Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

Saw this one at a show a couple years ago, not sure it was an original.

 

I'm guessing you have a big Thunderbolt family tree that shows the ownership progression of the cars, as best as can be determined, and a couple dozen are unaccounted for. Of these cold cases, what's your warmest trail? After the discovery of that 1963 Tempest recently, it seems like some could still be located.
Great thread, BTW. Don't know how I didn't find until now.

 

Can anybody tell me what it says on the side of the Tear Drop Hood scoop ???

 

Heres the pic ( I hope )

 

No photo....

 

i'd like to that family tree!!!

 

I am not sure who Jack Sund got his car from probably a local dealer in Fargo Moorhead Minnesota or Fargo North Dakota. If you look at pictures of his car maybe you will see a dealers name and chances are it will be who he got the car from.

 

I ran across this ad in a 1967 HOTROD magazine that has my car in it. Anyone heard of the driver or remeber anything about Mel Burns Ford?

 

65 Racers are even rarer than T-bolts. That's sweet. What times did it run back then?

 

Please provide the month and year of this article in Rod and Custom magazine.

Thank You.

http://rides.rodandcustommagazine.com/ride/1012878/cgas56/1964/ford/fairlane/index.html

 

Not sure what it ran. The only time I have found is 14:49 @91.28 when it was new running D S/A. Sure sounds slow by todays standards.

 

In its day that was not a bad ET/MPH. Two D/SA national records from back then were;

D/SA 13.69 @ 102.05 '58 Pont 370 ci Dixon/Easley Pomona 5/18/63
D/SA 13.31 @ 104.06 '58 Pont 370 ci Ramon Lowe Carlsbad 4/02/66

 

Since we are on the subject, here are NHRA National records for Thunderbolts from back then:

S/S 11.92 @ 121.78 '64 Fairlane 427 Gas Ronda, Pomona 2/14/64
S/S 11.81 @ 123.62 '64 Fairlane 427 Butch Leal, Six Flags 5/03/64
S/S 11.69 @ ------ '64 Fairlane 427 Bill Lawton, Cecil Co 5/17/64
S/S 11.68 @ 124.37 '64 Fairlane 427 Gas Ronda, Pomona 8/15/64
S/S 11.60 @ 126.05 '64 Fairlane 427 Bill Lawton, Conn Dwy 9/20/64
S/S 11.52 @ ------ '64 Fairlane 427 Gas Ronda, Half Moon Bay 9/26/64

also
A/FX ---- @ 121.29 '63 Fairlane 427 Bill Lawton, Conn Dwy 9/21/63
A/FX 11.59 @ ----- '64 Fairlane 427 Phil Bonner, Atlanta Spd 4/12/64

 

Thanks for the great information. The main man behind Gaspar Ronda's success was Les Ritchey.

 

I actually got to talk with Gas over the phone about my car. Really nice guy. In his 80s now but still pretty sharp.
Yeah Les Ritchey defiantely was the man on the west coast in those days. Who knows what would have been had his life not been cut short.

 

I talked with Ray Paquet at the NHRA div 3 points meet at Norwalk OH this past weekend. Ray verified his car is the DST car formerly owned by Andy Hotten.

 

In conjunction with the FCA National Meet:

Thunderbolt Owners Association
45th Anniversary Thunderbolt Reunion
Hyatt Regency - Dearborn, MI
June 26 - 27 2009

Just a reminder, this event is shaping up to be huge if your into Thunderbolts. This will be the largest gathering of stars and cars since 1964!!!

 

What a great site and excellent thread!

I'm a lifelong Ford fan and the Thunderbolt is my all time favorite Ford. My first car was a black, auto, '64 Fairlane 289 Sport Coupe(44k orig mi. from second owner in '75).

Dick Blanken Ford in Arlington Va.(they sponsored Bunny Burkett's super stock '67 Mustang) was my goodie provider where I got my '65 hi-po mechanical cam, cast iron exhaust manifolds, stock replacement 480cfm Holley(the 465cfm Motorcraft carb was no longer available), and '64 factory hi-po Arvinode exhaust. I "borrowed" my dad's original hi-po dual point distributor. Put on worked 351W heads, played with a 3.80 rear for a while and ended up with 4.10. Had the trans worked and it was a lot of fun on the street.

The reason why I found this site is because I was browsing factory Ford performance 1:18 diecast cars and this thread popped up. I'll never own the real thing so I've got the Ertl Precision 100 Authentics Wimbledon White and burgundy T-bolt diecast cars, licensed by Ford(also have the '66 427 Fairlane, Ohio George Montgomery '33 Willys and '67 Malco Gassers- all top of the line in quality and detail).

But something that caught my eye and brought back memories while going through this thread is the post of Kenny Warren's Virginia Twister Thunderbolt at Aquasco Speedway. Our family pretty much spent every Sunday there through the 60's into the 70's. We actually lived about a mile from Kenny. I was only 7 y.o. in '64 so I didn't know who he was then and had no idea he owned a Thunderbolt, but by the time the 70's came around, I definitely remember how he would fire up his Virginia Twister Challenger Funny Car usually on Wed. or Thurs. apparently in prep for the weekend drags at Aquasco or Capitol. North Arlington is mostly residential and I swear even with the distance, when he cranked up that car, the windows of our house would rattle. I recall feeling a little sorry for his neighbors. I found out he had a burgundy '64 289 Fairlane hardtop with a factory 4 speed that just sat in his yard. I tried to talk him out of the trans but he wanted to sell the car whole for $400. I was a poor teenager and couldn't swing it Oh well.

Thanks to whoever started this Thunderbolt thread. I'm having a blast reading what appears to be little known and detailed info on the history and whereabouts of the cars. The knowledge and experience here is impressive. Especially Troublemaker427.

Sorry for the long and somewhat off topic post.

 

64SportCoupe their is allot info on thunderbolts just takes a little time sifting for it on a google search

 

Scootro-
Yeah, I've been browsing the internet for T-bolts on and off for quite a while. Everytime I do it seems some new info pops up about them. I stumbled on this thread and have learned a lot of interesting stuff about them that I've never seen before.

 

A buddy of mine told me last Saturday that he is hot on the trail of a "lost" T-Bolt. He didnt' say much, but I got the impression that he had talked to the owner, a lady, but had not yet seen it. It is here locally. My buddy is the "real deal" when it comes to finding rare Ford's. He has a Boss Nine restored to trailer queen condition. It was originally a drag race car. (I give him a hard time every time I see him about not restoring to "as raced condition".) He has at least part, and maybe all, of another Boss Nine, and his dad has a '62 406 Galaxy. Tons of super rare factory parts, too.

So, which one's are not accounted for currently?

Is the orange Jim Skinner Ford T-Bolt accounted for?

 

Jim Skinner Ford? John Donilson died in the crash of that car in 1966. It is my understanding the remains of the car were sold to Sidney Foster, then was stripped and crushed.

Regards,
Dennis

 

The Thunderbolt had a 40A Ford alternator, same as used on 1963 and 1964 Ford 427's. Not to clear the charging system, only to package the 427 High Riser.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Can't answer your question directly, but I have a clue that may help you. The starter used on the T-Bolt was the C3SF-A (from a Thunderbird).

 

I'm told by someone that SHOULD know, and I believe does know, that John Donilson died in a different car...a Comet or Falcon as I recall, in Tennessee.

 

Yes, it was at Union Hill Dragway in Nashville, but he was in a 1964 Thunderbolt. If I understood how to post attachments better, I would. Hopefully, the thumbnail is legible enough. This letter explains it in detail.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Actually, the starter used was a C3AF-11001-A. This comes from the parts sourcing list dated November 26, 1963. I own two original cars and have owned others. 1964 model year was the last year the inertia starter was used on FE engines or any Ford passenger cars from what I recall.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Thanks for posting that document. It does lend strong support to Donilson being killed in the T-bolt. I do realize that has been what was reported. However, it MAY have been misreported. My source is adament that it was reported wrongly. He is a very reliable source on the matter.

I don't know exactly how close he was to Donilson, I haven't really pressed him for info on the matter...he is a man of few words (and very private). However, they did have the same circle of friends, at the very least. I'm quite sure he was at the funeral. I don't know if he was at the track when the accident happened. Again, I haven't pressed him for info, but when it was suggested in his presence that Donilson died in the T-bolt, he became more animated than I have ever seen him, stomping his foot as he said "NO!"...he was as close to being angry as this man can get.

 

That source list would have been from the first run, correct? Could there have been a change to the T-bird starter for the second run?

 

The list indicates the car was delivered to W.W. Wellwork, Fargo ND. The dealer name may actually be Wallwork. It was an automatic car.

Regards,
Dennis