1957 Ford Thunderbird for sale $59,900

Two cars literally defined the newfound freedom of the 1950s: the Chevrolet Corvette and the Ford Thunderbird. Eventually Chevrolet took their Corvette to the racetrack while Ford continued to turn their Thunderbird into the ultimate boulevard king. Now over sixty years later first generation Corvettes are cool but first generation Thunderbirds are more endearing. If youre looking for a sweet 50s-era classic thats valuable fun to drive and has the ability to turn Main Street into a parade route RK Motors Charlotte is your kind of place. And if you want to be the star of that parade this award-winning largely-original Thunderbird backing a hot 312 cubic inch V8 with a correct Ford-O-Matic 3-speed is definitely your kind of classic!

BODYWORK/TRIM

Purchased by its most dedicated owner on January 1st 1958 this largely-original T-bird was daily driven until sometime around 1973 when it was stashed in storage. No one really knows why that happened. But it probably wasnt due to mechanical failure since the cars aforementioned owner also ran a respected auto repair business that was well known around the Greensboro North Carolina area. At any rate the owner began collecting spare Ford parts in preparation for a ground-up restoration. And that restoration began sometime in the early 80s with a complete overhaul of the cars frame and drivetrain. Sadly while restoring the car the owner began to develop dementia and naturally the restoration was sidelined in the name of more important things. Fast-forward roughly 25 years to the Spring of 2015 when the Fords current owner was notified of its inclusion in an estate sale. The current owner having restored Thunderbirds in the past was delighted to find a fantastic rust-free project that merely needed finishing. And in February of 2016 this Thunderbird hit the road as a clean body-off restored classic that wraps all-original sheetmetal around a roster of original components.

The Thunderbird was Fords refined response to Chevrolets crude Corvette. And when introduced in 1955 it outsold Chevys newly minted halo by almost 24 to 1. Part of the reason for that big success was the cars versatile mix of American substance and European aesthetic. At the front of this bird a stainless egg-crate grille rides between clean headlights chrome-trimmed parking lamps an intricate header emblem and a bulleted bumper that bends around peaked fenders. Between those fenders a classy hood scoop leads the eye to a wraparound windshield thats reflected in a correct chrome mirror cleared by polished stainless wipers and framed in thick chrome trim. At the top of that trim a Colonial White hardtop latches down over a White soft top as a part of Fords innovative dual-roof system. Below those roofs sculpted door handles and stainless-trimmed fender skirts perfectly complement sedate louvers and flowing Thunderbird scripts. And at the back of the car chrome-trimmed jet-inspired taillights center an intricate trunk emblem above a second wraparound bumper.

ENGINE

Tilt this Fords lightweight hood and youll find a 312 cubic inch Thunderbird V8 that fully rebuilt in the mid-80s has been recently overhauled with fresh bearings and seals. Introduced in 1956 this stout little Y-block remained an option in blue oval staples well into the mid-70s. At the top of the bright orange mill a functional hood scoop funnels wind into a mirrored and decaled air cleaner thats perched on a big Holley carburetor. Atomized octane passes through a color-keyed intake to correct cast iron