Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

No. That was the Turner Ford in Wichita, KS.

Regards,
Dennis

 

This car was actually delivered though Jack Kennedy Sales, Deming, NM. and owned by Eddie Marcak. It burned up in a building fire back in the 60's.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Re two photos then and now, same cars. Courtesy Ford in CO driven by Marv Youngman.

The next then photo racing a Mopar was delivered to Courtesy Ford in Garland TX., aka Tom McCroan Motors car. Car is currently in OR.

The other Courtesy Ford CO car was an automatic car sold to Rick Hearn. That is the black car that was at the 45th T-Bolt Reunion in Dearborn, MI.

Regards,
Dennis

 

I believe Morris Lee.

The last I knew the car was in CA.

Regards,
Dennis

 

My understanding the car was scrapped.

I own the Bob Ford S/S car, back in the 80's my best friend owned the Bob Ford A/MP T-Bolt that Jerry Harvey drove. We knew about the S/SA crashing in 65. My friend worked with a guy that went over the car after it crashed. There may of been some parts salvaged, but the car was scrapped. I believe the car rolled and went over the driver.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Thanks Dennis;

I was NOT very old when I took that picture..I lived only 3 miles from the track,and always carried a small box camera.
Today,I'm glad I did..

Just going over my photo books..looking at the Jerry Harvey fast back Mustang,a Stark Hickey Fairlane.

All neat stuff.

Rick
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Good stuff Cyclone! Any idea who's cars they are? I recognize Lil' Pete and the Whuppett, but how about the others?


Deron

 

I figured you all needed some brain teasers!

 

There's a nice passenger side view of the Read Mullan T-Bolt (racing at the '64 Winternats-I believe)in the brochure that comes with the 1/18 scale model T-Bolts

 

Thanks for the tip! If you're talking about the Ertl Precision 100 cars, I've got a couple of them but they're packed away from when we moved into this house. If anybody has one they could scan and post I'd really appreciate it!

Deron

 

This is Emmett "Snake" Austin when the car was pretty new yet. I believe it may be the Fairburn, GA strip.
Joel

 

Looks like the Donilson caron the left in the top photo, possibly at Yellow River, GA but I have no idea about the dark car. Can you get a better scan?
The bottom picture is the George May car at Presque Isle Strip in Erie, PA. A Jack Bliel photo.
Joel

 

Deron,
The Phenix City strip was run back in the sixties by my good friend Bobby Watson from Phenix City. Bobby was a Pontiac man and ran an aluminum nose '62 Pontiac and in '63 had a swiss cheese car. When Bobby ran the track it was top notch with many big meets held there. National figures ran there along with great S/S meets and match races. I was there a few years ago with Bobby and the track was still in operation.
Joel

 

The file name says Jim Cochrane, which is Dick Coffee Ford, Decatur AL, and probably is.

Regards,
Dennis

 

"565" is Rockenfield Ford, Cincinnati, OH. Seems like this was discussed in a previous posting?

Regards,
Dennis

 

It also says the car in the other lane is John Douglas, but that's not a familiar name to me. Any info as to who that was?


Deron

 

Same Rockenfeld car that Stan Haggard originally drove?


Deron

 

Not a picture of a Thunderbolt..but interesting just the same.

Rick

 

I guess I need to clarify my statement because I didn't mean to cast a negative light on the place. It was a really cool place, no doubt, just not what I was used to. When I was going there in about 1989/1990 it had a very homey feel (as opposed to homie ) and was more like going street racing back home. My home track was Huntsville Dragway and it had a much more industrial & professional vibe to it, whereas Phenix City felt a whole lot more like hanging out on the side of Martin Road with my buddies waiting to see who was going to pick the next race. The facilities were adequate for sure, but nothing like what I was used to. My point was that it was hard to stand there looking around the place and think that it was once a "prefered destination" (for lack of a better term) for racers all over the southeast. And no doubt there were some very big names that raced there!

Having said that, I think that Phenix City was probably a good representation of just what made drag racing so popular back in the sixties when all the match bash stuff was going full throttle. I suspect it was probably a window to the past, and I just wasn't bright enough to see it then. Like I said before, I sure do miss the place... Lotta big names went down that track, and a lotta history there.

OK guys, sorry for the thread hijack, now back to our regularly scheduled programming. Show us your T.......... bolt pics!

(Thought I was going to say somthing else, didn't 'cha )


Deron

 

They probably mean John Donilson, Jim Skinner Ford car. He was killed in that car in 1966.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Yes.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Lil Pete, former Marv Tonkin Ford T-Bolt - Jim Price.

Pat Gray - Woody Anderson Ford car

Former Reynolds Ford T-Bolt

Regards,
Dennis

 

The father and son team must be referring to Paul and Jerry Harvey.

Regards,
Dennis

 

I've got to wonder about that because Donilson's car wasn't a dark color (for some reason I'm thinking orange, but not sure) until he moved the axle, and the dark car in that photo looks to be stock wheelbase. It almost looks like a frame capture from an 8mm movie. Cyclone, you holding out on us?


Deron

 

The Mike Gray Mr. Nasty III car or was there another Reynolds car?

And speaking of the Mike Gray car, is this the same Mr. Nasty III? The rear wheelwell configuration looks to be about the same as the red/white/blue car.



Thanks,
Deron

 

Yes, same car, only one Reynolds Ford T-Bolt in 1964. Also note front bumper angle and no 427 flags.

Regards,
Dennis

 

I assume this is a circa 1965 or later photo. Both cars appear to have the fiberglass front bumpers. Later on Emmitt Austin's was black, but pretty certain he always ran the aluminum front bumper. The Dick Coffey car later on was painted blue, but I thought it also had a gold roof.

Regards,
Dennis