Car Show Featuring 57 FORDS

[57AGIN]

Out here on the Left Coast a local Thunderbird Club is putting on a Pageant of the Thunderbird Show and this year they are featuring all 57 Fords in addition to their Thunderbirds.  The show is being held on September 8, 2012 at Twila Reid Park, about a mile South of Knott's Berry Farm.  They are having 4 classes for our 57's: Sedan, Convertable, Wagon and Truck.  I've made contact with a number of 57 Ford owners having participated in other shows with some success.  Hopefully there will be a decent turnout, with over 200 57's in the Southern California area we should be able to.  They are accepting Day of Show registration for $35.  If you can come on out and show off your ride.

Bob
57 AGIN

[57AGIN]

The Pageant of the Thunderbirds car show came off very nicely.  There were 9 57 Fords at the show, in addition to more Thunderbirds than I've ever seen in one place.  I'll post photos of all the 57's there in the Gallery, but to sum it up: 2 Sunliner convertables, 2 Custom 300 Tudors, 2 Fairlane 500 Club Victorias, 1 Country Squire Wagon (4.6 Mod motor power), 1 Country Sedan Wagon, and a Ranchero.  Among the T-Birds present was a 57 customized T-Bird SOHC powered and all kinds of other T-Birds covering the 55 - 57 Baby Birds, the 58 up Big Birds, The full size T-Birds and the late model smaller Birds.  Many Trophys were presented, Rick and I both Trophied as did the two Wagons, Sunliners and the Ranchero.  I don't know what drew out this many 57's to this particular show, but we were well represented.

Bob
57 AGIN

[BAMA_57]

Wow! I can't imagine seeing that many '57s at a show. Lucky stiff.

[RICH MUISE]

Lotta good looking cars there. Is that squire wagon with the 4.6 the one that r clayborn had a major thread going 2 years ago about the 4.6 install? I know he was from Orange county..can't be too many '57 4.6dohc squires around. He hasn't been active since nov '10...also reminds me I wonder what ever happened to Gary..Canadian Ranchero also doing the 4.6 swap. I sure miss his presence here. Thanks for posting the pics Bob..someday I'll be at one of those shows parked beside you and Rick...Or maybe I'd better find a ratrod to park mine next to. LOL

[57AGIN]

Rich:

Looking forward to The time when some of us "left coasters" can either drive or hook up our rides and do a real visit to where the majority of the "club" members are. Rick and I have talked about this, but money and other obligations have sidetracked the desire for at least a couple of more years.  Yes, I believe the Country Squire is the one belonging to R. Clayborne.  This particular car is the wife's daily driver and it is licensed as MOMZILLA and he resides about 5 mile from Rick and me. 

Bama_57:

In 2007 the local 57 owners were able to get their rides together for the Annual John Force Holiday Show.  It was a FACEOFF between the 57 Fords and Chevys, Fords parked on one side of the VIP display street and Chevys on the other side.  I went back to my December 3, 2007 post and copied what took place back during the final show of our 50th Anniversary year.

     (I was really worried that the local 57 Ford owners, being in much shorter supply than that of the 57 Brand X owners, wouldn't be able to put up a respectable number of examples of our fine cars.  Well, my concerns were unfounded.  Not only did we show up with really high quality cars, but we outnumbered the Brand X cars.  We had twenty 57 Ford cars and five 57 T-Birds representing the Ford marque in the featured car display area, the Brand X cars turned out eighteen of their 57's.  We took home three Best of Show Trophies honoring Eric Medlin and presented to 40 cars judged to be the Best Cars in the Show (I believe the Brand X 57's got two of these Trophies).  Our Trophy winners included  a Fairlane 500, a Skyliner and a mild custom Ranchero (photos attached). 

     We had 57's coming to the show from some fairly long distances, Fresno, Bishop and San Diego, CA and one from Scottsdale, AZ.  It was truly a great way to cap off the year, even the weather cooperated.  Although, one of our Club members would call this to question, as his neighbors hillside wound up in Kid Courier's driveway  due to the rains on Friday and he couldn't get his preregistered 57 Courier out of his garage (he still came out and spent time with our group, thanks Skip).  John Force was at the show with all his family and signing autographs along with a number of other celebrities.  Over 1,000 really nice cars attended the show along with thousands of spectators.  I posted quite a few pictures of the event in the Gallery, check them out when you get a chance.)



I've also attached a couple of photos taken at that event, it was as Frank Sinatra used to sing "A very good year." lol  By the way the black Ranchero with the louvered hood is Shopratwoody's.

Bob
57 AGIN

[RICH MUISE]

That was one heck of a show. I gottsta find a show next year with lots of '57's...I was intrigued by the number of '57 Fords at Kansas shows that I think were posted by Redwhitered at shows in his area. Also a Kansas Hamb'er posting alot of other interesting stuff up there. So, I think I'll start planning early for a few trips northward next year. Who knows what next year will bring...my wife and I are figuring on trips to Phoenix at least twice a year for a while to visit older relatives, so Socal isn't totally out of the question either.

[57AGIN]

Rich & Everyone:

Come on out to So Cal, I'm sure we can find a show or two or three to let you show off your rides.  Hopefully we can latch onto another event like we did with the 2004 Fun Ford Weekend, better known as "The Gathering West."  We had ten 57's, which amounted to over 1/3rd of their car show and we also got to do some time trials on the drag strip.  (Photos attached, the photo on the starting line was when the car was really Turquoise/White, not Blue/White)

That event was just after I got 57 AGIN on the road after its first refurbishment.  I'm anxious to do it again, this time with the good tires (M/T ET Street Radials), Cal-Trac traction bars and the Paxton-Novi.supercharger working together.  The only time I've had it on the strip since adding the tires and bars, I didn't have enough air in the tires and the darn thing bogged after dumping the clutch at 4,000 rpm.

Maybe I'll just have to get it back to where you guys are to run it again. lol.

Bob
57 AGIN

[gasman826]

MORE GEAR!!!!MORE GEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the pictures.

[rmk57]

I can't say Iv'e ever seen an air cleaner like the one on the SOHC bird.

[gasman826]

I had trouble keeping the air cleaner under the hood and still have enough surface for air flow.

[57AGIN]

Gasman826 & rmk57:

I believe the bend in the air cleaner was to get the air cleaner to fit under the hood of the T-bird and he gets his air flow from the open hood scoop.  He's been driving this setup for many, many years.

Here is a shot of the T-bird from a distance.  I personally don't care for the fastback look on the bird, but to each his/her own.

Bob
57 AGIN