My dad told me a story about someone that he knew that worked for the Ford dealership and she had a 57 F Code T-Bird. He and my grandma told me about once when this girl and her dad were coming to visit my grandparents and after they got there her dad asked my grandpa if he could give him a ride home because he wasn't ever getting in that car with her again. One of the biggest mistakes that I ever made was not buying a 57 312 T-Bird that I was doing some work on for a friend after she got it in her divorce.
I let a first gen T-Bird slip outta my hands at auction that went for $400. I was there for another car and I felt that I needed to stay focused on the job. Its one of my regrets in life.
@@Ozarkwoods I have made many automotive mistakes. Selling my 70 Nova SS 4 Speed, 68 Sport Satellite, 47 Willy's CJ2A, 68 Mustang GT are right up there. But the one that really stands out was passing on a 70 LS6 Chevelle for $4K because I already had my Nova which was my first car.
Long ago I was getting more parts from a professional bird restorer and I mentioned I'd never been in one. He said we could drive one of his so off we went me driving. Several miles out he said I'm not going to break it so go ahead and open it up.... ok doke. To this day I still am amazed he trusted me with 1 of 7 phase 1 birds and probably the only one not in a museum. He has one of the best F model collections and drives his cars all around the country. I've been driving my high performance bird like a rented mule for 25 years now and know well these are very strong durable easy to maintain cars built for driving..., and so that's what we do. Really sad to see so many great road cars hidden, get them out and give the citizens a reason to smile.
The distributor at the back of the "Y" blocks was a pain in the ass to change points and condensor on as well as the never ending oil leaks from the valve covers and the crap oiling system to the rockers. I saw so many back in the day with seriously burned rockers & shafts because of the non oiling problem. I did see a couple of non stock outside oiling systems because I worked pumping gas at 16. Remember, that was back in the non detergent oil days. Pennzoil was the worst offender but the cheapest. Head top surfaces that looked like they had thick black wax on them.
@@skipperclinton1087 Just about all V8s, other than the Flathead, had the distributor at the back. Much easier to adjust/file/replace points with the distributor out. Valve covers bolt through the top, which is the most reliable way, but over-tightening them will warp them so that they won't seal. Buick Nailhead's valve covers also bolt down that way, as do 53 and earlier Chevy 6s.
Only rear hinged hood cars and not an issue since pertronix. None of my valve covers leak and I don't glue head side of the gaskets and just snugged cover nuts. Ford quickly solved rocker oil with a simple cam bearing fix. Rocker shafts didn't 'burn' they just wore the shafts. Better oil, gaskets and sealant pretty much all we needed. Sometimes i wish my cars would have a problem so I could work on them but they just keep running. Didn't think there were any left old as me. @@skipperclinton1087
My 55 custom bird has a 55 chevy drive train yes chevy 350 I can lift front wheels off the ground from launch. So many high performance parts for the 350 eng.
In 1961, at a 1/5 mile drag strip in Heath, Ohio, during a time trial we watched a 1957 Fairlane 500 coupe with the F-code Paxton supercharger beat a new Hemi Chrysler by almost a car length. A tear-down was demanded by the Chrysler team, but the 'Bird met the factory specs for the cam, lifters, heads, and the special differential gearing (I think 371 but I'm not sure) that was available as an option from Ford.
My friend dad had an E-code bird. The only reason it wasn't an F-bird was the salesman talked the buyer out of it. My friends dad bought it in '73 for $3K. Still a very cool triple black, dual qual 312, 1957. Really fast.
Hi, I was a boy when the 57 bird came out, I was in love with it then and still now. as a teenager a guy down the street had one for sale for $1200 but could not afford it. I was appalled when they changed the body style in '58. Rich
I am a little younger - born in 1955 - and I felt the same way when the 61 T-Birds came out. My instant reaction was, "They ruined it!" Sales fell by about half, so I wasn't the only one who felt that way!
F.O.R.D, Found On Road Dead! Although I did have a '56 Vicki hardtop with a 292, full race cam, 312 Thunderbird heads and three Stomberg 97's w/progressive linkage atop a Weiand manifold in '66 that would eat 283's alive even when I had three passengers. Lots of torque. It was coupled to a 3spd manual tranny. Street sleeper. Stock Ford hubcaps & blackwalls, not wheel covers. A real tire turner! I don't remember what the rear end ratio was although originally it came with a Fordomatic so whatever Ford put in it was stock.
Some misinformation here. The F code 312 Thunderbird Special made 300 advertised horsepower. The 340 horsepower number was the NASCAR version not available to the general public. I own a 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk, also McCulloch/Paxton blown 289 with 275 horsepower and a 3 speed with overdrive in 2nd. and 3rd., so 5 speeds. Another top dog in 1957.
My Father had a 61 Chevy Belaire 283 4 barrel with three on the Tree plus the Borg Warner overdrive.. you could really wind the 283 up .. I raced a Studebaker Lark on a Highway in 1983 with my '79 Z-28 Camaro he hung in there pretty good up to 130 MPH but My Camaro walked away doing 150 MPH. He thought he was going to Embarrass me with his Sleeper car.
Grew up in small town in VA and a local business owner had two of these F code Thunderbirds. One black and one white. I remember they were very cool cars and seeing them up close just seemed liked i was looking at something special. Even though I knew very little about them.
I have had a 1964 Thunderbird Convertible "Wanda" for about four years, she underwent a $100K restoration before I bought her. Before I bought her, I looked at a 1957 312 car (stunning car), but I could not fit in it (I"m 6'9"). The 64 was a tight fit as well, but I equipped mine with extensions to move the front seats back three inches, now we're good. I love Wanda and I'm glad to have her, but I was disappointed that I couldn't fit in the baby bird. The 57 is one of the sexiest designs of the post-war era. This is a great video. That dusk rose bird at the end, if it is an F-code, is one of three pink supercharged birds ever made. I have read that those are the rarest colors on the F-birds.
You got that right, I'm 5-10 and had to move the seat back 2" in my 57 and 59 birds. 64-66 really beautiful inside and out and very nice ride. You really wouldn't fit a prewar, well except head room, you could keep yer top hat on in those.
I used to see a black '57 Ford company sponsored race sedan. It had aa blown 312 too. Car name? "Blowin in the Wind." I never saw him lose a race. Car was from Bangor, Maine.
An F Code convertible Bird. No contest! 1 of my all time dream cars. Maybe didn't handle quite as nicely as the Vettes or some foreign imports, but its blistering straight line performance made it formidable!
The Thunderbird really came out to compete with the '53 to '55 Corvette, a sporty, but anemic car. With the creation of the Chevy small block V8, it had to go into the Corvette because of the Thunderbird's V8. It could have easily been a flop, as initially Chevrolet was building a V8 around 230 to 240 cubic inches. It was found that it could easily handle 265 cid and that is what they ended up building, fortunately. Still, Corvette didn't have great styling, had plastic window inserts, no outside door handles, and a host of non-comfort features. Corvette got Zora Duntov, and he directed it to a sports car world. Ford took the direction of a miniature personal convertible, simply a full size Ford scaled-down to this size. As such, they didn't concentrate on the chassis or sports car handling, just being a typical American car that is fast in a straight line. They also loaded it with passenger comforts. So while many try to say they compete, they were really two different worlds. The '56 Corvette was a reaction to the Thunderbird to look good, having real comforts, as well as have some power. With '57, Corvette got more power with the jump from 265 cid to 283 cid. So actually, Ford saved Corvette. How is that for irony?
When I was younger I would have purchased a new Corvette. Now, at 78, I think I would look more towards the creature comfort T-Bird as a new car purchase. Ron (“in Utah”)
My grandfather Charles William marken 2nd was a tool and die engineer in Dearborn Michigan for Ford's, he drove a different car home daily,my grandmother , Mildred l. Marken with her two coworkers of universal stamping on Monroe St in saline Michigan crashed a 1955 312 Paxton supercharged Thunderbird ,my uncle Chucky owned a 1967 427 Fairlane,my aunt Vicky had a 1967 428 cougar and my mom Charlene drove a 1968 428 galaxy xl 500. My first car was a 1984 svo grandpa ordered for me.
Always thought that the F code first gen T-Birds were some of America's most beautiful cars. It could be that Susanne Sommers had a bit of influence there....lol
I have owned 3 57 T'Birds in Australia. I am getting close to getting my 3rd one on the road. Power disc brakes, Front and rear Hotchkiss anti sway bars, Davies Craig 16 inch Thermo fan and controller, Sanderson Headers, MSD ignition, 600 Holley, Unisteer rack & pinion. It should be well up on the standard 245HP 312 Y block. Can't wait to try it.
I love the baby birds, the 56 ford Fairlane, and The 57 Fairlane, one of my friends in high school. his dad had a 57 Fairlane with the supercharged Thunderbird V8. My friend and I took the car one night and my friend lost control and wrecked it.
Great video about the supercharger Postwar, McCulloch developed a more sophisticated supercharger and began selling it in 1953. This was factory fitted to a number of vehicles at the time, including the Kaiser Manhattan, Packard Panther, Studebaker Golden Hawk, 1957 Packard Clipper and 1958 Packard Hawk.
I'm a 60 year old white Australian, that has 2 X BMW e28's (Alpina B10, M535i). As a rule, I'm not into American muscle (apart from a few Corvettes, Mustangs), BUT man these Ford Thunderbirds (1st generation) are the most beautiful vehicle ever-love the "porthole" in the convertible top. I really enjoyed your video and nearly wet myself at the light blue supercharged Thunderbird. I loved the 1970's??American private detective show, where he drove a red Thunderbird. Come to think of it, I loved James Garner in "The Rockford Files" and his Camaro or Pontiac. Mavbe, I do like American muscle cars?
@@bobbycheshire4033 With a 36" inseam & 6" 3 1/2" tall it was no way for me! Enjoy the car- it's a beauty! (I just bought a '90 Buik Reatta convertable-Love it!)
A factory optioned 1955 Thunderbird with a supercharger. Reminds me of the 1987 Buick Regal Grand National GNX. Of the two, I don't know which is the rarest but either way they are both very rare.
That's insane power for that time, but, having all that power on bias tires and small drum brakes, you just hope a corner isn't coming up soon or anyone pulls out in front of you.
I have a '57 Thunderbird. i have driven it up and down the West Coast and to Arizona and New Mexico to the east in the 25+ years I have had it. I love the car but from an economic standpoint the Corvette would have been a better investment due to the difference in appreciation between the two cars from when I was buying in 995 to today. I looked at a '61 Corvette at the time. The Corvette has appreciated to a higher level. But I am happy to have a much nicer riding car for the many long and short trips.
I'm in Olympic bird club in Seattle. Some of these folks think nothing of driving across the country in them. Zero chance I'd trade my Emodel for any solid axle vette regardless of values.
@danontherun5. Amen. I use to think vettes were great until I rode in one. They were a brick with 4 wheels. You could run over a dime and tell if it was heads or tails. I’d go T Bird all the way. In 57 they were much better looking than a vette and after a short/long drive you would still have your kidneys!!
Our 55-57 bird club does runs with early vettes. They do love theirs as much as we love ours but I've never seen a pre 63 vette I'd trade my bird for though they're worth double. Unlike birds they drive them like they're fragile and yup, they ride like lumber trucks. 57 birds are very undervalued, well except the F models.@@garychiuminatto917
There was a guy on the old Van Nuys Blvd. with a supercharged Lark. He was "Bill the Postman." The car was a sleeper. No one realized how fast it was. I drive a 1969 Chevy G10 stretch van with a built 4 bolt main 350 in it. It is so easy to maintain and can move from a light if I want to.
Ford also offered the F Code in the Ranchero. Only a handful were built but, IF one checked the right option code for the Ranchero, boom you had a real hot-rod back in those days. Who would have thought that you could buy a 312 Paxton supercharged Ranchero.
Well, the title of this video Corvette killer is certainly apt, the 53 to 57. Thunderbirds actually saved the Corvette from extinction as Chevrolet was about to pull the plug on the Corvette program because of poor sales until the Tbird showed up.
The Bird. All day long. Restored a '55 with the 3 speed overdrive tranny in 1990 to original specs, spent a ton of money on it, for my wife who told me she always wanted one. Well, big mistake. Turns out she hated driving it because, surprise surprise, it drove like a '55 car. We forget that compared with new cars they were terrible. No power steering, no power brakes, terrible suspension and handling, etc etc. Sold it in '05 for about half what I had in it. That was before the idea of a "restomod" became mainstream. Wish I'da updated it in stead of restoring, if I had we'd no doubt still have it. The '55 Tbird, IMHO, was, along with the XKE Jaguar, the best looking car ever made. Better looking to me than the '57.
You wouldn't have needed to destroy it by restomodding it. Power Steering and Power Brakes were available, and many if not most had those options, so it would have been easy to add them during restoration, yet the car would have still been a stock car. They did not handle "terrible" and did not have "terrible" suspension, they just didn't drive like a Japanese car.
@stevedeleon8775 - Right, chief! But Ford laughed all the way to the bank as they sold 4.4 million T-Birds compared to Corvette sales of 1.3 million. As far as fast goes, the little 289 c.i. Shelby Mustang spanked the larger 327 Corvette's ass repeatedly in SCCA B Production class for the Championship.....3 years running. There are Mustangs today that will humble more than a few Vettes.
Have a 57 THUNDERBIRD but not a Fbird wish i had one but the one i got was more impressive than i thought it would be in all aspects thanks for the video
I owned both a 57 E Code Thunderbird 285 h.p. and a 57 dual quad Corvette at one time. The fastest car in 57 was the Rochester fuel injected 283 Corvette that actually produced 313 h.p. not the 283 h.p. Chevy did that as a cute advertising ploy I h.p. per each cubic inch. The second fastest car was a Rambler Rebel with a 255 h.p. 327 that beat both the 270 - 285 h.p. 312 E Code and the 300 h.p. 312 supercharged F Code Thunderbirds and the dual quad 270 h.p. 283 Corvette.. I loved the looks of both cars. Both were uncomfortable to drive. The Corvette out handled the Thunderbird but the Thunderbird had power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seats and a telescopic steering wheel. Both instrument panels and gauges were beautifully done. The Thunderbird was more luxurious and refined than the Corvette. Both cars are iconic beauties in their own right. I now own a 63 Thunderbird Sports Roadster and a 63 Corvette Split Window and I love both of them. The Corvette out handles and outperforms the Thunderbird. But both cars turn heads when I drive them out and about.
i like both tbirds and corvettes but only as long as they are hard top. my first car was a 1977 ford tbird and loved it. so much fun to drive and enjoy.
Since the Ranchero was introduced in 1957. the were Ranchero's available with the Thunderbird 312 Y block V8. including one with the Paxton McCullough belt driven supercharger. however the truth about the F code Thunderbird's was they were really only good for drag racing. since the Thunderbird handled badly. the front end would dive excessively under hard cornering. Ford tried to offset this issue in 1956 by adding the Continental spare tire to the rear of the Thunderbird. but it only helped the issue slightly. making the F code Thunderbird's a handful to drive on the twisties. also the car's poor handling characteristics is part of what lead Ford to turn car into a four seater in 1958. the tri five Thunderbird's were the most beautiful car's ever made but they had their issues. if money wasn't an option I would love to have an F code Tbird and a Ranchero.
My dad had a pretty decent car collection in the late 70’s thru the 80’s. My favorite was the 1960 fuel injected Corvette. The car I got to drive mostly was the 1956 T-bird. It was easy to drive where that Corvette was a handful. Definitely was no K code car but was very fun to drive. I sure miss that Vette tho. Man she was sweet -
@enigmainwater2493 - Not necessarily. A 1935 Mercedes 500K, supercharged straight 8 was a dog compared to a 1935 Duesenberg Model J, carbureted straight 8! The Mercedes made just 160hp while the Duesenberg pumped out 265hp. The supercharged Duesy put out 320hp!
The '57 T-bird without question would be my choice. When I was in jr. high in 1969-71, my shop teacher and my English teacher both had '57 Thunderbirds. Not the performance models, but still T-birds. I already liked the car before, but seeing these every day burned it into my memory. The '57 especially with the slightly lengthened rear end really was what it was all about.
From watching the video I would choose the naturally aspirated 312. However the supercharger and that incredible high torque rating would be Tempting. I would like to know how all of that incredible torque would get to the ground with the size tires they used in those days and what appears to be the lack of weight over the rear end?
That cone top 4bbl was a POS. The other two bbls were vacuum operated so I doubt if they ever really opened. Remember, in the floor area was a foot operated vacuum pump that operated the wipers when you floored the gas pedal so I'm pretty sure the 4bbl never opened when you needed the extra boost especially when passing another car. I remember having to let off the gas so the wipers would make one sweep so I could see if anything was coming head on! A real pucker factor off the scale inducing machine during a rainstorm.
In 1967 my college buddy & his '57 E code, three speed, set the record for Canton to Potsdam, NY; 10 miles in 4:48 on U.S. 11. Imagine if he'd had an F code!
I absolutely love the 57 Corvettes looks and power options, but if I had to choose in 55 and price wasn't an issue it would be the F code bird I think it would be the best open top cruiser that year.
The best thing about the Thunderbird (although I did like the first generation's style) was that it goaded Chevrolet to maintain the production of Corvette, which it seriously considered dropping as initial sales did not warrant the continuation of production (at least to the bean-counters); the rest is history, as they say.
The 1955-1957 models are always the ones that come to mind when I think of Thunderbirds. Makes me wonder how different the Corvette and Thunderbird would be today if the Thunderbird had stayed as a Corvette competitor from 1958 onwards.
My 55 stock out side except no door handles. all custom inside and yes 350 chevy eng gm drive train, Im not big fan of 56 spare on back and large bumpers on 57 front and back. I built my 350 eng where I can lift front wheels off ground at track never do that stock.
For you young bucks, $3500 for a car in 1957 was astronomical! I bought a brand new 1972 Galaxie 500 two door hardtop, loaded for $3850! Not a T-Bird, but it was stay classic car I wish I still had today.
My dad told me a story about someone that he knew that worked for the Ford dealership and she had a 57 F Code T-Bird. He and my grandma told me about once when this girl and her dad were coming to visit my grandparents and after they got there her dad asked my grandpa if he could give him a ride home because he wasn't ever getting in that car with her again. One of the biggest mistakes that I ever made was not buying a 57 312 T-Bird that I was doing some work on for a friend after she got it in her divorce.
I could fill a sea chest with buying/selling mistakes I wish I hadn't made.
I let a first gen T-Bird slip outta my hands at auction that went for $400. I was there for another car and I felt that I needed to stay focused on the job. Its one of my regrets in life.
dang.. have you ever felt this way about another car?@@newdefsys
My mistake was selling my 67 SS RS camaro
@@Ozarkwoods I have made many automotive mistakes. Selling my 70 Nova SS 4 Speed, 68 Sport Satellite, 47 Willy's CJ2A, 68 Mustang GT are right up there. But the one that really stands out was passing on a 70 LS6 Chevelle for $4K because I already had my Nova which was my first car.
Long ago I was getting more parts from a professional bird restorer and I mentioned I'd never been in one. He said we could drive one of his so off we went me driving. Several miles out he said I'm not going to break it so go ahead and open it up.... ok doke. To this day I still am amazed he trusted me with 1 of 7 phase 1 birds and probably the only one not in a museum. He has one of the best F model collections and drives his cars all around the country. I've been driving my high performance bird like a rented mule for 25 years now and know well these are very strong durable easy to maintain cars built for driving..., and so that's what we do. Really sad to see so many great road cars hidden, get them out and give the citizens a reason to smile.
Yes indeed! Cars are built to DRIVE, not decorate the garage.
The distributor at the back of the "Y" blocks was a pain in the ass to change points and condensor on as well as the never ending oil leaks from the valve covers and the crap oiling system to the rockers.
I saw so many back in the day with seriously burned rockers & shafts because of the non oiling problem. I did see a couple of non stock outside oiling systems because I worked pumping gas at 16. Remember, that was back in the non detergent oil days. Pennzoil was the worst offender but the cheapest. Head top surfaces that looked like they had thick black wax on them.
@@skipperclinton1087 Just about all V8s, other than the Flathead, had the distributor at the back. Much easier to adjust/file/replace points with the distributor out. Valve covers bolt through the top, which is the most reliable way, but over-tightening them will warp them so that they won't seal. Buick Nailhead's valve covers also bolt down that way, as do 53 and earlier Chevy 6s.
Only rear hinged hood cars and not an issue since pertronix. None of my valve covers leak and I don't glue head side of the gaskets and just snugged cover nuts. Ford quickly solved rocker oil with a simple cam bearing fix. Rocker shafts didn't 'burn' they just wore the shafts. Better oil, gaskets and sealant pretty much all we needed. Sometimes i wish my cars would have a problem so I could work on them but they just keep running. Didn't think there were any left old as me. @@skipperclinton1087
GMs v8 distributors have ALWAYS been in the Back ! You Picked on Ford for having 1 Block with it in the back ! @skipperclinton1087
The '57 Thunderbird is as beautiful today as it was 67 years ago, and it's fast enough to keep up with most of the current uglymobiles.
Just don't take corners very fast.
My 55 custom bird has a 55 chevy drive train yes chevy 350 I can lift front wheels off the ground from launch. So many high performance parts for the 350 eng.
@@jamesvelie8541 - In 1955 the SBC was 265 CI. The 350 first appeared in the 1967 Camaro and across the board in 1968.
@@jamesvelie8541 - The 1955 Chevy V8 was 265 CI and the 350 did not appear till 1967 at the earliest.
Hands down....T-Bird F Code
I would have the F-code Thunderbird all day long.
You’re on glue keyboard cleaner and gasoline and your smoking DND Corvette all day baby
If you 11:58 if you like remaining at the traffic light when it changes lol@@jasonfarnsworth5880
I always liked the 55-57 and 64-66 Tbirds. I remember when you would see them every day on our streets.
How about the 1962 Thunderbird Sports Roadster? Only 1,427 ever built.
My friend had a 57 Fairlane 312 Supercharged Nascar car. What a thrill machine !
WOW now that is a wicked ride
In 1961, at a 1/5 mile drag strip in Heath, Ohio, during a time trial we watched a 1957 Fairlane 500 coupe with the F-code Paxton supercharger beat a new Hemi Chrysler by almost a car length. A tear-down was demanded by the Chrysler team, but the 'Bird met the factory specs for the cam, lifters, heads, and the special differential gearing (I think 371 but I'm not sure) that was available as an option from Ford.
My family has been Ford owners for decades. I can honestly answer that my grandparents both have a 56 and 57 Thunderbirds. I wish they kept them.
If they "have" them like you said, then they did keep them!
@@Loulovesspeed O U C H ! !
Hands down the Thunderbird is my choice.
My friend dad had an E-code bird. The only reason it wasn't an F-bird was the salesman talked the buyer out of it. My friends dad bought it in '73 for $3K. Still a very cool triple black, dual qual 312, 1957. Really fast.
Hi, I was a boy when the 57 bird came out, I was in love with it then and still now. as a teenager a guy down the street had one for sale for $1200 but could not afford it. I was appalled when they changed the body style in '58.
Rich
I am a little younger - born in 1955 - and I felt the same way when the 61 T-Birds came out. My instant reaction was, "They ruined it!" Sales fell by about half, so I wasn't the only one who felt that way!
Hi James, it's always about the bottom line, Ford had enough money to keep the car just like the corvette.@@jamesbosworth4191
Up until recent times, I had always been partial to Fords, so quite naturally, I would choose the Supercharged Ford Thunderbird.
Do you like the supercharged Mustang?
The Chunder Turd was no Sports Car.......
@@ken8334 I like every year of the Mustang.
@@bobmitchell8012 WRONG.
F.O.R.D, Found On Road Dead!
Although I did have a '56 Vicki hardtop with a 292, full race cam, 312 Thunderbird heads and three Stomberg 97's w/progressive linkage atop a Weiand manifold in '66 that would eat 283's alive even when I had three passengers. Lots of torque. It was coupled to a 3spd manual tranny. Street sleeper. Stock Ford hubcaps & blackwalls, not wheel covers. A real tire turner! I don't remember what the rear end ratio was although originally it came with a Fordomatic so whatever Ford put in it was stock.
Awesome, someone finally made a video about the '57 F-code T-Bird.👍
I was a Chevy fan when I was growing up, but always loved the 55-57 Thunderbirds. I would choose the Thunderbird.
The 55-57 Tbird is gorgeous. Prob my fav American car of all time. Esp the 57
I’m British and I’ve always loved the early T- Birds.
Heard Ian Fleming did, too.
Thunderbird all the way ( ford man thru & thru ) !!!
I would have chosen the F code Bird. Because we all know that "The Bird is the Word"! 🐦🐦🐦, 🐦is the word ‼️🎼🎵🎶🎸🤣
I think I woulda done the same
Koko b ware!
Some misinformation here. The F code 312 Thunderbird Special made 300 advertised horsepower. The 340 horsepower number was the NASCAR version not available to the general public. I own a 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk, also McCulloch/Paxton blown 289 with 275 horsepower and a 3 speed with overdrive in 2nd. and 3rd., so 5 speeds. Another top dog in 1957.
My Father had a 61 Chevy Belaire 283 4 barrel with three on the Tree plus the Borg Warner overdrive.. you could really wind the 283 up ..
I raced a Studebaker Lark on a Highway in 1983 with my '79 Z-28 Camaro he hung in there pretty good up to 130 MPH but My Camaro walked away doing 150 MPH. He thought he was going to Embarrass me with his Sleeper car.
Loved the 55-57 bird for years thanks for posting the video.
The Thunderbird everyday of the week and twice on Sunday.
Grew up in small town in VA and a local business owner had two of these F code Thunderbirds. One black and one white. I remember they were very cool cars and seeing them up close just seemed liked i was looking at something special. Even though I knew very little about them.
I have had a 1964 Thunderbird Convertible "Wanda" for about four years, she underwent a $100K restoration before I bought her. Before I bought her, I looked at a 1957 312 car (stunning car), but I could not fit in it (I"m 6'9"). The 64 was a tight fit as well, but I equipped mine with extensions to move the front seats back three inches, now we're good. I love Wanda and I'm glad to have her, but I was disappointed that I couldn't fit in the baby bird. The 57 is one of the sexiest designs of the post-war era. This is a great video. That dusk rose bird at the end, if it is an F-code, is one of three pink supercharged birds ever made. I have read that those are the rarest colors on the F-birds.
You got that right, I'm 5-10 and had to move the seat back 2" in my 57 and 59 birds. 64-66 really beautiful inside and out and very nice ride. You really wouldn't fit a prewar, well except head room, you could keep yer top hat on in those.
I used to see a black '57 Ford company sponsored race sedan. It had aa blown 312 too. Car name? "Blowin in the Wind." I never saw him lose a race. Car was from Bangor, Maine.
Ford supposedly installed the larger displacement 368 Lincoln Mark II Y-block in factory race cars, it was also available in certain Mercury models.
An F Code convertible Bird. No contest! 1 of my all time dream cars. Maybe didn't handle quite as nicely as the Vettes or some foreign imports, but its blistering straight line performance made it formidable!
The Thunderbird really came out to compete with the '53 to '55 Corvette, a sporty, but anemic car. With the creation of the Chevy small block V8, it had to go into the Corvette because of the Thunderbird's V8. It could have easily been a flop, as initially Chevrolet was building a V8 around 230 to 240 cubic inches. It was found that it could easily handle 265 cid and that is what they ended up building, fortunately. Still, Corvette didn't have great styling, had plastic window inserts, no outside door handles, and a host of non-comfort features. Corvette got Zora Duntov, and he directed it to a sports car world.
Ford took the direction of a miniature personal convertible, simply a full size Ford scaled-down to this size. As such, they didn't concentrate on the chassis or sports car handling, just being a typical American car that is fast in a straight line. They also loaded it with passenger comforts. So while many try to say they compete, they were really two different worlds. The '56 Corvette was a reaction to the Thunderbird to look good, having real comforts, as well as have some power. With '57, Corvette got more power with the jump from 265 cid to 283 cid. So actually, Ford saved Corvette. How is that for irony?
When I was younger I would have purchased a new Corvette. Now, at 78, I think I would look more towards the creature comfort T-Bird as a new car purchase.
Ron (“in Utah”)
My sentiments exactly.
My grandfather Charles William marken 2nd was a tool and die engineer in Dearborn Michigan for Ford's, he drove a different car home daily,my grandmother , Mildred l. Marken with her two coworkers of universal stamping on Monroe St in saline Michigan crashed a 1955 312 Paxton supercharged Thunderbird ,my uncle Chucky owned a 1967 427 Fairlane,my aunt Vicky had a 1967 428 cougar and my mom Charlene drove a 1968 428 galaxy xl 500. My first car was a 1984 svo grandpa ordered for me.
Always thought that the F code first gen T-Birds were some of America's most beautiful cars. It could be that Susanne Sommers had a bit of influence there....lol
Susanne didn't hurt The Bird's reputation at all!
I’ve only seen one and it was in a now defunct museum in Branson MO. It was a beautiful car.
Always loved the 1st generation T-Bird. The '57 styling I think was the best. Love to one of the F code Birds
Love the look of the 57 T-bird. Looked like a baby Fairlane, which I had in '67 with the 312, 3 speed
+ the 57 Bird had the Calif.front Bumper.Much More Attractive than the 55,56 Bumpers.
@richcoleman469, no Ford 312 engine in 1967.
The 312 was in my 57 that I bought in 67
@@richcoleman469 Not what you stated.
I said the 57 t-bird looked like a baby Fairlane (which had to be a 57 Fairlane) and I bought one in 67 also put a 390 4-barrel on it
I have owned 3 57 T'Birds in Australia. I am getting close to getting my 3rd one on the road. Power disc brakes, Front and rear Hotchkiss anti sway bars, Davies Craig 16 inch Thermo fan and controller, Sanderson Headers, MSD ignition, 600 Holley, Unisteer rack & pinion. It should be well up on the standard 245HP 312 Y block. Can't wait to try it.
Sounds like a fun ride!
I love the baby birds, the 56 ford Fairlane, and The 57 Fairlane, one of my friends in high school. his dad had a 57 Fairlane with the supercharged Thunderbird V8. My friend and I took the car one night and my friend lost control and wrecked it.
Great video about the supercharger Postwar, McCulloch developed a more sophisticated supercharger and began selling it in 1953. This was factory fitted to a number of vehicles at the time, including the Kaiser Manhattan, Packard Panther, Studebaker Golden Hawk, 1957 Packard Clipper and 1958 Packard Hawk.
I'm a 60 year old white Australian, that has 2 X BMW e28's (Alpina B10, M535i). As a rule, I'm not into American muscle (apart from a few Corvettes, Mustangs), BUT man these Ford Thunderbirds (1st generation) are the most beautiful vehicle ever-love the "porthole" in the convertible top. I really enjoyed your video and nearly wet myself at the light blue supercharged Thunderbird. I loved the 1970's??American private detective show, where he drove a red Thunderbird. Come to think of it, I loved James Garner in "The Rockford Files" and his Camaro or Pontiac. Mavbe, I do like American muscle cars?
The T-Bird for sure!
Definitely the T-Bird.
About 8 years ago I worked on a 57 312 F code, black with red interior. Beautiful car
No room for 6 footers in the 1st series T-birds, but they did produce some beautiful cars that had leg room later on.
I have a '56 and 6 ft tall. I barely fit and have 1" of headroom.
Yeah I'm wearing it !!
@@bobbycheshire4033 With a 36" inseam & 6" 3 1/2" tall it was no way for me! Enjoy the car- it's a beauty! (I just bought a '90 Buik Reatta convertable-Love it!)
I would take the F-code Thunderbird, no doubt about it.
Thunderbird my favorite car of all time. My dream car.
A factory optioned 1955 Thunderbird with a supercharger. Reminds me of the 1987 Buick Regal Grand National GNX. Of the two, I don't know which is the rarest but either way they are both very rare.
Paxton Supercharger was available for every Ford model car in 1957, including wagons and Ranchero.
That's insane power for that time, but, having all that power on bias tires and small drum brakes, you just hope a corner isn't coming up soon or anyone pulls out in front of you.
It was the no power steering and a heavy foot that was scary
I owned a 1962 T-Bird, stock 390, 4brl, I Loved it, but it was stolen out of my driveway while I was at work>🤠
I have a '57 Thunderbird. i have driven it up and down the West Coast and to Arizona and New Mexico to the east in the 25+ years I have had it. I love the car but from an economic standpoint the Corvette would have been a better investment due to the difference in appreciation between the two cars from when I was buying in 995 to today. I looked at a '61 Corvette at the time. The Corvette has appreciated to a higher level. But I am happy to have a much nicer riding car for the many long and short trips.
I'm in Olympic bird club in Seattle. Some of these folks think nothing of driving across the country in them. Zero chance I'd trade my Emodel for any solid axle vette regardless of values.
@danontherun5. Amen. I use to think vettes were great until I rode in one. They were a brick with 4 wheels. You could run over a dime and tell if it was heads or tails. I’d go T Bird all the way. In 57 they were much better looking than a vette and after a short/long drive you would still have your kidneys!!
Our 55-57 bird club does runs with early vettes. They do love theirs as much as we love ours but I've never seen a pre 63 vette I'd trade my bird for though they're worth double. Unlike birds they drive them like they're fragile and yup, they ride like lumber trucks. 57 birds are very undervalued, well except the F models.@@garychiuminatto917
Supercharged Tunderbird.👍
There was a guy on the old Van Nuys Blvd. with a supercharged Lark. He was "Bill the Postman." The car was a sleeper. No one realized how fast it was. I drive a 1969 Chevy G10 stretch van with a built 4 bolt main 350 in it. It is so easy to maintain and can move from a light if I want to.
Ford also offered the F Code in the Ranchero. Only a handful were built but, IF one checked the right option code for the Ranchero, boom you had a real hot-rod back in those days. Who would have thought that you could buy a 312 Paxton supercharged Ranchero.
I had a Corvette , theBird was nice & all the old timers at the country club had them ! Second choice a Jag xk150
Well, the title of this video Corvette killer is certainly apt, the 53 to 57. Thunderbirds actually saved the Corvette from extinction as Chevrolet was about to pull the plug on the Corvette program because of poor sales until the Tbird showed up.
@cashmoney7660 - And the Corvette continued to have poor sales.....relative to the T-Bird!
The Bird. All day long. Restored a '55 with the 3 speed overdrive tranny in 1990 to original specs, spent a ton of money on it, for my wife who told me she always wanted one. Well, big mistake. Turns out she hated driving it because, surprise surprise, it drove like a '55 car. We forget that compared with new cars they were terrible. No power steering, no power brakes, terrible suspension and handling, etc etc. Sold it in '05 for about half what I had in it. That was before the idea of a "restomod" became mainstream. Wish I'da updated it in stead of restoring, if I had we'd no doubt still have it. The '55 Tbird, IMHO, was, along with the XKE Jaguar, the best looking car ever made. Better looking to me than the '57.
You wouldn't have needed to destroy it by restomodding it. Power Steering and Power Brakes were available, and many if not most had those options, so it would have been easy to add them during restoration, yet the car would have still been a stock car. They did not handle "terrible" and did not have "terrible" suspension, they just didn't drive like a Japanese car.
As a 63 vette fan if I had 2 pick a 57 model it would be the t- bird everyday.
I am 34 and as a kid my dad bought me a 1:16 scale model i had to build of the original thunderbird
My choice would be the '57 F-code T-Bird, hands down! Corvette would become a legend in later years, no doubt, but not yet in 1957.
In 1957 you could order any Ford product with a Paxton Supercharger in any model Paxton Supercharger with owned by Studebaker
The NA Corvette was faster than the NA Thunderbird so Ford had to add a blower to avoid embarrassment. Fixed it.
What’s the word? Thunderbird!
Thank God FORD dropped the ball & made the '58 T bird a Big Fat Gas Guzzler😮 & gave the Vette the Fast Lane in the performance market..
@stevedeleon8775 - Right, chief! But Ford laughed all the way to the bank as they sold 4.4 million T-Birds compared to Corvette sales of 1.3 million. As far as fast goes, the little 289 c.i. Shelby Mustang spanked the larger 327 Corvette's ass repeatedly in SCCA B Production class for the Championship.....3 years running. There are Mustangs today that will humble more than a few Vettes.
imagine if the Thunderbird came out in 1951
That would have been crazy lol especially with the way it looked
@alexander1485 - Imagine if the Corvette came out in 1950? So what's your point??
Definately the supercharged Teebird
Have a 57 THUNDERBIRD but not a Fbird wish i had one but the one i got was more impressive than i thought it would be in all aspects thanks for the video
I owned both a 57 E Code Thunderbird 285 h.p. and a 57 dual quad Corvette at one time. The fastest car in 57 was the Rochester fuel injected 283 Corvette that actually produced 313 h.p. not the 283 h.p. Chevy did that as a cute advertising ploy I h.p. per each cubic inch. The second fastest car was a Rambler Rebel with a 255 h.p. 327 that beat both the 270 - 285 h.p. 312 E Code and the 300 h.p. 312 supercharged F Code Thunderbirds and the dual quad 270 h.p. 283 Corvette.. I loved the looks of both cars. Both were uncomfortable to drive. The Corvette out handled the Thunderbird but the Thunderbird had power steering, power brakes, power windows, power seats and a telescopic steering wheel. Both instrument panels and gauges were beautifully done. The Thunderbird was more luxurious and refined than the Corvette. Both cars are iconic beauties in their own right. I now own a 63 Thunderbird Sports Roadster and a 63 Corvette Split Window and I love both of them. The Corvette out handles and outperforms the Thunderbird. But both cars turn heads when I drive them out and about.
Wow! You have a Sports Roadster? Does it have the Tri-Power engine?
Still remember driving a '62 Thunderbird - 390 ci with tri-power. That was a quick car, although completely different from the '57 "F" code.
i like both tbirds and corvettes but only as long as they are hard top. my first car was a 1977 ford tbird and loved it. so much fun to drive and enjoy.
14 seconds for a mid size sedan isn't all that bad by today's standards. It's not fast but it's still not slow either.
Since the Ranchero was introduced in 1957. the were Ranchero's available with the Thunderbird 312 Y block V8. including one with the Paxton McCullough belt driven supercharger. however the truth about the F code Thunderbird's was they were really only good for drag racing. since the Thunderbird handled badly. the front end would dive excessively under hard cornering. Ford tried to offset this issue in 1956 by adding the Continental spare tire to the rear of the Thunderbird. but it only helped the issue slightly. making the F code Thunderbird's a handful to drive on the twisties. also the car's poor handling characteristics is part of what lead Ford to turn car into a four seater in 1958. the tri five Thunderbird's were the most beautiful car's ever made but they had their issues. if money wasn't an option I would love to have an F code Tbird and a Ranchero.
I read somewhere that 27 T-Birds were sold to every 1 Corvette. 57 T-Bird was my favorite..
1958 The boat anchor transition model !
The 58 - 60 Sqare Birds are still gorgeous cars though. Just not sports cars.
One of the true American icons. 😎
My uncle has a 57 with a 390 c6 9" rear it's a real sleeper
My dad had a pretty decent car collection in the late 70’s thru the 80’s. My favorite was the 1960 fuel injected Corvette. The car I got to drive mostly was the 1956 T-bird. It was easy to drive where that Corvette was a handful. Definitely was no K code car but was very fun to drive. I sure miss that Vette tho. Man she was sweet -
He must have been a rocket scientist because that fuel injection system was difficult to say the least.
I really love those old Thunderbirds , but if you gonna make a comparison comparing a supercharged car to a non-supercharged car is apples to oranges
@enigmainwater2493 - Not necessarily. A 1935 Mercedes 500K, supercharged straight 8 was a dog compared to a 1935 Duesenberg Model J, carbureted straight 8! The Mercedes made just 160hp while the Duesenberg pumped out 265hp. The supercharged Duesy put out 320hp!
The '57 T-bird without question would be my choice. When I was in jr. high in 1969-71, my shop teacher and my English teacher both had '57 Thunderbirds. Not the performance models, but still T-birds. I already liked the car before, but seeing these every day burned it into my memory. The '57 especially with the slightly lengthened rear end really was what it was all about.
The Sunbeam Tiger used their front end. I had one. 260 Ford Hot Car built by Carrol Shelby
Believe the Sunbeam Tiger was the original choice for the Cobra
Tiger II with the 289 was the real monster!
Never liked plastic cars and vettes are just that. The T bird was a real metal car and with that F option fast as well.
I would have The Thunderbird!
And then in 1958 FORD had to turn the T-BIRD into the living room on wheels.
But they sold like hotcakes compared to the '57. That's all that mattered to Robert McNamara's Whiz Kids.
Definitely the f code T Bird totally awesome 😊😊😊😊😊
From watching the video I would choose the naturally aspirated 312. However the supercharger and that incredible high torque rating would be Tempting. I would like to know how all of that incredible torque would get to the ground with the size tires they used in those days and what appears to be the lack of weight over the rear end?
why do you say lack of weight on rear? The rear is long. Also it leans backward. I wonder if the rear end had limited slip characteristics
That cone top 4bbl was a POS. The other two bbls were vacuum operated so I doubt if they ever really opened.
Remember, in the floor area was a foot operated vacuum pump that operated the wipers when you floored the gas pedal so I'm pretty sure the 4bbl never opened when you needed the extra boost especially when passing another car. I remember having to let off the gas so the wipers would make one sweep so I could see if anything was coming head on! A real pucker factor off the scale inducing machine during a rainstorm.
@@skipperclinton1087 funny and interesting!! Did your car have any hazard lights? Seat belts lap-only no?
looks like a ferrari 250gt in the 50s!! very beautiful especially those in pink
Built Frod Tuff !
It destroyed the Corvette ?
The Corvette is still here !
Where is your Built Frod Tuff
ThunderChicken ?
Thunderbird hands down.
I'd take a '57 T-bird over the Vette even with the 292.
I'd have the F-series T-Bird all day long
In 1967 my college buddy & his '57 E code, three speed, set the record for Canton to Potsdam, NY; 10 miles in 4:48 on U.S. 11. Imagine if he'd had an F code!
Definitely an inspiration to Shelby no doubt
I absolutely love the 57 Corvettes looks and power options, but if I had to choose in 55 and price wasn't an issue it would be the F code bird I think it would be the best open top cruiser that year.
The best thing about the Thunderbird (although I did like the first generation's style) was that it goaded Chevrolet to maintain the production of Corvette, which it seriously considered dropping as initial sales did not warrant the continuation of production (at least to the bean-counters); the rest is history, as they say.
I wold like have one of this cars. Beautiful.
At 8:45, I can see a smiley face :) in the rear window
The 1955-1957 models are always the ones that come to mind when I think of Thunderbirds. Makes me wonder how different the Corvette and Thunderbird would be today if the Thunderbird had stayed as a Corvette competitor from 1958 onwards.
The 57 was the best T'Bird of all, after that it all went land yacht down hill.
But it made a ton more money for Ford than the Corvette ever did for GM to this day! And that with the T-Bird not being made for close to 20 years!
No idea who at Ford came up with the idea to enlarge the Tbird or who approved it......but i hate them all
AGREED lol
Ford didn’t make a lot of $ on the 55-7 thunderbird
The not so cool 58 and up bird sold a lot of cars and was highly profitable.....
@@gdelfs6942 Yep, '58 on up, the Thunderchicken was a BIG seller. But none were as sexxxy as the '55-7!
The man responsible was Robert S. McNamara who went on to serve in Lyndon Johnsons cabinet after leaving Ford, I believe he was Secretary of Defense
Probably Robert S. McNamara. He only cared about sales and profits. It was partly his fault that the Edsel failed.
I always like that generation of T Birds the most. Way better than the Vettes
Been driving fords for 60 years so I’m pretty sure I would have had a t bird
I didn't know the F code existed but that's pretty neat if I had the disposable income to own one I'd like to have both
My 55 stock out side except no door handles. all custom inside and yes 350 chevy eng gm drive train, Im not big fan of 56 spare on back and large bumpers on 57 front and back. I built my 350 eng where I can lift front wheels off ground at track never do that stock.
For you young bucks, $3500 for a car in 1957 was astronomical! I bought a brand new 1972 Galaxie 500 two door hardtop, loaded for $3850! Not a T-Bird, but it was stay classic car I wish I still had today.