Actually, the 352 debuted in 58 in the Edsel and T-Bird; the best engine in 57 was the F-code 312 Y-block with the Paxton supercharger, although it was super-rare. The E-code dual quad 312 and D-code 4-bbl 312 were much more common.
The 57 Ford is a good car. One of my co-workers has a 57 Ranch Wagon (Ford's version of the Nomad) and it's just an awesome old wagon. It's got a 312 with a 3-2 intake setup and an AOD transmission, front discs, all sorts of good stuff. True story: we put that car on my racing wheel scales and the wagon balanced out with better weight distribution (50.1/49.9 F/R, no lie) than his track-only Porsche 944. But with that said, it's not much of a handler, just a great cruiser.
I have a 57 Thunderbird, and although that car shares some body components with the 57 Ford passenger car, its suspension is actually based on the 54-56 Ford passenger car. In 57 the Ford got a complete suspension redesign that's much better than the 54-56/Thunderbird garbage. Go to
www.ndgearheadscruiserproducts.com to find some neat suspension products for Fords of that era. Personally, I prefer the smaller, less expensive 300 series to the 500, but they're both good Fords.
Any specific questions about them?