Features Ford Thunderbolts Photos Wanted

This all reminds me of a time with no money and a minor amount of foresight. In the west side of Detroit in the early 80s while looking at another car I heard a guy doin a Fri nite tune-up in his backyard. Bein a car guy I walked up to look at it...a 65 Falcon with a 351 Cleveland set up for bracket racing. It was for sale as well, and what intrigued me was that it had a funky tag on it that said "Factory Racecar" or something similar, and he was saying it was never registered so no title. He wanted $5K for it at the time and it may as well have been 50K to me, although I really liked the car. I think it was a metallic blue at the time, can't recall all the rear axle details but it wasn't what most were running. It look old and outdated for the time. So all of this hot air to get to my question...how were these cars tagged back in the day? Did I screw up as bad I think or not at all?

 

Omega
Thanks! My Comet is a clone of Haydens car with strait axel and standard wheel base.

 

Highlander.......Hard to say. I think those " factory Racecar tags " can be bought repo. Crites ??

 

This car sounds like the Catron Bros / Dave Lyall's 1965 Falcon, it was in the Detroit Area until mid/late 80's, sold and then went to OK. The car was a Ford styling buck with a fiberglass body and a steel roof. Dave was able to acquire the car and ran it with a 427 SOHC engine, it was called the Quarter Master. Dennis German had the car after that with a 427 Tunnel Port in it.

Regards,
Dennis

 

Btt

 

I thought Troublemaker427 Might like this shot. It's me fixing to get my ass stomped by a troublemaker 427 Fairlane!

 

Where is that pic taken.Drag Strip ???

 

I like it!!! You gotta watch out for those 427 Fairlanes!!! They can be troublemakers...LOL

 

I'm looking for lightweight Galaxie stuff also. Still looking for more Thunderbolt photos too...

Thanks!!!

 

On Fordmuscle.com forums there is a thread on T-Bolts right now

 

Btt:d

 

Gulfport Dragway.

 

Attached is a photo of a Thunderbolt whose owner has never been identified. Anybody know who it is? It is possibly from the GA. area.

More photos wanted!!!

 

If I may throw in my two cents without trying to hurt or insult anyone...The first two Thunderbolts were, in fact, Falcons. I have patterned mine after these cars. I have a '65 Falcon with a teardrop hoodscoop, fiberglass bumpers, jacked-up with (2) one foot wide red comp. stripes on a black cherry paint. It has a 351W, blue racer cam, ported early heads, performer, demon, headers bolted to a T5 out of a 89GT. I have it minitubbed with a 9" (3.91gr) and Lakewood slapper bars. It has subframe connectors, dual remote oilfilters, ripper shifter...on and on and on...fast, 18mpg and dependable as the day is long...I got pictures.. I will sell too...bye and Bless..Mike Cmach

 

Sorry Mike The first car that could be considered a T-Bolt was Tasca's 63 Fairlane. Perhaps you are thing of Bonners and Nickelsons Falcons in 64?

 

I have built a '65 Falcon 2dr.sdn. to look like a "Thunderbolt" and of course everyone knows the first ones were Falcons. I have mine jacked up with a teardrop hoodscoop and fiberglass bumpers. It is black cherry with (2) one foot wide comp stripes in red. It has a built 351W running a Demon carb, Performer int., Crites headers, ported, etc. The trans is a (5)spd and a 9"rear w/3.91gears. It is minitubbed, subframed, disc brakes, dual remote oil filters under front bumper, and much, much more. It is fast and FUN! Starts and runs great and gets 18mpg on the hwy. If your interested, email me at [email protected] and I can send you some picts.. Holman and Moody built the first ones...bye and Bless..Mike Cmach

 

Sorry for the double post, I apoligize...but...look up the Holman and Moody site... Ford went to the Fairlane in '64 as the body to use because the lightweight '63 Galaxies were loosing at the drag strips. NHRA made a new class and the fairlane fit...besides it had a larger engine bay...check it out..I did..byeandBless..MIke

 

sorry if this gas already been posted,but looking at these pics,i guess there was 65 thunderbolts too.
[/URL][/IMG]

 

other pic of 65.

 

Boy do you have your facts messed up!!! Holman Moody had nothing to do with the Thunderbolt program. The 100 1964 Fairlanes with 427 engines known as Thunderbolts were all built by Dearborn Steel Tubing. There were also two Falcons built during this time by D.S.T. One went to Dick Brannan and the other to Phil Bonner. These both were hardtops and were not considered Thunderbolts in any way. These were not built before the Thunderbolts !!! Don Nicholson was part of the MERCURY program in 1964 and got a 427 Comet hardtop and wagon. He never had a Thunderbolt or Falcon.
Tasca did build two in house Fairlanes that could be considered the basis for the future Thunderbolt program. One was a '62 Fairlane with a 406 and a '63 Fairlane with a 427. Both ran in AFX and were one off creations for those years. Recreations of both cars have been built and the originals do not survive.

Mike your car sound pretty cool, but it is far from a Thunderbolt.

 

Where is Dowagiac because I have never heard of it..I live in Saginaw and own the Black Cherry Falcon w/351 set up like a clone.. It is an absolute riot to drive (5spd/3.91gr) and handles well... Do you still mess with cars? What do you have? I have a 55 Tbird and I am building a '49coupe/351/AOD/65Must rear... Email me your email address and I'll send you some picts. as I only know how to send pictures thru the email on kodak ware... I am Mike Cmach. 58yr. old machinst who worked in Chev. Foundries in Sag. I have a "shop" and would like to maybe hook up with you some day....bye and Bless..Mike Cmach

 

I apologize for thinking a Falcon could be called a "Thunderbolt", this was a mistake on my part. I did however, revisit the Holman&Moody site where pictures of the "FX" Falcon of Bonner's was shown as it was worked on at the Holman&Moody shop. There are a number of pictures of interest with Fairlanes as well. I am also to understand then, early Comets were "FX"er's too, as they are not Ford Fairlanes and did share the Falcon body? Again, I bow to the higher authority,, and have fun with your "Thunderbolt"....bye and Bless...Mike Cmach

 

First car I drove after getting my licence was a 64 Compact Fairlane of my Mums, then bought a 63 and have never not had one, While only more doors it,s all we got. Would love to see a pic of the 63 Bolt, I heard they were called a Lightningbolt ?

 

I am glad that this thread has made it back to the board. Today I finally got a chance to visit a freind's shop here in Indy. I have known him and his brother for many years but never made it to his garage. I had seen their lightweight Galaxie at the Hot Rod Industry trade show last year but today I finally got to see the Thunderbolt. The car has 295 miles on the clock and the only non stock stuff is the 6 point cage and a modification to the traction bars. Although mainly bare metal at the moment this thing is cherry. A pair of 'glass doors and the aluminum bumper are stored and not on the car but the rest of it is just sitting in the shop looking cool.
These guys are total Ford nuts as the other occupants of the shop include a '69 Boss 302 Mustang (40,000 miles from new), a 65 Shelby GT350 (red and gorgeous), a 67 Shelby,and a 64 Galaxie wagon (woody) with a big inch FE with dual quads. My friend worked at a Ford dealership, I guess in the 70's and has piles of NOS parts for the Mustangs etc.
I will try to get back over there some time and take some photos,

Roo

 

My late father took this picture of "Hullabaloo" some time in the summer of 1965 at U.S. 30 Dragstrip in Gary, IN. He and a friend used to run the friend's '63 Sport Fury 383 w/pushbutton automatic. Sorry for the poor quality, but it is scanned from a slide, cropped and enlarged.

 

I used to see that SOHC T-bird at the dragstrip in Denver a few years ago, dont remember what it was turning in the 1/4 but it was out racing not too long ago, its strange looking at a car on the internet and realizing its one you've seen before in person, we talked used to talk about it alot.

 

Awesome cars, Great memories.One of my favorites Fords.

 

Is Hulllabullo a real T Bolt. Looks like a Mopar hood scoop on her

 

That's what threw me. Check out the photo on this post. There's more info on page 7 or 8 of this thread.

 

That's what threw me. Check out the photo on this post. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1664051&postcount=157

There's more info on page 7 or 8 of this thread.