Bo Sandberg's 1959 Ford Thunderbird - Surfin Bird
1959 Ford Thunderbird owned and restyled by Bo Sandberg of Yankee Custom Parts in Älvsjö, Stockholm, Sweden. Photos taken of the car in May of 1961 show it painted in a light blue. In 1962, Bo shaved the car for door handles. He painted it red, maroon or burgundy, and he fit it with a 1955 DeSoto grille bar.[2]
Contents
The Surfin Bird
By 1964, Bo had turned the Thunderbird into a custom named "Surfin Bird." The Surfin Bird featured modified headlights, an extended hood scoop, dual sunken antennas in the driver door, Foxcraft fender skirts, and a Tee-Boyd tonneau cover. The door handles had been shaved and replaced by solenoids, and the deck lid and windows were electrically operated. Bo painted the car Pearl White at his shop Yankee Custom Parts. In 1965, The Surfin Bird version of the car was shown at the first annual Hot Rod Show in Stockholm.[3] By then, it had been painted red.
Cadillac Capri Aqua Metallic
By April of 1967, the car had been given a Cadillac Capri Aqua Metallic by Yankee Custom Parts. This iteration of the car was shown at the 1967 Hot Rod Show in Marmorhallarna.
Kjell Arne Pettersson
In 1971, the Surfin Bird was featured in Colorod Nr.2 1971. By then it was owned by Kjell Arne Pettersson of Sollentuna, Sweden. Kjell Arne had just straightened the old custom up and installed a 406 cubic inches V8 engine from a 1964 Ford along with a 1965 Ford Thunderbird transmission. Kjell had also installed electrical door locks and directional lights from a 1967 Ford Thunderbird. Still featuring the Cadillac Capri Aqua Metallic paint job, it had now also been dressed up with pinstriping in red and blue by "Sillen." Camaro seats had been installed, and the entire interior, including the top, was newly upholstered by Alfa Bilklädsel in white. Tinted windows and a radio hi-fi system had been installed along with a set off 14x6 Rader Wheels. Disk brakes from a 1967 Ford Cougar provided stopping power.[4]
Sold to Hagfors
In 1974, the car was sold to Hagfors in Värmland county. In Hagfors it went trough a couple of owners before Mats Rommedahl from Järbo bought it for 29 000 SEK in 1980. Mats will preserve the car in the same shape it had in the sixties, and he insists on never selling it!
Magazine Features
Colorod Nr.2 1971
Power Magazine 5/1995
References
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