alsancle Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 (edited) I'm not a T-Bird guy but as I have gotten older I have warmed to them. Imagine that. If I was buying it would be this one (as F Birds are a fortune). 57, Black, Dual Quads and a Stick with overdrive. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1957-ford-thunderbird-84/ This 1957 Ford Thunderbird is one of approximately 1,499 built for the model year that were ordered with an E-code 312ci V8 equipped with dual four-barrel carburetors. This example is equipped with a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive, and additional features include a removable black hardtop, a tonneau cover, chrome trim, Kelsey-Hayes chrome wire wheels, rear fender skirts, and a Town and Country radio. The car was refurbished during prior ownership, which included repainting the exterior in black, retrimming the interior with black and white upholstery, and a rebuild of the drivetrain. Acquired by the seller in 2015, this E-Code Thunderbird is now offered with a clean Iowa title in the seller’s name. Edited August 6, 2021 by alsancle (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gearheadengineer Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 My wife wants an early T-bird some day so I keep an eye on them. I almost bought an E bird in the last big recession (‘09 maybe?). Asking price was OK for the full project that it was. I’m glad I passed. It needed a bunch of metal replacement. Within my capabilities but outside of my desire at the time, if that makes sense. Plus at the time she drove plenty fast enough in her minivan - she did NOT need a dual carb bird! My local CL and Facebook Marketplace have several early T-birds listed. Wide range of prices and conditions. Most have been listed for a long time so maybe the market is weak for these now. This black one looks quite nice in the pic above. I don’t do BaT any more so hopefully someone will update us with the final bid amount. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesR Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 Oh, how beautiful! And the engine bay is almost as clean as the rest of the car. It's at $32k and six days left on the bidding. What kind of HP would a dual quad 312 put out in '57? I get the impression that it was 260, but the wiki article I got that from is a bit vague on that point. Good luck to the seller and buyer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted August 6, 2021 Author Share Posted August 6, 2021 Not sure what the HP is on the "E" code. But I'll bet the dual quad 312 is noticeably peppier than the 292. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 Like the black a lot. I have heard white actually negatively impacts value on these because there are so many white ones. Personally, I like white but I like the unusual colors best. How does an average Tbird trade at 1/4 the price of a 190 SL (and I am generally an SL guy). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 Tbird dress kit, and the early vettes, best looking valvecovers ever! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrudy Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 Beautiful car, I am a little too tall for these cars. Sure do like the looks though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1957Birdman Posted August 6, 2021 Share Posted August 6, 2021 The E Code T-Bird had 270 horse power. It was available with 3 speed stick, 3 speed stick with O/D, or automatic transmission. This car has the overdrive transmission, which will help some with gas economy. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m-mman Posted August 9, 2021 Share Posted August 9, 2021 (edited) On 8/6/2021 at 4:43 AM, alsancle said: Not sure what the HP is on the "E" code. But I'll bet the dual quad 312 is noticeably peppier than the 292. Maybe, but it comes at a price. The stock 312 uses a Ford - Motorcraft flat top carb like what was used into the late 60s. The 2x4 cars for 1957 used two "teapot" carbs like you would find on a 1956 Ford. In 1957 Ford introduced their Motorcraft carbs ( 2 and 4 barrels) and said "This year's 2 barrel moves more air than last years 4 barrel" I have not calculated the total CFM advantage between a standard single 1957 four barrel and two 1956 four barrels (what is installed on the 1957 E motor) but I dont think that it would be as advantageous as you would initially think. It might make more power on a test stand but in an everyday real world situation, I would be doubtful. And keeping two 1956 Teapots working cant be without its own headaches. Edited August 9, 2021 by m-mman (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1957Birdman Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 All early T-Birds used Holley carburetors. The 57 D code cars used the first application of the Holley 4150 carb. Anyone buying an E code T-Bird is buying it for its relative rarity, not its performance potential. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carbking Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 The dual Holleys, without modification, were too much carburetion for the 312! Sometime, someone figured out to limit the opening of the secondaries, and the engines ran better. Most of the serious racers got more power out of the 4150 than the dual quads, simply because they were smaller overall. The folks that figured out the secondary limiting got marginally better performance from the dual quads. Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avgwarhawk Posted August 10, 2021 Share Posted August 10, 2021 Nice car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike6024 Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 I was going to ask what it sold for, but it's not sold yet CURRENT BID: $35,250 ENDS IN: 17:28:32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1957Birdman Posted August 11, 2021 Share Posted August 11, 2021 Car was a no sale at $51,500. I think that is a pretty reasonable bid for a car that frankly has a few issues and also is missing a convertible top. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now