Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

I try and thieve the good stuff.I need to develop some You tube skill and do it myself.Whoever put it together is the man

 

I know when something is put on the Internet, it's pretty much there for the taking, but when the source of it is known, credit should be given when someone else copies it and uses it elsewhere. It seems like basic common courtesy.
For my website, I get permission for and credit everything to the best of my knowledge. Occasionally I'll see pictures from my site posted with the credit info cropped off; I don't like that, either. A lot of time and occasionally money are spent trying to unearth this old stuff.

 

Here's credit for you. Thanks to whoever posted the clips on Youtube. If you feel that you can trace them all back to the original sources, feel free to do so and give credit.

This is a Thunderbolt thread but I'm sure you could start a thread here on The HAMB or on another forum about picture and video credit on the internet....but you're beating a dead horse.

 

Yes, this is an original Thunderbolt, original 4 speed car. Delivered to Ed Martin Ford and campaigned by Chris Stauffer. Was an AHRA Natinal Record Holder back in 1964. Currently painted poppy red and owned by Nick Smith. This car is immaculate.

I beleive the photo was taken in CA when Brad Gallant owned the car.

Regards,
Dennis

 

The red T-Bolt was Duffy Haremaker and Linda England, note H&E on the door, that he bought from Brent Hajek back in the early 80's. This car's wheelbase would measure stock but the front lower control arms were pulled forward and the rear axle was slid to rebias the weight distribution. It was also was tubbed and caged.

The last I knew it was advertised at a Kruse auction, all back stock and in Wimbeldon White. BTW, this was delivered as a four speed car, one of nine, from the second group of 39 units.


A few years back Larry mentioned to me that when he got the Chrysler deal, Ford wanted the T-Bolt back. He pulled the motor and along with a spare sold them, and the roller went to Droke. He also mentioned the car wrecked later on and was junked.

Regards,
Dennis

 

A couple Ohio Thunderbolts. Randall Lipscomb photo.

 

^^Great Pics^^

 

It may mean nothing, the the way the rear wheel wells are modified on T-Bolt Express look alot like the ones on the old Friendly Ford Jack Whitby T-Bolt do now.

 

<CENTER></CENTER><CENTER> </CENTER><CENTER>the late Jack Sund's 427 Ford Thunderbolt and 426 hemi Mopar of Bill Dill have the flagstarter's complete attention</CENTER>








<CENTER>Jack Sund's ill fated Ford Thunderbolt<CENTER>and as it appeared in an early 1965 issue of Keystone Drag News</CENTER>
</CENTER>

 

When you look at the lack of safety gear it is amazing that anyone ever survived a crash.I've seen photos of some of the"tracks" these guys raced on and I think my driveway is wider,and smoother!! ROY.

 

Are they, optical illusion on the quarter panel profile?

Although things can be changed, differences also include aluminum/fiberglass front bumper and four point vs. three point roll bar. I wonder if the T-Bolt Express is the same car that Nate Cohen built into a SS/D car?

Regards,
Dennis

 

The Grabski Ford Thunderbolt was circa 1965. Ray Uhl bought the car from Bob Dockery in NJ and it still had the automatic trans in it. He sold the car when he bought Schartman's 65 Comet and the car crashed later on.

Regards,
Dennis

 

No idea on who the T-Bolt Express car was then, whose it was originally. I took that shot the only time that I ever saw the car at Englishtown, NJ sometime in '68-9 as I recall. It didn't run very well when I saw it, only making one squirrely pass that day. The motor was built by Wally Lynn of Woodbridge, NJ who at the time was a big Ford man in the state. He was also teamed up with Nate Cohen in those days. The car later appeared for sale in one of the racing publications of the time.
Joel

 

Thank you for your response. So any thoughts if this might be the same one that Nate Cohen built into the SS/C car back in the early 70's? The T-Bolt that Nate ran was originally delivered to Wayne Jones Ford in NC, called "Screaming Little Henry".

I just took a look at that ad and noticed the person selling it his name was Wilbert Lunsford from NJ. If I recall correctly, the person in 1964 that wrenched and ran the car in NC was Gene Lunsford. A good probability this is one and the same car.

Regards,
Dennis

 

I was just reminded of these by another thread here. Not T-Bolts exactly....but 64 427 Fairlanes anyway by Holman Moody.

 

Wish I knew more Dennis. I only saw that car the one time and the shot I have isn't very clear, can't read the names on it. The rear wheel openings are different but they could have been reworked back to stock or near stock as I recall the Nate Cohen car having.
Something always made me think that the Fat Boy car was a street race car like a number of ex-S/S cars became up here in the NYC metro area. I have no evidence to that though. Many of the NYC metro area street race cars started showing up at Englishtown around then running "Time Only".
Didn't Randy Delisio restore the Cohen car ... doesn't Randy know the lineage of it?
Whatever happened to the Larsen Ford T-Bolt?
Joel

 

I don't think Randy knows all the history. From what I recall, he wasn't aware it originally came from Wayne Jones Ford or had a circa 1964 photo, until I sent it to him.

Re Larsen Ford it experienced an "early departure", see attachment:

I've heard a story about the fire, but it is only hearsay.

Regards,
Dennis

 

I've been wondering how long it would take someone to post a photo of Pat's car. I've got a few more of it around here somewhere that I'll try and get posted up after Christmas. Now somebody needs to get out there and find a photo of the Dick Coffee Ford car out of Decatur, AL.

Deron

 

Here it is Deron. Can't wait to see your pics of the Pat Gray car.

 

Woo Hoo! Merry Christmas and thanks a million for posting that picture! It was common urban legend around these parts that the Dick Coffey was still sitting in a warehouse somewhere in the Decatur area even as recently as the early 2000's, but I'm pretty sure that myth has been debunked. In fact, I'm thinking that some fellows from the Nashville area ended up with this car AND the remains of the Whuppett, and made one good car out of the two. Maybe someone else can weigh in and verify or disprove that one. I know that what was left of Pat's car sat around on his farm for what seemed like forever, but at the time it was nothing but a junky old cut up race car. The SOHC motor ended up a couple hours south of here in a drag boat, and its still around as far as I know.

Anyway, I've hear Pat tell many times about the "Country Boy", Donnilson's and Pappy Greenfield's cars, but until today I've never seen a photo of Country Boy. Man, you made my day! I'm off to eat Christmas breakfast at my Grandmothers and will see what I can dig up when I get home. Might have to let my food settle a bit first.....

Thanks again!
Deron

 

As far as I've heard, Dick Hoffman made 1 car out of the Pat Gray car and the Dick Coffey car and the remains of Whuppett were scraped by Steiner-Liff in Nashville Tn. The Coffey car is still around.....NE area I think.

Whuppett was a bad a__ looking car!

 

Just a few tidbits on the Jack Mefford Ford Thunderbolt, a mechanic (now deceased) I worked with at a Lincoln Mercury dealership in Springfield who wrenched at Mefford ford Ohio told me "they could never get that thing in the 11's" The car surfaced in the late 70's Still in the Springfield area and was purchased by Dan Mershon (Mershons world of cars) in Springfield who restored the car and sold it to a wealthy guy in Texas...So the story goes.

 

Anyone have a photo of the Jack Mefford Ford Thunderbolt? It is always nice to see a photo of a car that is being discussed.

 

I'm not sure if this fits into here or not, but I'm currently working on a 64 Galaxie for a customer/friend. He owns several 64's, and many other fords. When I went to pick up some parts for the current build, I asked him about the black 64 that is burried in the front corner of his storage building. It seems it is a 427 "R" code car. Supposibly a 63 1/2? I'm not up on ford at all, but I'm sure this has to be a somewhat rare galaxie. He has the original 427 and 4 spd out of it, and we are using the original long cast iron 427 header styled exhaust manifolds on the current car I'm building for him.

Now, do not get too excited, this car is very rough. It seems that the car was parked in the late 60's early 70's, in and old building. Sometime in the mid/late 70's the roof caved in on the building, caving in the roof of the galaxie. The oweners tore the building down, and left the galaxie sitting there on the cement slab, yep out in the elements!! It sat there until 1983-84 when it was bought by my friend and hauled into his storage building. Supposibly there is 20 something thousand miles on the car. The trunk floor is very rotted due to all the rain/snow/moisture getting in through the broken out back window, and the interior is all but shot. The floorboards also seem soft.
If it is of any interest, I could see if he will let me take pics of it the next time I'm at his place picking up parts. Also, what/where should I look to identify that this is actually a 427 lightweight car? Or does the "R" code mean what it is? Like I said, I'm not up on fords, so please forgive my ignorance.

 

Nazy Crate Thunderbolt.

 

Nazy Crate is one slick ride. Here's an older pic of it before restoration.