Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

It appears that 64 Cyclone and I scanned the same old magazines today--at least he's computer savvy enough to post them. Nice pics.

 

Here's a picture of the Ed Martin T-Bolt I took when I was 12. My Dad worked for Ford in Indianapolis , recruited Ed and appointed him as a Ford dealer around 1961. They remained lifelong friends until Ed passed away in '05. A piece of Ed Martin trivia....Bob Glidden was a line mechanic at the dealership.

 

Is that car still in the Nazy Crate paint scheme or has it changed in recent years?

 

Wow Bossmustang, that's a great picture! Thanks for taking the time to post it.

Deron

 

The world series entry list driving 64 Fairlanes
Pete Dorsey
Norris Swain
Snake Austin
John Donilson
Randy Payne
Howard Neal 65 Falcon
Reece Gibbs 63 Ford
No mention of Platt
So dennis you could still be right

 

X2 Thanks!!

 

I borrowed a collection of Thunderbolt articles.....I figured I'd just scan the pics I didn't have but now I see there's a ton of information in the articles so I've got to do some more scanning.

 

Dennis you are probably right as my answer was only a guess. I remember "Cigar" Holt ran a black t-bolt out of Alabama for a while and ran at Double H, don't know if it was the same race or not. I was on the road a lot back then and the only times I saw your car was sitting in Reece's yard with out an engine. It was as you say painted an orange color. The old Bad News was also sitting there with out it's engine. Can't believe I didn't try to buy either one or both, of course I had just borrowed $225 to buy a '61 390 HiPo engine the garage where I hung around built and the guy we built it for couldn't pay (I put in my old '56 Ford).

I am on my way out of town for a couple of days and will look some more when I get back.

 

Does anyone have a shot of the Pete Dorsey or Norris Swain T-bolts?

 

The first photo looks like the front wheel is up in the air. Can anyone see the floorjack? Artistic license? LOL

This car was the most unmolested original Thunderbolt around. None of the subsequent owners were hacks and many of the original components stayed with the car.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Ok, I e-mailed Richard McFalls re this photo on his website, and will report back what he can tell me about it.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Black T-Bolt? Would that be Cigar Holt driving Emmett Austin's car?

Regards,
Dennis

 

Or #9. Later photos of the automatic car show a #9 windshield decal.

Regrds,
Dennis

 

Here is another, note steering wheel location.

The late Bob Trevarrow and his son Bruce. Bob owned and raced quite a few Ford's, including both a steel and 1964 Lightweight Galaxie, three original Thunderbolts, 1962 406 Galaxie, a number of CJ Mustangs, and others.

The zip tubes and bonnets were from one of Platt's cars.

Regards,
Dennis

 

The former Frank Vego Ford Thunderbolt "mystery" car, possible dairy farmer car, etc ... .

This is when the car was owned by Curry Ford and driven by Stan Byrd, but before it was altered.

It is unbelieveable that no one seems to remember this car in 1964. It isn't like people were tripping over Thunderbolts back then.

Regards,
Dennis

 

DON FONG, OK here is another mystery name from Atlanta GA with a S/S Thunderbolt from 1964. Was he only a driver for someone else or did he have a car? Another name no one seems to remember. Perhaps, too much peach or is this the doorslammer S/S version of Floyd Lippencott Jr?

Regards,
Dennis

 

NORRIS SWAIM with an "M".

Here is a clip from National Dragster

BTW, Pete Dorsey drove a Mopar.

Note mention of Norris Swaim. Since David Harrell and Steve Honnell were there you can eliminate those cars. Maybe Norris was just a driver and did not own a car.

Jody, maybe Phil might remember him?

Bobby Watson wrote the article, maybe he may recall?

Regards,
Dennis

 

LOL! I haven't heard that in years!!!!


Deron

 

An outstanding color photo of one of the Tasca Ford Thunderbolts.

Thanks!

Regards,
Dennis

 

I got my latest Dragster the other day and there was a blurb about Muravez and his psuedonym name.

As indicated earlier, I can't see how no one remembers these individuals.
Of course, many didn't even remember who they sold their car to after 1964. I guess like yesterday's newspaper.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Upon enlarging the nice photo of Ed Martin's T-Bolt posted by Boss Mustang it appears that the lower front edge of the rear wheelwell isn't angle-cut like most T-Bolts.

 

I also looked at the photos and some show checkerd flag streamers others don't. These pictures must be from two different dates.

 

I really miss that car (as he had it) but his new car is very nice too. I'm thinking Larry's first car was the first T-Bolt I ever saw in person....then yours and Bob Trevarrow's if I remember correctly. Those old PFCA Expos were some great times.

 

I'm sorry if I missed it, but whatever became of this black Thunderbolt with the Motor Wheel Flys? Was it restored back to white? I remember when Larry Short had this car and Hot Rod magazine did the road test of it in the late Seventies, I think. He said that the body was cherry and there was a caveman painted on the door. Any photos of that floatin' around?

 

It's in Don Snyder's collection painted white....pic posted back a few pages...see post #846.

 

That reminds me, unless I'm crazy (which my wife will gladly verify ) I seem to remember Hot Rod magazine riding along with someone in a Thunderbolt for one of the west to east Power Tours. Am I imagining this or did it really happen? Best I recall, the car in question was an unrestored low mileage car and all they did before leaving California was re-curve the distributor to help with the pump gas they were going to have to run. I'd go looking for the article but all of my old Hot Rod magazines are still packed up from when we moved a couple years ago.

Anybody.....


Deron

 

Thanks for the page reference. Just got back from checking it out. About 10 or so years ago I walked out of a Burger King in Bloomington, ILL while coming home from the big Corvette Show (yeah, I know), and there happened to be a white Thunderbolt sitting all by itself in the BK parking lot. After eating and walking back to my car to leave, I did a quick walk around the Thunderbolt but I'm just thinking it's a just a particularly nicely done clone and as the owner was walking out to it I commented to him "nice car". A couple months later, Hot Rod mag came out with its' Power Tour issue and I recognized the car from the article as being a real one that was actually driven on the Power Tour! I coulda kicked myself for not spending alot more time looking at it that day! It's not everyday you run into a real T-Bolt at a Burger King!

 

Thanks for verifying that. Glad to know I'm not too crazy! I guess now I'm going to have to go drag out all the boxes of musty old Hot Rods and see if I can't find it. Anybody happen to know what year that would have been?


Deron