Rusty, you hit the nail on the head!! Lace paint, flock paint; remember those, short lived! "Cool by default", love it!!
***Originally Posted by rustyfords Nice. That paint is just so damn horrible that it's cool by default. I wouldn't touch it other than cleaning it up and maybe replacing the wheels with some that aren't so rusty. If you restored it and put a normal paint job on it, it would just be another old car. Leave it like this and you've got something that people will walk across a parking lot to grin at and think about the old days. It reminds me of some of the crazier stuff I saw the teenagers driving when I was a little guy, and it therefore takes me back in my mind. And that's a cool power for a car to have.*** I agree. There was a 58 Corvette here in the early 70s that was painted red, white and blue, stars and stripes. It sat out in his front yard and even tho that was 40 years ago, I think about that car every time I drive by that house.
Perfect candidate for a straight axle with that paint. I would fix the bad spot though. I really like 57 fords. Only thing better for me would be a Rachero in that year.
garage were 57 has been sitting, had to dig out in front of door because garage is near a hill and dirt buildup over 35 years was about a foot.
Started checking things out and cleaning it up a bit, car has p/windows and they work, it has p/top but switch was stuck, lights work but engine would not turn over looks like it might after checking wiring, car is not to bad as far as rust is concerned. Will be at Columbus Spring Swap on Sat. this coming weekend.
The exhausts look like either Fairlane GT or possibly Cobra Jet. It might be a Fairlane GT engine you have in there. I know you said its going to stay the way it is, but damn, I don't think I could live with that !
...just because something is old does not make it attractive. Yes, it is history, it looked like crap then and it really looks like crap now. Give dignity back to the car and get rid of the hideous paint scheme. Fifty-seven Ford convertibles have great lines and deserve a better fate. It's been wearing that cheap suit waaay too long. My $.02 Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
it looks like something "jethro bodine" might have driven! i wonder if the "stud" lettering ever panned out for the owner.
I could live with the lace and flags, but skip the striping on the red parts and that name... Now that it's in the light of day I see the rear bumper and taillight lenses seem to be from a Custom 300 rather than a Fairlane. And is that an original factory blue convertible top?
Now that it's out where you can see the whole paint scheme, I think it looks pretty good. The "Stud" on the lower quarters I could live without, but even with that, it sure isn't one more car with red wheels and wide whites. Love it.
yep ill be taking pics of this for sure on saturday it is soooo cool but id have to get rid of the "stud" on the quarters the rest would stay the way it is
Fantastic find!! I was very happy to see it was in fact a soft top convert. They are so much harder to find than the retractibles even though originally made in much larger numbers. Like most soft tops, they just didn't survive when "stored" outside, and are one of the hardest to find '57 Fords. Congrats. www.57fordsforever.com is a great source of info if you need anything.
I see: perfectly straight body, black paint with beautiful black interior, top down, gold inserts in side chrome trim, Cragar S/S wheels, moderate chrome in engine bay...timeless. Current appearance...well past it's prime. Paintwise, this is not an iconic piece of automotive history. The quality of this paint job would have been embarrassing & amateurish back in the '70's, and it is even more so today. I had a laced & panel painted Mustang back in the day, and it was beautiful. But this car?...nuh-uh! Keep the photos, ditch the paint!
The Jalopy Journal
