Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

The "Goat Herder" is owned by Mr. Don Snyder in northeastern Ohio. He has several T-bolts among other very cool car!! Larry Short owned the car before him. It was one of the first T-bolts to get magazine ink as a restored car when it was featured in Hot Rod in the late 70's. It was black at the time and had Motorwheel Fly wheels. It is now lettered as it was raced by Bridenthal as the photo shows.

 

Here are a few more from Mr. Snyder's collection.

 

And a few more and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

If someone has these magazines and the technology to scan them AND knows how to post pictures--Here are sources of three I haven't seen here. Dec 64 Super Stock and Drag Illustrated, pg 52--Stan Haggard and the Rockenfield T-Bolt; June 65 Super Stockers in Action, pg 42--Bob Balderson and the Farnham Motor Co T-Bolt; and April 65 Super Stockers in Action, pg 32--Zantop Air Transport/Regent Cafe T-Bolt.

 

Here is the Zantop car today. I feel it is one of the best preserved cars of the group. It has had the came owner since 1969. It was at the 40 & 45 Dearborn reunions. It doesn't come out very often but it cool when it does.

 

I think this is the Dockery Ford Thunderbolt. If you look at the posted action photo and compare it a still of the Dockery Ford car, it appears similar. Also being in NJ. I can't find the photo but the Grabski Ford (former Dockery Ford) car that Ray Uhl raced had reverse traction bars at one time on it too. I have a photo of it with the reverse bars, but will have to find it. The only other T-Bolt that I recall with reverse bars was the Burl Hawkins - Donges Ford car.

Another factor is the 1963 style fiberglass front bumper, which would most certainly identify it as one of the first fifty. It's not one of the first eleven, which would make it one of the 167 VIN series cars. I don't recall ever seeing any of the last fifty cars with a fiberglass front bumper, only aluminum.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Bridenthal Ford had two of them. The other one was "The Fugitive" owned by Skip Wilson. Technically, this car was delivered to Tasca Ford. Skip indicated it was faster to get the Tasca car from their lot, than it was for Jack Bridenthal to order one directly from Ford.
Later on, John Miu had this car for a long time, then sold it to Don Snyder.


Regards,
Dennis

 

Since we are on the subject of identifying unknown cars. Any ideas on "Satan's Angel"? The photo was taken in 1967, as I compared it to a photo taken at the same race of the Expressway Gulf Thunderbolt when Jerry Hardy owned it. Maybe the #41 might identify it?

This might be the King Ford, from looking at the wheels and the appearance of a straight axle. Just a guess.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Thanks, Troublemaker. Do you happen to know what number it was? I work right around the corner from where the dealership was. The local parts store (a little independent, rare these days) has a picture of the dealerships Ford COE hauler with a 65, I believe, Falcon MP car on it. I'll have to look at it again but I know it wasn't a Thunderbolt. Must have been after they sold their 'Bolt. I'm going to try and get a scan, it's a cool rig.

I don't know if this has been asked yet but have all the Thunderbolts been accounted for? Which ones are missing still? The way "last years racecars" were treated back then it amazes me that any survived at all.

Does Mr.Snyder display his cars to the public? My oldest son and myself would love to see them.

All this info is great.

 

Did Skip Wilson race it out of Notheast Ohio? So Tasca sold it to Bridenthal then to Wilson or did Bridenthal just sponsor him? It seems funny that Ford would allow two of these cars go to such a small dealership in a small market. But what do I know, I was 6 years old at the time. What kind of support would a guy like Skip Wilson get from Bridenthal? Or would the support come directly from Ford? Do you know what number this one was? Sorry, sometimes I'm as full of questions as I am of shit. I'm just a nut about this kind of Ford history.

Thanks, KRH

 

Found another pic of Earl Wade driving Gas Ronda's old T-BOLT.

 

Yes, Skip raced it out of Ohio. I have no idea what support he received from the dealership. I can ask the next time that I speak to Skip. This car was delivered on 3/5/64, a four speed, the 56th unit.

I don't think the dealership size was a determining factor on how many T-Bolts they received. Many of the cars were sold to individuals that previously raced 1963 427 Galaxies, but that probably goes without saying, one would progress to next years model.

The T-Bolt that ran out of the dealership was an automatic, delivered on 12/19/63. Since there were four cars delivered on that date, it could be either the 27th - 30th unit. The Ford delivery list for the first 50 cars is in VIN order. If more than one car was delivered on a particular date, it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine which was which.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Speaking of reverse traction bars, I'm trying to duplicate the set that was on my 65. I still have the cast brackets that were on the spring plates but nothing else. I talked to Traction Master and they can make me a set of the bars. What I need is a photo of the bracket that attached to the rear frame rail. Anyone have any info or photos?
Sorry didn't mean to hijack the thread.

 

Alan,
I think this is what you are looking for, see attachment.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Has anyone thought of updating this site

http://www.angelfire.com/hi/427fairlane/THUNDERBOLTS.html

or creating a new one to track the individual cars and to house pictures?

I love these cars, almost built a crite clone back in 1993, still would love one.

 

I'd like to see a pic of the Dockery Ford T-Bolt.

 

Speaking of the ex-Ronda car ... here's another one of Earl Wade in the car early '65 and another of the car with Roger Caster driving. I'm not sure which came first. I'd guess that Caster was after Wade possibly early 1966 at Irwindale (?)
The Wade shot clearly shows the long bars that Ronda/Brien switched to.
Joel

 

It'd be interesting to know what kind of support he got. I would think Ford wanted to see these cars do well with the "win on Sunday sell on Monday" thought process.

What you said about the dealership size does make sense. Once Ford placed a few cars where they wanted them they were probably happy to be able to sell the rest.

I've worked for tier one OEM suppliers for most of my life and there's just no way they or any of the big three could pull something like the Thunderbolts off ever again.
Man, the accounting VPs and product safety lawyers would be having fits and raising holy hell. It's hard for me to believe Ford could pull off the GT. I guess that's what makes these cars so great to me. The car guys were running the show then and they just thought it up and did it.

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.

KRH

 

I think what Ford is doing now with the Cobra Jet Mustang program is very similar to the Thunderbolt deal 45 years ago. Many outside suppliers are involved with the CJ program. It just takes the right people like Brian Wolfe to be involved.

Mopar to a lesser degree has done it with the Challenger Drag Pac program also.

 

You tree'd me! That's exactly what I was thinking. And even the 1993 and 1995 Cobra R cars to a lesser degree, although those were geared toward road racing.


Deron

 

Except that the new Mustangs are pricey and big money guys all bought them like that Hajek guy.

 

T-bolts were sort of pricey for 1964 dollars also. There were also some who tried to order them in 1964 and were shutout after 100 were built. Lots of similarities between the two programs in my opinion.

More CJs coming in 2010.

 

I hear there is a pretty good thread on the HAMB!

 

I'm looking to see if I have a shot of it.

 

This is all I can offer....wish I had a better one

 

Did Mickey Thompson ever get his hemi head conversion to work right? How successful was the other T-BOLT with this engine?

Heres a pic of the lightweight 63 galaxie with the same set up.Not sure If this galaxie ran with set up back in the day or if it was added later.

 

Heres some scans from the Dec 64 Super Stock and Drag Illustrated