new clock and tach."

Ken Barnaby of E-Decals.com was a big help in this department. The result mixed the modern look of the gauges with the classic style of the '50s. Mike also added a Grant steering wheel and some "cool" by way of a Vintage Air A/C system.

Leo Barnaby Sr. of Superior Custom Interiors (South Amboy, New Jersey), slathered the factory bench seat and door panels in orange and white two-tone leather, and Mike added a killer stereo to bounce the tunes around. "I wanted to keep the stock look on the dash, so the entire stereo is remote," he says.

The trunk was fitted with cabinetry that holds the Alpine receiver, along with 10-inch subwoofers and a six-CD changer. An electronic eye in the dash picks up the signal to get things pumping, and a barrage of speakers surrounds the driver and passenger. Other audio equipment--including the XM radio--is located behind the seat.

With the T-bird nearing completion, Mike turned to Jim D'Amore of JDM Engineering to dial in the electronics on the engine and trans. Jim calibrated the 4.6's computer to run in top form with the addition of the Paxton Novi 2000 and the Explorer automatic transmission. Now this T-bird purrs to tune of 8 psi--and at least 400 hp.

The final touches were put on the car in the summer of 2004, and ever since then, Mike has been tooling about with his modded Bird. "I first brought it out to a Ford car show we had at the track" he says. "As soon as I parked it, people started coming over. First some noticed the IRS, but when I opened the hood, people freaked. Most of them had newer Mustangs. They were the modular crowd and they really loved the car."

For Mike, the T-bird represents the past and the present. It will serve him well as he plans to cruise it back and forth to work for years to come. Mike was sure to thank the many people who chipped in, especially Andy Caraballo; Andrew Hinckley; Eddie Krawiec; Richard Jr.; his wife, Dee; and anyone else who came within 50 feet and got put to work.