Spotted: 1955 Ford Thunderbird At RK Motors Charlotte

1955-Ford-Thunderbird_289457_low_resWe could hardly believe our eyes when we ran across this beauty while cruising the RK Motors Charlotte current inventory page. This ’55 T-Bird is a one-of-a-kind convertible, and we’d do bad things to get our hands on it.

1955-Ford-Thunderbird_289459_low_resThe car was made by Street Visions in Waxhaw, North Carolina, in 2010, taking 1,300 man hours to get it to its present state. The pro-touring approach made use of steel panels as opposed to fiberglass, resulting in clean gaps that could make a Lamborghini or Aston Martin owner jealous. And that Dupont Chroma Merlot Burgundy Metallic paint is to die for.

The guys at Street Visions took on a creative license that was both radical yet tasteful. The front was given a custom fascia to house new halogen headlamps, blue-tinted fog lights, and a chrome mesh grille that extends down to the bumper’s level. Out back, LED taillights fringed with chrome trim are accentuated with custom-made exhaust tips for extra style and flash.

1955-Ford-Thunderbird_289493_low_resThe “Supercharged” badges on either side of the period-correct hood scoop tell you what’s really going on. Pop open the bonnet and you’ll find a DOHC 4.6L Mach 1 motor sourced from a Mustang, and fitted with an Eaton blower from a Mustang Cobra.

Topping out at 451 horsepower and 417 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels, the Thunderbird needs every bit of help it can get from aftermarket products. These include a Detail Zone electronic fuel injection wiring harness, SCT chip tuned by Pro Dyno, and cooling support from Arrow and Sparco.

The chassis utilizes Mustang II suspension with a Fat Man front sub frame and custom crossmember. A thick 1.5-inch sway bar keeps the side-to-side motion to a minimum, and Brake Tech discs give refined stopping power when needed. The rear Mustang II leaf springs are braced by a 1-inch sway bar and custom Cal Trac control bars, with Mustang Cobra 11-inch rear rotors to give the car disc brake technology on all fours.

Add to all this the custom interior with its Katzkin leather seats, custom-made dash and console, and fresh carpeting, and this pro-tourer can add “plush” to its description as well. Read more about on the RK Motors Charlotte website, and don’t forget to Like them on Facebook.

1955-Ford-Thunderbird_289466_low_res

About the author

David Chick

David Chick comes to us ready for adventure. With passions that span clean and fast Corvettes all the way to down and dirty off-road vehicles (just ask him about his dream Jurassic Park Explorer), David's eclectic tastes lend well to his multiple automotive writing passions.
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