Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

The Connor Ford went 8.34 @ over 160 mph today ... sort of! Met Don Bowles at Joliet to talk with him about his days with the Thunderbolt and saw his amazing Mustang with what they are calling the history wrap graphics on the car. Included were a couple of pictures of his time with the Thunderbolt. One large one on the nose of the car. One really neat graphic was of the three generations of Bowles all celebrating wins. Not posting all the pics but there are many of Don's prior cars represented such as the Maverick, Fairmont, etc.

 

Wow, that Bowles graphic scheme is pretty cool. Bet there aren't too many in that class that can claim any racing before the 80's.

 

Good to hear from you Craig (post 3506 above) I was just talking to Warren this evening who has the TBolt Jack Sund crashed. It is still in existance, crumpled but fixable with a huge amount of work.

 

Heres my 64 sedan im gonna turn it into a clone right now it has 289 and a 4sp

 

Did anyone ever make a Thunderbolt to run circle track or were they all drag raced

 

One was raced on circle track but it wasn't made from DST like that.
It was an original drag strip car like all the others that someone later bought & converted it to run on the ovals.
Friend of mine still has some of the parts from it. Sad part is it was hauled off to the crusher.

 

Sorry if this has been posted already.This is a cool shot of the first 12 on the Ford test track.

 

There were only 11 built in the first run of cars (vintage burgandy).

 

I have a very bad photo of what I think is this car running at the dirt track. This would have been the Atwater Ford, Jake King car. A friend was partners in this car with who I think is your buddy.

 

Sure is!

 

I would hope not but then again racers are always looking for a winning formula no matter what they race.

 

I believe that Holman Moody showed up at Atlanta in the spring of 64 with a Fairlane. I believe that is the only race they got to use it. I do not remember how it did but it was in all of the newspapers back then. I believe that the picture below is a project HM was involved in about 2008.
regards, Roland

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Sorry guys,had wrong info on car,it was the 62 car that went with the info. I posted,sorry for confusion.PM me if anyone would like to talk to previous owner,he remembers car well but does not know it's where abouts.

 

The car was tested at Atlanta by Lorenzen and Fireball(I think) but it wasn't aerodynamic enough with the roof line it had. It was never actually ran in a Grand National (as cup was called then) race. It may have been ran in the Daytona Continental or shipped over to Europe. Some say that is where the 2 door HT car that Bonner had came from, I don't know. I had news paper clippings from the tests showing the car on the track and Lorenzen in a white jacket, with the Ford Bird embem on it, looking over the engine compartment, I sure wish I could find them again.

 

This is probably the car mentioned. Piloted by Fireball Roberts finishing 2nd in the 64 Daytona Continental Sports car race.

 

Is it me or is that NOT a sedan?

 

HM used hardtops.

 

How many HM cars were completed? and are they included in the total # of Thunderbolts?

 

The HM Fairlanes are not Thunderbolts and are not included in the total 100 of Thunderbolts.

 

Thunderbolt Clone on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1964...9980534?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item19e07584f6

 

The seller needs to correct his ad. NOT a 427 big block, Looks to be Winsdor based.

 

Tom good eyes you have you can tell by the intake and heads its not a FE but being a Dart block it probable has 427 cu. in.

 

Why does every 64 Fairlane 2 door post have to be called a Thunderbolt? That is a nice FAIRLANE,not even close to being a T-Bolt!!! JMO , ROY.

 

In the 40th t/ bolt reunion DVD James hammer mason and dick Brannan both agree that there were a lot more than 100 thunderbolts produced out of dearborn steel tubing. Drag racers and people who heard on the grapevine, and had connections with the big wigs at ford could get their very own t/bolt. The Tasca prototypes although 63 models were included in the 127, which he said were the first thunderbolts?

 

Same reason every sbc in a hotrod is a vette motor!

 

Which one?

 

Show me 1 Thunderbolt built after the Drew Ford car (the last one) and I'll believe it.

 

I was only going by what was said by Brannan and mason In the DVD. And you would think they had a fair idea of what was going on at DST.

 

Carl Moyer of Ankeny Iowa driver for Dick Walters Ford also drove the "Iowa Shaker" Falcon as well. Pic is on page 166 item #3318.

 

Also, show me ONE car that has been found and that is authentic that's VIN is not on the list of 100. EVERY car that has been found or accounted for is on that list. Don't you think if there were 111 or 127 or whatever number is stated there would be at least one car that was not on that list of 100. 50 year old memories don't trump research and paperwork....