Looking around the background, it would appear that the owner of this 1957 Ford Thunderbird has a real love for that particular badge. This vehicle is part of a collection, but the owner now openly admits that he will never get around to restoring this car. His bad news could be your good news because this appears to be a very solid car that would make a great restoration project. It is located in Kingston, Pennsylvania, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set the listing to open at $16,999, but there have been no bids up to this point.

This Thunderbird rolled off the production line finished in Colonial White with a matching hardtop. The paint has deteriorated markedly over the years, but the body appears to be very straight. As far as rust issues are concerned, these would appear to be quite minimal. The owner supplies some clear photos of the vehicle’s underside, and everything looks really solid. The only rust of any note seems to be a few spots in the front floor/toe board area on the driver’s side, but I think that these could be addressed with patches rather than full floor replacement. While the windshield looks like it might be okay, it would appear that some of the other glass is missing. Not all of the trim is attached to the car, with a number of pieces now sitting in the trunk. There is some obvious deterioration with a number of those trim pieces, and these will need to either be restored or replaced.

The 1957 model year offered potential owners a number of different variations of the 312ci V8, but I believe that what we have here is the entry-level engine. In addition, we get a 3-speed automatic transmission, along with power steering and power brakes. When in good health, this engine should be happy to produce 245hp, but the health of this one might have a bit of a question mark hanging over it. The owner states that it does run, but that it will need some work. He doesn’t elaborate on what this work might be, but it apparently runs well enough to be driven on and off a trailer. Beyond that, this really is a case of your guess being as good as mine. It’s also worth noting that the Thunderbird has been off the road for a number of years, so there is sure to be plenty of other mechanical work required before it could be considered to be roadworthy.

The years have not been kind to the interior of the Thunderbird, and it will require a full restoration. It does appear to be essentially complete because while items such as the original Town and Country radio have been removed, these items are also in the trunk. Originally upholstered in Red, the interior would have been a pretty attractive proposition. It could be again, and I’ve had no real trouble locating complete trim kits, including a replacement dash cover, for around $1,700. Apart from the previously mentioned radio, the T-bird also scores power windows and a power seat.

Previously I have talked about classic cars that would make viable project cars to be undertaken in a home workshop, and this ’57 Thunderbird would appear to fall into that category. It’s rust issues appear to be quite minimal, and once restored, it could be a pretty stunning looking car. If you went out to buy yourself a relatively tidy T-bird today, then your starting point would be somewhere in the vicinity of $30,000, although a truly pristine car can set you back twice that figure, or even more. If the next owner can complete a lot of the restoration work themselves, this is a classic that would make pretty sound financial sense.