Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

I'm a huge fan of the 1964 427 Fairlanes known as "Thunderbolts". Does anyone have any photos of these great cars? There are still a few of the 100 cars built that haven't been found. Anyone know where one is sitting in a barn or junkyard? I'm also looking for photos and information on '62-'64 lightweight Galaxies.

Thanks,

 

Was a nice one at the CHRR, guy claimed it was a chicken coupe when he found it!!!!! For real..........OLDBEET

 

GOOGLE:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=FORD+THUNDERBOLT&btnG=Google+Search

 

Craig Sutton has a site dedicated to the 64's T-Bolts...Google it

 

clone

 

I'm friends with Craig. In fact we are scheduled to build the motor for a clone he is building. I'm looking for some stuff he hasn't found yet.....LOL

 

If any of US knew where a genuine T-bolt or lightweight was "just sitting in a barn or a junkyard"...we would've got the title sitting in OUR pocket about, oh, say, 30 sec. later. If that long.

Just funnin' with ya..

..although, remember the pics somebody posted a month or two back with the 427MR F-150 & the SOHC T-Bird just sitting around in some old guy's yard? Among lots of other Ford $$$$ parts? Who wouldn't sell anything...?

 

LINK????!!??????

 

I know what you are talking about!! I think it would take me maybe 15 seconds...LOL

But, of the 100 T-bolts built, the experts say 22 are unaccounted for. Thats quite a few cars!! You never know what may still be out there.

Here are a few photos I've collected over the years. Photographers are unknown.

 

I'm a huge fan too and have tons of pics of real and clones. I have a 64 500 post thats going thunderbolt style but staying s/b for now. theres a few other places to go to discuss them one good one is the FE forum.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/74182/
http://fairlaneforums.easyphpbb.com/
http://www.ford-forums.com/ford-fairlane/
http://www.midnightangelracing.com/forum/index.php
http://www.fordmuscle.com/forums/fairlane-pages/index.html
Heres some real ones maybe if I get more time later I'll resize some more, whats more sad than never finding them all is all the ones we know are gone a few got wrecked and a bunch more were turned into altered wheelbase cars, AFX cars and finally scrapped, I have a bunch of those pics too.

 

http://www.angelfire.com/hi/427fairlane/

http://public.fotki.com/Fastplasticbldr/1_to_1_dragperforma/


better grab a sandwich
keith

 

there is one thunderbolt in our area.....called the wrecking crew....(or atleast i think its still around).....a guy i know has a 64 lightweight galaxy ....it was in the infield at bowling green ....want to say it was the osborne trucking car .....another guy i know has a 64 lightweight that has 1200 miles on it.....this car was a record holder ....won the winter nats once....and still has probably 70% of the original paint.....probably hasn't been outside in 25 years.....but you won't steal it.....owner wants 79k for it....a buddy told me about passing on one out of michigan in the late 70's / early 80's.....want to say it was sponsored by "sunshine fireworks"....he thought it was too much money .....i just tell him , you can't put a price on hindsight.....just a could have been profit....lol brandon

 

Gotgas,

Here ya go...I thought it was on here, but I was wrong. First time ever.

Actually, it's a twin turbo 427, but ya get the idea.

http://www.460ford.com/viewtopic.php?t=5171

 

Ttt

 

Any one know much about Mickey Ts Thunderbolt? I have some good pictures of it, he made his own Hemi heads for the thing. Only ever built one set and they were supposed to work very well. I will post some pics when I get home.

 

it was on ebay earlier this year ....or possibly last winter.....think they were wanting a half million for it......now that is a neat car....hemi heads and a crossram......i think it was located in the northwest...brandon

 

That car has been bought and sold many times. Rumor is there isn't much of the original car left. M/T actually got two T-bolts. Butch Leal drove the conventional hi riser version and Jess Tyree drove the "hemi" car. The Leal car was wrecked and is gone. From what I've read, the "hemi" car was more of an experiment and wasn't raced very often. There is a '63 lightweight Galaxie around that also has a "hemi" 427 motor. M/T also developed "hemi" heads for Pontiacs.

 

Here are a couple more photos. Anyone have anymore???

 

Here a couple of the M/T "hemi" Tbolt.

 

i friend of mine build a SUPER NICE clone a few years back. started with a completely rust free Lousiana body. even painted the underside of the car white like the body. it was so nice he was afraid to drive it and put less than 5 miles on it before he sold it. i'll see if he has any pics i can get onto the computer.

 

Heres some of Mickey T's motor in and out of the car.










Doc.

 

Hey Doc, that was on eBay awhile ago, can't remeber what it went for though. Sure is nice, always have a soft spot for those cars....

 

Its been on ebay a few times actually, i saved alot of photos for reference in the future. The last time it was on ebay if i recall there was a buy it now price for 175k ...going by memory here so i can be wrong. The owner also had a 65/66 AFX mustang, i dont recall the driver, i have the photos saved though.

 

Cant remember where these pics came from, probably was e-bay. If I had the $$ I would have bought it, but then again if I had that sort of money spare I have the Doane Spencer roadster in the garrage too!!

 

What wheels are those on front?

Thanks,
Kurt

 

They look like Radir's too me.

 

Yea there Radir's Front and steelies on back...but they had radirs on the back at times to.

 

Anyone got anything on this car in particular?
Jack Chrisman's, Sachs and Sons sponsored, S/FX '64 Mercury Comet??
Thanks.

 

The white '64 Comet raced by Jack Chrisman was converted to the red '65 car that is still around. It has been restored and is owned by Jim Barrilaro(sp?). Chrisman converted it from the white '64 with a wedge motor to the red '65 running a Cammer. The restored car was at Bowling Green this year and was part of the Cacklefest.

 

A few years ago, I was covering a show for Super Rod, and one of the cars there was Arnie Beswick's original A/FX "Tameless Tiger". I wrote a story on it called "Timeless Terror." The owner of the car was this really nice, big southern country boy, who worshipped the ground Arnie walked on. Talking with him, I really had the feeling that every dime he had in the world was tied up in this car. Shows what I know!
Turns out he plays the fiddle for the Grand Ol' Oprey, and a bunch of other things. He DID have every dime wrapped up in cars, but not just Arnie's. "Well, you know that song Hank Williams sangs..."Crazy 'Bout a Mercury"? Well, I own his Mercury. (I think it was Hank..I don't remember the name of the singer of that song...and I blanked out because what he was saying kept getting better!). And I own the Cadillac Joe Dimagio gave to Marilyn Monroe. It's all original, with the Tri-power engine and every option...but it was repainted gold. Originally, it was white, and when he drove up and gave it to her, she said "I wouldn't own any Cadillac that wasn't gold," so he took it back to the dealership and they painted it. She was...not a reeal nayce woman..."
"But what I really like to collect is original, unrestored muscle car convertibles, with the biggest engine offered in that body..." And then he proceeded to tell me about 426 Hemi This, 427 That... "and I also like original factory drag cars. Have ya ever heard of the Ford Thunderbolts?" Um, yeah. "Well, Ah owned Serial Number One, and Serial Number 100. I sold them a while back to buy some other cars."

I later found out from a couple of different people, including Flyod Garret, that the guy was on the level. They said he lived in a trailer, and spent every dime he had on cars. Sometimes, between paychecks at the Oprey, he'd be pumping gas or doing something to keep food on the table. A lot of his cars were in Floyd Garret's muscle car museum in Tenn.

He did end up getting married and building a brick house. The last time I talked to him, he invited me to come up with my wife (because she loves Marilyn) and "Tayk Marilyn's Caddy up the road for a Sonic Burger. Just let me know a couple days before hand, and Ah'll pull it out and charge up the battery fer ya."

Brad