Meanwhile, SAR, who is well equipped to handle the changes that Gary was looking for, started on the body. The first change was to enlarge the wheeltubs, then a custom rear body panel, followed by Aston Martin front fender vents and spears, and one-off bumpers front and rear. SAR added to the bottom of the quarter-panels and made a valance to thicken the rear of the car. But wait, there’s more. The headlight doors, usually made of pot metal, were hand-formed in sheetmetal and the fenders were welded to eliminate the seams. Also done away with are the door handles, locks, and the gas filler door. A ’57 T-bird grille surround with a tube grille adds the polished look of a custom car.

In the meantime, the chassis arrived from Art Morrison all set for the running gear. Gary races late-model Mustang Cobra Jets and has a high regard for the Coyote engine. His Ford motor of choice for this project is a ’14 302ci DOHC cam crate engine, knocking on the door of 420 hp, with Mustang 2-1/2-inch stainless headers. The tranny is a 400RW with CompuShift. Of course, a 9-inch Ford rear axle that houses 4.11 gears is resting beneath a 16-gallon stainless gas tank. This ’Bird flies on Billet Specialties Outlaw 18-inch wheels front and rear. Those hot rims are shod with Nitto NT555G2 235/40R18 tires on the front and 255/45R18s on the back, with Wilwood disc brakes. Steering comes from an ididit tilt column topped with a Budnik steering wheel. The rest of the interior features a ’57 T-bird leather-covered dashboard with hidden stereo and air conditioning by SAR. Jim McCrea of Portland hotwired the T-bird, and Bright Auto Upholstery in Portland stitched up the cream leather original seats.

Check out the images of ’55 Thunderbirds online and you will not see one that even comes close to the eye candy that is this hot rod.