History 1957 FORD UGLY ?

One more, the Skyliner. No need to customize these! How about a Ranchero pic, someone?

 

The '57 Ford has just two flaws - protruding headlights and a back bumper sourced from a Greyhound bus. Otherwise it's an awesome looking car. And even those things are easy to overlook (stocker) or fix (custom). The author has no idea what they're talking about. The '57 Ford has probably the smallest fins offered that year.

 

Always was one of my favorites when growing up- thought much better looking than the 58-

 

I'm a Chevy guy but one of the few Fords (choke) I like are 57's. Stock or custom, they look great. Back in the mid 60s, my brother's close friend had a silver and white 57, 2 door hardtop, with chrome reverse rims, metal flake steering wheel (at that time, my brother had a Harbor Blue 57 Chevy with chrome reverse.)
His brother bought the 57 Ford off him, painted it Blue and White, and the last I heard, he still had the car.

 

Jeff Myers built this Bad Ford.

 

I think it says a lot that Buddy Alcorn traded his Ayala/Barris chopped Merc for Dick Jackson's new customized 1957 Ford.

 

Here's one and a ranch wagon.

 

WTF is rmautobuzz ??

 

Clearly NOTHING important!
The Wizzard

 

^^Nailed that I'd say...

 

May as well throw mine in there.

 

I think the 57 was one of the best looking Fords ever made. I would even take a 57 over my 56.

 

can't go wrong with a 57 Ford!

 

Customs and Fairlanes are two different body styes. The "greyhound sized back bumpers" are Fairlane, The Customs had a much smaller bumper...although I'll admit I'm not a fan of either....thus my rolled pan. The Fairlanes had a taller more sculpted fin curving down as it approached the front door. The Custom's fin ended straight. All Customs, Ranchero's, Wagons, Couriers were built on a shorter wheelbase than the Fairlanes. Note they never built a Fairlane Wagon.
My work in progress....

 

Depends on who you ask of course.. As others have said, if they were so "ugly" why would they sell more than same year Chevys which you see WAY MORE of.

Everytime you go to some typical trophy car show or watch some cheesy movie that was supposed to take place in the 50s just about every car you see is a 57 Chevy.

On second thought.. Yeah, they are "ugly" maybe now I could stock up on them.

 

Mine will have the oem bugeyes for now. A future to-do list includes a shortened version of the headlight rings, posibly a tucked in rear bumper, and something to replace the high-rise seats. The nose has settled about 3/4" from where it sat in this pic.

 

I like the '57 a lot better than the '58 My father worked at Ford's Atlanta assembly plant in Hapeville GA 1952-58. He liked the '57s all right, but when the '58s came out, Daddy said that they "looked like a large mouth bass on wheels."

 

Now,now,now,lets not put 58 fords down-that was my 1st car in high school in 1969.I do agree that 57fords are the best looking of the three years but 58s can be good looking too. In auto shop in high school, a kid had a 57 ford with 3 carbs and I fell in love with it but all I could afford at the time was a 58 more door with a bad trans.I replaced the trans,got a $29 earl Sceib orange paint job,chrome rims in the back,moon hubcaps on steeles on the front,with the rear jacked up about 4inches. I thought I was so cool but the cops did not think so since I always would get stopped but never a ticket.I did regret painting the interior black with paint not for seats since my buddy's girlfriends dress stuck to the seat. She was MAD! (lol).Oh, the good times.

 

I've never even heard of rmautobuzz but I sure do like '57 Fords.

 

Heres the one I rescued from a slow death returning back into the earth . Its not running yet but it is inside and sitting on 4 new tires .

 

chevy57 dude said " how 'bout a RANCHERO" ... ?

 

^ Saw that one in the classifieds this morning.
Edsel tail lights, right?
Looks nice.

 

Using those '56 pickup trim rings is an excellent (and fairly easy) way to get rid of the "popeye" headlights which came on all 57's. Lots of folks did that back in the day.

 

Rump Rangers as far as I can tell. But they did do us a solid they started a good discussion of one of my favorite Fords.

Not a custom but @DDDenny I could probably overlook the axle and live with this one just fine



Or if you must go Y block they did have this option



But getting back on track someone asked for a Ranchero and the '57 was made to be a mild custom

 

In '57 some new cars had hooded headlights. Some had Frenched headlights. The Ford, it seemed to me at the time, couldn't make up their mind so went with both. At the time I didn't like it. Over the years I have softened and they look OK to me. A little busy. Yes I liked the 57 Chevy much better.

 

The Ranchero Skipperman posted has the Edsel tailights done right, imho. Look at the lines from the side...great! Most of those conversions just have a stubby bump added in front of the lower fin.

 

[QUOTE="porknbeaner, post: 11434175, member: 1613"]Rump Rangers as far as I can tell. But they did do us a solid they started a good discussion of one of my favorite Fords.
Not a custom but @DDDenny I could probably overlook the axle and live with this one just fine

Hey Beaner
Who you call'n a Rump Ranger




Now were talk'n!
Ya don't gotta apologize to me, customs aren't in my wheelhouse.
Nothing wrong with that axle, maybe a coat of black Krylon, other than that; that's one cool sumbitch. Hell I even like the white headers.

 

YEP ..... that is what you have to do to use the EDSEL SIDE TRIM with the Edsel Wagon tail lights ..........