Stock Thunderbolts were clocked at 122mph at the end of that 11 sec. quarter-mile. Ford & Dearborn Steel did a great job creating this absolute classic. The icing on any collection.
At age 19 I had the pleasure of driving an original thunderbolt and the owner even allowed me the chance to get a launch and quarter mile out of her... what an amazing experience and one that I will remember forever!
When I was a kid me and my dad built a thunderbolt replica out of a 64 Fairlane it had a 428 that was built Holman moody camshaft decked heads ran like a 427 lol 411 gears with a spool teardrop Hood Center lights were for the air intake that fed the tri power the whole 9 yards it was nasty!! Dad would take me out on the back roads and launch it I can still remember how hard that thing would pin me in the seat still have race fuel running through my veins to this day because of that car
Could,nt agree more, I totally love the Fords, 64 T bolt, Boss Cars and pretty much any year mustang. Ford brought some serious shit to the table with the 64 T bolt.
@@matthewowens455 Ford PERFECTED the 427 FE motor before chevy even had it on paper and FYI ,the chevy version is a pooch compared to FORDS MASTERPIECE.
Had a friend that had an original 260 V8 three on the tree 64 Fairlane 500. We took the 260 out and put a very stout built 289 K code in it, and put a top loader 4 speed behind it. This was in the late 70s, and that car was beautiful, drove like a dream, and could outrun anything it came up against. I loved that car.
I was introduced to the Ford Thunderbolt in late Spring or Summer 1964 at Dover Drag Strip in Wingdale NY. The Monster Ford was sponsored by Larson Ford White Plains NY and I had never seen a Thunderbolt before when all of a sudden a white blur went down the track, power shifting all the gears and turning a low 11s time. From that moment on the thunderbolt became one of my favorite cars.
Back in '64, Union Hill Drag Strip was the place to go in Nashville, Tn. I'm a MOPAR guy and when these Thunderbolts showed up, the ante just went up. Seems I remember seeing the first one of these. I believe it was the "Georgia Shaker". When I first set eyes on it, I knew we were in store for a fight. Good looking car. Badass motor.
Found one in Alabama 4yrs ago and my granddaughter fell in love paid 12,000 for her too in bad shape too but front end and rear match the era so we was good we came home Nanny said I guess you want too live you life again through your baby he'll no but Nanny is cheering her on running the low 9s at the strip now she is proud of Christina cause she did all the restoration herself with a little help ok
The NHRA record holder For SS/A SS/B is held by Ray Paquet in his 1964 Prototype 1964 Thunderbolt GM and Chrysler couldn't stay up with him and have moved on, car runs in mid 8s.
What a great car! I've even seen some very nice clones of this car at car shows and the racetrack. The side oiler FE 427 is probably in my own opinion the coolest thing Ford put out along with the SOHC 427. Great stuff indeed! Thanks for the video
My Dad worked at Detroit Steel Tubing and helped build this car. Ray Paquette owns one now and still races this car and holds the world record!! There was a very limited amount of the Thundbolts made.Awesome car.
You and me both buddy. I can just see the Chevy guys go running and hiding behind mommy's apron strings when I came to school driving that beauty. I would,nt have had to look hard for a date friday night cuz the girls loved the FAST STUFF, LOL.
I remember going to the drag strip as a kid with my parents. Just about the only Fords that were taken seriously then on the strip were the Ford Thunderbolts. Otherwise, Chrysler/Mopar Hemis dominated the day. The Thunderbolts gave Ford lovers "street credibility". They were totally awesome to watch.
Back when Ford & Mopar ruled in Big Block racing . The Generals boys ? Plenty of room in the grandstands . You'll pay for the whole seat but you'll only need the edge !
I have never seen one race, but I have seen an original one in person. There is a white one about 20 miles from my house here in Tennessee. It has the attachment hooks on the front and 4 speed. The owner is THE original owner. He has not owned it its whole life. Years ago, he sold it to Reggie Jackson. He bought it back from the Yankee slugger about 20 years ago. This guy worked for Ford in some high capacity back in the day, because he has a few cool blue oval cars.
The first 5, or so, Maroon cars, had clover leaf hoods, and fiberglass front bumpers.. The rest were equipped with the teardrop bubble hoods. The NHRA didn't like fiberglass bumpers, so the others used aluminum. Butch Leal had one of the fastest ones.
Sure, we once owned a Fairlane with a 260 V8. Even that engine gave us a great experience in driving & at one time we joined a car club. Everyone enjoyed seeing the Fairlane. Everyone else had mustang's & cobras. A lot of fun to drive.
i had a 64 couldn't get a thunderbolt so me and my dad put a 427 in one. it was scary. but i loved the car until someone with more money than brains came along and bought it.
For those how doubt a stock 64 T-bolt running 9.20's on modern tires, go see the documented proof by watching video title: "Tbolt- the whole show". In that video, the car has the automatic transmission ON THE COLUMN and made 5 passes. EVERY pass was a 9 second pass, with the fastest being the 3rd pass, and a new record for a stock T-bolt with an E.T. of 9.23 @ 151 mph. That video is now 9 yrs old.
I would,nt doubt that one bit. Those T bolts were the meanest BB Ford ever fielded, when Chevrolet, mopar and chrysler tip their hats to the T bolt as a plain streak of lightning on race day you know they were super fast.
@@twolak1972 And keep in mind: the stock class is strictly governed by NHRA just like any other class. They are allowed to tweak a few things, but all within the limitations as set by NHRA for the factory stock class. I can't recall which video and youtube channel, but they featured the owner of one still racing in the factory stock class, and the man went into great detail about what he's allowed to do with every aspect of that engine. He said they are SO strict, when it comes to the cc's allowed for the combustion chambers, he doesn't even take it right to the limits of the spec's, for fear of expansion from the heat, which causes metal to expand. In other words, he doesn't build it to it's legal limits. Years ago in NASCAR for example, an engine right after the race may spec out as "oversized", which is illegal. But wait till that engine cools down, and suddenly, it's back within spec. ( Some racers/crew chiefs/engine builders in NASCAR did cheat however, with over-sized engines. Richard Petty's team was notorious for trying to sneak in engines with more cubic inches than allowed, and in many races, they were secretly permitted to do so, like a few other teams, such as Junior Johnson. There's corruption in "politics" in racing like everything else. ) Those '64 T-bolts in original condition are incredibly rare nowadays, because straight away, the majority of racers who bought them brand new, immediately tubbed the rear ends for the pro-stock or super stock class, or whatever it's called. You know, so they could put the huge, wide slicks under the rear, and then built the engines far beyond stock. Very few are left today in factory condition.
The driver must've been told not to stomp on the throttle or somethin, cuz that 427 is a torque monster with the ability to burn the tires right off of the rims....
Yeah I bet he was warned not to get on it cuz that 427 would lifted the front end before frying the tires to the rims .That motor had unbelievable TORQUE AND HP.
Yes a saw a beautiful example of a thunderbolt from California. This was at Sparta , Ontario which is a very old track near St Thomas Ontario in about? 1987 or so.
The baddest Fords ever made are these and the 66 Fairlane 427 lightweights. I definitely prefer the styling of the 66-67 Fairlane but nobody really gave a shit what the 64 Thunderbolt looked like if it's running mid 11's. It's definitely not as ugly as a 62 Dodge or Plymouth 413 Max Wedge...thats for sure. But nobody cared what the 62 Max Wedge cars looked like either because they were insanely fast
I agree, mopar put the powerhouse 413 in that damn ugly ram charger but yeah with the 413 wasting everything in sight WHO CARED.Can you imagine a 413 max wedge in a 70 cuda, OMG. That max wedge was one BEAUTIFUL MOTOR. 13 .1 COMP RATIO. DAMN
I’m an absolute Fairlane Freak and the 1965 Mercury Comet is also at the top of my list of Uber Desirable cars. As always Ford’s advertised Horsepower ratings were an absolute joke, my 1967 Mustang Fastback had the Hipo 289 rated at 271hp but on the dyno made 346.🤣
You must live in Emmett, Idaho. Used to be a guy there that had a '64 two-door post Fairlane 500 that he drove daily. It was a 289 2bbl model, but he quit driving it to preserve it and to collect all the goodies to clone the Thunderbolt. Not sure if he ever got it all together; guess I'll just have to drive by and see someday...
Sweet! Thx Kev. Quick question; is it just me or is the TransAm seen at the end have a stripe that's off, (drivers-side) somewhat? I think of the '70 LS6 you've shown us with the 34.2 miles where the stripes didn't match up and where it blew out. Thanks for all the hard work Kevin. Fridays are even better knowing you're going to be posting another Muscle Car. 😉
Gary's Dart is a SS/AH car that means for Hemi cars only with lighter weight and more extensive motor modifications especially the heads allowed by the NHRA.
Hi Kevin, you mentioned that the engine used was a Side Oiler, but all original T-Bolts had Center Oilers. The more durable Side Oiler did not came out until 1965. The Center Oilers were great for short burst on the drag strip, but suffered from crank starvation in road racing. The Side Oiler ended up winning many road races in the AC Cobra, and also winning Le Mans in 1966 and 1967 in the GT40. That said, my tribute car has a 1967 Side Oiler. ruclips.net/video/o-7ECDOcqBc/видео.html
If a T bolt pulls up beside you. Shut off your car , get out and step up and give a salute and watch them make a solo record breaking run. ITS BETTER THAN THE HUMILIATION YOU WILL FEEL WHEN YOU LOSE BY 20 XAR LENGTHS .
The name Thunderbolt always confused me... Thunder clap...Lightning Bolt... No? I know I know I'm being an ass. Sweet vehicle however, these were terrors of the Drag Strip back in 63'-64'.
Shit, I always knew the 64 T bolts were badass but Damn, low 11,s back then and 9.40,s today ON STREET TIRES, I always thought I wanted a 69 Boss 429 the most but now I want 1 of these 100 absolute street annihalotors, with 1 of these theres no freaking way you could lose TO ANYTHING chevy mopar or chrysler fielded in the day. Against that BEAST a 70 hemi cuda would seem like it had a slant 6 under the hood.LMFAO
Sadly I saw one of the white Thunderbolts in 1064 at Paradise Drag strip in Dalton GA. I say sadly because the driver had just taken delivery of the machine and was running it for the first time. He ignored the reps advise to ease on it for the fist few runs and tried to do a regular drag start practice lap with predictable results he fishtailed then turned into the guard rail at a high rate of speed totally shattering the fiberglass front end and damaging the chassis, A really sad sight to see for a race fan the machine never got to run a race.
1) Love your videos. 2) The music is terrible and doesn't at all convey the aggressiveness of this vehicle. 3) Why don't you ever discuss the history of the particular vehicle (where it was found, condition it was in, etc, like Leno does) and a little restoration background? It would make your videos considerably more interesting and less repetitive.
Thanks Shaun. We love to tell the backstory of the car where it is known and verifiable and often share it. Have you seen this one? ruclips.net/video/e_cPbpjDJqI/видео.html
You need to put that up against the 1964 true thunderbolt. Paid 100,000 just for the Body.8.6. Do that and you can say you are the Record holder. Ray has a lot of 1st place. That race needs to be on U Tube.
Sorry, you are incorrect. The Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt is a limited production, factory experimental, drag racing version of the Ford Fairlane produced during the 1964 model year only. A total of 100 units were produced; forty-nine 4-speeds and fifty-one automatics, enough to secure the 1964 NHRA Super Stock championship for Ford.[1][2]
Wow , low 11,s on the shit tires back then and 9.40,s on modern tires, UNBELIEVABLE, What a beast. Can you Imagine being lucky enough to lay your hands on 1 of these 100 Terminators and taking out on the town drag racing. Any Chevy , mopar or chrysler drivers EVACUATUON TUBE ,AKA ( ANUS) woulda puckered so tight they would,nt have been able to go for a week after you pulled that Beast up beside and said LET,S RUN EM.LOL.
I used to own a thunderbolt the biggest problem was you couldn't get it to launch straight we correct the problem by putting a Mustang 2 suspension under the car the car lunch straight after that
Hemi drag race engines didn't come out until June,64....so much for eating them alive. How come at the 65 Pomona winternationals,did the entire S/S class was made up of Chrysler A-990 Plymouth & Dodge Hemi cars...Was the T-bolt scared?
They were pretty much un-driveable on the street. More so in the more likely C-6 transmission trim. Think 6000 rpm stall speed torque converter and little power to speak of below 4500 to 5000 rpm then pretty much the whole shebang. (this car is very detuned IMO) (MCOTW guys, please repair those rear springs before someone gets hurt) These were not street engines but all out race engines. Off point a little but a friend let me drive his 63 Max Wedge Torqueflite around the city square in 64 or 65. Imagine if you will, both feet on the brake pedal as hard as you can when the light was red and it still wanted to creep. When the light turned green you hoped no one with a bubble gum machine on their roof was nearby because there was going to be some tire screech whether you wanted to or not. Yes it was a genuine thrill and I loved it, but it was a lot like shooting a .375 H&H Magnum in that it was 'not' what anyone would call fun. A thrill, oh yeah!
"(MCOTW guys, please repair those rear springs before someone gets hurt"My guess is that the car hasn't been 'track ready' for years and was hauled out of storage for the video. That's probably what the driver was going pretty easy during the driving shots
Don't know if this is true or not but I have heard these were low rated in HP because of Insurance problems and stuff. I have heard of up to 550 HP in freakin' 64. Can anybody confirm that? Shout out from Toronto Canada.
These were rated low for the NHRA rules based on HP to weight. Some muscle cars are underrated, but no where near as many as the stories that follow them. Back in the 60’s and early 70’s a big dog muscle car only ran 13’s to 14’s in actual 100% true stock form. A few like the Hurst Hemi, Thunderbolt, etc would run 11’s truly stock.
@@BuRn1NgAnUs Even with drag radials on them most will not break into the 12's. They are more story than actual fact. With some jetting and timing changes as well as better than stock exhaust the big boy players will usually run into the 12's easily. The gearing was never really much of an issue since most had an option for 4.10-4.30 range gearing as factory options anyway.
Oh I bet it was higher, The BB 429 Boss was rated at a insulting 375 hp but really was closer to 575 on the dyno. Bet the 427 in the 64 T bolt was around 650. They were that BADDASS.
You need to have the driver and owner commit to a full power launch - or just don't do it. This kind of lame-ass launch only brings the quality of the video down!
There are claims stating Ford recalled all of the Tbolts and crushed them. Supposedly one or two original cars exist today. One of which was Mickey Thompson's that Boyd Coddington owned. They were also powered by the 427 SOHC. 640 hp..
@Rob Trubiano 400-450 hp to run a high 10 at what weight??? You're nuts if you say 3300, lol. With 450 at 3300, you're in the mid 11's AT BEST. And these things weighed 3200 FROM THE FACTORY. So why were people adding weight, again? After yours and 64fairlane359 comment, I went and searched all over to REVERIFY my memory of these cars. So these cars could do 10's and 9's with slicks? Gee, then how come THERE IS NOT A RECORD OF ONE BREAKING EVEN A LOW 11??? 11.61 was the BEST recorded time (which is about right at that HP and weight) for a factory stock Thunderbolt and that WAS WITH SLICKS. I did find this: 'At the 1967 NHRA Winternationals, a heavily modified factory Thunderbolt ran a 1⁄4 mile (402 m) of 10.365 seconds at 132.65 mph (213 km/h),[16] making it among the fastest-accelerating production cars over the quarter mile.' But, this was (obviously) not 'factory' and STILL didn't get into the 9's. Oops...
@Rob Trubiano Sure, a simple search DID pull up Bolts running 9's, but NONE of those were factory stock. And a simple search pulled up factory stock ones running mid to high 11's. Are you speaking of stock, or what?
Stock Thunderbolts were clocked at 122mph at the end of that 11 sec. quarter-mile. Ford & Dearborn Steel did a great job creating this absolute classic. The icing on any collection.
At age 19 I had the pleasure of driving an original thunderbolt and the owner even allowed me the chance to get a launch and quarter mile out of her... what an amazing experience and one that I will remember forever!
LUCKY YOU. BET THAT CAR HAULED SOME SERIOUS ASS.
To me the Thunderbolt was the most radical looking FACTORY race car of that era. The most iconic of it's ilk, IMO. Thanks for A GREAT VIDEO.
When I was a kid me and my dad built a thunderbolt replica out of a 64 Fairlane it had a 428 that was built Holman moody camshaft decked heads ran like a 427 lol 411 gears with a spool teardrop Hood Center lights were for the air intake that fed the tri power the whole 9 yards it was nasty!! Dad would take me out on the back roads and launch it I can still remember how hard that thing would pin me in the seat still have race fuel running through my veins to this day because of that car
Old warrior. Cool badass thunderbolt
Yes, I have seen them run. I love the Thunderbolts, and pretty much any Ford with the 427.
I'm a mopar guy mostly but the 427 FE series are fine, fine, fine, then theres the SOHC, nutscrazy $$$$$ but the most droolingly gorgeous engine
427 is a chevy engine
@@matthewowens455 Ford had a 427 before Chevy.
Could,nt agree more, I totally love the Fords, 64 T bolt, Boss Cars and pretty much any year mustang. Ford brought some serious shit to the table with the 64 T bolt.
@@matthewowens455 Ford PERFECTED the 427 FE motor before chevy even had it on paper and FYI ,the chevy version is a pooch compared to FORDS MASTERPIECE.
I want to drag race old cars. The days of yesteryear are looked on with fondness and envy.
Had a friend that had an original 260 V8 three on the tree 64 Fairlane 500. We took the 260 out and put a very stout built 289 K code in it, and put a top loader 4 speed behind it. This was in the late 70s, and that car was beautiful, drove like a dream, and could outrun anything it came up against. I loved that car.
The K code 289,s were a really good motor, wish mustang had put a few K codes in their 69 mach 1,s . Bet they would gave a good showing.
I was introduced to the Ford Thunderbolt in late Spring or Summer
1964 at Dover Drag Strip in Wingdale NY. The Monster Ford was sponsored by
Larson Ford White Plains NY and I had never seen a Thunderbolt before when all
of a sudden a white blur went down the track, power shifting all the gears and
turning a low 11s time. From that moment on the thunderbolt became one of my
favorite cars.
Back in '64, Union Hill Drag Strip was the place to go in Nashville, Tn. I'm a MOPAR guy and when these Thunderbolts showed up, the ante just went up. Seems I remember seeing the first one of these. I believe it was the "Georgia Shaker". When I first set eyes on it, I knew we were in store for a fight. Good looking car. Badass motor.
1964 Ford falcons and Ford Fairlane were cool cars back in their time..BUT THE THUNDERBOLT WAS THE KING 🤴 👌
I always think this is the perfect Ford.
What a beautiful machine. Looks fast standing still.
It's all about that stance
What a work of art. That 427 is just insanely beautiful both looks wise and sound.
Even without the engine running it looks like it's already won.
I’m not really a ford guy but I’m in love with this car
Same here no brand loyalty when a car is this awesome.
Any sane person would be, just LISTEN to that solid lifter cam, nothing sounds like solid lifters.
I'm definitely looking for one of these beautiful machines. They are so rare and hard to find.
I know I don't think I haven't seen one of these before, Or maybe I had Once.
Hope you're a millionaire.
Better have 500gs or more
..right ill start selling meth right away!!
Found one in Alabama 4yrs ago and my granddaughter fell in love paid 12,000 for her too in bad shape too but front end and rear match the era so we was good we came home Nanny said I guess you want too live you life again through your baby he'll no but Nanny is cheering her on running the low 9s at the strip now she is proud of Christina cause she did all the restoration herself with a little help ok
I really like the Bolt. It's a beauty.
Ford Experimental 427 Thunderbolt gotta 💘 it
The NHRA record holder For SS/A SS/B is held by Ray Paquet in his 1964 Prototype 1964 Thunderbolt GM and Chrysler couldn't stay up with him and have moved on, car runs in mid 8s.
Detroit Steel Tubing
What a great car! I've even seen some very nice clones of this car at car shows and the racetrack. The side oiler FE 427 is probably in my own opinion the coolest thing Ford put out along with the SOHC 427. Great stuff indeed! Thanks for the video
Thunderbolt had the center oiler
@@frankvandergoes298 Every video I've ever seen, including this one, states the the 427 in these T-bolts was the side oiler.
The side oiler is what also made the Shelby COBRA the legend it still is today.
My Dad worked at Detroit Steel Tubing and helped build this car. Ray Paquette owns one now and still races this car and holds the world record!! There was a very limited amount of the Thundbolts made.Awesome car.
Legendary, A meld of great driver and awesome car. Like Bob Glidden , BOTH WINNERS.
If I could go back in time, this would be the car I would get. 😍
You and me both buddy. I can just see the Chevy guys go running and hiding behind mommy's apron strings when I came to school driving that beauty. I would,nt have had to look hard for a date friday night cuz the girls loved the FAST STUFF, LOL.
as a kid it was the first car i related with drag racing an have been a big fan ever since helped make me a Ford fan
I remember going to the drag strip as a kid with my parents. Just about the only Fords that were taken seriously then on the strip were the Ford Thunderbolts. Otherwise, Chrysler/Mopar Hemis dominated the day. The Thunderbolts gave Ford lovers "street credibility". They were totally awesome to watch.
Bob Glidden continued that Cred in Pro Stock
The T bolt taught the hemi owners some MANNERS.
Thank you guys, another awesome video.
The car looks great, fibergrlass + aluminium = no rust!👍
Classic 60’s Drag racer! Great looking design.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
My dad bought a new galaxy 500 XL convertible with that motor in it in 1963, man it be nice to still have it.
mike wasfaret fun a guy on my block has one of these on the Street in front of his house roting away still drives it though😀
Somebody warn that guy that his right rear spring is fanning out badly...
Just discovered this series of videos. Great start!
Back when Ford & Mopar ruled in Big Block racing . The Generals boys ? Plenty of room in the grandstands . You'll pay for the whole seat but you'll only need the edge !
I have never seen one race, but I have seen an original one in person. There is a white one about 20 miles from my house here in Tennessee. It has the attachment hooks on the front and 4 speed. The owner is THE original owner. He has not owned it its whole life. Years ago, he sold it to Reggie Jackson. He bought it back from the Yankee slugger about 20 years ago. This guy worked for Ford in some high capacity back in the day, because he has a few cool blue oval cars.
That's an awesome car sharp those 427's really made that car go tho it didn't way that much.
The first 5, or so, Maroon cars, had clover leaf hoods, and fiberglass front bumpers.. The rest were equipped with the teardrop bubble hoods. The NHRA didn't like fiberglass bumpers, so the others used aluminum. Butch Leal had one of the fastest ones.
Gas Ronda won the championship in 64
Never seen one in person. However a 428SCJ got the win against my 350LT1
A body. Even his E.T. was better than mine that day. 3rd round knockout.
A friend has one of these here in Milton Fl. It was once the record holder in the 1/8 It is the original Gas Ronda car.
Just found out Willie Dee passed Sept 19. 2020 he will be missed.
Love the videos, no music needed, just let me hear the story and most of all the cars. :)
Sure, we once owned a Fairlane with a 260 V8. Even that engine gave us a great experience in driving & at one time we joined a car club. Everyone enjoyed seeing the Fairlane. Everyone else had mustang's & cobras. A lot of fun to drive.
i had a 64 couldn't get a thunderbolt so me and my dad put a 427 in one. it was scary. but i loved the car until someone with more money than brains came along and bought it.
Grocer getter it is not.solid stright line construction and Spartan styling really catches my soul.that 7 litre v8 really bang like hell
I saw Buch Leo Tunderbolt black in 64 at Atco dragway .I believe one of the 1st .
For those how doubt a stock 64 T-bolt running 9.20's on modern tires, go see the documented proof by watching video title: "Tbolt- the whole show". In that video, the car has the automatic transmission ON THE COLUMN and made 5 passes. EVERY pass was a 9 second pass, with the fastest being the 3rd pass, and a new record for a stock T-bolt with an E.T. of 9.23 @ 151 mph. That video is now 9 yrs old.
........and PS........every pass, the car pulled the front tires nearly a foot off the ground.
I would,nt doubt that one bit. Those T bolts were the meanest BB Ford ever fielded, when Chevrolet, mopar and chrysler tip their hats to the T bolt as a plain streak of lightning on race day you know they were super fast.
I bet that time could be bettered with a good guy on a inline 4 speed. DAMN
@@twolak1972 And keep in mind: the stock class is strictly governed by NHRA just like any other class. They are allowed to tweak a few things, but all within the limitations as set by NHRA for the factory stock class. I can't recall which video and youtube channel, but they featured the owner of one still racing in the factory stock class, and the man went into great detail about what he's allowed to do with every aspect of that engine. He said they are SO strict, when it comes to the cc's allowed for the combustion chambers, he doesn't even take it right to the limits of the spec's, for fear of expansion from the heat, which causes metal to expand. In other words, he doesn't build it to it's legal limits. Years ago in NASCAR for example, an engine right after the race may spec out as "oversized", which is illegal. But wait till that engine cools down, and suddenly, it's back within spec. ( Some racers/crew chiefs/engine builders in NASCAR did cheat however, with over-sized engines. Richard Petty's team was notorious for trying to sneak in engines with more cubic inches than allowed, and in many races, they were secretly permitted to do so, like a few other teams, such as Junior Johnson. There's corruption in "politics" in racing like everything else. ) Those '64 T-bolts in original condition are incredibly rare nowadays, because straight away, the majority of racers who bought them brand new, immediately tubbed the rear ends for the pro-stock or super stock class, or whatever it's called. You know, so they could put the huge, wide slicks under the rear, and then built the engines far beyond stock. Very few are left today in factory condition.
The driver must've been told not to stomp on the throttle or somethin, cuz that 427 is a torque monster with the ability to burn the tires right off of the rims....
Yeah I bet he was warned not to get on it cuz that 427 would lifted the front end before frying the tires to the rims .That motor had unbelievable TORQUE AND HP.
I love the factory built hot rods. Now y'all need a 65 A990 or AF/X car as a follow up to this one.
Thanks! Have you seen this one? ruclips.net/video/zx5ibowTLlE/видео.html
Yes a saw a beautiful example of a thunderbolt from California. This was at Sparta , Ontario which is a very old track near St Thomas Ontario in about? 1987 or so.
..a guy has #1 in Australia and it cost $100,000,00 and is a full rebuild but its EXTREMELY rare!
Gas Ronda won the championship in 64 with his poppy red Tbolt
My dream car!
The baddest Fords ever made are these and the 66 Fairlane 427 lightweights. I definitely prefer the styling of the 66-67 Fairlane but nobody really gave a shit what the 64 Thunderbolt looked like if it's running mid 11's. It's definitely not as ugly as a 62 Dodge or Plymouth 413 Max Wedge...thats for sure. But nobody cared what the 62 Max Wedge cars looked like either because they were insanely fast
I agree, mopar put the powerhouse 413 in that damn ugly ram charger but yeah with the 413 wasting everything in sight WHO CARED.Can you imagine a 413 max wedge in a 70 cuda, OMG. That max wedge was one BEAUTIFUL MOTOR. 13 .1 COMP RATIO. DAMN
I’m an absolute Fairlane Freak and the 1965 Mercury Comet is also at the top of my list of Uber Desirable cars. As always Ford’s advertised Horsepower ratings were an absolute joke, my 1967 Mustang Fastback had the Hipo 289 rated at 271hp but on the dyno made 346.🤣
Yeah those little SB 289,s were badass, I wish Ford had put the ho po 289,s in their mach 1 chassis.
Saw one at Milton Vt. Drag strip in 1966
a guy on my block has one of these ford on the street in front if his driveway. al though its rusting away but still drives it😀
charger master Bullshit. It's a Fairlane. These are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
charger master somebody needs to rescue that car!
Probably an old clone!
You must live in Emmett, Idaho. Used to be a guy there that had a '64 two-door post Fairlane 500 that he drove daily. It was a 289 2bbl model, but he quit driving it to preserve it and to collect all the goodies to clone the Thunderbolt. Not sure if he ever got it all together; guess I'll just have to drive by and see someday...
Find out if it's a 427 64, if it is go take out a loan and buy it. YOULLE OWN A PIECE OF RACING HISTORY.
I looked through muscle car of the week, I did not see videos on the Hemi Dart are there any?
+bill thompson there is a video on a 1968 Hemi Dart. Cool car!
The 12 dislikes are Tesla drivers lol
LOL...and the additional 4 now, all have manbuns..
Very Nice car ! Thumbs up and liked.
These made around 480 horses, just amazing.
HAHAHA, TRY LIKE 650.
@@twolak1972 Not stock, maybe with a little massaging but not 650
@@bluesky-ud9wg Wanna bet. A 11 sec E T in 64. Not a 480 hp engine on the planet's gonna get you that. 600 to 650 hp. EASY.
@@twolak1972 I'm a Ford guy but I'm not going to argue about it with you
@@bluesky-ud9wg Good. You,d be wrong.
Sweet! Thx Kev. Quick question; is it just me or is the TransAm seen at the end have a stripe that's off, (drivers-side) somewhat? I think of the '70 LS6 you've shown us with the 34.2 miles where the stripes didn't match up and where it blew out. Thanks for all the hard work Kevin. Fridays are even better knowing you're going to be posting another Muscle Car. 😉
what kind of burnout is that.
It's not a burnout, dipshit, it's a launch.
@@stwhite5135 be nice plz.
@@stwhite5135
WELL' WHAT KINDA LAUNCH WAS THAT ??? NOT AN 11 SECOND LAUNCH ' THAT'S FOR SURE !...
@tOY BOy My kind has been into racing for 40 plus year's Mr. ''TOY BOY'' .. SO WHY DON'T YOU FACK OFF !
@tOY BOy Well, if that's so then it's time to take your METAMUCIL .. Your starting to have a bad attitude...
Naaaassssssty Idle!!!
That was exactly the word that came to my mind....nothing else accurately describes this car but that single word....”Nasty”....😳😀👍
Its the car I learned to drive with. And I got the tickets to prove it lol.
Motor was putting out more smoke than the tires were.
Gary's Dart is a SS/AH car that means for Hemi cars only with lighter weight and more extensive motor modifications especially the heads allowed by the NHRA.
You should do a 68 Dodge Dart super stock
Still cannot believe the NHRA allowed this in Stock class .
How did this car compare with the '63 Pontiac Tempest "Super Duty" 421? Both very early and lightweight muscle cars.
Hi Kevin, you mentioned that the engine used was a Side Oiler, but all original T-Bolts had Center Oilers. The more durable Side Oiler did not came out until 1965. The Center Oilers were great for short burst on the drag strip, but suffered from crank starvation in road racing. The Side Oiler ended up winning many road races in the AC Cobra, and also winning Le Mans in 1966 and 1967 in the GT40. That said, my tribute car has a 1967 Side Oiler. ruclips.net/video/o-7ECDOcqBc/видео.html
When a thunderbolt pulls up next to you, it would only mean one thing. It would mean, you already lost.
If a T bolt pulls up beside you. Shut off your car , get out and step up and give a salute and watch them make a solo record breaking run. ITS BETTER THAN THE HUMILIATION YOU WILL FEEL WHEN YOU LOSE BY 20 XAR LENGTHS .
I saw Buch Leo run a black Thunderbolt at Atco drag way in 64
good wideo for scale modeling
The name Thunderbolt always confused me... Thunder clap...Lightning Bolt... No? I know I know I'm being an ass. Sweet vehicle however, these were terrors of the Drag Strip back in 63'-64'.
They still are, what few are left out of about 100 made.
My Dream Automobile 😒
It's probably just me, but I would rather they would put period correct wheels on this historic car.
It's not just you. The ones on it look okay but...
www.autoexpress.co.uk/ford/95516/1964-ford-fairlane-thunderbolt-best-muscle-cars Period Correct?
Would have been black or white steel wheels
Shit, I always knew the 64 T bolts were badass but Damn, low 11,s back then and 9.40,s today ON STREET TIRES, I always thought I wanted a 69 Boss 429 the most but now I want 1 of these 100 absolute street annihalotors, with 1 of these theres no freaking way you could lose TO ANYTHING chevy mopar or chrysler fielded in the day. Against that BEAST a 70 hemi cuda would seem like it had a slant 6 under the hood.LMFAO
Sadly I saw one of the white Thunderbolts in 1064 at Paradise Drag strip in Dalton GA. I say sadly because the driver had just taken delivery of the machine and was running it for the first time. He ignored the reps advise to ease on it for the fist few runs and tried to do a regular drag start practice lap with predictable results he fishtailed then turned into the guard rail at a high rate of speed totally shattering the fiberglass front end and damaging the chassis,
A really sad sight to see for a race fan the machine never got to run a race.
Yeah, The guys ego was his downfall NO ONE MASTERS A 64 T BOLT ON ITS FIRST PASS.
Ford was something else. I don't think any Ford 427 ever dyno'd at 425 HP. They had that much on 7 cylinders. lol
More like 650. A 426 hemi had 425. They could not get near a T bolt.
1) Love your videos. 2) The music is terrible and doesn't at all convey the aggressiveness of this vehicle. 3) Why don't you ever discuss the history of the particular vehicle (where it was found, condition it was in, etc, like Leno does) and a little restoration background? It would make your videos considerably more interesting and less repetitive.
Thanks Shaun. We love to tell the backstory of the car where it is known and verifiable and often share it. Have you seen this one? ruclips.net/video/e_cPbpjDJqI/видео.html
Had a 63 Fairlane 289
I've only just found out this car existed
You need to put that up against the 1964 true thunderbolt. Paid 100,000 just for the Body.8.6. Do that and you can say you are the Record holder. Ray has a lot of 1st place. That race needs to be on U Tube.
awesome
Original manual trans was also a T10, not a Top Loader.
I like Ford too, but Mopar won the 1964 Super Stock class.
Sorry, you are incorrect.
The Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt is a limited production, factory experimental, drag racing version of the Ford Fairlane produced during the 1964 model year only. A total of 100 units were produced; forty-nine 4-speeds and fifty-one automatics, enough to secure the 1964 NHRA Super Stock championship for Ford.[1][2]
Like hell they did, T bolt 427 took the title in 64.
I have a running 61 Falcon, (144 all original) can I wedge one of those monster engines in it?
Or would that be a travesty?
TruAnRksT Yes. Get rid of the 144. A 144 takes the fun out of it being a classic.
@@michaelking1869 Drop in a built 289 or 302, the chassis will never handle the 427 , it will rip it apart with its torque.
The first launchs seem too soft for an 11's car . Just the last at 5:18 seem to give honors
Its not a real one. its a clone.
What makes you think so?
lol.3 things right off the bat.
If one wanted to sell a 1964 427 Thunderbolt where would they begin, the car has been in storage?
Kevin, do you get to drive those fine automobiles?
bill thompson he said no in a previous video.
Where's the 427 Thunderbolt emblem on the side doors?? And original wheels??
Wow , low 11,s on the shit tires back then and 9.40,s on modern tires, UNBELIEVABLE, What a beast. Can you Imagine being lucky enough to lay your hands on 1 of these 100 Terminators and taking out on the town drag racing. Any Chevy , mopar or chrysler drivers EVACUATUON TUBE ,AKA ( ANUS) woulda puckered so tight they would,nt have been able to go for a week after you pulled that Beast up beside and said LET,S RUN EM.LOL.
I used to own a thunderbolt the biggest problem was you couldn't get it to launch straight we correct the problem by putting a Mustang 2 suspension under the car the car lunch straight after that
mopar had to sit this one out, thunderbolts eat hemi alive!!
Hemi drag race engines didn't come out until June,64....so much for eating them alive.
How come at the 65 Pomona winternationals,did the entire S/S class was made up of Chrysler A-990 Plymouth & Dodge Hemi cars...Was the T-bolt scared?
Dats KickAzz
Beast
Was this the 427 Engine Ford also designed for NASCAR?
Yes, except with low, or mid-rise manifold.
Fucking A man.
Yes, but not the Single Overhead Cam version.
Seats were not Econoline van seats. They were aftermarket Bostrom seats.
Are the "brothers" really the Koch Brothers somebody commented that on another thread.
We're these Street legal?
They were pretty much un-driveable on the street. More so in the more likely C-6 transmission trim. Think 6000 rpm stall speed torque converter and little power to speak of below 4500 to 5000 rpm then pretty much the whole shebang. (this car is very detuned IMO) (MCOTW guys, please repair those rear springs before someone gets hurt) These were not street engines but all out race engines. Off point a little but a friend let me drive his 63 Max Wedge Torqueflite around the city square in 64 or 65. Imagine if you will, both feet on the brake pedal as hard as you can when the light was red and it still wanted to creep. When the light turned green you hoped no one with a bubble gum machine on their roof was nearby because there was going to be some tire screech whether you wanted to or not. Yes it was a genuine thrill and I loved it, but it was a lot like shooting a .375 H&H Magnum in that it was 'not' what anyone would call fun. A thrill, oh yeah!
Just looked and saw Ray Paquet set a SS/A record of 8.55@154 at Indy in 2013.
"(MCOTW guys, please repair those rear springs before someone gets hurt"My guess is that the car hasn't been 'track ready' for years and was hauled out of storage for the video. That's probably what the driver was going pretty easy during the driving shots
@@DoudD mlm
Don't know if this is true or not but I have heard these were low rated in HP because of Insurance problems and stuff. I have heard of up to 550 HP in freakin' 64. Can anybody confirm that? Shout out from Toronto Canada.
..it says that in the 1995 book " kings of the streets " muscle car book - the book with the yellow/black Dodge!
These were rated low for the NHRA rules based on HP to weight. Some muscle cars are underrated, but no where near as many as the stories that follow them. Back in the 60’s and early 70’s a big dog muscle car only ran 13’s to 14’s in actual 100% true stock form. A few like the Hurst Hemi, Thunderbolt, etc would run 11’s truly stock.
@@michaelking1869 Well some of the fastest cars from late 60s- early 70s can run in the 12s on modern tires with the engines and gearing bone stock.
@@BuRn1NgAnUs Even with drag radials on them most will not break into the 12's. They are more story than actual fact. With some jetting and timing changes as well as better than stock exhaust the big boy players will usually run into the 12's easily. The gearing was never really much of an issue since most had an option for 4.10-4.30 range gearing as factory options anyway.
Oh I bet it was higher, The BB 429 Boss was rated at a insulting 375 hp but really was closer to 575 on the dyno. Bet the 427 in the 64 T bolt was around 650. They were that BADDASS.
You need to have the driver and owner commit to a full power launch - or just don't do it. This kind of lame-ass launch only brings the quality of the video down!
There are claims stating Ford recalled all of the Tbolts and crushed them. Supposedly one or two original cars exist today. One of which was Mickey Thompson's that Boyd Coddington owned. They were also powered by the 427 SOHC. 640 hp..
Wrong
Would like to see what it will really do considering he just baby it in the video
11`s? it runs low 9`s on slicks. No, not "a 427" but a nascar 427 sideoiler making around 550hp
true...with modern slicks runs 9's all day long..... :-) ...and true, not a "cammer", but a side oiler.....
An then the crammer 427 with the 8ft timming chain
64fairlane359 No way that thing ran 9's at 3300 lbs and 450hp, lol. At 550 hp it would only run a high 10.
@Rob Trubiano 400-450 hp to run a high 10 at what weight??? You're nuts if you say 3300, lol. With 450 at 3300, you're in the mid 11's AT BEST. And these things weighed 3200 FROM THE FACTORY. So why were people adding weight, again? After yours and 64fairlane359 comment, I went and searched all over to REVERIFY my memory of these cars. So these cars could do 10's and 9's with slicks? Gee, then how come THERE IS NOT A RECORD OF ONE BREAKING EVEN A LOW 11??? 11.61 was the BEST recorded time (which is about right at that HP and weight) for a factory stock Thunderbolt and that WAS WITH SLICKS. I did find this: 'At the 1967 NHRA Winternationals, a heavily modified factory Thunderbolt ran a 1⁄4 mile (402 m) of 10.365 seconds at 132.65 mph (213 km/h),[16] making it among the fastest-accelerating production cars over the quarter mile.' But, this was (obviously) not 'factory' and STILL didn't get into the 9's. Oops...
@Rob Trubiano Sure, a simple search DID pull up Bolts running 9's, but NONE of those were factory stock. And a simple search pulled up factory stock ones running mid to high 11's. Are you speaking of stock, or what?
Lol, never heard of a pure stock Thunderbolt as he described??