1957Birdman

Well, it is a drop top, but not exactly a sporty car. My father-in-law’s first car was one of these. I will let people who are more familiar with these cars comment on price, but you are getting extras including a complete engine. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

It does have a Ford-O-Matic transmission and dual exhausts which means it could have the 312 cid 245 hp Thunderbird Special Y-8 engine. This car is the Fairlane 500 Club Sedan and it is nice to see that the two-tone is painted correctly. Agree that more information and pictures are needed. It is good to see that there are still 57 Fords out there besides the “Hide-Away-Hardtop” ones. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Looks like a nice car, but for $53K I think I could find a nice 1940 Ford convertible that would be a lot more comfortable to drive. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

It was called the "Automatic Stick Shift". I never drove one. I learned to drive in a 1965 VW Beetle with regular stick shift. It was a good car to learn on. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

SBC would make this a deal breaker for me if I were in the market for on. Too bad…. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

In the full-size Ford in 1957, the Thunderbird Special rocker arm covers could be found on both the 292 and 312 engines. I know this because my dad had a 57 Ford Fairlane 500 Club Victoria with the 292 engine that had the same rocker arm covers. If the car had a 312 engine it would have had a medallion on the glovebox door (a small Thunderbird with Special written across it). The 312 also had a 4 barrel carburetor and dual exhausts, which the 292 didn’t have. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

It does look like a nice car. The two tone paint is incorrect for the car. It may be that the top was repainted white. If it is a two tone car it should have Willow Green on the lower body and top with Colonial White on the upper body. It appears to have a 292 which should give the car plenty of power. I agree the price is on the high side, but not outrageous. It looks like it is in a dry part of California so maybe rust isn’t a problem. Buy it, drive it, and enjoy it. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Lumpy drove a 1940 Ford convertible on Leave it to Beaver. On 77 Sunset Strip Stu Bailey (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) always drove a current year Ford Thunderbird and Jeff Spencer (Roger Smith) drove a current year Ford Sunliner. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Pricing is optimistic, IMHO. Probably also has a non-running 221 V8, which is a wheezer at best. At least the dashboard looks pretty good. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Looks pretty nice on the outside and being a California car from the start is a definite plus. They would have to prove to me that mileage is correct. I am also thinking those wheel covers are not correct for the car. At least it does not have the mag wheels that so many people add to these cars. Of course the interior needs major work including a new upper dash and at least front seat covers. Given the rebuilt engine, it seems like a reasonable price. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

The car could only have 29K miles on it, but why then did it need a new carpet? I guess the sun could have bleached it. It does come from the right part of the country for minimal rust issues. The asking price is $16K or reasonable offer. I wonder how the gas mileage is with that thirsty 430 under the hood? Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

A 6-cylinder drag car??? I always liked 57 Fords in general and the station wagons in particular. I’m just not liking what is left of this car at any price. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

The car looks to be in pretty nice shape, the problem is the styling and color won't set many hearts pounding. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Darel Dieringer loved the fastback version of this car driving in the NASCAR circuit. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

This is the first I ever heard of the “Automatic Rain Guard” feature. It would be interesting to know how it was supposed to work. It probably wouldn’t work too well if the top boot was snapped in place. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird (without Automatic Rain Guard)

This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is a legit color combination (Raven Black and Goldenrod Yellow) for a 1955 Ford Sunliner. If I bought it the first thing to go would be the continental kit. If it has a 292 V8 than it is a replacement for the original 272. It looks like a nice car if not rusty underneath. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Looking really good Chris. I was wondering about how you fit in your car. I've sat in one a couple of times and it was just too tight for someone my height, 6' 2". The interesting thing is that I was able to fit into my daughter's 1997 Miata with no problem and it had a fixed steering wheel. The MGA was definitely designed for shorter people. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

My first car was a 1969 Galaxie 500 Sportsroof. It had a better color combination, maroon with a black interior. Thank goodness it had air conditioning (those seats got really hot in the summer). It had a 351 Windsor which gave it plenty of power. The only negatives were the rim blow horn (which had a tendency to blow an at inappropriate times) and the rear windows would go off their tracks if rolled completely down. The 1970 version didn’t look as good from the front as mine, IMHO. It was a good car for a college student with plenty of trunk space. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

The driver's side door needs more than a "little" cosmetic work. Would require a thorough check underneath to the car to be sure there aren't other rust problems. Nice 1950s color combination. Interior needs help, including proper door cards and window crank and door handle. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

This is one of the odd times where the Mercury version (Comet) definitely has the best of it in the looks department, in my opinion. Would be nice to know what engine the car has. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Nice car, but I thought the Super Marauder had the 427 cid engine. Tom McCahill did a test of one in 1963 that he clocked at 150 MPH for top speed. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Milt, Let me say upfront I am no expert on horns in general or Chevy ones in particular. Having said that I was able to refresh the horn on my T-Bird, which uses Sparton horns. Your horn, like the Sparton on my car, appears to have points (like ignition points) that get corroded over time. If you loosen the nut in the middle of the horn, you should be able see the points and then file or sand them to clean them. That nut actually adjusts the horn. Too tight or too loose results in no sound. Once you have cleaned the points then you can connect the horn to a twelve-volt battery and adjust until you get sound. I would adjust and then touch the wire to one of the connectors on the horn, assuming the other wire is already connected. I am almost sure that is the problem, as the components in the horn look to be in pretty good shape. If it is anything else than someone else with more expertise will have to help. Good luck, Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

I think the magazine is well done and I think there a number of excellent articles in each issue. There are also columns by Jay Leno, Wayne Carini, and a number of Car & Driver alumni (including the editor). The driver’s club offers more than the magazine, support that is detailed in a prior post. It is worth the price in my opinion. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

A mighty nice looking Mustang. If it has been a California car since new it probably has no rust issues and with a little cleaning under the hood it would be ready to show. Of course it would be a shame to let a car like this sit in the garage with a cover over it. They were meant to drive! I also think the price is in the ballpark. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

I’m surprised that the car hasn’t sold at that price. For me, that is my least favorite body style of the 1966 T-Birds. The huge blind spot caused by the way the top is designed is a deal breaker for me. Whoever buys it will at least know what they are getting based on the description. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird