Frequently-Asked Questions

If you wish to purchase CTCI Gift Certificates in any dollar amount, they are available for ordering. The recipients may use the certificate to pay their CTCI dues , or purchase items from the CTCI store. They are also great for chapter gift exchanges or appreciation awards.  Send your check and the denomination amount of each certificate ordered and we'll be happy to mail them to you.  For faster service, please phone the CTCI office toll free at (800) 488-2709.

If you received a damaged EarlyBird, please report it to the office by clicking on the Contact Us tab to send an e-mail. You can also call the CTCI office toll free at (800) 488-2709.  We will be happy to send you a new one.

Several items may contribute to this problem.  Did you renew your dues? Sometimes a member renews their dues for their local chapter, and forgets to send their CTCI dues.  If you are not sure, please check your checkbook, and then contact the CTCI office by clicking the Contact Us tab to send an e-mail.  Did you move or change mailing address for the winter season?  Be sure to notify the CTCI office well in advance, so that we can prepare the correct mailing labels for our mailing house.  It costs CTCI extra dollars each time EarlyBirds are returned to us and re-mailed to a member.

"My friend in the next county received his issue, but I didn't get mine."

Unfortunately, we can not get the US Postal Service to hurry up their job.  All EarlyBird issues leave the mailing house and are delivered to the Post office on the same day.  If this is a continuing problem, file a complaint with your local Postmaster and see if he or she can find out why your magazine is sitting at the station and not being delivered. Often the periodicals are set aside and take second precedence to the first class mail.

After allowing several months at the beginning of each year for the processing of late dues renewals, your new CTCI Membership Card will be included with the May-June EarlyBird issue.

Your CTCI member number can be found next to your name on the mailing sheet that accompanies your EarlyBird magazine.  It will also be on your Membership Card which you receive with the May-June EarlyBird.  Your membership number can also be found in the Membership Roster.  If those are not available, you can click the Contact Us tab to send an e-mail to the CTCI office. We will look it up and e-mail you back.

The CTCI Membership Application is available on this web site in pdf format. To download click the Become A Member tab. The application form is also available in the center of the March-April EarlyBird issue.  For additional applications and cards you can send an e-mail to the office by clicking on the Contact Us tab. Please note that the Membership Applications were revised in Feb. 2009, so if you are holding onto old ones, please discard and print or order new forms.

To update this information you may contact the CTCI office by e-mail, phone, letter, or fax.  For e-mail, please click on the Contact Us tab.  We will update the information as soon as it is received in our office. If you have seasonal address changes, please let us know well in advance, so we can be sure to mail your EarlyBird to the correct address.

Yes. Please visit the Club Store on this site for complete ordering information.

Invoices are available to CTCI members only from the American Road Thunderbird Club (TARTC), Chapter 5.  The information for ordering the invoices is available on their web site.  For you convenience a link to their web site has been provided by going to the Chapters page, then clicking on Region 2, Michigan, Chapter 5 American Road Thunderbird Club. You can also access their site direct at www.tartc.org.  Please note, however, that not all invoice copies are available for all three years, and only about 1/2 of the 1955 model year invoices are available.  Original invoices are available, if they have not previously been ordered by prior owners.  If they have been sent out before, then only copies of the original are available from their files.

Membership in CTCI is open to all persons who are interested in the purpose of the club. The primary purpose is to encourage and promote the admiration and ownership, care and maintenance, with safe and courteous operation of the "Classic Thunderbird" which is defined as a two-passenger 1955, 1956 and 1957 Ford Thunderbird automobile. You do not have to own a "Classic Thunderbird" to join.

A detailed explanation of the various judging classes available to show your Thunderbird is available in the Concours And Touring Division Rules Document I. This document can be viewed or downloaded by going to the Concours Rules page on the Events tab. After reviewing this document, if you have further questions please feel free to contact the current CTCI Concours Rules and Guidelines Chairman. This information can be found under Officers/Staff by visiting the About Us tab.

If your Chapter is in need of a Certificate of Insurance from the CTCI insurance company, please contact the CTCI office at least 30 days prior to your event. Please be prepared to provide CTCI with the date(s) and location of this event. You can contact the office via e-mail by going to the Contact Us tab.

CTCI holds one sanctioned International Convention in the even numbered years and there can be sanctioned Regional Conventions in each of the six (6) Regions in the odd numbered years. These conventions are bid on and hosted by CTCI Chapter Clubs with the assistance of CTCI staff. The locations of these events will vary from year to year depending on the location chosen by the host Chapter. If you are interested in hosting a CTCI International or Regional Event, you can review the Concours Guidelines and Concours Procedures by going to the Concours Guidelines page on the Events tab. This document can downloaded for your convenience.