Cool T-bird

[NTXTremor]

Okay, this is not a Ranger topic, but it is a Ford.

Check out this factory supercharged Ford T-bird from 1957 that is for sale.

https://silodrome.com/ford-thunderbird-f-code/

It looks super cool with the dog dish hubcaps and raked stance.

Now, what if we added a supercharger to the Ranger... (See I made it Ranger-relevant)

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[MXGOLF]

That is a cool old T-Bird Mark! Thanks

 

[Grumpaw]

If you check Ford and it's 1957 lineup you'll find that the supercharger was available in the Fairlane line up. Remember, back in the days prior to 1961, the line-ups from the major manufacturers only had one style/lineup. Only Ford had the T-Bird and the Fairlane, Chevy had the Corvette and it's Bel Air/Impala . There weren't any "midsize" or "compact" until 1961.
If you ordered a car, you could choose from a long list of options, including the supercharger from Ford. GM had a mechanical fuel injection, not only on Corvette's, but Buick/Pontiac/Oldsmobile all had their versions.

 

[NTXTremor]

Back in the 80s I had a run-in with a very nice T-bird.

I bought a 66 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 when I was 15 after working almost full time at a grocery store saving all my money. It needed work, and as it turned out, the father of a friend of mine had a 69 Olds 442 and offered to help me. Within a year, we owned 17 cars between us and ran a side business together flipping and restoring cars, mostly Oldsmobiles, but a few other project cars as well.

This man's uncle lived nearby in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and was part of the Osage Tribe. His side of the family got filthy rich when oil was found in Osage County in the 1920s. For a good read, check out "Killers of the Flower Moon," which tells about the terrible things that happened to the tribal members back in the day.

Well, his uncle had more money than sense, as they'd say. He lived in a mansion in Pawhuska where all of the other rich people lived in their mansions, high on the hill. He had huge glass-enclosed swimming pool and a fancy wooden bar at one end. A big tree branch busted the glass above the bar, and he never fixed it. The fancy wooden bar rotted away. He had so much money, letting nice things rot away was nothing to him.

The uncle also had a 55 Ford Thunderbird. Not just any T-bird, but one of the first 10 ever made. He had a photo of Henry Ford II, the Deuce, handing him the keys when he took possession of it.

One weekend, we decided to go see it unannounced. His uncle hadn't driven the car in years, and it was parked under a tree in his front yard, collecting dust and droppings. It was about 32 years old at the time, and the odometer read less than 30,000 miles. Despite the neglect, it looked like it would be easy enough to clean up.

We wanted to offer the uncle our services, free of charge, to clean up the T-bird and get it running again, but unfortunately no one was home. My business partner played phone tag with his uncle for a couple of weeks, and when he finally got in touch, he made the uncle the offer.

His uncle declined our offer, telling him that he had just had the car towed down to Tulsa earlier that week and that he traded it in on a new Ford Taurus. Our hearts sank. Even if it was a straight up exchange, it was a rip-off, but the uncle was as happy as a clam, so at least he was happy.

Oh, and my "shop truck" at the time was a 1983 Ford Ranger that belonged to my grandfather at the time.

See. I can even make this Ranger related. ?

 

[Trigganometry]

My grandma had one of these. I remember the leather interior. All white.

 

[mtsoxfan]

Not comparing it to any other 1957 car, I'm just not a fan, of anything about that car...

 

[Grumpaw]

In 1973, during that years gas crisis, I picked up a mint 1960 T-Bird similar to Trigg's picture. Bird in Triggs photo is a 1960, identified by the Hash Mark Trim on the rear fender. Sky Blue, leather, factory ac. I remember paying around $1000 for it.,,,.owner just couldn't afford gas, which at that time went up to about $1.25 per gallon (a lot in 1973).
I was a deputy at the time, and had access to free parking at our P.D. storage lot.
Kept it for a year and traded it on a brand new 75 Olds Cutlass Supreme, straight up trade to a dealer who wanted the Bird.

 

[Grumpaw]

Here's a 57 Fairlane with the Paxton set up. It was a one year only, 57....1958 the option was dropped.

 

[mtsoxfan]

Maybe its the angle, but that looks like a whole lot of engine...

 

[Grumpaw]

Maybe its the angle, but that looks like a whole lot of engine...

They were using the 312 Y-Block V-8 which was their biggest at the time, and it was a BIG WIDE engine.

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