Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

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Bttt

 

Did you know there were 2 Falcon Thunderbolts made? One was totaled early on but the second one is still around. I got to do the metal work on Mickey Thomson's car when it was restored in the late 80's. I was Lucky enough to check out the Hemi motor he built.

 

I've heard the same 'rumor'. I'd love to see some info on this, sounds super cool.

 

Really not a rumor, I was able to tour with it and drive it when it was in a private collection.

 

Was it a 427 car? Do you have any history on it? Sounds neat.

 

Yes, it was a 427 car. It was maroon and I can't remember who got it originally. CRS

 

There were two 427 Falcons built in '64. They were for Dick Brannan and Phil Bonner. They both were built by Dearborn Steel Tubing who also built the Thunderbolts. The Brannan car is restored and now owned by Don Snyder in OH. The Bonner car went through several owners after Phil but has not been found. It was traced to Chicago and was being street raced in the 70's. The trail goes cold after that. Neither car was totaled when raced in the 60's.

Both cars were very succesful. Phil Bonner's car was on the cover of SS&DI in early 1965. The Bonner car was light blue and the Brannan car was Vintage Burgandy(maroon).

 

got any pictures of dallas kelly's wrecking crew car....he also owned the galaxy i mentioned in my first reply.....which ended up as the "high and mighty"....brandon

 

This car is lettered as the Gas Ronda T-bolt. The original Ronda car is now in Florida and is unrestored. Ronda's car also started out Vintage Burgandy then was painted Rangoon Red. It was never white. My guess is this is a clone. Looks sharp though...

 

2years ago on TLC chris titus was hosting the hotrod power tour. Thye stopped by a mans place who had a body shop, outside was a cammer sohc 427 powered falcon delivery, he then showed his ''collection'' of afx and bfx cars, anyone know who that man is? he has galaxie lightweights, falcons, etc. i was just curious to see who he was and what his collection holds, as i build models.

 

Go here for an updated photo of the "Wrecking Crew".

http://www.topssracing.com/new2007.php

The car is currently being redone for Top/SS racing. This car is an original T-bolt that was originally sold at Al Means Ford in Decatuar, GA., the early home of Phil Bonner.

 

That was Rick Kirk from OK. I don't have any contact information for him. He has some great cars!!! He has one of three complete surviving '62 lightweight Galaxies. There were 11 built total. He also has the wrecked body from Bonner's '62 lightweight.

 

http://fordflashback.com/contact.asp Ilove this site.

Thx for the info Trouble, that episode sticks out in my mind, because that guy is the man, small brick building, not suspiscious looking, and BAM!!! loaded with drag racing history.

 

I really would not consider those two falcon " Thunderbolts ". One noticable difference is that the Falcons wheelbase was altered. The rears ( Either Galaxie or Detroit Automotive ) were moved forward 3 and half inches. The Fairlanes were stock wheelbase. Also Ford and DST went to great lengthjs to make the shocktower area look stock. That being said both were still "427" small cars made to go fast !

 

Theres a gentleman by the name of Randy D who use to own Superstangs in Clyde NY has or had the Tasca Ford Thunderbolt, the altered Fairlane & Comet (o-yeah,,almost forgot about the red Galaxy too...lol) but he had an accident several years ago inwich he lost his business so i dont know if he still owns these cars but i believe he does...I'll have to dig for the pics but i do have some from when the Tasca Ford was being restored.

If i remember right the Mickey Thompson Thunderbolt Hemi was on ebay (wich had the most amazing pics of the car...) for 250-350,000 but it didnt sell....Only if i could hit the damn Lottery!

 

Randy Delisio does not own the Tasca T-bolt any longer. He sold it a few years ago. Go to thunderbolt.cc and see what he started the restoration with.... Randy is still in business turning out great restorations. Hemmings Muscle Cars did an article about him a few months ago.

The M/T Hemi has been passed around quite a bit in the collector/investor world the last few years. No one seems to hold on to it very long. I wonder why??? I think I know, but can't say.....

 

MAYBE A " FAKE "...............................HHHHHMMMMMM. C'mon spill the beans Jody

 

Like I said earlier, I worked on the car in the late 80's and per the owners request I re bodied it and a lot of changes in the engine compartment which I Didn't want to do. There is very Little that is original. I put the original rear end housing back in it but built a new lift bar cross member for the new body. I replaced the tag on the new body and the old body was junked

 

Was your former employer Jerry Moreland ??

Many saveable cars were rebodied during the "get rich quick with muscle cars 80's"!! It is a real shame. Many rust free, 6 cylinder cars are now represented as something they didn't leave the factory as... I know of several cars that could have been saved but the owner took the easy way out to make a buck....

I never understood how you rebody a subframe car??? Would it just be a swapping of VIN numbers???

 

I don't recall any T-bolts, but her's some pics from the grand opening of Brent Hajek's Museum in Oklahoma a couple years back.

http://rides.webshots.com/album/59366051JNFkqN

 

I owned a chassis shop at the time and did a lot of work for him. Yes in my opinion it was all about money. These cars meant nothing to there owners.

 

Many of these cars are nothing but investments to their owners. They sit in warehouses waiting for their trip to Barrett Jackson. Many of us would love to own one of these cars and share it at shows with others. We appreciate what the car is to history. Maybe one of these days the exCorvette guys who are buying these cars will move on to something else and these cars will become somewhat affordable, but I doubt it!!! Barrett Jackson will make sure of that!!!

Oh well, off my soapbox and back on topic. Here is one that has never been found. It was reported stolen in 1965 and never seen again.

 

WhenI was a kid here in NY State there was a 64 Fairlane ( PINK ) that had Thunderbolt on the sides. I think it was in Nanuet NY. Had to be the real thing. This was around 1966 or so. The car was not easy to ignore. It was like a pink/rasberry color with white lettering and white wheels

 

Sounds nice....Got any photos???

 

No Picc......It used to sit outside a service station back then. Both long gone

 

There's a guy here in Napa that has a T-bolt replica. Owns a wrecking yard. Burgandy with all the decals. And I was at a show in Antioch a few months back and a guy had a light weight Galaxie cammer. I'll try to dig up some pics.

 

Here's one of Dyno Don's 64, and I like this 65, my first car was a 65. It couldn't do this though.

 

You are correct about the Brannan cars!! Dick Brannan sold the car to the late Vaughn Kubert who repainted the car a Corvette Blue and renamed it "HULLABALOO". He was a very sucessful racer in the SW Michigan area for a long time. Vaughn first purchased Brannan's White 63 1/2 Galaxie then the T-Bolt, before or after the fairlane (not sure) he got the Falcon, also Brannan's Mustang if I remember correctly . The Falcon was also owned by my good friend John Motyka from Decatur Michigan. In 1966 I bought the T-Bolt, raced it for a year and then swapped to the steel doors with glass,and drove it on the street the next year(I also taught my wife to drive a stick with that car.. She damn near cleared the ground when she let the clutch out for the first time) I actually had more fun on the street than when I was racing it!! I later sold the car back to Vaughn, and returned to street rods again, (my first love). Afew summers back I got a call from Vaughn saying a guy from down south by the name of Mark Kuykendall was restoring all of the Brannan stable of racecars. Pictures he showed me were very impressive!! I also heard the other day that Don Snyder of SNYDER'S model A parts is the new owner.. I purchased the BOLT when I was still in high school for $3000 drove it for 2 years and resold it for the same amount, thinking life doesn't get any better than that. Not a very smart move financially afterall I guess!!! If I had only known then what I know now!! Anyway just thought people might want to know the history of the #1 T-BOLT.

 

The Dyno Don car is a replica. It is part of the 422 Motorsports team that we match race with once in a while. The green '65 was owned by a friend of mine, Travis Rice. That car runs real well and has been 9:80s. He recently sold it and will be working his magic on a '62 Ford.

Both photos were taken at Beaver Springs Dragway in PA. It is a great track with a 60s feel and hosts the York US30 Nostalgia Super Stock Nationals in July.

The original Dyno Don '64 Comet is in OK. in the Hajek collection.