The Module mates a production Gen 3 5.0L engine to a 680R six-speed automatic. Speaking of power, Mom’s T-Bird gets a Ford Performance GEN 3 Coyote 5.0L Power Module. Suspension to work properly and can handle more power than the original 352 FE The benefits-a much stiffer car that allows the “We had to make all the structures on the bottom of the car to make it safe and strong.” “There has been a whole lot of adapting and troubleshooting,” Molly Gursky said. Adapting the ’59 to the new chassis meant cutting out the floor, transmission tunnel, and subframe assemblies and then building a new underbody structure. The 1958-60 ‘Squarebirds’ have a unibody design with the sheetmetal structure acting as body and chassis.

That meant some serious metal surgery was required to mate the car to the chassis. The decision was made to go with a Scott’s Hotrods and Customs full-frame chassis that has custom-built front and rear coilover suspension and Wilwood disc brakes. Steve and Molly’s idea was to keep the T-Bird stock-appearing on the outside with a modern chassis and drivetrain underneath. They wanted to make it safe and comfortable for cross country travel while not having to stop every 50 miles for fuel.” “They asked us what it would take to bring it back to her former glory and add a little more ‘oomph’ under the hood. “When the family got in touch we were thrilled to hear the story behind this car,” Molly Gursky said. The car was mostly summer driven and stored for the majority of its life, so it was complete when it arrived at Driven Restorations in late 2018. The Thunderbird fulfilled its duties faithfully for three decades until mechanical issues forced the family to park it the early 1990s. The Colonial White car was purchased in 1961 for the current owner’s mom to use as a daily driver, thus earning the name “Mom’s T-Bird.” They’ve built everything from muscle cars to classic trucks, many of which have sentimental value to their owners. Steve and Molly opened Randoph, WI-based Driven Restorations in 2009. Steve and Molly Gursky of Driven Restorations are hard at work getting a 1959 Ford Thunderbird finished in time to make the show. The 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, NV is less than four months away, something the folks building display vehicles for the show know all too well.

59 ford thunderbird