John`s T-Bolt

[Hack Goby]

What a great day watching John flogging the bugs out of his new toy.This car has a lot of potential and it`s just a matter of time(And a few tweaks) to get the beastie running the way it should be. http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/2/4/0/IMG_2980.JPG http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/2/4/0/IMG_3018.JPG

[Hack Goby]

I will have video up and running tomorrow.

[jdando]

Looking good!

[Hack Goby]

Of course John shifts like my dead grandmother but he will come around lol.

[Hack Goby]

John wasn`t the only T-Bolt clone out there.This car pulled three foot wheelstands and ran Ten flat twice before Teac shut him down with a few issues. http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/2/4/0/IMG_2967.JPG

[CRUZTAKER]

I will have video up and running tomorrow.


Awesome! I wait in anticipation.

Great car John. What did she run today?

[Hack Goby]

Hi 13,s today Barry but John ran it as he bought it.Stay tuned.It should go into the 11`s

[Pops]

It went 13.88 thru the mufflers. Stay tuned as the car will be next time out. Thanks again Paul for coming over. It was good to see you again.

[martyo]

Damn it man, we want more pictures!!!!!

[hot-rauder]

There is a replica T-bolt in town here.... amazing cars. I love it John!! cant wait to see that thing scream out 11's

[GreekGod]

Not to nit-pick, but John's (hardtop) car is not a Thunderbolt clone, it is a tribute car. It doesn't matter to me what you call it, but some people get upset when you are not technically correct about these things.

The actual T-Bolts were very limited production race cars, and not built on a Ford assembly line.

from wikipedia:
Thunderbolt

As the muscle car (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_car) market took shape, Ford introduced a Fairlane for drag strip (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_strip) racing for 1964, heavily modified to incorporate a 427 in³ (7.0 L) V8 with two four-barrel carburetors on a high-riser manifold, ram-air through the openings left by deleting the inboard headlights, equal-length headers, trunk-mounted battery, fiberglass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiberglass) hood, doors, fenders and front bumper, acrylic glass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylic_glass) windows, and other lightweight options including deleted rear door window winders, carpeting, radio, sealant, sun visors, armrests, jack, lug wrench, heater, soundproofing, and passenger side windshield wiper. This special model, of which 111 to 127 total were made depending on who you ask, delivered 500 hp (373 kW) at 7,000 rpm and was known as the Thunderbolt.

Racing in NHRA Super Stock class on 7 inch tires, the Thunderbolt was based on the mid-level Fairlane 500 two door pillared sedan, and set elapsed time and top speed records in 1964 at 11.6 seconds and 124 mph (200 km/h), took the Super Stock title, and won the Manufacturer's Cup; it is very possibly the fastest drag racing production car ever produced. The car as delivered was in fact slightly too light to meet the NHRA 3200 lb (1451 kg) minimum weight unless it was raced with a full tank of gasoline, which would bring it to 3203 lb (1453 kg). NHRA rules then required a metal front bumper, so the cars began to be supplied with an aluminum bumper and previous purchasers were supplied with one.

Finally the NHRA changed the rules to require 500 models of a car to be manufactured for Super Stock competition, and Ford, which had been losing $1500 to $2000 on each Thunderbolt sold at the sticker price of $3900, gave up. The first 11 Thunderbolts were painted maroon, which was known as Vintage Burgundy in Ford literature, the rest were white; 99 had manual transmissions. Many still race, still delivering quarter mile elapsed times in the very impressive 11 second range and occasionally lower. About 50 similar Mercury Comet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Comet) Cyclones were also produced by Ford in 1964, destined to be modified to represent Ford in A/FX competition, which they dominated as well.

eom

[SC Cheesehead]

Man, I love those '64's!

More photos!

Hack, can't wait to see the video.

SCCH

[Shankin]

That car is very cool! You call it tribute,clone, or what ever else i just call it bad ass! Having a old car myself makes you really appreciate the guys that used to drive these things in the low 10s and high 9s banging the gears.

[GreekGod]

http://www.angelfire.com/hi/427fairlane/index.html