Thunderbirds of Houston
In the summer of 2019 the VTOH received an inquiry from an individual wanting to sell a 1955 Tbird that they had inherited. As it turned out, the person was a racing hobbyist who specialized in Mazdas. The Tbird had been their parent’s car and was partially restored. It had been converted to 12-volts, transmission re-built, engine running, needed brakes and lot’s of cosmetic attention, but was drivable…barely.
The individual did not have interest in the car and sought the VTOH’s advice on selling it. Member Greg Rich inspected the car and, since the car was most definitely a project car, suggested that the owner donate it to the Automotive Department at Houston Community College (HCC) for students to work on and possibly complete a restoration. In exchange, the owner could get a charitable tax deduction based on the appraised value of the car on an “as is” basis. The owner liked the idea. Since VTOH had a pre-existing relationship with HCC, Greg offered to help facilitate the donation process.
Over the next several months Dee Temple, VTOH’s primary contact with HCC, liaised with the HCC Foundation in pursuit of the manifold administrative and approval processes necessary to complete the donation and tax deduction. Finally, in the spring of 2020 the car’s title was transferred to HCC.
2019
2019
We arranged a pick-up with member Lee Matthew’s car transporter to bring the car to HCC’s new auto technology center.
Members on the 2019 pick-up & delivery tram L-R: Lee Matthews, Jim McLaughlin, Norman Wilhelm (donor), Jason Matthews, and Greg Rich
Spring 2021
Class checklist for replacement of the wiring harness.
2020
May 2020 was still a COVID-19 hot period so nothing could be done with the car due to the lock-down of the HCC campus where the car had been delivered. Finally in the fall of 2020 the students were able to start assessing the car’s condition and creating a priority list of things that needed to be done. The first work to be done was a complete refurbishment of the car’s drum brake system. Following the brakes, attention turned to the electrical system and replacement of the wiring harness.
Spring 2021
As of the end of the Spring 2021 semester the wiring harness work is near completion.
The next priority is front end work and power steering issues.
August 2021
Another site visit by the VTOH members.
On October 12, 2022 six VTOH members drove their ‘55, ‘57, ‘62, ‘65, and two ‘66’s and visited the north HCC Automotive Technology Center. We sponsored an ice cream truck for the 75 students and faculty. The ‘55 project car is next due for the body shop during the Spring semester..
VTOH member’s cars on display in the Tech Center garage.
Three Faculty and Club members
Ice cream truck Oct. 22, 2022.
On March 6, 2024, the VTOH team had a conference with HCC instructors to discuss the next phase which was to be paint and body. HCC presented a budget and a schedule. VTOH provided funding to purchase primer, paint, and some miscellaneous materials. Not included was re-chrome of the bumpers (very expensive) or replacement of the cloth top. The decision was made to paint the chrome bumpers (almost no additional expense) giving it a more contemporary, slightly resto-mod look.
Oct 23, 2024 - Car in body shop getting prepped for paint.
April 15, 2025 - students sanding making ready for final primer.
