Do you have any pictures ? Was there anything about it that would make it reognizable? If it still exists the current owner may not have the full history of the car and wouldn't know it was the one you're looking for. It could have changed hands many times since 55-57. It's safe to say this wasn't a fiberglass T so that would narrow it down quite a bit.
You could check with the Oakland Roadster show to see if they have any pictures from the 49 show. Maybe an old magazine that covered the show would have a picture of it but there weren't that many car magazines back then. Maybe take a trip to Lafayette and look up the oldest hot rodders in town. See if they can remember anything about it.
Good luck