Bernie McGarity fell in love when he was 18 … with a 1957 Ford Thunderbird.
“That’s how old I was the first time I drove one. I was hooked and thought ‘Some day I want to own that car.’”
The Waynesboro man fulfilled the dream when he bought his first model in 2005. “I brought it home and repainted it – made it pretty again and then started going to local cruising competitions.”
Four years ago, McGarity bought another 1957 Thunderbird. “I needed a project. We completely assembled, restored and rebuilt every system on the car.”
That vehicle recently took top honors at the CTCI (Classic Thunderbird Club International) annual meeting and convention in Florida. “We were first in the Concourse I class out of 10 cars. Out of 250 points maximum, we got 244.” McGarity earned a wall certificate and a plaque designating that he competed in 2023 CTCI Concourse judging labeled with a gold medallion senior status sticker that is also on the windshield.
“We were elevated to senior status because of the points earned. If we go back to another Concourse judging and receive an equal number of points or more, we become a Concourse Gold Medallion Senior Car,” McGarity said.
“Fit and finish is part of the judging criteria. All the systems must operate – the radio, windows, seat, gauges, lights … everything. You’re also judged on the quality of the restored or new/old stock parts that were used.”
The winning Thunderbird was restored by BC Classics of Monn Drive. “He did the work. As soon as we got the car we made an initial list of needed parts. Some were bought right away and if he found an old part that he couldn’t rehabilitate, we found a replacement.”
There are numerous part distributors across the country, according to McGarity. “Some have new old stock or reproduction parts that come from all over the world. A lot are from Canada and Mexico.”
McGarity visited his restoration expert two or three times a month to check the progression of the project. “I answered his questions to get the work right for the judging criteria. It was a constant collaboration between him and me and my parts guy.”
The winning vehicle, a two-seat model, was manufactured for only three years, in 1955, 1956 and 1957, McGarity said. “You won’t see this car driven around. It has less than 3 miles on it – the engine, transmission and rear end were completely rebuilt to qualify for PowerTrain zero miles certification. The convertible top on this car will probably never go down.”
McGarity acknowledged that a project like this “can run into six figures. It’s an expensive hobby, but when you get senior status it increases the value of the car and tells the Thunderbird community that this is one of the best of the best.”
McGarity caught the car bug early. “My father was a Lincoln Mercury dealer in Waynesboro. Everybody likes good looking old cars. Most people can remember their first car and would love to have it back again in perfect condition. I’m going to enjoy taking this vehicle to auto shows.”
McGarity, who traveled to Florida with his wife Lou and Jeff and Patti Geesaman of Waynesboro, said one of the most exciting parts of the trip was having three flat tires on the trailer hauling the Thunderbird. “It took three hours for the tow truck to give us a new tire and get back on the road. When the third one blew, we replaced the last two.”
What’s next for McGarity and his 1957 Thunderbird? “We’re thinking about going to the convention in Des Moines, Iowa, in August 2024.”
