302-Powered Kit: 1957 Ford Thunderbird

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The 1955-57 Ford Thunderbird was a more successful 2-seat automobile than the 1953-55 Chevrolet Corvette. But they had different target markets and the Ford handily outsold the Chevy. At first glance, you’d think this beauty is a real 1957 T-Bird with some custom touches. But it’s a kit car and a well-done one to boot. It was built by Regal Roadsters about a decade ago and may be better than the original in terms of technology. Located in Garden Grove, California, this interesting tribute is available here on eBay with no reserve and a current bid of $11,100.

The 1957 model year would be the last (for a while) for a 2-seat Thunderbird. Ford thought they could sell more of the personal luxury cars with the addition of a back seat, so a redesign came in 1958, and the sales numbers skyrocketed. A little more than 21,000 of the ’57 T-Birds were built and (IMO) they were the best looking of the trio as the styling had been tweaked a bit.

This kit car has been owned by the seller for a couple of years. Its prior owner had the car built about a decade ago and – at today’s pricing – a turnkey example will run you nearly $80,000 plus extras. The seller has had the interior redone recently with a double-diamond approach regarding the upholstery and door panels.  This is not the first time the car has been listed for sale of late as a buyer came along and then bailed out due to a lack of proper finances.

Despite this vehicle being assembled about 10 years ago, the car is registered in California as a 1957 vehicle (as a Thunderbird or something else?). The build was done quite well, including a 302 cubic inch Ford V9 and a C-4 automatic transmission, a departure from what Ford would have installed in ’57. If you got out a tape measure, you’d find this car was built to the original Ford dimensions, so it looks just like the real deal machine it was based upon.

This “Bird” has a steel frame, but the body panels are made of fiberglass (the seller draws a correlation to the Shelby Cobra kit car). But some Ford parts were used, like the bumpers, steering wheel, mirrors, etc. The rear air suspension is adjustable. The vehicle looks great in the photos, though the seller admits it may not be show quality as there are some scratches and a few blemishes. The “Ford” has the optional hardtop, just like the original T-Bird.

We’re told the seller doesn’t’ drive this beauty enough to justify keeping it, so the Bird is ready to move to a new home. Loads of documentation will come with the sale, and we hope that includes the build sheet when the first owner ordered the vehicle. The seller believes there are no issues with the machine but recommends a mechanic check it out before attempting a road trip.

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Comments

  1. Walter

    V9?
    It is a clean looking kit but ” Other people’s project” is being whispered in my ear.

    Like 5
  2. oldroddderMember

    While I will admit that it appears to be a fairly nice car, I can’t get by the “kit car” aspect of it.

    Like 5
    • Lyzerd

      I’ve seen a few of the Regal T’Birds and they were nicer/better than the sluggish, overweight originals. I’m thinking Regal produced rollers, to a very high standard, Better handling, braking, and ride. .My 2¢

      Like 2
  3. peter havriluk

    That ‘Kustom Kar’ interior detracts a heap, says me.

    Like 7
  4. Keith Kuehn

    Years ago, about 1980, I came across a fella in Minneapolis that had about twenty of these unbuilt in a old railroad roundhouse. Along with those, were other kit cars, MG’s and even a fair number of fiberglas Morgan kitcars. (and I have never seen any of those anywhere since!) He figured he could talk me into building them for him, but wasn’t going to pay me anything until they were finished and sold. Yea, I walked away from that deal. I have always wondered what happened to that stash of goodies……

    Like 5
  5. Frank TA

    Shelby Cobra kit cars are very popular and some are built to better than original Shelby’s specs. So why not a Thunderbird? I like it.

    Like 4
  6. Harrison Reed

    I like the car — perfect colour for it — but, why are the rear wheels so far forward?. — spoils the “look”, if you ask me (but who DID?). If I had it, and I had the money, I would have the interior re-done in authentic 1957 T-Bird style. And I would love to be able to extend the wheelbase to duplicate the original “57, and re-do the rear fenders to match. What’s the point of a 1957 T-Bird replica, if it doesn’t appear as the real thing for most observers?

    Like 2
    • Jerry

      The write up says the body is built to original specs. The wheelbase is correct, it just appears short in the photograph due to the wide angle lens used to take the photo. (As other have said, though, that interior needs to be redone!)

      Like 1
    • Frank Morris

      The problem with the rear fender looking wrong is the lack of fender skirts. The fenders looked wrong to me too. I then looked up 57 T’Birds. They all had the skirts.

      Like 1
  7. V12MECH

    Lyzerd is correct , Regal Roadsters builds high end custom baby birds and does restoration on them, or did. Last I heard , after many years, owner is retiring? Selling business.

    Like 2
  8. Harrison Reed

    Thank you, Jerry, for correcting me. I wish people would use standard camera lenses! I despise those pictures in automobile magazines that have the more distant part of a car somehow enlarged to appear the same size as the portion closest to the camera — it is as though they take it from 500 feet away with a telephoto lens: why can’t they just shoot what the human eye would actually see? Still, something appears “off” about that rear wheel on this T-Bird kit — both too close to the door, and in another shot, oddly sunken in. I hope that the builder didn’t modify it to accommodate a different chassis. Does anyone here see what I see?

    Like 0
    • Frank TA

      The rear wheels are missing the fender skirts. If you “google” for photos of a 1957 Ford Thunderbird, you will see they all have rear fender skirts. Without them, they would look like this car.

      Like 2
  9. Harrison Reed

    Thank you, Frank TA! Didn’t they also have a piece of stainless trim?

    Like 0
    • Frank TA

      Yes there was chrome trim on the skirt.

      Like 0
  10. Harrison Reed

    Could the skirt be installed on this copy, I wonder?

    Like 0

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