This 1957 Ford Thunderbird is said to have been registered in California prior to a body-off refurbishment in the 1990s, and it was retrofitted in 2007 with a fuel-injected 588ci Chevy big-block V8, which was rated at 680 horsepower. Refinished in red over a white interior, the car was acquired in 2013 by the seller, who notes that its TH400 three-speed automatic transmission was rebuilt in 2017. Other details include a Ford 9″ rear end, a Detroit locking differential, front disc brakes, and 15″ steel wheels with chrome hubcaps. This 588-powered Thunderbird is offered in Canada with engine records, receipts from current ownership, and Alberta registration in the seller’s name.
Finished at the factory in Raven Black (A), the car was repainted red under previous ownership, and it is accompanied by a body-colored porthole hardtop as well as a white convertible soft top. A paint flaw at one of the hardtop mounts is pictured in a close-up photo shown in the gallery below.
The seller tells us that Wilwood front disc brakes and a Baer master cylinder were installed in 2015. Trimmed with bright hubcaps, the 15″ steel wheels were installed in 2024, and they are mounted with 235/60 BFGoodrich tires.
The cabin has pleated white vinyl upholstery, manual windows, a floor shifter, and an aftermarket stereo. A replacement heater core was sourced in 2021, followed by horn wiring in 2024.
The three-spoke steering wheel frames a centrally mounted 140-mph speedometer, and the driven speedometer gear was replaced in 2021. The tachometer is not working. The five-digit odometer shows 16k miles, approximately 2,500 of which were added under current ownership. Total mileage is unknown.
The 588ci V8 was built and dyno-tested in 2007 by Jan-Cen Motorsports of Elma, New York. The engine features a Dart Machinery cast-iron block, a 4.500″-stroke crankshaft, Lunati Pro Mod connecting rods, 4.560″ JE pistons, Brodix cylinder heads, a Crane hydraulic roller camshaft, a Moroso seven-quart oil pan, a March Performance serpentine-belt system, and FAST electronic fuel injection on a tall-deck intake manifold. The battery was replaced in 2026, and an oil change was completed in preparation for the sale.
Records from the build are shown further at the end of the gallery, and they indicate measurements of 680 crank horsepower and 769 lb-ft of torque.
A TH400 three-speed automatic sends power to a Ford 9″ rear end with a Detroit locking differential, per the seller, who reports that the transmission was rebuilt by Commercial Powertrain of Calgary in 2017.
The vehicle is being sold on its Alberta registration, which serves as an ownership document in Alberta, Canada.