Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

Who is your "source"? I have met John's son Steve and he will tell you the same as what is stated in that letter.

Regards,
Dennis

 

I was adding to/editing my previous post as you were writing. Please go back and read the additional info. There is no way I'm naming this very private man's name on the internet. I don't think that I should even give it out in a PM. If you PM your contact info to me, I'd be happy to pass it along to him. I'll be seeing him next during the third week of June.

 

You're asking me?

No. The T-Bird starter used a different drive end plate than the one used on a full size Ford. All the other components were the same.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Let me ask it a different way. Could there have been a change in the bellhousing from the first run to the second, that would have necessitated a change to a starter with a different drive end plate? (By no means am I an expert in T-bolts...I'm just going by what I've seen/read over the years...which may not be correct information. Mostly info accidentally garnered while researching K-code Fairlanes.)

 

So, is one to believe your quirky-sounding, unnamed source is possibly more reliable than the Ford Motor Company's official communication? -- despite your not being sure he even knew Donilson nor was at the track? To my knowledge, your reference to him not being in the Fairlane is the first mention of such a theory -- while there are many other reports on the unfortunate Fairlane crash at Union Hill. (You mention possibly a Comet. In one instance when Donilson's Fairlane broke he borrowed Ray Sullins' "Dixie Jumper" AWB Comet to complete a match race, which he lost -- not by crashing). I'm sure if you were to look in the Birmingham News archives you'll find the obit for John Roger Donilson, on July 11, 1966 that won't say anything differently.

 

I discussed the subject of the Donilson crash recently with a man who was the techman at Union Hill dragstrip in 1966. He did infact say that Donilson crashed a Fairlane. The former techman is still active in dragracing and currently races S/S at NHRA events.

 

Getting back to the original subject of this thread, there are some Thunderbolt photos currently posted for sale on e-Bay.

http://shop.ebay.com/items/_W0QQ_so...6.m270.l1313&_odkw=drag+news+photos&_osacat=0

 

Not asking anyone to believe anything. Just passing along information from a person that was in that circle of people at the time. (And, not a quirky person, if my post gave that impression...just not a man of many words and very private.) He knows more about FE Fords and Ford racing of the time than most present day "experts" ever will. He was there and was heavily involved. His current circle of friends reads like a "whose who" of 1960's and 1970's Ford racing, and are people that most of us would never have access to beyond perhaps getting an autograph. But, I don't have a dog in this hunt, whatsoever, so back to our regularly scheduled programming.

 

Ok, we have a Ford document, the guys son and the tech man where the incident occurred all saying he was in a T-bolt. On top of that the car is MIA. Your unnamed, "super secret" guy is going off of a 45 year memory. I've got to agree with Goober. I think the evidence unfortunatly points to Mr. Donilson being in a Thunderbolt.

Keep us up to date on the "lost T-bolt" hunt.

 

If you go to www.doverdragstrip.com and doa search, the Thunderbolts that raced there back in the day are recorded on photographs. One gentleman who frequents that site was the crew chief on Larsen Ford's T-bolt, and another guy worked with Dobbs Ferry Ford on theirs. (Dobbs was a four speed, Larsen's and automatic) There was also a guy that used to race at Lebanon Valley in N.Y. named Elwood Bankhead, if I remember correctly. Only saw him once.

 

Regarding Goober's post number 488 of which contains a pic of the late Mr. Donilsons Thunderbolt:

Is that infact a 64 two door "Hardtop" Thunderbolt and not a 64 two door sedan Thunderbolt?

Respectfully. C

 

The car was a sedan just like all the other 100 T-bolts. There are lots of pictures here of the car pre and post AWB. These shots are also for sale by Mr. Towers.

http://matchracemadness.smugmug.com/gallery/6175657_2NP4f#389377418_6ryFz

Phil Bonner had a "hardtop" '64 Fairlane that was given the 'bolt treatment after his original car was crashed.

 

I sure do hate to open this can of worms any further, but...

Those photos show two different cars, or two different versions of the same car, driven by Donilson. One is the Dixie Stripper. The other is the Hell Fire. Were these the same car, using different names and color schemes? Or were they different cars.

If there were two different cars, perhaps I misunderstood my "super secret source", and what he was reacting to. He was specifically saying Donilson did not die in the Hell Fire T-bolt. We were looking at a picture of the Hell Fire. Somebody said, "That's the car John died in..." He responded, "NO! He died in a XXXX ! His dad had that car hauled off from the track...said he never wanted to see it again." I remembered him saying Comet or Falcon, but maybe he said something else. Maybe he said "He died in an altered." I just don't know. All I do know is that he was adamant that John Donilson did not die in the Hell Fire T-bolt.

 

Same car.

 

OK, thought maybe I was on to something. Why the name change?

 

I know of one on a ranch in OR. just waitin for me to come up and get when i get 9 grand... My wifes unkle came down a few months ago and was telling me about it and i was like ya what ever but when i went up up there, There she sat i do not know my Thunderbolt trivia but when he showed me the paperwork i was sold. Said he got it in 74 from a guy that bought a tractor from him and never paid for it.... The crazy thing is this guy did not know it was rare... His son is a minitrucker and was gonna cut it up and i showed him on line then he told his son NO WAY!!!

 

9K for a REAL T-Bolt........What are you waiting for??

 

<script type="text/javascript">F.decorate(_ge('photo_notes'), F._photo_notes).notes_go_go_go(1233131300, 'http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1041/1233131300_63f106b501_t.jpg', '3.1444');</script><form id="fave_form" method="post" style="visibility: hidden;"><input name="magic_cookie" value="06ea59a26332f5456ad3175c42ac400f" type="hidden"><input name="faveadd" value="0" type="hidden"><input name="faveremove" value="0" type="hidden"></form> <!-- PHOTO CONTENT: DESCRIPTION, NOTES, COMMENTS --> Abner Raleigh 427 Ford Thunderbolt

 

What ever happened to this car? Also was it a vintage burgandy car or white one originally? Notice 427 bird location.(early car location) If early, whose car originally? Wickersham/Clester Andrews?

 

Hello:

Did the factory 1964 Thunderbolts have Upolstry passenger car
"Head Liner"?

or bare metal interior roof segment or specal lightweight Head Liner?

In addition, attached is a Trunk pic segment of my 64 K code. Please provide suggestions on how to repair or replace the entire trunk weather strip channel.

 

Well seeing as how that is your gas tank that you can see thru the floor I would just get that whole section with whatever donor car you get the floor from. That pic scares me and makes me happy I am in CA where the rust doesn't generally get so bad. Good luck my friend a K code is a rare car. Got anymore pics of it?

 

Some great stuff on here since the last time I looked. That is the same Don Bowles that still races a new Roush Mustang today, isn't it? ... and most famous (to me anyways) for the Fairmont A/SM.

The letter Dennis posted about Donilsons death should spell it all out, Charlie Gray would know a 64 Fairlane when he saw one!

Thailand , eh? Are there any Thunderbolts running at Bangkok Drag Avenue? I'd love to go over there for vacation and if they'll let me bring a 3000 lb 18 foot long suitcase on the plane...

 

Yes, it is the same Don Bowles who is racing a Maverick in NMRA Hot Street. He is also a long time buddy of Jack Roush.

 

Take this link, not long into it there are a two pieces of film of Emmett "Snake" Austin's AWB T-Bolt launching off the line.
Joel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KzWg...layer_embedded

 

Nope sorry not a Thunderbolt to be found here at drag avenue or anywhere else in the country and very few V-8s of any kind. Drag City is so close to my house that on a clear day you can almost hear the cars running.

Believe it or not my rich friend and I looked into bringing some fuel dragsters and funny cars over here for a tour and you wouldn't believe all the red tape there is importing cars just for exhibition runs never mind for road use so sadly the project never got off the ground.

 

sedan w/name change