Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

Good Guys Fort Worth

 

After a 406-cid Fairlane was raced in 1962, Ford stuffed a 427-cid engine in the midsize Fairlane body in 1963. Known as the Zimmy I ( never heard that, anyone ever hear it called that?), it competed in A/FX and was the forerunner of the Ford '64 427 Thunderbolts, of which enough were built to make them legal for Super Stock competition that season.

 

To my knowledge only 1 or 2 were built by TASCA FORD in RI, one red and one white.

 

Yep I knew about the cars but had never heard they had a name for them.

 

Loudbang, the Zimmy name came from Frank Zimmerman, Ford's marketing manager at the time. Though, I thought the Thunderbolt was Zimmy 2 and their lightweight Galaxie was Zimmy 1 but can't remember for sure. Dennis K had told the story of the Zimmy name several years ago in this thread.

Edit: After thinking about it I believe the '63 406 car was the Zimmy 1 and the '64 T-Bolt was the Zimmy 2.

Kevin

 

Great history lesson

 

The 62 and 63 tbolt precursor's were both built in Detroit by dst with Ford Engineering assistance. They were then sent to Tasca for testing and improvements. The 62 was called Challenger 2 because the stock versions used the Challenger 221/260/289 challenger small block motor. The 63 was called Zimmy 1 and the 64 tbolt was called Zimmy 2.

 

So the '62 car was a 406 car and the '63 had a 427 low riser, correct? I had forgotten about the '62. I used to know all this stuff but my memory, among other things, isn't what it used to be.

Kevin

 

yes, the 62 was a 406 and the 63 was a 427 loriser. Tasca exchanged the 4spd in the 62 for a Merc automatic almost immediately.

 

One of the earliest images we found in Leal’s file, this picture is from 1964. The caption on the back of the print reads, “Butch Leal with his record-setting Thunderbolt. Set new record at 11.81 at 123.62 mph.”

Nice flat top duck tail

 

WOW The car came out beautiful Alan

 

Loudbang..100% real 65 T-Bolt a One of One built by DST and driven by Darrell Droke

 

Yes that it what I thought but some people thought it shouldn't be considered because of the fact that there was only one so it was kind of an orphan child.

 

This became the "Blackjack" car which ran in Ultra Stock for a few years. Quite successfully I might add. If you read the articles in Nat.Dragster you'll see it was never called a Tbolt again. Only a 64 Fairlane. I believe it is still around. I traced it's life into the late 70's.

 

Believe it or not this was the former Emrhae Ford Tbolt. It ended up in NY after a divorce in Virginia. It was a sick looking color that the local track announcer's dubbed the "Pepto Bismol" car.

 

I don't think this shot has been posted yet. "Mr. Corvette" Earl Wade's T bolt ex Gas Ronda car.

 

Where did it end up ?

 

I know that car!

 

with Jim Chun in Vancouver, Washington

 

I picked up a Hot Rod Magazine yearbook for 1964 at an antique store a couple of days ago and found this in the article about HRM's First Annual Championship Drags, held at Riverside in early summer.
Posts on this site have Jim Durham as the driver of the Wendle Ford Thunderbolt, which looked like this at the '64 Winternationals.


Any more information on the changes/history of this car? My apologies if this is plowing old ground. When I open a lot of the older posts, the attached images don't always show up. Thanks.

 

Can't remember if this one has been posted yet or not.

 

Photo taken at Midwest Hot Rods, Plainfield, Illinois, 2011.

 

Staging lanes at Indy, circa 1993.

 

These were taken at the 2010 Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals in Rosemont, Il.

 

posted by tommyd in the in motion thread

 

Thunderbolts headed for the starting line.

 

This is an FE in a Fairlane body with a Crites tower kit, below is how they were modified to fit the 427 by Detroit Steel Tubing.


http://www.hotrod.com/articles/historic-1964-ford-thunderbolt-comes-out-of-hiding-after-20-years/
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/see-...neglected-barn-find-to-show-quality-drag-car/


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/phil-bonners-1964-ford-thunderbolt-found.968038/