History Stock-S/S-F/X 1959-1966

Wally Bell,

Talked to Jim Cagle a while ago. He said you can identify this Mystery Thunderbolt in the photo. Do you know who originally had this car or what dealership it ran out of?

Thanks,
Dennis

 

A NC car..I recall that. The picture was taken by Larry Davis in 1965 (Feb. , I think) at Piedmont .......It looks like Don Page's car, but isn't......(I think)
Sorry......

 

Thank you for the prompt reply. Here is another shot of it. I had to get a bit creative to get this photo. Jim Amos sent some footage of it at Piedmont. It was pitted next to Platt's Falcon and also ran against it.

Any idea who was "Foreign Car Service" was?

I've heard two stories on this car, both involving dairies. One that it once belonged to a dairy farmer from GA named Pennington, the other it may of been owned by someone from Coble Dairy, possibly in NC.

Hopefully someone may recall this car and shed some light on its history.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Donilson?
Dutton?

I just left a message with someone who"may" know.....
If I find out..I'll PM you.

Perhaps Jody Abert would know?

 

No sorry, I don't know. Actually Wally, Dennis and I have been talking about this car for a couple of years.

 

Joel, I have your print of this pic at nite, signed by Phil Bonner hanging in my home. It was given to me by Drake Viscome of Carmel Ford. My son now works very close to the old Deland Dragway. I luv that car!

 

Thanks ... glad that you enjoy the print. It is one of my best and one of my favorites as well. I of course own the original art but have a print hanging above my computer.
Glad you've joined the group here. Please continue to contribute.
Joel

 

I always thought that that T-Bolt might be the ex-Steve Honnel War Eagle car ... ?
Joel

 

Unbelievable that it was 44 years ago......

 

Great model Wally ... who built it?
Joel

 

This thread just keeps getting better and better! So much wonderful and rich history here!

 

I was looking for SSR banquet photos for an acquaintance of mine.

Can anyone identify this mystery racer? LOL

Taken at SSR 1995 Dinwiddy, VA, almost 14 years ago.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Dick Brannan...lol

How about it Wally???

 

Jody,
Good guess, that is Bill Lawton, Dick Brannan, and Dave Lyall in the background of that photo.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Great picture....( considering the subject)

Thanks..
I've never seen that photo..

damn, it's been That long!

 

Here's another even greater picture. Should be able to recognize most, if not all the faces.

Regards,
Dennis

 

A few pics scanned from the 1970 NED Annual.

 

A few more

 

I spoke to Larry Davis yesterday. Not the "LD" that took the photo, but the "LD" from Hueytown, AL that used to own the War Eagle T-Bolt. We've discussed this photo before, and he is certain it is not the War Eagle car. Larry indicated that Honnell owned the car way into 1965. The other tip off may be the key lock in the passenger car door. Steve put fiberglass doors on his car and to this day the glass doors never had locks installed. When Ford had the glass doors manufactured, they used 1963 steel hardtop doors for the mold. The lock location was changed from 63 to 64, and is covered by the stainless side moulding. Production door frames were pop riveted to the glass doors as the T-Bolt was a two door sedan body. Perhaps the mystery car is Harold Denton's car, I believe he had the Wake Forrest (NC) Motors car.

Regards,
Dennis



Regards,
Dennis

 

I've been on this for two weeks now and it's adictive. Been into SS/FX since the beginning. Have a number of pics from 62-69 of the origins of the SS class.
Here's a couple of pics I took in 67' at Mr. Norm's Grand Spalding Dodge on that Friday night in May 67'. The shop was technically closed but since I was a kid from NJ and didn't know better I just went wandering around. Wished I had taken more pics.
This was in the heyday of the SS wars as well as the early years of FX. The dealer competition was intense and the ads running in Drag News and Nat'l Dragster were meant to stir up fan feelings. You can see that the intensity was a little higher that just for the fans. The first two pics were from the shop walls at Mr. Norm's. The last pic was of a Dart that he was converting for a customer to a Hemi as I recall. I think he would do this type of work for customers at their request.
Lots more pics as I get time

 

For those of you that know Tommy McNeeley of Monahans, Texas.

I spoke with Tommy Friday when I noticed it was his birthday. Have not talked to him in quite some time. He has some serious health problems and is going to have another surgery later this week. He sounds pretty good and his mind works very well. Memory is great. Tommy has asked his wife Shelby to let me know how he does with the surgery and I will post what I hear from her.
As some of you know, Tommy had several S/S-F/X and ,match race cars back in the day. He was a very close friend and confidant of Dickie Harrell in those days also.
Lets hope and pray that Tommy comes through this latest surgery feeling better.

Larry Morrison

 

wow, jenkins '68 chevy II
wonder where it is nowadays....

 

Larry,

Thank you very much for the information about Tommy. He had sent me a couple of photos to scan and add to a CD collection of his cars for him. I'd scanned the shots and emailed them to him but never heard back. I do hope that all goes well for him. Tommy was around quite a bit of racing history and has never gotten his due in the recent years of interest in the history of stock-S/S-F/X racing. I wish him the best as we all do.

Joel

 

Very good stuff! Glad that you've joined the group. The garage shots are priceless.
Joel

 

Thanks Dennis ... great information! I'd hoped that the suggestion of that T-Bolt being Steve Honnell's car might open a bit of discussion.
Joel

 

I'd like to know what became of his 69 Camaro. Last I heard, Bill had used it as a test bed for his 72 vega drivetrain and their was an underhood fire. I don't think their was major damage though. Anybody know what became of this car????

 

I would like to invite anyone here to the 1st reunion at Pocono Drag Lodge..
Here is the basic info..

Hi everyone-
I had to roll back the date of the PDL reunion; the food concessionaire couldn't make it August 22, so it's going to be August 15, rain (perish the thought!!) or shine. Hope this is the last date change but can't promise that. I'm looking at a saturday work party in April; will let you know when I can get something together for a date on that. Will be good to meet eveyone at the work party; even if you can't help, come on up, take a look and I sure am looking forward to meeting everyone. Thanks for all the help!! Keep those email addresses coming; up to almost 50 on the list!!!

This is being co-ordinated by Charlie Hulzhizer -- ecoair9798@aol.com

Any one who ran, wrenched or spectated or friends are welcome

 

Lee Smith's 1 of 12 (after refurbishing to original). Pix taken last summer at Bowling Green Ky

 

Jim Price with the Marv Tonkin T-Bolt in 1964. My apologies but this is a poor quality xerox from an old National Dragster. Jim Price was one of the top ten in the stock ranks of the 1961 NHRA national points race with his '61 Ford 401 S/S sedan.
Joel

 

Bill Ireland. A photo by Russ Griffith at Pacific Raceways, WA 1965.
Joel