1957Birdman

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

Asking price seems a little optimistic for a non-running car that needs a full restoration. Of course, it does have a hemi engine. Hopefully minimal rust since it is in California. Mopar fans, in your opinion, is this a good price for this car? Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Chris, Are there any circuit breakers in the wiring system? Two fuses does seem like a mighty small number and I guess it is indictative of a car with minimal electrical components. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Another possibly cheap way to get into the hobby, that is if it does not take too much to get it running. On the other hand, there is nothing much special about this car other than its name. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

The paint is in pretty poor shape for a car with less than 100K miles. It must have sat outside in acid rain for years. The price seems realistic given the overall condition, so probably shouldn’t nitpick it too much. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Chris, your voltage regulator might be fine, but you may want to have it tested with your generator to be sure. Arlington Armature can do it and it is close to you in Lorton. Contact information below. My experience has been that with the modern replacement voltage regulators I have bought, a number have not worked very well and had to be replaced. It seems like most are of Asian origin today, which are of questionable quality. Of course, your car is "blessed" with Lucas, Prince of Darkness electricals which may present its own problems. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

I believe the Mercedes 540 K was Hermann Goring's car, not Martin Bormann's, and was painted blue when he owned it. Dr. Mark Felton has a posting on U-tube that talks about the cars of the Third Reich leaders. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

It probably has throttle body fuel injection, which is a big improvement over the 1970's cars that still had carburetors. I don't care much for the body and interior colors. The price is also in the ballpark. Definitely looks like a buy and drive proposition, all else being equal. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Not my car. This particular car is in need of some serious TLC. The main thing it has going for it is it being a California car, so most likely rust is not an issue. It looks like it is hardtop only and the interior is incorrect but looks to be in pretty good shape. The price is realistic for the condition of the car. https://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/d/1957-bird/7690077777.html I have no personal interest or stake in the sale of this 1957 Ford Thunderbird. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Seems like a nice "meat and potatoes" way to get into the classic car hobby. Looks like the radiator has been changed, everything elase looks original. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

The price isn't too cool. At least the tire is only flat on the bottom. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Since the 1950's Ford police applications have been identified as "Police Interceptor". That moniker has been on full size Fords, Mustangs, and Ford Explorers (not an exhaustive list). I remember seeing an orange 2002 Mustang GT on I-95 that had pulled someone over. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Guess he also never heard of a compression check. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Looks like a really nice car for the price and it even has the better looking (IMHO) single headlights. One thing to check would be the 312 Y-block to make sure the rear main seal isn't leaking too badly. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Pretty strong asking price for a car in its current condition. If it is an original New York car there is no telling what it looks like underneath the car. It also might hard to find some of the exterior parts that it needs, since I don't think the survival rate for that particular make and model is too high. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

It is a car that presents well, but I would have to think really hard before laying down 18 large for a Henry J, no matter what the condition. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Looks like a very nice car at a reasonable price. I am not a big fan of that landau top and the large blind spot it creates, but other than that it does look like it is in turn-key shape. It even has the 7 Liter V8 engine.n Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

This is a sad commentary on the state of the hobby. For my part, I have always put more emphasis on having my cars running well first before I put the time into fixing the cosmetics. I am proud of the fact that I can hop into my car and make the 2 hour drive to Hershey each year from Rockville, Maryland without major problems. I am also pleased that I could, if asked, confirm that the headlights, turn signals, wipers, and horn work as they are supposed to. I drove to Knoxville, Tennessee for a national T-Bird convention and put over 500 miles on my car in one day. I would never recommend that for a car that has not been sorted out. The fun in the hobby is about driving our cars and I am glad that Matt stuck it out to end up with the fine driving car that he has now. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird

Check out the following link: Neoprene Rear Oil Seal Installation (Plus other key points to consider) - Classic Thunderbird Club International (ctci.org) This is something that is encountered quite frequently in the early T-Birds. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird