1957 Thunderbird with a Small-Block V8

Cool Hand Customs took in this 1957 Thunderbird for a complete makeover. After many hours of work the restored classic was unveiled at SEMA 2023 in the KBS Coatings booth.

Cool Hand Customs started the project by removing the red paint to reveal the previous “repairs”. The company installed new lower quarter panels from a 1963 Fairlane. They also removed the fender skirts and extended the passenger area by 4.5 inches. They even rebuilt the spare tire well into a toolbox. The body was covered in KBS Coatings “Lithium Blue” paint. Cool Hand Customs invested 1000+ hours in the bodywork and paint.

The freshly painted body sits on a Regal Roadsters’ steel chassis. It features a Mustang II front suspension and four-link rear suspension. Each corner has a QA1 Pro coilover and Classic Performance disc brakes. Covering those are a set of tan painted US Wheel 17×7-inch wheels.

The car came from the factory with a 312 ci Y-block V8 and Ford-O-Matic three-speed automatic transmission. Cool Hand Customs swapped those for a small-block Ford V8 and AOD four-speed automatic transmission. The new motor produces 365 hp and 370 lb-ft of torque. Out back is a 9-inch rear end loaded with a Detroit TrueTrac limited-slip differential and 3.73 gears.

On the inside Cool Hand Customs installed a set of 1967 Mustang bucket seats covered in Saddle Brown and Palomino vinyl from Distinctive Industries. A Classic Performance American Retro steering wheel mounts on a Ididit steering column. Cool Hand Customs built a custom dash similar to a 1961-1963 Thunderbird filled with New Vintage USA Woodward Series gauges. You can view the project’s progress in the FB build album.

Source: Cool Hand Customs FB page and Summit Racing