1964 Ford Thunderbolt

Fully Restored Factory Thunderbolt

Ford took its "Total Performance" program very seriously in the early 1960's and from that emerged some incredible cars. From road racing with Shelby Mustangs and NASCAR with Galaxies, Fords were turning up in Victory Lane everywhere. In the ever popular and incredibly tight drag racing world for 1964 they had to step up their game. The 427 Galaxies were fast, but ultimately too heavy to compete with the very quick MOPARS. It was when Ford with the help of Dearborn Steel Tubing wedged the 427 Ford motor into the light weight Fairlane and added fiberglass hood, fenders, aluminum bumper and much more to lighten it further that Ford quickly became the car to beat in the ¼ mile. Ultimately only 100 of these factory light weight drag racers were built and today are a symbol of Fords dedication to the "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" mentality that dominated that era of automotive history.

After the build of this factory Ford Thunderbolt was completed at Dearborn Steel it was sent to Courtesy Ford to be delivered new. It would be the only Thunderbolt Courtesy Ford would deliver, but with only 100 being built, they were among the fortunate to have any! Although all T-Bolts were sold new in only two colours, white or vintage burgundy, this car has been rotisserie restored with great visual appeal in black while retaining its factory correct beige interior, correct right down to the small bucket seats. Of course the centerpiece of the Thunderbolt is the engine, this car is powered by the correct "center oiler" 427 with dual quad carbs and the cold air induction through the headlights. The detail of the car is excellent as you look beyond the polished black paint and hand painted decals, the undercarriage is done in proper red oxide with body colour over spray, the special Thunderbolt reinforced suspension is there with even the period slicks on the back. The sound of the car is what makes it all seem real, the noise emitted from the open headers makes you feel instantly like you're standing at the drag strip. The interior feel and appearance is full of drag racing nostalgia right down to the Rotunda tach. The car also comes with lots of documentation and provenance including photos taken during the restoration, listing of the VIN as part of the factory built Thunderbolts and even old titles/registrations showing the car being previously owned by members of the legendary Bob Ford team. The car was previously part of a prestigious muscle car collection synonymous with quality pieces, the restoration of the car was completed professionally with the help of a marque specialist. As fascinating additions to the car it also comes with numourous original publications including Super Ford Magazine, Car Life (March 1964), Custom Rodder (May 1964) and Hot Rod Magazine (February 1964) and their showcases of the "brand new" Ford Thunderbolt. This is a great opportunity to acquire a beautifully restored, factory Ford Thunderbolt, one of the legends that helped shape the muscle car and drag racing world of the 1960's.