We 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.
The 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.
The “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.
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