Reeves Racing Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 The 1964 Ford THUNDERBOLT Fairlane 500 was one the first true factory race cars. Out of the box this car was ready to go. The standard 289 had been removed and the upper a arms were shortened and the shock towers re-worked to make room for the dual carbed, ram inducted, massive 427 cubic inch race engine. The car was lightened as much as possible with aluminum and fiberglass body components to try and compensate for the added weight of the 500 horse power big block. To get all of that power to ground Ford installed 31 traction bars and special coil over shocks along with reworked leaf springs and locked 9-inch deferential. Under the guidance of the Ford Drag Council all of the original factory supported machines were painted vintage burgundy when they were delivered. This example is of the car TASCA Ford campaigned with Wild Bill Lawton as the driver. He set out to knock the mighty Dave Strickers Mopar off the top of the heap. This is Revells version built box stock with the addition of door glass and BMF on all of the bright work. I used Model Masters Honduras Maroon for the base and Dupli-Color Buckskin Metallic for the top. I lost the cap to the Dupli-Color color I used for the interior so that will just have to be a trade secret. The wheels, tires and decals are all from the kit. This is truly a kit of the Thunderbolt and not just a Fairlane with trim to make it look like a Thunderbolt. The front end is modified correctly as is the rear suspension. If you are wondering why the car has the silly little exhaust pipe and muffler, that was because Super Stock rules required a muffled exhaust. The headers could be capped and the exhaust ran through the cross over pipe and out the muffler. While racing the headers could be un capped and the horse power free to run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunderbolt427 Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 Very nice build. Just some 411, T-bolts had black engines, at least all the ones I have seen. Ford Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixties Sam Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Very nice, Mitch! Good looking engine compartment and interior. Nice paint, too! Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxer Posted January 17, 2010 Share Posted January 17, 2010 Very nice build. I used to watch Tasca run at Connecticut Dragway ... not telling when. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeves Racing Posted January 17, 2010 Author Share Posted January 17, 2010 Very nice build. Just some 411, T-bolts had black engines, at least all the ones I have seen. Ford Actually they may have been Ford Red or Corprate Blue. My research was inconclusive so I went with the early Ford dark blue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janne Herajärvi Posted January 18, 2010 Share Posted January 18, 2010 Very nice. Some cool details there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr moto Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 Very nice build. I used to watch Tasca run at Connecticut Dragway ... not telling when. Interesting! I also saw Bill Lawton run at Connecticut Dragway one time. On that day he was beaten (probably one of the few times) by a Dodge with a green plaid stripe down the center! I forget the driver's name but it was McSomething - I guess that's why the plaid. Don Garlits was running that day, also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3men2s Posted January 19, 2010 Share Posted January 19, 2010 sweet thing. bro I am building one right now and I hope it come out half as good as your build. how did you get that distributor so detail? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Notarangelo Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 You gotta stop by if you can to the Tasca Dealership in Cranston Rhode Island"they moved in the late 90's"during the summer cause they pull out some of the old rides for display ps the bob tasca sr just passed away last week and heads of NHRA and Ford CEO showed up for the funeral. plus a little know fact Bob Tasca helpped Carol Shelby devlop and creat the Shelby Cobra. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie8575 Posted January 20, 2010 Share Posted January 20, 2010 You gotta stop by if you can to the Tasca Dealership in Cranston Rhode Island"they moved in the late 90's"during the summer cause they pull out some of the old rides for display ps the bob tasca sr just passed away last week and heads of NHRA and Ford CEO showed up for the funeral. plus a little know fact Bob Tasca helpped Carol Shelby devlop and creat the Shelby Cobra. Sorry to hear about Bob Tasca, Sr. I liked what I saw of the man, and his book You Will Be Satisfied was one of, if not the best business books I ever read. Tasca's dealership is now in Seekonk, Ma., about two miles down from 777 Taunton Ave in East Providence. The building is still there, all in Tasca livery, though. It's always nice to see a piece of New England Motoring History represented, especially when nicely done. Here's a little more about him from The Providence Journal. http://www.projo.com/projocars/content/TASCA-OBIT_01-09-10_TOH213H_v21.3988803.html http://www.projo.com/news/content/TASCA_PLANS_01-14-10_JOH3R4G_v12.3b3b91e.html Charlie Larkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeMc Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Very nice build. Just some 411, T-bolts had black engines, at least all the ones I have seen. Ford Actually they may have been Ford Red or Corprate Blue. My research was inconclusive so I went with the early Ford dark blue. Nope they were black on the T Bolts....Heres one..... http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_0001_1964_ford_thunderbolt/photo_07.html and if you wanna run..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diymirage Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Nope they were black on the T Bolts....Heres one..... http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_0001_1964_ford_thunderbolt/photo_07.html and if you wanna run..... im in well, i will be ones i bolt this beast... into this beast the only other ford i could run is a tiny lil focus did i mention it has a blown 572 in it ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reeves Racing Posted January 22, 2010 Author Share Posted January 22, 2010 (edited) Nope they were black on the T Bolts....Heres one..... http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_0001_1964_ford_thunderbolt/photo_07.html LOL... I guess they all look black in B/W pictures.... talk about inconclusive. I wanted the engine in my model to be blue and so it is. Show me a COLOR picture of the TASCA car coming off the transporter in 1964 with a black engine and I probably will still be happy that I painted mine blue... Edited February 24, 2017 by Reeves Racing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trogdor Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Having grown up in Rhode Island, I got my chance as a kid to see these Tasca cars up close when they weren't out racing. It was a dream come true for a young kid back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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