Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

Jim Amos just put this vid on you tube.It's an interview with Len Richter at the 30th reunion.

 

In regards to the King Ford Sales car, I have two names associated with it in my notes, J A Levi and Bud Shellenberger. Who was the original driver?


Thanks,
Deron

 

I was looking through some old articles tonight and ran across an old Car Craft article about a guy named Mark Buchanan from the Indy area who owned an original Thunderbolt at the time of the article. Which car does/did he own?

Thanks,
Deron

 

J. A. Levy King Ford was the dealership's name.
Bud Schellenberger was the driver.

Regards,
Dennis

 

The Joe Brown Ford car.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Here's a pic of the Bill-Rick Ford car. This is the car that was in Norway for awhile. It has since been "un-tubbed" and restored.

 

Of the 100 cars, what is your favorite T-bolt? I like the Bonner cars along with the Les Ritchey car. How about you guys?

 

I like the Lyle and Willie D Smith T-bolt ...lol

 

I've always liked the Whuppett car....in match race trim. The Snake Austin car is cool too. It's sort of a shame the prices got so high that alot of the cars were restored to day one trim. I'd like to see more as they were raced. And vinyl lettering doesn't quite quite get the job done.

 

How about the 63.5 hardtop car? "Moans and Groans by Tinsler Jones".

After a very short career, it went over to T&C Livonia as an automatic transmission test vehicle. Then ultimately scrapped???

Or the Bob Ford Inc. 623 automatic car.

I wonder how much either would be worth today?

Regards,
Dennis

 

I always thought the Atwater Ford/Jake King car was one of the best looking cars. The powder blue paint and the Ford crown on the door gave it a touch of class!! Does anyone have a good clear color shot of this car?

 

This is the best one I have.

 

Thanks

 

Looking for more info. on the Willis Ford out of Waterbury, VT... T-Bolt was driven by Al Willis! His T-bolt was tough to beat and campaigned in Northern New England/Canada! Any more pics...and where is it now??? Thanks, John

 

Another "Where is it now T-bolt"...Jack Whitby Ford T-bolt....said to be the 21st car built? Automatic trans. car! More pics would be appreciated! Thanks, John

 

From the 40th reunion

 

I know the current owner. He has had the car since the 70's. He is a regular guy who got lucky and held on to it all of these years. He told me his father reemed him out for buying that "piece of junk" back then!! I think it was a pretty good investment. The car is in the southern PA. area now. I'll post some more current photos of it tonight.

 

Here are a few of the Whitby car that I took.

 

Was the Jackie Hastin - Frank Moring (SP) T_Bolt out of South AL a real car and were they the first ones to run it? I have seen photos where it is red with yellow or white lettering. They had a cammer or boss9 powered Maverick Pro Stock car when I was working in the Dothan area in the early seventies.

 

I have to say my favorite THUNDERBOLT would be Butch Leals.One of the orignal DST cars.Stole the teardrop hood off Gas Rondas T-Bolt.Only 18 and to win INDY.Got to butt heads with Mickey Thompson.I Like the big Thunderbolt Script, MR 427 in the Door Logo,A pissed off thundercloud on the teardrop,Radir wheels all around.


Heres a pic of the later version,but I prefer the first

 

I know its a recreation but way cool.

 

I know I'm in a minority on this...but I think the original car should have been restored like the recreation.

Regarding what I said on the prior page about "day one" restorations, I think notable cars and ones that are pleasing to the eye should be restored to an "as raced" state. However after looking through my pics today, there are some cars that just weren't that good looking. For example (I hope this doesn't offend), the Brondes Ford "Mr. Automatic" Thunderbolt that Dennis posted a few weeks ago isn't exactly a good looking car to me...I would probably prefer that car non-lettered. One that drives me nuts (lol) is the Hi Risers car that Dennis also posted. That car needs a good donor top....quick!

I hope you got the light hearted humor there, but those are just my simple opinions and I think most of you understand where I am coming from. I understand some people restore for the collector car market as an investment and resale value.....I just dig old drag stuff and love the actual race car look.

As an example....which would you prefer? (ok....ditch the whitewalls)

 

Thank you, Troublemaker427 for posting great pics of the Whitby Ford T-Bolt! I appreciate you starting this T-Bolt thread as well !! Just think of all the beautiful, unrestored non famous T-Bolt cars..still out there! Everyday guys who were smart enough to go place an order for one of these Icons! It makes me sad to see them cut up/Altered to run other classes.....even tubbed....but I guess that is what you did as a racer back in the day to keep the money flowing and the need for more speed as you made a name for yourself!! )

 

64Cyclone,

I have to agree with you about Austin's car although its probably worth more restored the way it is. I've seen a couple photos of it in black before the wheelbase was altered, and it looks pretty cool that way as well. Now that Hi-Risers car..... Its kind of cool in a sick and demented way but I could probably like it a whole lot more if I knew it wasn't a real Thunderbolt. It looks like it would be right at home with a big-inch motor and twin 88's at an ORSCA event. Nostalgia event? not so much..... But hey, it is what it is and at least its still around in some form rather than recycled into a Datsun 510 or something.

Deron

 

My favorite T-Bolts are Hubert Platt's car as he ran it down South in match race trim and the Archway Ford as I saw itr run at York in May of '65 with white steel wheels and slicks.
The Strip Teaser is another favorite.
The Tasca car was nice but I always liked race cars a little less pretty.

I agree with the comments that I'd prefer to see the cars restored to their original race trim. I actually have little interest in seeing them in as-delivered form.
Joel

 

How about a true day one Thunderbolt.My appolgies if its been posted already,scanning as I go.Excellent article on this one with some detailed pics of how they did the shock towers at DST.And I have to say the pics are better than the ones crites sends out with there instructions. CARS the automotive magazine Feb 1964

 

A doodle of the Hagewood Motors T-Bolt

 

My good friend Jack Hazlegren owns the restored "Snake" Austin car and built the black,altered wheelbase car as a tribute to Austin.Jack has tons of literature and photos,and memoribilia of the car through out its racing life.He would have preferred to find the car before the restoration but it had already been mostly completed.It took Jack many years to do the tribute car as he tried to make it as close as possible to the original but still be driveable.He showed them side by side at last years Fairlane National Meet-45th T-Bolt Reunin. ROY.

 

I agree, this is probably the best detailed T-bolt article done "back in the day". I've studied this article many many times. Wouldn't you love to find the original negatives and out takes for this article!! Whose car did we agree this was?

 

Someone had post here that it may have been the #11 Bob Ford car...but I recently saw the actual article and Dennis pointed out that it was most likely the #9 Wickersham Ford car. I did see that the car in the article is a stick shift and not an automatic which eliminates it from being the #11 Bob Ford car.