Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

The others from this set are already posted here

 

I'm interested in some history. Anyone know which dealerships these three Thunderbolts were originally shipped to?

 

i remember a friend telling about kelly's t-bolt.....just can't remember off the top of my head where it was from. he also had a 64 lightweight galaxy , thats being restored. something like 1200 miles on the odometer and a past winner at the winternationals ...past record holder as well. i've asked before , but ...has the car been finished up? last pic of it i had seen was on a surface plate. brandon

after looking at the wrecking crew pic...it was shot at edgewater

 

No they where ford econoline seats, and thunderbolts had a part number....unsure what it is. They where the lightest seat at that time.

 

As far as i know, the top two are clones or built to race jobs, the last looks for like the real deal, but never heard of the company before.

a great place to get some soild intel is holman and moody's in charlotte nc.

 

Bzzzzzz....wrong. All 3 are the real deal! And not HM...but DST.

 

Dallas Kelly's T-Bolt was originally an automatic car from Al Means Ford, Decatur, GA, the dealership that Phil Bonner worked out of. Sold to David Harrell and called the "Cropduster".

The Poole & Aitken car was an automatic car from Hawkinson Ford, Oak Lawn IL. This is not the "Thunderhawk" car that Ron Pelligrini ran, but it is believed to be the car known as "Pop's T-Bolt".

The DeHaven Motor car was originally an automatic car from Turner Ford, Wichita KS. This is the car that Phil Featherston currently has.

Hopefully, this answers your questions.

Regards,
Dennis

 

You are posting misinformation.

Econoline seats were NOT used in the Thunderbolt, nor in a Lightweight Galaxie. The part number for the Fairlane seat was 29905-XX.

Regards,
Dennis

 

It looks to me that it has coil overs on the rear not the original leaf springs !!!

 

A Norwegian Thunderbolt photographed by me in Sweden in 1978 or 1979, the car was sold back to the U.S. for about 20 years ago !!

 

Awesome. Thanks for posting.

 

Thank you Dennis. The DeHaven Motor car photo looks pretty early. Did Turner Ford race it or just sell it? Also where was DeHaven Motors?

 

I can't believe that out of all of my T-Bolt pics....I don't have one of Dennis's blue car.

 

Found this one.....I saw this car for the first time back in the 80s at the Performance Ford Club meets. I sure miss those PFCA events in Ohio.

 

Look again...

 

Featherston has the details on the previous owners. The second? owner contacted Phil some time ago. If I recall the color photo was circa 1965. I'll ask him the next time that I talk to him.

DeHaven Motors is in Wichita, same city as Turner Ford.

Regards,
Dennis

 

This car was originally delivered to Bill-Rick Ford, Centralia, IL and was a four speed car. It has a lot of travel miles on it It then went to CA, NC, NY, Norway, back to NY, and VA.

The car was tubbed at Herb McCandless's shop. If I recall correctly the fiberglass doors from the Brannan T-Bolt were swapped and installed on it.

Some may remember the car as the "Wicked Wedge" and as Jim Demmitt's car in CA and then as "Chris' Toy" in NC.

The car eventually was restored back stock.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Not sure if all of you Thunderbolt fans are into this kind of thing or not, but Hot Wheels has a series called "Dragstrip Demons". One of the cars is Butch Leal's car. I have several T-Bolt diecasts ranging from 1/64th to 1/18th scale and this one was a must have. Yeah it's not the greatest likeness, but it's just a Hot Wheel after all.

 

I looked it still looks like coil overs and I asked someone from that area who has been around the car and he thinks it has coil overs also. I was just wondering what it had . Jim.

 

The car has leafsprings with the DST installed bars. It has been comverted to a "floater" style set up to help take the bind out of the bars. I've seen the car in person and know people involved with it.

 

Just read this in the thread "64comet,AWB or Gasser" thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=377235&page=4

It said in the last paragraph in the article that using the Comet style hood with the double openings on the leading edge works better than the tube in the headlight system.

Troublemaker 427 you ever hear of this... anybody?

Photo credit from thread for CENTURION

 

This might belong on this thread. Picture taken at Billetproof Drags FL.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/lowtech/4090415529/

 

Troublemaker 427 you ever hear of this... anybody?

Yes, I've heard this before. If you notice the Comets get away from the teardrop hoods during '64 and go to the leading edge scoops. They also stick with the scoops in '65. I've talked to some who have raced T-bolts with the tubes and airbox and then without and they see little if any improvement with the tubes.

 

Jody;my 65 Comet slowed down 9MPH and 2 tenths going from the scooped hood to a stock hood.It stuffs so much air thru the scoops that my first hood delaminated and came apart! ROY.

 

Show me the THUNDER

 

cammer thunder

 

Some vintage thunder

 

Heres some Thunderbolts at the FE nats in oklahoma

 

40th anniversary of the thunderbolt FE nats 2004

SHOW ME SOME THUNDER cachuga cachuga