WEBSTER FORD Thunderbolt

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  • December 5, 2016 at 2:58 am #11912
    frank-j-majauskas
    Participant

        Hey Guys, Fred Harrison (2nd owner of the Little Giant) was lucky enough to check out this
        guy’s car collection in Odessa, Texas. One of the cars in the collection was a Thunderbolt
        originally raced by Webster Ford of Schenectady, NY. We’re wondering if anyone remembers this car.
        It must have ran at Lebanon Valley and maybe at Dover. Both tracks are not far from Schenectady.
        This Thunderbolt is the real deal….Would be nice to hear some stories or maybe see pictures of
        this car back in the day. Thanks guys ❗

        Frank… 😎

        Attachments:

        December 5, 2016 at 3:10 am #45052
        kman
        Participant

            Hey Frank … talked to Fred at length about this car…seems like no original pics of this car exist… i can’t believe this so the search goes on…. the hemi hunter lettering had to be guessed at… but… WHAT A RACE CAR !!!! …

            December 5, 2016 at 3:13 am #45053
            kman
            Participant

                Engine
                427/425 HP
                Trans
                4-Speed
                Color
                White
                Interior
                Tan

                Highlights

                Very rare 1964 Thunderbolt
                #68 of 100 factory built lightweights
                Bought new by Elwood Banker
                Restored by performance restorations
                All original sheet metal
                Low miles
                Raced as the Hemi Hunter for Webster Ford
                Restored to perfection

                Ford Vice President Lee Iacocca’s “Total Performance” program reached around the world into international motorsports, but one of its biggest impacts was felt on the drag strips of America with the sensational Thunderbolts. Built by contractor Dearborn Steel Tubing, the Thunderbolts were stripped and lightened Fairlane Tudor sedans, each one modified to accept Ford’s sensational 427 CI Galaxie V-8. The 1964 Thunderbolt presented here is number 68 in the Thunderbolt production sequence of 100 cars. It was originally purchased through Webster Ford in Schenectady, New York by racer Elwood Banker, who raced the car as the “Hemi Hunter.” described the car as “unbeatable.”

                “I picked the car up at Dearborn Steel Tubing and then raced it locally,” recalls Banker. “It was unbeatable. The track at South Glen Falls guaranteed me money to race, and there was just no competition. The car beat the Hemi racers so bad that after a while they stopped showing up. Lebanon Valley only paid if you won, which I did all the time.”

                “The only problem was that the automatic transmission kept breaking – I eventually concluded that the converter stall speed was too low, but that was much later, well after I installed the 4-speed.”

                Shortly after making that one modification, Banker was asked to drive a gas dragster, and the Thunderbolt was retired, although not entirely – the car saw street duty for a period before Banker sold it virtually unchanged except for the 4-speed conversion.

                Today the “Hemi Hunter” Thunderbolt is in spectacular condition after being restored by Performance Restorations. It has never been tubbed or fitted with a roll bar, and retains all its original sheet metal beneath the as-original Wimbledon White paint. Most importantly, it also still packs that “unbeatable” Ram Air-fed 427 Galaxie engine under its factory tear-drop hood.

                December 5, 2016 at 6:03 am #45054
                frank-j-majauskas
                Participant

                    Thanks K-Man…It’s still early so maybe someone will remember seeing
                    this car race at an area track. There was a small amount of these factory race cars made,
                    so you would think someone would remember seeing it? Especially the Ford guys. Well we’ll
                    see what happens….

                    Frank… 😎

                    December 5, 2016 at 11:04 am #45055
                    patina
                    Participant

                        Frank are you following the “Tom Blake school of posting” 2:03AM! Anyway maybe Bucksnort will chime in on this, he went to So. Glens Falls a lot. The only one I have a picture of is “Cambell Ford” Waterbury CT.

                        Pat

                        December 5, 2016 at 1:46 pm #45056
                        vbob
                        Participant

                            HEY

                            WHEN AT MECUM AUCTIONS

                            https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0112-121141/1964-ford-thunderbolt/

                            December 5, 2016 at 1:51 pm #45057
                            vbob
                            Participant

                                HEY

                                More info on the Webster Ford T-Bolt
                                ‘V’

                                http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/ford-thunderbolts-photos-wanted.136384/page-105

                                December 5, 2016 at 1:55 pm #45058
                                babycakes
                                Participant

                                    Maybe check with ‘Mater’ Joe ( ’64’ white Fairlane) ? He may remember it, have photo’s perhaps also? I don’t remember seeing it run??? 🙄 Mr.Pete.

                                    December 5, 2016 at 2:01 pm #45059
                                    vbob
                                    Participant

                                        HEY
                                        Im guessing that it is now Henderson Ford in Webster, N.Y.

                                        ‘V’

                                        http://www.hendersonfamilyford.net/ford-dealer-profile.htm

                                        December 6, 2016 at 2:34 pm #45064
                                        frank-j-majauskas
                                        Participant

                                            Yeah Pat, There were times when Tom and I would chat back and forth
                                            on our site at like 1:30 am ❗ 😆 Up early today for schedule oil change
                                            and servicing on my truck. Probably hit the sack early tonight ❗ 😆 Pat,
                                            isn’t it weird that nobody remembers this T-Bolt? I thought that they were a
                                            hot item back in the mid 60’s….We’ll see what happens ❗

                                            Frank… 😎

                                            December 6, 2016 at 4:46 pm #45065
                                            patina
                                            Participant

                                                Maybe it”s not 1 of 100 like is being said. We all know about “fake news and rigged elections” Like it say’s on our money “In God We Trust”

                                                Pat

                                                December 7, 2016 at 12:32 am #45066
                                                frank-j-majauskas
                                                Participant

                                                    Ah Pat, ya never know ❓ You may be right…Can you say clone ❗ 😮

                                                    Frank… 😎

                                                    December 7, 2016 at 1:14 am #45067
                                                    kman
                                                    Participant

                                                        I believe he is calling it number 68 out of 100 built…. i would assume that there is documentation… good documentation… better be GREAT documentation.. before i would drop the take home gelt…. one thing bothers me… no back in the day photos… these were … as you know… bad ass hot rods .. i researched the shit out of it and got nada…. doesn’t mean something isn’t out there tho…. hmmmm …. back to base one….

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