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Topic starter
19/07/2025 4:28 pm
That's Gaspar "Gas" Ronda who won the 1964 NHRA Super Stock class in his Ford Fairlane 500 427 Thunderbolt. Technically a street legal drag car, it was a bit impractical with its 4.57:1 locking rear axel. 100 of these light weight Thunderbolts were built with about half 4 speed manual and 3 speed CruiseOmatic. The "high rise" 427 with 2X4 bbl Holleys along with tubular headers put out some 540 HP at the flywheel. Lots of fiberglass and plexiglass brought the weight down to 3200 lbs. Even the front bumpers were originally fiberglass and later aluminum due to safety regulations. The front suspension was moved forward to accommodate the 7 liter engine and stiffened. The special wheels and tires were supplied by Goodyear and Mickey Thompson who grabbed an early model. Although many parts were deleted, the top of the line "500" trim was kept save for the "Fairlane 500 script on the upper front fenders. These Thunderbolts were assembled in conjunction with Andy Hutton of Dearborn Steel Tubing. What always tickled me about this ERTL P-100 model was how the replicated The rear seat springs visible from the open trunk.
19/07/2025 4:31 pm
A great history narrative....thanks! I love the Thunderbolt.
19/07/2025 6:49 pm
I cannot imagine a more perfect name for a drag racer!
19/07/2025 7:36 pm
These Thunderbolts blew us all away when released. The overall detail is compelling, convincing and abundant! Rich, your pics say it all and Marty, your one-of-a-kind museum quality collection, says it best! Great posts dudes. 😎 😎
PS
I purchased a "plain version" when released thinking I'd one day make a stock Fairlane..... but I just couldn't hack it up - it's too nice as is!
Topic starter
19/07/2025 8:17 pm
@chris I didn't know they could come with steel wheels. I thought they were all M/Ts.
Topic starter
19/07/2025 8:19 pm
@marty-johnson That is such a great collection... a lotta work too.
19/07/2025 8:28 pm
I have a couple of more Thunderbolts. One a "plain jain" and the other the Tasca Ford version. And Chris, you are soooooooo right! They're really nice!
19/07/2025 8:35 pm
@rich-sufficool - LOL! Every time I see the springs through the trunk, I ask myself how many times I removed the rear seat to crawl into the trunk so that I could retrieve the car keys of someone who accidentally left them there and closed the lid! The answer is: PLENTY!
19/07/2025 10:29 pm
"I removed the rear seat to crawl into the trunk so that I could retrieve the car keys of someone who accidentally left them there and closed the lid."
Me and my dumb stories! 🙄 🙄 Your anecdote reminds me of this:
Years ago, at a rest stop off the Ohio Turnpike, I spotted a distraught mother with her young kids - her keys were in the trunk. The glovebox trunk release didn't work without the key or was broken.
It took 25 minutes to clear out the back, remove the rear seat, some trim, etc.. but I still couldn't quite reach those keys. Then another guy stopped to help, in minutes he "jumped" the trunk release, then drove away.
Feeling damn stupid, I spent another 25 minutes putting everything back. 😔 😔
20/07/2025 7:34 am
@marty-johnson Fantastic Marty. I remember following your build pictures of the hauler a few years ago.
20/07/2025 8:24 am
"I remember following your build pictures..."
Yepper! Many of us followed along watching Marty spare no expense accurately replicating details & features. In fact, I challenged him on a few things, but he proved me wrong. I've seen that set-up; it's a beautiful thing! 😀 😎 😀 The fact that it was featured in a magazine speaks volumes!
This post was modified 10 months ago by Christopher Moroni
20/07/2025 4:37 pm
Aw shucks, I'm blushin' over here! And it seems I remember YOUR build being featured in the same magazine! So NAH, NAH, NAH, NAHHHH, NAH!"I remember following your build pictures..."
Yepper! Many of us followed along watching Marty spare no expense accurately replicating details & features. In fact, I challenged him on a few things, but he proved me wrong. I've seen that set-up; it's a beautiful thing! 😀 😎 😀 The fact that it was featured in a magazine speaks volumes!
20/07/2025 10:19 pm
Man I wish I had your modelling ability you guys.
Christopher Moroni and Marty Johnson reacted