Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt
Encyclopedia
The Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt was a limited production, factory experimental, drag race only
automobile built by the Ford Motor Company
in 1964. A total of 120 units were produced.
Based on the Fairlane and named for a factory experimental Fairlane of 1963, the Thunderbolt combined the light weight of Ford's intermediate-sized body introduced in 1962 with a "high rise" 427 CID (7.0 L) V8 engine with dual Holley
four-barrel carburetors intended for use in the much larger Galaxie
. That engine as used in the Galaxie for NASCAR
racing did well, but the Galaxie was simply too heavy an automobile in stock trim to be drag raced successfully; so-called "lightweight" 427-powered Galaxies were built both for stock car racing as well as drag racing during the 1964 model year, although these cars were not modified to the extent of the Thunderbolt. As installed in the Thunderbolt, the engine was (like all US cars, due to insurance regulations) conservatively rated at 425 horsepower (317 kW) at 6000 RPM; estimates placed the actual output at +600 horsepower.(+450 kW).
In Thunderbolt trim, the Fairlane was three inches (8 cm) shorter than a Galaxie and weighed a significant 700 pounds (318 kg) less. Installing the engine in a vehicle intended for an engine no larger than 289 CID (4.7 L) required major reworking and relocation of the car's front suspension components and the modification and strengthening of the suspension mounting areas. Fiberglass
doors, hood, front fenders and even the front bumper on the earliest cars along with plexiglass side and rear windows aided in weight reduction; the hood with its distinctive raised "teardrop" ram air scoop designed to draw hot air from the engine compartment was pinned in position, eliminating the need for a hood latch and making access to the engine quick and easy during the course of a race. Later cars had aluminum front bumpers in place of the fiberglass unit due to racing regulations.
Racing equipment included tubular exhaust headers, an electric fuel pump, altered rear suspension with heavy-duty traction control bars and asymmetrical leaf spring
s, heavy-duty trunk-mounted battery, locking differential
, auxiliary gauges, special drag race wheels and tires supplied both by Goodyear
and Mickey Thompson
(himself a recipient of one of the first ten cars) and an aluminum scatter shield designed to contain the clutch in case of disintegration under load. The claimed compression ratio
was 12:1.
Other weight-saving measures included the elimination of such street items as the sunvisors, radio, heater, wheel covers, passenger side windshield wiper, arm rests, rear window cranks, mirrors, sound deadening material, carpeting, trunk mat, lug wrench, jack and spare tire. Front seats were either lightweight units from Ford's police package vehicles or rudimentary bucket seats from the Econoline van; the carpeting was replaced by a black rubber mat. The rear seat was a standard Fairlane unit. The high-beam headlights were eliminated as well and in their place were mesh-covered air intakes which ran directly to a special air cleaner atop the 427. Like the street version, the Thunderbolt's outer high/low 5.75 inch (146 mm) headlights of the type normally used with a four-lamp system were selectable with a standard foot-operated switch. Though it was technically a street legal automobile, these modifications and deletions along with a final drive ratio of 4:58.1 for the four-speed cars and 4:44.1 for the automatics made the Thunderbolt impractical for street use. However, these modifications resulted in a car which, as tested with a four-speed transmission at Lions Drag Strip
in November 1963, ran 11.61 seconds at 124.8 MPH (200.8 km/h).
Best 1/4-mile pr.01.01.2011 for a authentic Thunderbolt on todays slicks are 9.23secs/243kmh
The Thunderbolt was not built on a regular Ford assembly line, but rather in conjunction with Andy Holten of Dearborn Steel Tubing. It was there that partially built Fairlane bodies in top-of-the-line "500" exterior trim were combined with the 427 and either a heavy-duty Lincoln
automatic transmission or a Borg-Warner four-speed manual transmission. The first eleven cars were painted in Ford's "Vintage Burgundy;" the remaining eighty-nine cars were painted "Wimbledon White." The engine code reflected not the 427 on most cars but rather the so-called "K-code" solid lifter
289.
Given the special nature of the car, Ford riveted a metal plate to the inside of the glovebox door of the Thunderbolt and other race-only models with a disclaimer relating to fit and finish. The plate read:
Only forty-nine four-speed and fifty-one automatic cars were built, but it was enough to secure the 1964 NHRA Super Stock title for Ford.
Miniatures of the Thunderbolt are currently manufactured by Hot Wheels
and the Ertl Company
.
The Thunderbolt appears in the Xbox360 game Forza Motorsport 4
.
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....
automobile built by the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
in 1964. A total of 120 units were produced.
Based on the Fairlane and named for a factory experimental Fairlane of 1963, the Thunderbolt combined the light weight of Ford's intermediate-sized body introduced in 1962 with a "high rise" 427 CID (7.0 L) V8 engine with dual Holley
Holley Performance Products
Holley Performance Products is an automotive performance company based in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Holley, when based in Michigan, was one of the major producers of carburetors, being supplied as standard equipment on many Detroit-built automobiles....
four-barrel carburetors intended for use in the much larger Galaxie
Ford Galaxie
The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range from 1959 until 1961, in a marketing attempt to appeal to the excitement surrounding the Space Race...
. That engine as used in the Galaxie for NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
racing did well, but the Galaxie was simply too heavy an automobile in stock trim to be drag raced successfully; so-called "lightweight" 427-powered Galaxies were built both for stock car racing as well as drag racing during the 1964 model year, although these cars were not modified to the extent of the Thunderbolt. As installed in the Thunderbolt, the engine was (like all US cars, due to insurance regulations) conservatively rated at 425 horsepower (317 kW) at 6000 RPM; estimates placed the actual output at +600 horsepower.(+450 kW).
In Thunderbolt trim, the Fairlane was three inches (8 cm) shorter than a Galaxie and weighed a significant 700 pounds (318 kg) less. Installing the engine in a vehicle intended for an engine no larger than 289 CID (4.7 L) required major reworking and relocation of the car's front suspension components and the modification and strengthening of the suspension mounting areas. Fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
doors, hood, front fenders and even the front bumper on the earliest cars along with plexiglass side and rear windows aided in weight reduction; the hood with its distinctive raised "teardrop" ram air scoop designed to draw hot air from the engine compartment was pinned in position, eliminating the need for a hood latch and making access to the engine quick and easy during the course of a race. Later cars had aluminum front bumpers in place of the fiberglass unit due to racing regulations.
Racing equipment included tubular exhaust headers, an electric fuel pump, altered rear suspension with heavy-duty traction control bars and asymmetrical leaf spring
Leaf spring
Originally called laminated or carriage spring, a leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles...
s, heavy-duty trunk-mounted battery, locking differential
Locking differential
A locking differential, diff-lock or locker is a variation on the standard automotive differential. A locking differential may provide increased traction compared to a standard, or "open" differential by restricting each of the two wheels on an axle to the same rotational speed without regard to...
, auxiliary gauges, special drag race wheels and tires supplied both by Goodyear
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
and Mickey Thompson
Mickey Thompson
Marion Lee "Mickey" Thompson was an American off-road racing legend. He won many championships as a racer, and later formed sanctioning bodies SCORE International and Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group . He also raced in dragsters and land speed record automobiles.Thompson was born in Alhambra,...
(himself a recipient of one of the first ten cars) and an aluminum scatter shield designed to contain the clutch in case of disintegration under load. The claimed compression ratio
Compression ratio
The 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...
was 12:1.
Other weight-saving measures included the elimination of such street items as the sunvisors, radio, heater, wheel covers, passenger side windshield wiper, arm rests, rear window cranks, mirrors, sound deadening material, carpeting, trunk mat, lug wrench, jack and spare tire. Front seats were either lightweight units from Ford's police package vehicles or rudimentary bucket seats from the Econoline van; the carpeting was replaced by a black rubber mat. The rear seat was a standard Fairlane unit. The high-beam headlights were eliminated as well and in their place were mesh-covered air intakes which ran directly to a special air cleaner atop the 427. Like the street version, the Thunderbolt's outer high/low 5.75 inch (146 mm) headlights of the type normally used with a four-lamp system were selectable with a standard foot-operated switch. Though it was technically a street legal automobile, these modifications and deletions along with a final drive ratio of 4:58.1 for the four-speed cars and 4:44.1 for the automatics made the Thunderbolt impractical for street use. However, these modifications resulted in a car which, as tested with a four-speed transmission at Lions Drag Strip
Lions Drag Strip
Lions Drag Strip was a US raceway in the Wilmington district of Los Angeles, California adjacent to Long Beach that existed from 1955 to 1972. The track was named after its sponsors Lions Clubs International and featured many races that were sanctioned by the American Hot Rod Association .As the...
in November 1963, ran 11.61 seconds at 124.8 MPH (200.8 km/h).
Best 1/4-mile pr.01.01.2011 for a authentic Thunderbolt on todays slicks are 9.23secs/243kmh
The Thunderbolt was not built on a regular Ford assembly line, but rather in conjunction with Andy Holten of Dearborn Steel Tubing. It was there that partially built Fairlane bodies in top-of-the-line "500" exterior trim were combined with the 427 and either a heavy-duty Lincoln
Lincoln (automobile)
Lincoln is an American luxury vehicle brand of the Ford Motor Company. Lincoln vehicles are sold mostly in North America.-History:The company was founded in August 1915 by Henry M. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac . During World War I, he left Cadillac which was sold to General Motors...
automatic transmission or a Borg-Warner four-speed manual transmission. The first eleven cars were painted in Ford's "Vintage Burgundy;" the remaining eighty-nine cars were painted "Wimbledon White." The engine code reflected not the 427 on most cars but rather the so-called "K-code" solid lifter
Tappet
A tappet is the noise made by a worn cam follower, however the term is widely used to represent the cam follower itself. In mechanical engineering it is a projection which imparts a linear motion to some other component within an assembly...
289.
Given the special nature of the car, Ford riveted a metal plate to the inside of the glovebox door of the Thunderbolt and other race-only models with a disclaimer relating to fit and finish. The plate read:
-
- THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN BUILT SPECIALLY AS A LIGHTWEIGHT COMPETITIVE CAR AND INCLUDES CERTAIN FIBERGLASS AND ALUMINUM COMPONENTS. BECAUSE OF THE SPECIALIZED PURPOSE FOR WHICH THIS CAR HAS BEEN BUILT AND IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE MAXIMUM WEIGHT REDUCTION, NORMAL QUALITY STANDARDS OF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY IN TERMS OF EXTERIOR PANEL FIT AND SURFACE APPEARANCE ARE NOT MET ON THIS VEHICLE.
-
- THIS INFORMATION IS INCLUDED ON THIS VEHICLE TO ASSURE THAT ALL CUSTOMERS WHO PURCHASE THIS CAR ARE AWARE OF THE DEVIATION FROM THE REGULAR HIGH APPEARANCE QUALITY STANDARDS OF THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY.
Only forty-nine four-speed and fifty-one automatic cars were built, but it was enough to secure the 1964 NHRA Super Stock title for Ford.
Miniatures of the Thunderbolt are currently manufactured by Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco.-Models:...
and the Ertl Company
Ertl Company
The Ertl Company is an American toy company best known for its die-cast metal alloy collectible replicas of farm equipment and vehicles. The company is based in Dyersville, Iowa, home of the National Farm Toy Museum...
.
The Thunderbolt appears in the Xbox360 game Forza Motorsport 4
Forza Motorsport 4
Forza Motorsport 4 is a racing video game released by Turn 10 Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the fourth installment in the Forza Motorsport series, and was released in North America on October 11, 2011 and in Europe on October 14, 2011...
.