Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

Joe,

You have some great documentation there to establish the provenance on those special cars.

I believe the same basic proceedure was also used on the 65 B/FX Comets, that is the basic car was available on DSO and built on the assembly line. However, if you wanted the lightweight components or Webers installed, the car went to Stroppe for installation. This is what is in documents from L-M Division to the dealers on the 1965 Comet Drag Vehicle Racing Vehicles.

According to your documentation, the basic powertrain components were production line installed, just like the Comets. However, the lightweight components or Webers were supplied, but installed by the dealer/individual.

Obviously, the A/FX Comets were shop modified due to the major work involved.

I may also have some documents from Ford of Canada, I'll have to look and will get back to you.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Upper left, burgundy with silver rear wheels - Rockenfield Ford -Cincinnati, OH - Stan Haggard.

Upper right, John Miu with Bridenthal Ford/Skip Wilson "The Fugitive" car. This car was delivered to Tasca and went to Bridenthal.

#81 AWB car, originally delivered to Frank Vego Ford ( however not the one that Platt drove) it wound up in WA and Jim Gonia currently owns it.

"LSD" car, looks like at US-30 Gary. I think it may be a local IN car, McAnary Ford ???, need to ask around. From the other cars, this may be circa 67-68.

T-Bolt Express. I think the photo is tagged Englishtown 68-69, driver "Fat Boy". An unknown. Does Joel Naprstek know, it's his photo?

Regards,
Dennis

 

Thanks Dennis....those were the few that I couldn't place. I'm sorting my pics of the T-Bolts by the original dealer/driver.

 

video! American Muscle Car - S1E05 - 1964 Ford Fairlane

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Not a better car to feature than the first one built! That episode had some nice video clips in it....too bad they missed the mark on several Thunderbolt specs.

Great to see the drivers interviewed! Those had to be the days.

 

yea typical car show! i wished the interviews were longer

 

Is this humpin henry related to either of these two?.Is this the number three strip teaser car after the 65 falcon?

 

I wondered the same thing about the '66(67?) Falcon when I first saw it but this looks like a steel bodied car and the Strip Teaser 3 was a fiberglass bodied car and set lower than this one. They took a new Falcon and had a mold made from it. This is my understanding. The ST #3 has never resurfaced and there is talk that it was wrecked by whom ever bought it. The last time I saw the car it was sitting in front of Bob Thomas' house in Ellijay, GA.

This is the only photo of the car I have seen, Dennis K sent it to me some time ago.



I don't know about the Humpin Henry aspect.

 

Here are a couple shots of Darrell Droke's 1965 Fairlane which is was the only '65 Thunderbolt. Geoff Bradley sent them to me and asked if I could post them.

More to come...

 

One more '65 that was out of the Performance Associates shop.

 

Mr Troublemaker2,

I am confused about Drokes 65 Fairlane. What makes this a "Thunderbolt"?

I have never heard or seen any documentation on 65 Thunderbolts. At the 40th reunion in Carlisle in 2004, I was on the stage sidelines talking with Benny Parsons about the Thunderbolts when they had a Ford notables Q&A session. I specifically asked him if there were any other stragglers that came out of DST and he only knew of the 100 64 units.

Can you enlighten me on this one?

Thanks,
Joe Germann

 

The Droke car ran a 427SOHC motor and was a Fairlane so I guess this is why it was called a Thunderbolt. Either Droke or Ford still wanted the Thunderbolt name out there. You can see in the photo the Thunderbolt name is lettered on the quarter panel much like the '64 cars. If the Mustang hadn't came to be,I'm sure there would have been a run of more 427 '65 Fairlanes.

I posted the photos at the request of Geoff. He probably can talk more about the '65 car than I. I am much more into the '64 cars.

 

If it was B/FX car, then it was most likely a 289/271 HP and not a SOHC motor. With the SOHC motor, it would have most likely run as a A/FX car. I also highly doubt that Ford wanted the Thunderbolt name on it and just because Droke put Thunderbolt in it does not make it a Thunderbolt. Droke was most likely trying to ride the coat tails of the Thunderbolt like a lot of other folks back then.

I am also not so sure that without the Mustang there would have been more 427 65 Fairlanes. The 64 and 65 Fairlane's needed a LOT of work to shoehorn the 427 in. Ford knew the 66 and 67 were on the way and that they were designed to take the FE motor from the factory. In addition, the Mustang A/FX and long nose programs with Holman Moody was well committed to and the contract with DST had run its course with the 100 64 T-bolts.

I would be interested in knowing more about these 65's.

Joe

 

It ran a 427 first, then a SOHC 427. The car registered an et of 10.60 at Lions 12-24-65 (Drag World)....I can't see a 289 doing that.

The Mustangs did spell the end for the Thunderbolts.....that's why most of the 64 T-Bolts ended up running Modified Production and other classes later on.

Droke's car was/is concidered the only 65 Thunderbolt....much like the Tasca car is concidered the only 63 Thunderbolt.

 

Quite interesting. I am always intrigued by the history of cars.

Joe

 

Me too. I'm always working to compile pics of Ford and Mercury drag cars in the sixties and it is very hard to sort the cars out over the years. The cars changed hands many times and changed appearances....and classes. Kind of hard to figure out sometimes.

 

I don't think Droke needed to ride the coat tails of anyone. He was one of Ford's top racers from the west coast and this was a "factory" car. In fact he won B/FX with this car at Indy in 1965. It says right in the caption of one of the clips it is an OHC motor.

 

Not to imply anything negative at all against Droke, but that was a common Ford dealership thing to do back then. They all did it in my neck of the woods - rode the win on Sunday, sell on Monday thing.

In looking at the pictures, the car appears to have a stock front end, making installation of a SOHC quite a challnege. One of the captions also refers to it as running in Junior Super Stock. So I remain confused and intrigued by this car.

Anyone have further documentation or knowledge on this car?

Joe

 

Joe, This was a factory effort and I have the paperwork in regards to this car. Ford paperwork dated 9/23/64 alloted $ 5000 max to construct a 65 just as they did in 64. DST was to build the car " similar to the 1964 Fairlane Drag Car" ) This paperwork is Att. to Charles E Gray CC to John Cowley. Along with Bill Holbrook they were the movers and shakers at the time @ Ford. I also have some other interesting stuff pertaining to the 65. Purchase order for 1 XC-46-680 Clutch Disc Aluminum backed from Long Manufacturing Div. Borg Warner Corporation $ 240.00 and a NHRA Approved Bell Housing for 427 CID 4 -Speed engine to M.C. Industries MOdina California $ 75.00( 10/7/64) and 2 Spring Assemblys form Eaton Manufacturing Detroit Michigan $ 100.00 ( 10/12/64). I also have the purchase order ( 20-436392 )to DST to construct the " Thunderbolt" . There was extensive work done to the front end by DST as well as brake,battery ( rear trunk ) and engine mounts, fuel lines etc done.One cool line from Ford to Dearborn Steel Tubing was " Vehicle should be built in confidential area and restricted from all personell not directly involved in construction of vehicle " and also " Seller ( I guess DST ) shall not engage in similar work for other car manufactuers during duration of this contract " . This car is the rarest of rare when it comes to T - Bolts. I have spoked to many involved and it's true what was mentioned about the Mustang. Ford wanted to go that route and not Fairlanes. Even Darrell Droke was driving a long nose Mustang by mid 66. The 65 Fairlane then went to Jerry Harvey in Indy. You may recall he also built a 65 Galaxie 427 B/FX car. The idea that there were no 427 B/FX cars is incorrect . Joe, you may recall back then you had NHRA,AHRA,NASCAR and others. The 65 ran in a myrid of classes.I' m looking at a Aprill 66 CARS mag that shows Droke a runner up to Butch Leal ( Plymouth ) runiing a quicker 10.94 to Leals 11.11 @ the Super Stock Nationals at Bee Line in AZ. Bottom Line the car is Legit Thunderbolt. As far as Droke is concerned , he was heavily involved with Ford and also Mickey Thompson Bonneville attempts. In 1970 he went Pro Stock racing with a 427 Maverick " Mr Rollbar " He aslo was a consultant for Hurst and AMC ( had his own line of Javelin upgrades ) He was agreat driver and also a great fab man.Take a peak at Charlie Morris book " Drag Racing the family sedan " Not only the 65 Thunderbolt but every other car in the 60's.

 

P.S. Thanks Jody for posting the Pics. And I was told that the car was crushed ( Dick Brannan ) but ya never know now do ya ....

 

Hard to see but it says " Hemi Ford " on the Teradrop Hood

 

That 65 was found last year and is being resored by Apound here on the HAMB.. Wanna chime in Alan ??

 

Wow! I never knew of that car but it all make sense. There was so much stuff going on that they filled the needs in many ways.

Thanks so much for the history on that car. Another amazing story from the 60' drag wars.

Regards,
Joe Germann

 

Not a true thunderbolt but a nice example of a 64 fairlane hardtop running in d stock back in the day. Mountain vu dragway Erie,Colo.

 

Lots of cool history at that strip, ken.

 

Great thread Jody.

 

That would make it a 289 in D/S. Probably 289/271 hp car. Cool shot. Thanks