TOM KRISTENSEN wrestles a 1959 FORD THUNDERBIRD from last | 2017 St Mary's Trophy | Goodwood Revival
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2017
- The mighty Tom Kristensen wrestles our 1959 Ford Thunderbird through the field. After a clutch issue in qualifying we were set to start at the back until an awkwardly-timed stall set us back to the pit-lane. Starting from the pit-lane, the great dane climbs through the field to begin fighting for a podium before being black-flagged for a hanging exhaust.
As usual, a big thank you to all the marshals that attended the weekend! Especially to those that gave us help pushing the heavy Thunderbird around.
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Авто/Мото
Smiles from ear to ear....
memories of drivers, half gifted half insane.
On the podium, trophy in one arm, race Queen in the other talking about how good the car was - back in the garage the chassis man finds a trailing arm and two shocks broken clean off - the driver tells him "yeah, felt a little funny"
MIKE MOTORCITY OG 🤣
Damn right
This STOCK car racing the way it was meant to be. Love the STOCK steering wheel. Great driving.
What a legend, Tom Kristensen is prolly the best driver that never made it to Formula 1.
He is just raw talent.
A king of racing indeed.
This is so crazy man. As you see it is a beast to handle. Steering and brakes like you would expect in a big old 1950s American boat yet he is catching and beating everything! American V8 power haha
Awesome Tom,a new respect for old American cars they can be made to race.....I’m exhausted and thrilled at the same watching though...what a beast😳
Between wrestling that drunk elephant around the bends and that shifter, im surprised he can get out of the car under his own power. First is in Michigan, second is in Mississippi, third is in Manhattan, and fourth is South Beach. He's more man than me.
Love the fact that he's got the stock steering wheel. Does the horn ring work too?
Jesus! You're not going to out-brake anyone in that shuddering, drunk elephant, are you! Every single overtake was just the brutal application of power. Bloody good driving mind.
Next stop; Classic Targa Florio!
yep, aint it great?!!!
Heavy Metal, Baby!!!
Thats america😂
Powered by FORD
Oh please more of these. Everything about this video is awesome. Tom Kristensen is a god
AWESOME my man! I used to have a '60 and I drove it like a bat out of hell a couple of times. But you Sir, are the BEST!!
Some drive scalpels and some drive sledgehammers . Each are skilled. Great driving a joy to watch.
Great driving, The engine was never under any stress, but the tires and brakes were trying to get around all those slowpokes :)
I'm sure an Ford Edsel (FE) engine. 390...427
Amazing, beautiful driving and what a great sound!!! Where can I get one😂👍🏻
Blimey , it's got so much torque he's doing laps just using second and third gear . What a beast .
It look's like he is reatching into next month with that gear shift. Awsome.
Great driving! That big T takes up a lot of road. Fantastic corner exits,great lines.
I just loves the way he wrestles that beautiful car around that track, i bet the car is yelling #meetoo after that beating. Well, maybe the car is prolly yelling 'i want more'...
This is so entertaining to watch. Love it.
That second to third throw is a country mile! Amazing driving!
This is an outstanding piece of driving, and I absolutely love the car. Well done, everyone at Bill Shepherd Mustangs for getting it in running order, and a huge hat tip to the driver. He’s an artist behind the wheel, sure enough
Total awesomeness! Huge fan here!
I love how he can turn car with the accelerator. Looks easy. But I know it is difficult.
Fantastic my favorite ford getting it done
Would like to see the Thunderbird belting around Bathurst here in Australia at a Historic event if it hasnt already.
Thunderstruck playing, but instead Thunderbird!!!!!!!
Most Beautiful Sound On Earth
Damn Chinesium exhaust hangers!!! Incredible on the edge driving!
Love it, its like he is wrestling an octopus. :)
Wonderful, I love seeing this at Goodwood. The only thing that really counts is lap times. Tom Kristensen, thank you for manhandling this brute at Goodwood. Bill Shepherd Mustang, thanks for the car. It proves what I've always thought - great preparation of a car and a great driver makes you a winner. 600 HP - wow!
amazing!!
This is like driving on the 285 around Atlanta,Ga.. This one here you don't have folks shooting at you.. Love this T Bird and Big Ford power.
I was able to see the 1959 Ford Thunderbird race at the old Sacramento State Fairgrounds in 1960 on the famous oval dirt mile track.
Great Video! Love the car!!
Drop the hammer and watch em shrink in the mirror. Love that sound!!!
old THUNDERBIRDS ARE MY FAVORITES
I got a 59 Thunderbird that I'm working on. It's got the original 352 special V8 with 300 horsepower dual exhaust for Barrel. It doesn't sound quite that good but when I pulled the Mufflers off it does. I love the car
Love that American sound
Nothing sounds good like a big V8
I’m pretty sure that the reason for the long shifter throw is because he’s running a truck transmission. All he needs with that big 430 v8 is 3rd And 4th, the rest is done with driver skill and ford horsepower.
Very very good driving! Love the sound!
TK is such a beast!
Powered by FORD!
It was a hand full , she didnt like the rumple strips at all . I would bet that exhaust wont come loose again. My guess the rumples made that come loose . a lot of vibration and a very loose car under acceleration on those rumples. Great Job i enjoyed watching and it makes me want to race again. Thank You for the memories
Cmon, pull 4th!!! Must be turning 6000+ and him stabbing the throttle, man that's hard on the rods.
LIKE VERY MUCH
that had some real power in the engine to be running in 3rd gear as much as he did, love manuals so easy and dependable to use, not good in stop and go traffic
but as someone who also drive manual big rigs it was nothing for me had 4 aerostars that were all manual and never got stuck in the snow with them.
What Motor and Transmission? Is it still a 352 V8 with a T10 Topp Loader ?
@billshepherdmustang Will this car be back to Goodwood Revival?
i love how wishy washy the suspensions are on old race cars, theres just something about them going through corners with one of the front tires in the air
Is he running the short stroke 383 MEL or the 430 MEL?
If it's an FE it would have had to have been the 352, I think, because the hi-po 390 wasn't introduced until 1960 and the standard 390 Thunderbird engine wasn't introduced until 1961.
Who said a whale can't fly?! Fantastic video :)
GET YOU SOME
I wonder why Kristensen nods at the start/end point of a lap?
Is that a 352 still under the hood? Also what transmission are you using on this beast? Great driving sir.
Tom is wrestling this T-rex around the track singing... I can't drive!!! 55!!!
What engine are they running in this car?? Gear Ratio?
What engine is he using?
Floats like a tanker, stings like a speed boat.
An exocet missile with a modicum of handling and a guts by the barrel load.
Nuthin like a big V8 to give your shifting arm a rest---torque out the yin yang
That big V8 didn't even break a sweat.
Dog box 4 speed? I'm seeing clutchless downshifts. Great video.
If it's a four speed, they never came from the factory with them.
Straight cut gears NASCAR transmission
It’s like driving the Queen Mary through a canal.
Anyone know the engine size?never mind, 430 Lincoln. Oh, and the steering wheel has the horn ring still installed! That ole Tbird just pokes its beak/nose in the air when power is given and searches for grip and room to pass whomever is out there.
Never mind, I went back in early post, Lincoln 430
what happened at 7:42??
I wonder what motor they are running in this Bird??? FE?? Mod? Coyote?
430 MEL Lincoln, all original NASCAR specifications, barring modern safety upgrades. As it would have run in 1959!
That's how you do it in a HOT ROD LINCOLN!!!!!!!? 430ci
Oodles of creamy power !!!.
I can understand that car's language ! It's saying: Thuuuuuun ! Derrrrrrrrrrr ! Birrrrrrrrrrrd !
I need a drink of some cheap Thunderbird.
Sounds like the exhaust was loose from the off. Fantastic drive. Was this campaignex in British saloon racing. Older than the galaxie isnt it? What ford engine is in this one, a 351?
Hi Mark
We recon either the left at st Mary's corner or one of the tank-slappers out of the chicane broke the exhaust bracket.
Yes the Thunderbird fits into the pre 59 St Mary's trophy race while the Galaxie is for the pre 63.
The bird runs a 430 Lincoln big block, as it ran in the 1959 Daytona 500.
Fantastic. Thx for the answer. It really seems to handle quite well and be quite balanced, of course in the hands of TK only perhaps.
It Looks like riding the serrations out of the chicane got the rear wheel hopping by the look of the transmission / gear lever slapping about did for the exhaust.
Tom looks very nervous with the driving did he not do too much practice??. If it will take it perhaps using a higher gear through the corners and use the BB's torque more would help make it less twitchy hence faster ??. Anyway great exhibition Bill, big crowd favorite .
Hi Neil.
Well spotted!
Yes, with a clutch issue in qualifying, this was Tom's first time driving the car.
The race was also the first time the car had run properly as it was a re-conditioned but bare shell less than 3 weeks beforehand. Now we have some development time we can work hard on getting the car set up correctly rather than just getting it to run!
Thanks for the compliments, we knew people would like it but the positive reception has been overwhelming.
The engine is probably a 430 cid (7 or 7.1 Liter) Lincoln. That engine was actually a factory option in the T-bird in either '59 or '60.
If in doubt, just stay in third and flat out ✌️
Clawing its' way up the RPM range !
What are the engine specs? did you keep the stock 352 FE and what mods did you put on it? (also, is it a Toploader 4 speed?)
Lincoln MEL 430 I believe
what size engine
Factory 352 FE.
Was that car factory equipped with manual transmission?
Not out of the factory no, but the 4 on the floor transmission was introduced at the tail end of the 1959 NASCAR season on the Holman Moody cars. So they did run like this in period.
430 MEL Block too?
Is it a 390 FE or 430 MEL?
390 didn't exist yet, 352 was the largest FE at the time.
TOM CHRISTENSEN ROCKS !!! As we can see here, Dinosaurs are the mighties creatures on Earth. Oh Man.... this is a 100% combination of CAR/DRIVER !!! And this brutal sound...comparing with a C63 AMG, who is the winner ???? What do you mean? Please comment! Thank You
That guy can drive anything and win just saying
the car to watch was buy 1, there's a new kid in town
Clutchless downshifts (with a blip) but clutched upshifts instead of just lift.
173 gear changes per lap
Correction: He did get 4th gear.
If he's got 4 speeds, it's not stock cause they didn't have 4-speed transmissions until 62.😯
It takes a truly talented driver not to whine and complain that a car isn't well suited to his purpose and blame the car for HIS poor performance.
Here's a man who can clearly drive - the skills and diligence of his craft are blatantly obvious!
Cornering his car with the wheel, the throttle, the brakes - and using the momentum of the cars weight to his advantage, knowingly using this 'Bird's characteristics to his advantage, he proves racing belongs to the driver, one willing to learn use what he has - and prevail.
You could put this guy in a Barbie Jeep and he’d still win!
time for side pipes
P.S. Track is too small to go into 4th gear.
Cool race, lots of noise. Must be using ear plugs.🤪🙈
A entire lap in the same gear, lol
I saw that, too.
He probably would've saved ten seconds a lap if they installed a shorter throw shifter!
Gone in 60 seconds..I'll bet he would have drove the hell out of bulleit too
I don't think he really needs 4th gear.
Thats a horse in a dog race
You know they only black flagged him because they knew he would win in that barge of a car!
Everyone else was scared!
lol racing for 6 mins before using 4th gear
face it you don't know how to DRIVE if you need all that electronic crap of today... mad kudos....
truck 4 speed, first gear is useless and you cant find third!
Bloody Boring , with a couple of exceptions there was NO competition 1.5 liter engines ?? get real