Up for sale is a 1957 Ford Thunderbird with the numbers matching factory 312 V8 Y block and an automatic transmission. This car has the removable hardtop, the factory convertible top is behind the seat, and I do have the original tonneau cover in the trunk.

I bought the Thunderbird back in 2020 from the original owner and got the full story on the car from her. The car was purchased in 1957 up in San Francisco from the Cecil Whitebone dealership as a wedding gift. The car still has the original black and yellow license plates as well as the dealership frame. In 1968 the original owners moved to Claremont, California and I have a copy of the pink slip showing the change in address in my documents that go with the car. The car was garage kept in that same house and only driven occasionally once they moved. In 1999 the car was placed on non-up and taken off the road until I purchased it. I do have a clean pink slip in my name and the car is currently registered, insured, and I do drive it when I have the time.

As far as I can tell the Thunderbird still has the original paint with a few areas that have been touched up years ago before I purchased it. It does have a good amount of dings, scratches, and dents from the original owner. When I purchased the car there was an area on the trunk that was starting to peel and had some bare metal starting to show so before it got worse I did scuff, clean, and added some metal etch primer to stop the spread and prevent anymore damage or rust. Other than that the paint has been untouched because I wanted to leave as much of the original paint on the car as possible. There is one spot of rust on the passenger rear quarter panel half the size of a penny.

In the 5 years I have owned the Thunderbird I have gone over everything to make it mechanical sound and a great driver. I have installed a brand new heavy duty radiator. New water pump. New battery. New spark plugs and wires. New rotor and distributor cap. All four brake wheel cylinders have been replaced. The original dash pad was cracked and falling apart so I installed an all new pad. I also replaced the windshield rubber. Rear axle seals. Valve guide seals. New radial white wall tires that look like bias ply tires. New shocks. I installed a retro sound Bluetooth radio as well as a new dash speaker to make the car more enjoyable to drive. The hard top rubber was dried out around the back window area so I installed the 3 piece rubber kit where the roof meets the body. I also installed a Pertronix electronic ignition with a new coil. The car has a Holley 4 barrel carburetor. New glass pack mufflers. And I installed new 2” lowering springs in the front as well as 2” lowering blocks in the back to give it more of that California stance without modifying the original parts. If the new buyer would like I can reinstall the original springs after the transfer of funds have been completed. I do own a hot rod shop and can easily change them out free of charge.

I do have a box of the original parts that go with the car as well. The hub caps are a little rough and I would recommend replacing them, I do have all 4 but it looks like all 4 have come off of the car at one point or another which is why I usually leave them in the trunk. I did mount them for the pictures just to show I have them but like I said they have seen better days.

The only reason why the car is for sale is I just do not drive it enough and I would rather see it go to someone that would take care of it and drive it more than I am able to. I have put a little over 4,500 miles on the car in 5 years and it has definitely been a favorite for date nights as well as long drives up and down Pacific Coast Highway.

Price: $28,000

More info: Click here to see original eBay auction and get more information (Affiliate link)

Seller's other items: surfk9s (Affiliate link)

Location: Riverside, California, United States