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Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Troublemaker427, Oct 11, 2006.

  1. 6t5frlane
    Joined: Dec 8, 2004
    Posts: 2,399

    6t5frlane
    Member
    from New York

    The 65 was a Hardtop No ? Sport Coupe ?
     
  2. Falconred
    Joined: Mar 27, 2008
    Posts: 872

    Falconred
    Member


    Looks like a '62 Galaxie to me. Don't know if this is Tasca's '62 lightweight or not??
     
  3. tommyd
    Joined: Dec 10, 2010
    Posts: 11,948

    tommyd
    Member
    from South Indy

    The guy in the upper right corner of pic four looks like a young Bob Glidden. Got to show this to my brother for a second opinion.[He's a lot older than me]:p
     
  4. 6t5frlane
    Joined: Dec 8, 2004
    Posts: 2,399

    6t5frlane
    Member
    from New York

    It sure does !!!
     
  5. LennyFreebern
    Joined: Jul 12, 2011
    Posts: 118

    LennyFreebern
    Member

    I am glad that Dave Lyall responded to my inquiry. However, I also have the additional information to this story:

    The third owner of the former Gilmer Ford, Wayne Blackwood, did sell the T-Bolt back to Ford Motor Co. through a deal with Emil Loeffler. After Wayne sold the car, Emil wanted to know when he going to deliver it to Dearborn. Wayne said that was not part of the deal, so Ford arranged for Hubert Platt to haul it up to Dbn. BTW, speaking with Platt he does not ever recall doing this. After the car was delivered, Wayne received a call from Ford wanting to know who removed the correct four speed and replaced it with a Muncie transmission. Wayne suggested they speak to Platt about that.

    Speaking with Emil Loeffler, he confirmed buying the car, but only handled the paperwork and never actually saw the car.

    Somehow the T-Bolt (or someone's T-Bolt) was then sent out to H-M-S, where it was at their shop being worked on. Speaking with Randy Payne, he also recalls seeing it there.

    Speaking with Arlen Whittington, he also recalls the car but mentioned during testing at a rented track the week before the WNats, the car was having carburetor problems and wasn't running correctly. Because of this, Arlen wasn't certain if they actually ran the car in competition.

    The twist to this story is many years ago talking to Billy Williams, he said it was his second Thunderbolt that Ford borrowed to run and that he got it back with the engine blown up and Ford compensated him by replacing it with a new 427 engine.

    Many years ago, I spoke to Wayne Gapp and he indicated he was to drive the T-Bolt, but didn't as the car was having problems.

    So this is why I am looking for photos, a ladder list of SS/D class, or National Dragsters covering the 1969 Winternationals to help corroborate which Thunderbolt actually ran there. Who knows, maybe even both cars ran there.

    Regards,
    Dennis[/QUOTE]

    Wayne's recollection is that Stroppe was unable to complete the car in time and that on race day the tbolt was still sitting in the back corner of Stroppe's shop 'unfinished'. He doesn't recall which car it was nor where it went after this aborted effort. So- the car never was raced at this event.

    Len
     
  6. dlshady
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 236

    dlshady
    Member

  7. 55vickie
    Joined: Mar 20, 2010
    Posts: 41

    55vickie
    Member

    Can someone explain a couple things for me? What is the cloverleaf hood? What is meant when one reads "flange fender" in relation to the thunderbolt? Thanks!
     
  8. Kentuckian
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 863

    Kentuckian
    Member

    To see what the very early cloverleaf hood looks like go to post 2132. It has a picture of Gas Ronda's Thunderbolt with the cloverleaf hood before the car was switched over to the bubble hood.
     
  9. 64Fairlane408
    Joined: May 14, 2013
    Posts: 53

    64Fairlane408
    Member
    from Katy, Tx

    It's great to see these things in all their glory!
     
  10. 55vickie
    Joined: Mar 20, 2010
    Posts: 41

    55vickie
    Member

    Okay understand the cloverleaf hood now, thanks.

    Anyone on the flange fenders versus what the other is?
     
  11. 55vickie
    Joined: Mar 20, 2010
    Posts: 41

    55vickie
    Member

    I have some questions on the .....update....questions have been answered.
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2013
  12. So was the cloverleaf hood an actual "scoop" (that is, did it have the rear-facing openings like the bubble) or was it merely for carb clearance?
     
  13. Kentuckian
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 863

    Kentuckian
    Member

    Carb/air box clearance. It did not have any opening to the outside. It simply "fit" around the air box hence the cloverleaf appearance.
     
  14. 55vickie
    Joined: Mar 20, 2010
    Posts: 41

    55vickie
    Member

    Anyone know if there is a Thunderbolt at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn?
     
  15. ClearSpot
    Joined: Aug 20, 2009
    Posts: 941

    ClearSpot
    Member
    from Michigan

    There is not one currently on display.But,that does not mean they don't have one in storage somewhere. Hope this helps....Are you planning on visiting?
     
  16. 55vickie
    Joined: Mar 20, 2010
    Posts: 41

    55vickie
    Member

    Rats! Yes will be there Saturday. I really need to get a look at one.

     
  17. 6maverick9
    Joined: Jan 31, 2009
    Posts: 3

    6maverick9
    Member

    If you want to see Thunderbolts go to Don Snyders .They have 5 of them the 1st one the last one and 3 in between They are in New Springfield ,Ohio do a search for Snyder Specialty Cars. Well worth your time There is alot of other rare cars there as well
     
  18. Heads up: Musclecar on the Spike TV channel is featuring a T-bolt. Should be on about halfway through the show (and repeated tomorrow).
     
  19. 64 Thunderbolt
    Joined: Feb 8, 2011
    Posts: 277

    64 Thunderbolt
    Member

    Where is the car originally from?
    Was it from around the Va. Carolina area?
    The reason I'm asking is because I have a picture of the rear of a blue Thunderbolt that can't be identified at Louisa dragstrip in Va. and wondered if this could be it?
     
  20. 55vickie
    Joined: Mar 20, 2010
    Posts: 41

    55vickie
    Member

    Wished I would have known that sooner. i just traveled within a couple hours of there and could have altered the trip. Are the cars where one could get close up to examine them? I have sent a query asking about this aspect but wonder if anyone here has been there. Thanks!

     
  21. www.thunderbolt.cc
    Joined: Jan 30, 2011
    Posts: 6

    www.thunderbolt.cc
    Member
    from USA

    Someone asked for a photo of the Luther Ford Thunderbolt.

    [​IMG]

    It said "Luther's Inc" on the doors/fender. Not sure of the exact dealer name back then, but it's been Luther Ford Sales since I was a kid. "Go with the winner, Total Performance at Luther Ford" is STILL the radio commercial for them! I have no doubt there nobody there has a clue how that slogan was born.

    Above the chrome on the fender it said "Homer City, PA". Note bumper location and black wheels. It had the Rotunda tach on the dash and the car had a low stance like some of the later cars. It was raced as an automatic for quite a while instead of being converted to stick right away like many others.

    This car was the reason I started researching Thunderbolts to begin with. I worked at this dealership in the past and had heard stories about the car when I was younger, but had no idea what kind of car they were talking about or just how special it was. Homer City is still very small, and I have no idea how they managed to snag 1 of 100. A friend showed me the Revell Tasca Ford Thunderbolt kit when they came out and I read the brief history in the instructions and was shocked that such a car had been built. Can't remember how I put the stories of the Homer City race car together with the Thunderbolt history, but maybe someday I can rediscover that.

    Now you know how the 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt Website came about.

    Craig
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2013
  22. Kentuckian
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 863

    Kentuckian
    Member

    Blue Thunder was originally the Thunderbolt from Conner Ford in Rockport, IN and was raced by Don Bowles from Madisonville, KY.

    A picture of the car in its original form when Don Bowles raced it can be seen on thread #576.
     
  23. 55vickie
    Joined: Mar 20, 2010
    Posts: 41

    55vickie
    Member

    The march-april issue of Fairlaner (Fairlane Club iof America club magazine) has the complete list. It is put together by some well known to the forum folks. I have the list but do not have permission to show it here but working on it.

     
  24. Wow, someone who actually respects copyright and IP rights? You, sir, are a class act! Well done.
     
  25. 55vickie
    Joined: Mar 20, 2010
    Posts: 41

    55vickie
    Member

    The Connor Ford Thunderbolt is not missing anymore. Not that it ever was to the people that have owned the car for 43 years. It is in pretty decent shape with only a little over a grand on the clock. It was last raced in Central IL sometime in 1972.We have verified many Thunderbolt aspects to the car and since we know all but several months of its history, know the car is very complete and close to DST original. That is not to say there have not been mods done to things like the traction bars etc. Many Tbolts seem to have been massaged at that area and some others. The engine and tranny are not original. It has a 427 low riser in it now that is not running.The present owners bought it in 1970 from a family friend in Springfield IL who had bought it as a roller. Don Castrup sold it as a roller to a fellow in Springfield but we have determined that it was not the same person. It was sold blue by Castrup and when the car was bought by the family friend it was white. Since this car has been untouched for 40 years, it is very obvious from the patina and the parts and such that this is not some cobbled up clone or rebody. At first I had my doubts. I was not familiar with the DST mods that stood out like a sore thumb such as the driver apron cut in, the traction bars and cantilever braces etc. But once I started getting feedback from some experts on shared photos and through phone calls and talking with both Don Bowles and Don Castrup, this is pretty close to as last raced by either. Yeah and hours and hours of internet searching too! Be surprised what is out there if you dig enough! There was an attempt to put the car on the street but if it made it there, it was extremely brief. There is more discussion to be done with the person who did that work.

    The car is not for sale, nor is it headed for any restoration at this time. The attached pics are as it is now including an ample amount of dust! More details and pics another time.
     

    Attached Files:

  26. japar
    Joined: Jun 30, 2007
    Posts: 264

    japar
    Member
    from Seekonk Ma

    I knew it was around somewhere
     

    Attached Files:

  27. Great stuff, love these cars.
     
  28. phaze1todd
    Joined: Apr 2, 2009
    Posts: 5

    phaze1todd
    Member

    Has anyone seen the article in the spring '13 issue of Elapsed Times?

    It details Art Carr's time at Les Ritchey's Performance Associates in '62.

    It appears that Ford Drag Counsel member, Ritchey, was given a '62 Fairlane by Ford in 1962 with instructions to make a 406 fit. This was followed by some parts support.
     
  29. dlshady
    Joined: Jun 5, 2009
    Posts: 236

    dlshady
    Member

    I'm having withdrawals here guys. Somebody post some new pics! ;)
     
  30. paco
    Joined: Oct 19, 2006
    Posts: 1,141

    paco
    Member
    from Atlanta

    Me too ... I'm jones'n.
     

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