1957 Ford Thunderbird

Convertible

312 cu in V8

Automatic

D7FH142778

Clear

Gasoline

I purchased the car when the previous owner passed away. It was a Florida car and I was given trophies it had won at local car shows around Old Town and the Kissimmee Florida area. Since then the car has deteriorated a bit. Probably not a trophy winner now, but still a nice driver. The former owner purchased the car out of California. One of the photos shows a copy of the former owner's title with the previous title stated as CA. I purchased the car with intentions of taking it to the next level. However, my age is catching up with me. I'm in my mid 70's now and losing my ambition to work on these cars. Following is my best description of the car as I know it along with the issues is has: EXTERIOR:Vehicle received a cosmetic restoration more than 20 years ago. It was not restored underneath. The frame, suspension, etc. looks as you would expect from a car that has been driven. The paint is very shiny and looks good from 10 or 15 feet. But upon close inspection there are flaws in the finish. Some areas have "orange peel" and there is at least one place where it looks like a few small drops from the paint gun landed on the finish. I guess the show judges didn't look that close because it won a few trophies at local car shows. There are also some nicks and chips in the paint. There is most likely some filler in the lower left front fender. Other than that the body looks like all metal. There is a dent in the left quarter panel. (See photo with circled area and arrow) I tried to photograph it but the dent wouldn't show. It is actually dented out as if something in the trunk hit it. The chrome and stainless is exceptionally good on this car. Very shiny, no pits or flaws that I can see. No expensive chrome plating needed. The solid, straight body and beautiful chrome and stainless is what made me purchase the car. My plan was to have it painted, install a new top, detail the engine compartment and tune the motor which would take it to a whole new level of value. The windshield has a light wiper streak at the top right edge - about 4 inches or so Not bad and might come out by buffing the glass. INTERIOR:Interior is very nice and very little needed here. The lower dash, speaker grille, and steering wheel should be white, not Inca Gold. It could be left that way if desired or an easy refinish to be factory correct. Someone installed battery and temperature gauges. They are not fastened to the dash but are sitting on the transmission hump under the center of the dash. Someone, (probably the previous owner) spray can painted the top bows of the convertible top black. By doing that he over sprayed black paint onto the inside of the top canvas liner. I guess he was planning to install a new top but never got to it. There are some small cuts and other flaws in the top as well - see photos. The original radio was substituted for an AM/FM unit that is fitted in the dash. ENGINE / MECHANICAL:The car wasn't driven for a while after the owner died. I drove it very little since my purchase. Engine doesn't smoke and starts easily. However, fresh gas and a tune up would improve engine performance. Transmission and rear differential work fine, shifts well with no unusual noises. Engine compartment would look much better with a good detailing - see photos. The power steering makes a squealing noise when turning. It might need attention or possibly might stop when driven more. There is also a hissing noise then the brake pedal is pressed, like a vacuum leak, and that causes the engine to try to stall when idling. Contact me through the ebay system if you are local and want to see the car in person. There is no buy it now, please don't ask what I'd take for it. I believe my reserve is very fair as I'm motivated to sell. I will not disclose the reserve, please don't ask. Buyer must arrange all shipping. I will cooperate with the shipper. I'm home most of the time as I'm retired. Preferred payment of balance is by wire transfer after a $1,000 non refundable deposit through paypal. Buyers from outside the USA are welcome, but payment balance must be made by wire transfer only after a $1,000 non refundable deposit within 24 hours through paypal. On Aug-01-18 at 07:23:24 PDT, seller added the following information: UNDERNEATH CAR - FRAME & FLOOR I had a few inquiries about the condition of the frame and floor. So, I jacked up the car and crawled under to inspect and take photos only to learn I can't put additional photos in the listing unless I delete some and ebay won't allow any photo deletions because there are bids already placed. I have 3 additional photos I can send you if you contact me through ebay. Here is what I found underneath. There is a lot of undercoat on everything but it looks like the inner rockers and floor boards are original. The frame is looks very solid. I can see no rusted areas or welded areas where it had been repaired in the past. I found 2 areas where someone might want to make it better. They are not structural and could be left alone if desired.First area is passenger side rear at the rocker. One of the supports that ties into the rocker panel is rusted through where it attaches to the rocker. Second area is on driver side front at rocker panel. One of the supports is rusted much like the first area. In that same area the very front of the floor pan (about 5" X 5" or less) is rusted and soft. Not sure if it is rusted through. Both of these areas look like easy fixes with a welder.