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Buy with confidence!
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We ship world wide.
All international
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1964 – Total Performance Delivers Championships
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The McCoy Mercury 427
wedge-powered T-Bird lines
up with Joe Gardner’s Chevy.
The T-Bird later got fuel
injection. (Bob Rice)
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The Atwater Ford Thunderbolt
of Jake King was always
among the best-looking at any
track. (Lee Malkemes)
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It can be happily reported that Ford did not start the 1964 season behind the competition. The
beautifully styled Galaxie came with either the 330-hp Police Interceptor 390, the single 4-barrel-
equipped 410-hp 427, or the top-of-the-line 427 with two 4-barrel carburetors rated at 425 horses.
New for 1964 was a stronger transmission. The T&C top-loader 4-speed made its debut in Ford’s
full-sized cars. Mercury offered their full-size car line with engine options similar to those of Ford,
with the exception being the Police Interceptor.
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Thunder From Dearborn
Ford recognized the potential of the Tasca Fairlane prototype and the fact that such a car would fit
within the required cubic inches-to-weight regulation for NHRA Super Stock competition. So they
undertook a program to build the required 50 units to enter competition. A 1964 Fairlane 500 two-
door sedan would be the basic platform for the cars, and Dearborn Steel Tubing Company was
awarded the contract for the project. Plans were made for an initial run of 11 cars to equip
members of the Drag Council. Of these first 11 cars, one would be fitted with an automatic
transmission. This was a Lincoln unit modified with heavy-duty parts to stand up to the 500 hp
estimated be produced by the new 427 High Riser engine.
The “Thunderbolts” began life as production vehicles slated to receive the high-performance 289
engine, and thus were already equipped with a 9-inch rear housing. They were shipped sans
engine, drivetrain, and front sheet metal to D.S.T. where they would be modified into all-out, race-
ready drag cars. In a letter dated February 21, 1964, Ford Motor Company informed district Ford
dealers of the availability of Ford products for drag events. The Super Stock 427 Fairlane two-door
sedan was available only by special order directly through the office of Special Vehicles Manager.
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The Jack Whitby Ford Total Performer
Thunderbolt was the 21st car built and one of
the few automatic-transmission cars not
converted to 4-speed. Even with an automatic
transmission, the car was locally successful.
(Jeff Thomas)
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Jack Whitby’s Total Performer Thunderbolt gets
under way past the flagman. (Jeff Thomas)
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Following a listing of equipment specifications for the vehicles, the letter instructs the dealer to have
the customer sign an acknowledgement of the fact that there would be no warranty and the vehicle
was not designed for operation on the street. Wholesale price to dealer was $3,780 with a 4-speed
transmission, $3,980 with an automatic transmission. Dick Brannan had received the first
Thunderbolt. Through his testing prior to the NHRA Winternationals several modifications were
made to make the vehicles even more competitive.
Originally, the Thunderbolts were equipped with a one-piece fiberglass front bumper and gravel
shield combination and a trunk-mounted diesel truck battery weighing 125 lbs. Loud whining from
the Chrysler camp led NHRA to rule these parts illegal for Super Stock competition. As a result, an
aluminum bumper was mounted on the front and a normal-sized auto battery sat in the right side of
the trunk. Off the trailer, the cars would run very low 12- to high 11-second elapsed times at over
120 mph. With very little tuning, the T-Bolts were soon running down in the mid-11-second range
consistently. NHRA S/S class rules allowed for cheater slicks no wider than 7 inches in 1964, which
on a car with over 500 hp could make for an interesting ride down the quarter-mile.
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Hubert Platt took to locking his left arm between the steering wheel and door in order to keep his T-
Bolt headed in the right direction. Skip Wilson, driver of the Bridenthal Ford-sponsored Fugitive T-
Bolt, tells of bringing his car to the track just after taking delivery. The track manager was begging
for a ride in the new Ford. Obliging the man, Wilson goes on to tell of a pass down the track where
the car went every way except straight. The manager hanging on with white knuckles, Wilson
stayed on the throttle and did his best to convey the car’s antics as a normal pass. Should this
particular car ever be located, it could easily be identified by the indentations left in the dash by
that track manager all those years ago.
The Thunderbolt’s debut at the 1964 NHRA Winternationals was no disappointment, except maybe
for the competition, as Gas Ronda walked off with the Super Stock class win over Butch Leal in the
M/T Thunderbolt. Thus began a march that would ultimately end in Ronda’s claiming an NHRA
World Championship. Along the way Ronda collected two new Plymouth Barracudas as prizes for
winning events. These cars were displayed in the Russ Davis Ford showroom wearing signs that
stated: “This Plymouth was won by a Ford.”
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Page upon page of statistics would be required to list the racing accomplishments of all the
Thunderbolts produced. Suffice it to say that week after week at drag strips from coast to coast, the
flying Fairlanes were giving local Ford fans much to cheer about. There are literally hundreds of
stories about these historic vehicles and those who made history in them.
An internal Ford document outlining the success of the drag-racing program was issued on June 1,
1964. The results listed are as follows. Len Richter’s weekend in the Bob Ford T-Bolt saw him take
Top Stock Eliminator at Detroit Dragway on Saturday and in the process defeat seven Mopars
including Roger Lindamood’s Color Me Gone Dodge. On Sunday, Richter ran a match race against
Bill Shirey’s Professor Mopar and took him in three straight. Richter would later be runner-up to
Butch Leal’s T-Bolt at the NHRA Nationals and claim the AHRA Summer Nationals S/S title over the
Ramchargers Dodge.
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On Friday Dick Brannan was at U.S. 30 in Gary, Indiana, and won the Super Stock Bonanza over a
field of 30 cars with an 11.08 at 128.00 mph. On Saturday the Ramchargers Dodge faced Brannan
in a match race at Martin, Michigan. Time runs by both cars resulted in the Mopar posting an 11.55
to Brannan’s 11.41. After mechanical woes sidelined the Ramchargers, another Mopar filled in and
dropped three straight to the Thunderbolt.
On Sunday Brannan was the runner-up to Tom Sturm’s Comet due to handling problems. Phil
Bonner rolled into Mason-Dixon on Sunday to defeat Bud Faubel’s Dodge in a match race. Bill
Lawton was at the S/S Bonanza at Vineland Dragway in New Jersey on Sunday and came home a
winner. Early in the season Lawton had set the NHRA S/S record and claimed the Regional S/S title
at Cecil County Dragway with a run of 11.69 at 122.22 mph.
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Al Joniec related how after converting the Al Swenson T-Bolt from automatic to 4-speed, they won
four regional S/S meets over one weekend. During the S/S event at Atco Dragway, Joniec took
home honors by recording an 11.73 elapsed time to defeat Bob Harrop’s Dodge. At the Eastern
Drag News meet in New Jersey, Butch Leal’s M/T Thunderbolt was the S/S winner over the
Norristown Ford T-Bolt. At the same event Wally Lynn won the A/A class with his Ford while Bruce
Larson claimed A/SP in the Costilow and Larson Cobra.
At Cecil County Dragway, Fred Henderson’s Shazam T-Bolt defeated the Dobbs Ferry Ford in a
S/S meet. Henderson had previously claimed victory at Vineland Dragway in another S/S race
where he defeated the 421 Pontiac Tempest of Harold Ramsey in the final. Gas Ronda related one
of his most memorable wins with his Thunderbolt was at the Hot Rod magazine meet where he
defeated the Melrose Missile Plymouth in the final round. In the Pacific Northwest the Thunderbolt
of Bill Ireland was considered the car to beat throughout the 1964 season. At the NHRA Nationals in
1964 Al Joniec posted the quickest run in Super Stock with his T-Bolt. Butch Leal outlasted the
competition that day and carried home the class title in the M/T Thunderbolt.
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A Ford special project in
1964, the F-100XL pickups
were powered by 427
engines. The trucks ran in
B/FX class and delivered
12-second estimated times.
(Bob Rice)
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Previous | Next
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This has been a sample page from
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Total Performers: Ford Drag Racing
in the 1960s
by Charles Morris
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The 1960s was arguably the most important decade for
drag racing. It had exciting cars, thrilling races, and most
importantly, factory participation. Among the best high-
performance cars and engines were those coming from
Dearborn, Michigan. Ford Motor Company’s “Total
Performance Years” saw a breakthrough as drag racing
helped the younger, performance- and style- conscious
consumer to begin receiving some recognition.
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Factory participation in drag racing pushed the
envelope for high performance developments. Ford's
FE-series engine, Police Interceptor, GT 390, Single
Overhead Cam, Cobra Jet, and Boss 429 are all
covered in detail. See the cars and the drivers that
made them famous – Dick Brannan’s Goldfinger, Bill
Lawton’s Mystery Mustang, “Dyno Don” Nicholson’s
Eliminator Comet, Gas Ronda’s stretched Mustang, Al
Joenic’s Batcar, and more.
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Click here to view sample pages from
each chapter.
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Chap. 1 - 1960 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 2 - 1961 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 3 - 1962 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 4 - 1963 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 5 - 1964 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 6 - 1965 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 7 - 1966 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 8 - 1967 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 9 - 1968 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 10 - 1969 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap. 11 - 1970 Fords in Drag Racing
Chap 12 - Ford of Canada Drag Racing
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Accomplished journalist and life-long Ford aficionado
Charles Morris takes you back to the Total
Performance Years through first-hand accounts as well
as over 400 rare photographs. A drag racer since
1966, Morris has run cars in both Stock and Super
Stock classes. He is currently the owner of the original
Norristown Ford 1963 _ lightweight Galaxie and races
the car in Nostalgia Super Stock as part of the 422
Motorsports Drag Racing Team. This book is a must
read for all drag racing fans, not just Ford enthusiasts.
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Hardbound
10 x 10"
192 pages
130 color & 290 b/w photos
Item # CT407
Price: $Discontinued
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Click here to buy now!
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This is a great book any Ford
enthusiast will love!
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Other items you might be interested in
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Gasser Wars: Drag Racing's Street Classes: 1955 to 1968
Author Larry Davis combined his own image archive with many rare,
never-published images from racers, fans, and track photographers all
over the country. He also did extensive research and interviews with
former drag racers. The result is a comprehensive, entertaining, and
nostalgic look at drag racing history.
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Price:
$22.95
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Factory Lightweights: Detroit's Drag Racing Specials of the '60s
Among racers it has never been a secret that a lighter car is a faster
car—particularly in drag racing. When Detroit’s automakers got
involved in organized drag racing, they paid heed to this principle,
issuing a series of rare race-only cars that became legends in their
own time. Factory Lightweights: Detroit’s Drag Racing Specials of the
‘60s chronicles these rare cars that still inspire admirers and imitators
today, like the Ford Fairlane 427 Thunderbolt.
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Price:
$22.95
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Ford Galaxie & LTD Gold Portfolio 1960--1976
Contemporary road and comparison tests, specification and technical
data, driver's reports, long-term tests, new model introductions. 176
pages, 475 pictures and illustrations. Softbound.
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Price:
$29.95
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Ford Fairlane Performance Portfolio 1955-1970
Road and comparison test, touring and new model reports. Covers the
Sports Coupé, convertible, automatic, sedan, wagon, Crown Victoria,
500, GT/A 390, Custom and Cobra Jet 428. 140 pages., 250
illustrations, Softbound.
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Price:
$22.95
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Shipping is combined and discounted for multiple item purchases!
Buy more and save on shipping!
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Thanks for your business!
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MRE
PO Box 47
Grinnell, IA 50112
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