1957 C-code Ford Thunderbird Convertible

1957 C-code Ford Thunderbird

Classic Thunderbird fans, we have an opportunity for you in this 1957 T-Bird. This T-bird is a great little driver for not a whole lot of money. Drive this iconic car and be the envy of your friends.

Made in Ford's Dearborn, Michigan assembly plant on August 30, 1957, this T-Bird sports a red exterior that is overall very good order but it has various blemishes on the paint and trim. The car's bodywork is straight and solid and the engine bay is very tidy. Its white, folding top is in good, original shape with some wear, but fully serviceable, sorry no hardtop.

The car's battery and bumpers are in good, original order.

This pretty Bird rolls on Dominator SD6 steel-belted, white stripe radials, size 205/75R14 at all four corners. Each tire is mounted to a steel wheel topped with factory wheel covers.

Under that forward-hinged hood, is Ford's 292 CID Y-block V-8 engine. All Ford Y-Blocks were up on power for the 1957 model year. The 292 was available as the C-code engine option, once again with a slight difference between the manual transmission and "Ford-O-Matic" automatic transmission. Compression was up to 9.1:1 in manual cars. Backing this engine is a three-speed manual transmission (code 1) with a 3.56:1 rear end (code 2).

Inside, the car's black-and-white interior is in overall very good, condition and has been recently replaced - the seats, the black carpet, the three-spoke steering wheel, instrument panel (from the 1956 full-size Fords), inner door panels and shift lever. A factory AM radio rounds out the interior. Largely original interior that shows some age. The tach is inop and the driver side wind wind is missing.

For 1957, the front bumper was reshaped, the grille and tailfins were made larger and larger taillights were fitted. A longer rear section improved storage space. The spare tire moved back inside the trunk, which had been redesigned to allow it to be mounted vertically. Moving the spare inside improved ride and handling. The side "Thunderbird" script moved from the fins to the front fenders. The left side emblem is broken.

A new option was "Dial-O-Matic" four-way power seats that would move rearward when the ignition was turned off to allow easier exit and entry. In addition to the standard 292 and optional 312 engines, higher performance versions of the 312 were offered, including two with a four-barrel Holley carburetor or a McCulloch/Paxton centrifugal supercharger. Nineteen fifty-seven sales were 21,380, including three extra months of production because the 1958 models were late.

Competition to this Thunderbird in 1957 included Austin-Healey's 100, Chevrolet's Bel-Air Convertible Corvette, Dodge's Royal Lancer Convertible, the Dual-Ghia 500, Ford's own Fairlane Skyliner, Mercury's Turnpike Cruiser Convertible, Oldsmobile's Super 88 Convertible, Plymouth's Belvedere Convertible and Pontiac's Star Chief Convertible.

Classic Ford Fans and Thunderbird collectors should take note of this example. With some modest effort, this car could return to showroom new. Stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today to see it in person then drive it home!

VIN: C7FH371393

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 84,543 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

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