(Editor’s note: This story was written by Marshall Terrill with photography and videography by Ken Fagan and originally appeared on Arizona State University’s ASU Now website.)
Most people go to college to broaden their horizons. U.S. Air Force veteran Christopher Ames went back to Arizona State University with a laser focus to solve one particular problem.
It started in 2003 when the now-68-year-old attended an auto auction with the intention of buying a model of his first car — a 1964 GTO. But when the bidding quickly soared past his price limit, the GTO went home with someone else.
But the auction was not an entire loss. His wife, Sharon, had seen a couple of classic Ford Thunderbirds she liked, and Ames ended up with the winning bid on a 1956 model at a not-too-unreasonable price. After he got the pink slip and keys, he found out the reason why the car was so affordable: They tend to overheat.
“The classic Thunderbird is an icon of American automotive engineering,” Ames said. “But mechanically, this was a pretty sad Thunderbird.”
So sad in fact that Ames barely drove it off the auction lot before the chrome-and-metal beast began shaking and wandering (a steering action where the vehicle moves or rambles from a fixed course without positive control). He took the first exit he could find and delicately drove it home using surface streets. He also learned later that it often overheated, a commonly known malady of the classic Thunderbirds.
Over the course of five years, Ames corrected all the mechanical problems with the car. He swapped out the engine with a correctly sized one he had completely rebuilt. But still he faced the overheating problem — even in a short, early morning Thanksgiving Day parade.
“When you are carrying beauty queens in the Veterans Day Parade, and the car overheats, it is embarrassing,” Ames said. “The car couldn’t even last 20 minutes without overheating, which makes it a non-player.”
Finally, the car overheated in a 2013 caravan to Tucson, rupturing the heater control valve and leaving Ames alongside the road. That event also damaged the engine, which had only 7,000 miles on it. Ames had reached his boiling point. It was time to fix the problem or sell the car. He opted for the former.
“I have a mission commitment that some people believe is a character flaw,” said Ames, a retired software engineer. “If you tell me something can’t be done, it’ll drive me crazy until I find the solution.”
After he removed the engine from the car and completely disassembled it, Ames spent most of a day examining every component, and after not finding anything for several hours, he sat down to rest. Looking at part of the water pump from this lower vantage point, he saw it was not designed to channel the water into the engine. This stops the flow of the coolant to the engine at low engine speeds and slowed it at higher engine speeds.
The solution, Ames determined, was actually a question: what is the most effective and elegant design change to address the problem? He knew he lacked the theoretical knowledge to address the issue, so Ames enrolled in “Introduction to Thermal and Fluids Engineering” taught by Mark Miner, a mechanical engineer in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at ASU.
Miner said Ames had his full confidence from the very beginning.
“Chris left me with little doubt that he would achieve his goals,” Miner said. “His confidence in returning to a challenging undergraduate thermodynamics course in the service of his idea spoke very well of his confidence and capacity.”
Since Ames was going to be on campus three days a week, he decided to take a couple of other courses that met on those days — Arizona Political Systems and World Politics: Political Realism. He said they proved to be interesting and welcome academic diversions.
Ames spent the next two years experimenting and testing a volute (a fluid flow path in pumps) extension that corrects the coolant flow problem.
That redesigned part — the A-432 Spacer — is now with the United States Patent Office for review.
Mechanic Don Henderson, who has installed the spacer on a couple of classic Thunderbirds, believes Ames has cracked the code.
“Once I saw the part, I knew it would work,” said Henderson, who helped Ames during the testing period. “I’ve seen these cars overheat for decades, but I believe Chris has finally solved the problem.”
But the proof is on the street. Ames made a 5,000-mile round-trip journey to New Jersey last year to attend a Thunderbird convention. He said it went off without a hitch. He also drove his Thunderbird in last year’s Thanksgiving Parade in Fountain Hills, and the car stayed cool, as did Ames and the Vietnam veteran honoree riding with him.
Ames also received approval from the most crucial judge — his wife of nearly 50 years.
“At first I thought this whole thing was ridiculous because it took up a lot of time,” Sharon Ames said. “Then I thought, ‘Well, I guess it’s better than him hanging out at a bar somewhere.’ I am grateful for the way it has all turned out.”
Where can i get one fot my 55
The Paragon Technology, Inc.’s website pti-az.com has a SEND AN EMAIL button in the Contact Us section.
Paragon Technology, Inc.’s new website is https://thunderbird.us/
I have a 1965 Thunderbird with a 390 cid. This car overheats in every parade I have had it in. I have tried everything to fix the problem. Even in below freezing weather it overheats in a parade. Will this help and where do I get the fix? Thanks
I’ve had the 390 V-8 in 5 vehicles, starting with a ’61 T-Bird, 2 other T-Birds and 2 Mustangs with no over-heating problems. Wonder if there is something else causing your problem. Think I’d start by flushing the engine including replacing the freeze plugs after a 2nd flush, checking all the hoses, radiator and heater core. Best of luck!!
Putting a 312 Y-block together, rear main bolt caps are to be 80 thousands less in length according to FoMoCo, I measured, and measured
What engine is this "spacer" designed for; 272, 292 or 312?
The A-432 Spacer is a replacement for the OEM Spacer that is only used on 292 and 312 Y-Block engines in the ’55, ’56, and ’57 Thunderbirds.
I have a 55 T-Bird that I have the overheating problem. I have a 292 engine.Where can I purchase the spacer to correct the problem.