For Fan Car Friday this week we bring you Dave and his gorgeous ’57 Ford Fairlane 500.  Fan Car Friday is a segment where we want to share with the world the automobiles that our fans have. We have absolutely no affiliation/relationship with the cars, the build or the owners. This post was made with written consent from the owner.

“I have now owned this 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 twice, originally bought it in 2007 then sold it to a gent in Minnesota in 2010 who passed away in 2017 (I accidentally found the listing online) and I bought it back from his estate, it has a 256 Yblock V8 out of a 54 Mercury but is stock other than that. The Fordomatic trans and torque converter were resurrected last summer by a friend with parts from Desert Valley auto parts.“

The mainstream Ford line of cars grew substantially larger for 1957, a model which lasted through 1959. The Crown Victoria with its flashy chrome “basket handle” was no more, and the acrylic glass-roofed Crown Victoria Skyliner was replaced by a new model, the retracting-roof hardtop Skyliner.

The new chassis allowed the floor to be placed much lower, which in turn led to a lower and longer look overall. The major component of this chassis was a differential whose pinion gear was exceptionally low relative to the axleshafts, lower than in conventional hypoid differentials.

The 1957 models retained a single-headlight front end like their predecessors, but were unmistakable with their long flanks and tailfins. A plethora of trim lines was introduced, starting with the base “Custom”, “Custom 300”, “Fairlane”, and top-line “Fairlane 500”. The two Custom lines used a 116 in (2946 mm) wheelbase, while the Fairlanes had 118 in (2997 mm) between the wheels. A new car/pickup truck hybrid based on the short-wheelbase chassis was also introduced, the Ranchero.

The 223 CID (3.7 L) OHV Straight-6 continued, now with 144 hp (107 kW). The V8 lineup included a 272 CID (4.5 L) Y-block making 190 hp (142 kW), a 292 CID (4.8 L) Thunderbird version making 212 hp (158 kW), a 312 cubic inch V8 making 245 HP and a supercharged 312 CID (5.1 L) Thunderbird Special making 300 hp (224 kW), and designated “Police Interceptor” on the glove box. Two dual 4 barrel versions of the naturally aspirated (non-supercharged) 312 cubic inch V8 rated at 270 and 285 HP were available. The 270 HP version had the same cam as all the other V-8’s but had vibration dampers on the valve springs. The 285 HP engine had a racing cam and was only available to NASCAR and possibly other racers. This option was dubbed “E code” and was available in all body types. It came standard with the deep-dish steering wheel. The radio had a transistorized audio output stage for the first time. There were lights for the generator and oil instead of gauges. The controls became reccesed for more safety (the Lifeguard safety package was still available).

A new frame was used for the 1957 Fords. It moved to perimeter rails out, so that they would fully envelope the passengers.

In a survey of 1957 Ford owners in the March, 1957 issue of Popular Mechanics, only 6.2% of owners ordered seat belts.

This model was very successful, being the best selling car in America, overtaking arch rival Chevrolet for the first time since 1935.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957_Ford

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