Vehicle Description
Two-seat Baby Birds are legendary cars in their own right, but this
particular 1957 Ford Thunderbird Restomod packs a high-powered
punch that will absolutely blow you away. With a thundering
fuel-injected 347 Stroker V8 and 5-speed manual transmission
leading the charge, this iconic convertible has an aggressive
muscle-car attitude, but it's still wrapped up in that original
classic livery that America fell in love with in the '50s. Add in a
supremely comfortable interior with a host of choice options, and
the result is something altogether amazing.
The amount of work that went into this build is immense, but you'd
hardly know anything was unusual from the look of the exterior.
Seeing a 'Bird without skirts isn't typical in many of today's
restos, but that's actually how they came because the familiar
skirts were an option, not standard equipment. As a result, this
one looks pretty correct wearing its Gunmetal Gray paint and clean
1957 lines that are remarkably free of obstructive ornamentation
and heavy-handed chrome that would otherwise take away from the
sleek design. The bodywork is laser straight and everything lines
up very well, particularly for a convertible, and it's obvious that
a good deal of money was spent on the cosmetics. The finish is
extremely strong, with little to no imperfections to speak of, and
the shine and luster of the paint is striking, just take a look at
our lights reflecting off the panels in our photos. These cars
weren't born with a ton of chrome and brightwork, but the glitter
from the bumpers, front grille, fender vents, and the rest of the
trim provides a perfect amount of shine that really pops out
against the dark gray paint. Quite honestly, the look of this Baby
Bird is amazing, but we won't be surprised if most interest will be
paid the moment you peer under the hood and into the contrasting
red cabin. But cruising down the road, you'll be the envy of every
other motorist because you'll have the world's biggest grin on your
face.
Open the doors and you'll quickly see that the interior is where
some really remarkable things have happened. The red vinyl bench
seat is stock spec, with plush cushions underneath that provide
all-day comfort, and the expensive-looking pleated upholstery is
matched on the door panels and dash. Bright red interior against
gray paint is a common color combination employed by many luxurious
cars for its elegant contrast, so there's no surprise that it works
so well here, and the light color wood trim in the door panels and
dash add a touch of sophistication inside. A trick aftermarket
leather-wrapped steering wheel anchors the cabin as it sits mounted
atop a polish tilt column, and its sportiness is matched by the
racy-looking pedals and Hurst cue-ball shifter that manages the
5-speed below. A lovely array of Classic Instruments gauges are
crystal clear and update the original look beautifully, and they
work in concert with an EFI-tuner screen mounted farther down the
dash. Entertainment comes via a retro-style AutoSound AM/FM/AUX
that sounds great, and if rolling the power windows down doesn't
cool the car off enough, the Vintage A/C unit works great and blows
nice and cold. Plush carpets insulate the cabin floors, a Hartz
black convertible top fits like a glove and looks brand new, and
the spacious trunk out back is finished neatly with correct plaid
mats and a relocated battery.
Powering this Baby Bird is a custom full-roller 347 Stroker V8, and
despite the extra cubes it's a very neat fit in the original engine
bay. Dyno'd at 456 horsepower and built with a host of custom
upgrades inside, the motor is strong as can be, and with
performance goodies like a Holley Sniper EFI system, Edelbrock
intake, MSD distributor, March serpentine belt system, and a giant
aluminum radiator up front, it's incredibly dependable too. It
starts easily and makes the lightweight T-Bird absolutely fly, and
it's been presented and detailed for show with a chrome air
cleaner, valve covers, and lots of polished parts throughout. A
custom Cobra-spec 5-speed manual transmission made the trip, too,
and it drives a built 9-inch locker rear end with 3.73 gears, so it
can handle anything you throw at it without ever getting tired. The
chassis was built for performance handling, with an original frame
modified to provide a modern ride via a Heidts front end with power
rack-and-pinion steering, a 4-link out back, and adjustable QA-1
coilovers and Wilwood power disc brakes at all four corners.
Long-tube headers feed a custom Flowmaster dual exhaust system that
gives it a great V8 burble, and the look is finished with a set of
genuine Dayton knock-off wheels wrapped with thick 205/75/15
rubber.
Beautifully built with the best-of-the-best components and parts,
this is easily the most impressive Baby Bird featured in our
inventory. If you appreciate unique restomods executed to a high
standard, this one absolutely nails it. Call today!
