Mr_Clutch42 wrote: I have an idea. How much safer is a 50s or 60s sports car with Corbeau or Sparco racing seats with 4 or 5 pt harnesses compared to stock? Has a company crashed tested this before? Then, what is the difference when you add a 4 pt roll bar or 6+ pt roll cage?
I may be wrong here, but I think a racing harness/seat would be unsafe without a HANS device.
OSULemon wrote: It grinds my gears similarly when riders try to play the "motorcycles are just as safe as cars, look at these (incorrect) statistics" card. They aren't, but the risk is worth it to some.
They aren't, as always....you can only be so safe riding them. Things out of your control can always happen.
Weary, did you also get the hardtop and does the car still have its original 292 Y-block? I've seen far too many 312's tossed into restored 55's at Mecum.
Original hardtop, but Ford did the update and added the portholes in 56-57 according to the original owner. Full numbers matching car, still original paint. So a 292 with the appearance package and the correct carb.
I wanted the 292 and the three speed manual with the power options. Only thing this is missing is the power windows and the automatic transmission options.
Nobody can tell me why the manual is rated ~8 hp less then the automatic though.
In reply to wearymicrobe:
I thought that reduced rating only applied to the '56 hmm, either way, its probably a different cam profile to make up for the driveline loss expected with the automatic. Good news on still having the 292 though. 
Oh, and that porthole retrofit was a very popular one for the 55's after they started doing it part way through '56. It is actually somewhat rare to see an original one without portholes.
yamaha wrote: In reply to wearymicrobe: I thought that reduced rating only applied to the '56 hmm, either way, its probably a different cam profile to make up for the driveline loss expected with the automatic. Good news on still having the 292 though.
I have driven a few TBirds over the years without portholes and its basically impossible to see anything. I have seen like 1 in my life that has not be backdated to get there though. I did find someone who makes hard mounts for the seats that move them down and back two inches. That might actually do it. Plus I could keep the wheel.
If it stops raining here for a few hours I am going to try and get it out for the first run.
IMO the portholes don't offer much visibility, but I've never driven a 55-57 without them.
Maybe it just feels less claustrophobic or something. I live on the coast and the coldest it gets here is in the 60's. I would be amazed if I ever put the top on the car again.
In reply to wearymicrobe:
I'm the opposite. I think I've had the top off my car once in the past 10 years. I just like the way it looks with the top, and convertibles aren't really my thing.
yamaha wrote: In reply to wearymicrobe: I thought that reduced rating only applied to the '56 hmm, either way, its probably a different cam profile to make up for the driveline loss expected with the automatic. Good news on still having the 292 though.
I wonder if they altered the cam timing or profile to improve low end power and help it get off the line, as it's presumably a 3 speed and somewhat close ratio (i.e. not a farm truck transmission).
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