I just learned that there was just a certain number of these cars made - do you know how many? Want to guess how many there are as of right now?
October 1963, Consisted of 11 cars, all burgundy - 10 Four Speeds, 1 Automatic December 1963 - Feb 1964, Consisted of 39 cars, all white - 9 Four Speeds, 30 Automatics March - May 1964, Consisted of 50 cars, all white - 22 Four Speeds, 28 Automatics About 60 are still known to exist
There is a Thunderbolt thread on here with many interesting posts.One contributer is Dennis K,he owns an original T-Bolt and I believe is President of the T-Bolt owners Club. ROY.
In 65 NHRA changed the rules from 100 cars to meet homologation to 500 production cars to meet the rule, and that ended the Thunderbolt program. But - In 1965 the Ford Experimental garage made one Fairlane with a pushrod 427. The car was given to and raced by Darrell Droke of Downey California with success under the name "The Wonder Colt." sponsored by Downey Ford. After a few months the car was switched over to 427 SOHC power. In 1966 the car was repainted and some changes were made. The car was then driven by Jerry Harvey and sponsored by Paul Harvey Ford in Indy (still with the SOHC). Droke was now driving Mustang Funnies for Ford. Again the car was successful. By 1967 the car was supposed to be given to Ed Schmidt from Michigan. His father, Harry, owned Ubly Dragway and Ford wanted them to get the car. It never happened. Ford did a 180 and decided to go with the '67 body style. **** Brannan believes the car was taken back to Dearborn and s****ped but is not 100% sure. Cars have been known to get out the back door. It should be noted that on a 1/29/65 Ford memo it lists two Fairlanes for drag development but nobody ever saw or knows about the second car. It may have never left Dearborn but there is one person who says Les Ritchey ('64 T-Bolt driver) got the car. So , one '65 T-Bolt was made but it became a SOHC car rather quickly so it wasn't really a T Bolt any more.
Wow I shure wish it would surface I talked to Mr droke on the phone about 6months ago he said he didn't know what happend to it after he sold it
There is one lurking in Milton, an old Gas Rhonda car I beleive. Car is known in the circle of Thunderbolt nuts.
I became aware of the limited amount when a thunderbolt historian contacted me trying to get info on a certain car. I helped as i could and gave him contact info on where 1 and pieces of another are located - he called and confirmed the one car and they had a vin tag in a tool box and it is all that is left of the 2nd car. The historian can account for that 1 missing car (the vin plate) and told me where the original car was sold from and who owned it, i believe it was from the maryland/pennsylvania area.
That sounds like what I wrote several years ago almost to the word. The second 65 a small block car is currently being restored in Texas by Apound here on the HAMB. It was run by Mel Burns Ford
We were at a car show here in Maine years ago when this burgandy Thunderbolt pulled in. Beautiful car and sounded bad***. There was an older gentleman driving it and the liscense plate said "My ******". Loved it.
The Jalopy Journal
