Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

My curiosity is piqued...what does "extensive restoration" mean exactly?I thought the car was valued at $500,000.00.Was that $ value when the car was in original condition?During the restoration did alot of the originality disappear?I'm starting to get the idea the car is not in very original condition.

 

Meaning that it was so extensively restored it's authenticity is open for debate. And that, while not pertaining to this particular car, was discussed earlier in the thread. I sure don't have a good answer to that question. Maybe authenticity isn't the right word, but originality doesn't quite fit either. I don't think any of them are original down to the last nut and bolt.
This car was extensively modified during it's racing career, wasn't it?

 

I saw on another thread that some people were upset about the''extensive restoration" of the Kentucky Colonel car.I guess this is exactly what happened to the Hemi T-Bolt.Jack Hazlegren did it right.He owns the Rattlesnake Austin car.He couldn't bring himself to cut up the original to do a full restoration,so he made a clone.Jack lives here in Utah and I see the clone quite often.It's a work of art.So,you have the purists and the non-purists.Two different schools of thought.Guess I'm a purist.

 

Butch Leal turned in the car at the end of the 64 season and it went to Droke.What happened to the car after that?I hearing conflicting stories about what happened to the car.I'm pretty sure it got into a wreck,but who was driving?

 

Here's a couple from the all Ford show in Dearborn that took place last week Sunday.......

 

Analog Dog;I know Jack quite well,we met in 2004 on the 40th Anniversary of the T-Bolts.I went to Dearborn last year with him for the 45th,we took both cars,the restored version and the Tribute.I had a blast trying to explain to people how the two cars came to be.There were some great T-Bolts there and some very nice Tribute cars,plus some great Fairlanes and Cyclones. ROY.

 

65COMET;Jack lives south of SLC and I live north of SLC.I've talked to him quite a bit and see him and the car at local car shows.I like the way he did the EFI conversion on the clone.Every time I see the car,it's like seeing it for the first time.I'm blown away each time I see it.

 

http://www.museum.nhra.com/apcm/templates/reunions.asp?articleid=41292&zoneid=48

 

Analog Dog;Jack has some great cars and is a good friend.He and his wife travel alot taking their cars to various shows and sharing them with everyone.Jack came down to Anaheim,Ca.,for the Knotts All Ford Show and brought the Black Tribute T-Bolt,alot of people had no idea what is was!!!How far North of SLC are you?I had not been to SLC for over 25 years until last year,WOW, it has really grown!!!! ROY.

 

So are you saying the KY Colonel was allegedly rebodied?

Regards,
Dennis

 

I think people were upset that the Kentucky Colonel was restored at all. It was a survivor that was pulled from a barn basically complete as it was parked 40 years prior.

 

I think he actually cut it up more to undo all that had been done. Personally, a car with that history.....I would have done it like his clone looks. Like it did in it's prime.

 

TBolt....Timing is everything. Darrell Droke just called me. I asked him about the 64 Downey T-Bolts, He does not remember any. He did say that Sachs and Son Mercury was across the street and Jack Chrisman was involved with some comets and possibly a T Bolt from Downey ???? But he does not remember..sorry

 

Jody I sent you a PM....Geoff

 

Butch Leal and Charlie Gray ( Ford guru at the time ) had some falling out and Butch was told to turn the car in. He then went Mopar racing. Droke did get the car to " Practice with " till he got the 65. BTW He never crashed the 64 as some people have said.

 

The internal Ford paperwork shows the #7 car going from Mickey Thompson, to "Leo" (Leal), then Droke.

Leal indicated to me years ago when he gave the car back to Ford, he first pulled the engine and along with a spare one, sold them. The car then went to Droke. Leal said the car crashed and was junked.

Ok, so what did Droke do with the car?

Regards,
Dennis

 

Speaking of Droke, what ever happend to the 65 T-bolt? I seem to remember something about it being sent back to Ford and scrapped. Any info about it?

 

Check out the August issue of Hot Rod Magazine.It's got a great feature on the M/T Ford Hemi.

 

The car then went to Paul Harvey, the car that Jerry Harvey ran. Went back to Ford and was to be assigned to Harry Schmidt, owner of Ubly Dragway, but instead Ford scrapped the 65 and gave him one of the factory H-M prepped 1967 427 auto trans Fairlanes.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Thanks Dennis!

 

You " treeed be " Correct Sir...........but you never really know about " scrapped " cars do ya

 

There is video of Harveys version on You Tube in the drag racing in the 60's series

 

He told me it was given back to Ford...

 

Thought the group would like to see what the former M/T Tyree Hemi T-bolt and the
last T-bolt (Drew Ford) looked like in the late 80's coming through the Tacoma area enroute to their new owner Brian Burnett in Calif. The Hemi-bolt would end up in the hands of Jerry Moreland where it would be treated to a "major rebuild". If you recall the magazine article which featured Morelands digs, those of us that have owned real T-bolts would have spotted the new restoration project in the background as a bone stock Fairlane doner body. The engine bay had no modification was the first clue, and the fact back then it was easier to transfer original parts over to the clean car. Many altered cars were treated the same way when they were put back to original. Might ruffle a few feathers but sometimes the truth hurts.

 

It appears now there are two stories on this car. When I asked Leal what happened to the car he said you will never find the car because it wrecked. Ok, say it went back to Ford, it still could of been resold or given to someone else. Perhaps Larry can elaborate more on the details of who had possession of the car and what happened to it after it wrecked.

Regards,
Dennis

 

I've seen photos of the M/T Hemi T-Bolt when Bedoian and Deshaw had the car. I never understood why this car was rebodied. However, I guess if it is your car, you can do whatever you want with it.

Regards,
Dennis

 

By the way these two cars on the transporter were coming from one owner who lived in or near Casper, Wyoming. Good friend "Match Race Madness" Towers verified what I had suspected when he visited the Southern Calif. shop and reported back to me of his findings. As you mentioned Dennis, the original car from outward appearance looked alot better then many that were hacked, stretched or even tops removed or replaced by fiberglass (that one is somewhere in Florida) and brought back to original.

 

Wow that's very interesting! I assume the solid blue car is the Drew Ford?

Deron

 

A couple years ago I used to have an aluminum bodied 427 Cobra (kirkham) and used to park with a couple other 427 cars, one of which was a pretty awesome T-bolt, owned by a guy in Anderson, IN:

 

Well since it was 46 years ago I'm sure memories fade. I will speak to Darrell and see if I can't get a few old brain cells awake and see if he can remember for sure. If Leal says he took the engine out, how was it wrecked and by whom ?? That would mean a " new " racer put a drivetrain in her and that person " may " have wrecked it...??? Butch and Darrell speak from time to time I think. Maybe at least by E mail...I'll see what I can find out...