Survivor Thunderbolts

[DRAKE VISCOME]

Hey Jody..."oops"...do know Don has one of the early Chevrolet cars ( "memory"...thought it was Dave's)...(hey...they (Brand X...all look alike to me "hoss" only kidding!)..."recall" isn't exactly what it once was...sorry if I offended you in any way for sure... Drake...p.s. Don Snyder does have a "collection" well beyond the "nice" (?) (awesome maybe...) Thunderbolts...that "most" mere mortals can only "dream" about 'eh...owning #1...& #111Thunderbolts' of one hundred eleven ever produced by Andy Hotten's Dearborn Steel Tubing for Ford Motor Company...is just a segment of Don's "collection" as you "know"...

[cobrajet2]

Is Don Snyders collection set up like a museum? Can you walk thru it? Invitation only? Mike, how did you gain access for all those pictures?

Thanks

[Mike Carr]

Originally Posted by cobrajet2

Is Don Snyders collection set up like a museum? Can you walk thru it? Invitation only? Mike, how did you gain access for all those pictures?

Thanks

CJ2, the collection is open, by appointment only. A friend who is announcer at Pittsburgh Raceway Park e-mailed me back in May, and let me know about it, so I made the 20 minute drive over to see it. There were about 25-30 of us that day. There are three rooms of cars. One of JUST T-bolts, lightweight Galaxies (Mike (?) Schmidt's AA/SA '64 Jr Stock World Champ car) and other similar cars. One is race, show, muscle cars. Arnie Beswick's Tameless Tiger, Sox and Martin '69 Roadrunner, Stiles' A/S '66 Hemi, Earnhardt Sr and Jarret NASCAR cars, and other cool stuff. Plus a room with antique cars (1919 Oldsmobile and other old classics). Yes, you are free to walk through and take pictures. Plus they build custom cars and restore original ones. Was definately a fun day (spent about two hours or so there seeing everythng). As a youngster (33 years old) was cool to see cars I'd only ever heard/read about. Don has five Thunderbolts--the first, the last, and three others. If/when someone schedules another trip there, I will be sure and make a post in this forum about it. Not far from the Ohio/Penn line; not far from Quaker City Motorsports Park, Youngstown OH or New Castle PA. Can;t remember what the website for the place is. It's on State Route 165 in New Springfield Ohio (aka South Range Road, same road Quaker City is on, just about 20 minutes away).

[DRAKE VISCOME]

Hey...Randy DeLisio's shop phone # is-1-315-946-5025...I don't "know" how much Randy does internet wise...but...he's a very ez "cat" to talk with...down to earth...no ego..honest/candid as the day is long...the very best "period" Ford/Mercury SS/FX restorer on the planet...bar none...has done more Thunderbolts,Comets,Mustangs, than any one person ever owned...by a bunch..."maybe" (at least I think so) the most knowledgable person in a "hands on" sense about these cars ever...not a guy who just read about 'em...or had a "friend"/associate/former racer/all-star...who may have told him about 'em......U...get the idea...maybe he'll oblige and come on-board...I'm sure it would be genuinely...very interesting/informative.. Drake p.s. Don Snyder's as stated before...a must "see"!

[R W Ohio]

[IMG]http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg146/globle/Race%20Car%
20%20pictures%201/BridenthalFord2.jpg[/IMG]
Bridenthal Ford, Greensburg, Ohio

[R W Ohio]

Survivor

[chris ok]

I met Randy on the day before thanksgiving. He found an old craigslist ad I had selling a date coded 289. I just about gave up selling it thinking of destruction as a GM guy I am, tho son of a Ford guy.
When I met him I was so happy I got it to the right person. What a super nice guy. He was gwtting ready to deliver a Boss Mustang 1969, 302 car to it's owner. To say we were impressed is an understatement. He told me he restored 17 Thunderbolts on top of numerous other significant American Muscle cars.
I now have a Nazy Crate hot Wheels car I bought off E Bay.
My friend who owned the engine was very happy too we sent it to the right guy.
I spent my commision on my GS 455. lol.
Chris.
Thank you Drake for all the great stories.

[DRAKE VISCOME]

Hey Chris...U...should "know" there are 8 million "stories" in the naked city...'eh...after all these years...certainly have "accumulated" at least a few of 'em......not all "fit" for a public (PG/rating) forum...Ken would most probably ban me for life ...not to be "biblical"...but for sure...I am truly blessed to have been a player during a golden era...forging genuine friendships/alliances with some very special "cats" over the last 50 plus years...always have said...I'm a very "lucky guy"...way grateful it all "went" that way too...'nuff said! Drake

[jt Teuton]

Originally Posted by chris ok

I would love to see pics of the Factory built Ford Thunderbolts that still exist today. I've read 60 of the 100 still exist, with 17 of them restored by Randy DeLisio. I met Randy last week and found him to be a great guy w some amazing restoration history of American Iron icons. I found pictures of Nazy Crate but do not know how to post them , plus they are not mine, of course.
Chris O'Keefe

Don't forget the gas Rhonda t bolt which is in Milton,fla owned by willed d and Lyle smith they raced it in the 70sarea and 80s.also dallas Kelly in the wrecking crew car.still racing today. Does anyone have pictures of these cars?

[DRAKE VISCOME]

Hey Guys...Gaspar Rhonda's (one...very...very...special "dude"/gentleman/racer!) '64 NHRA World Champion Russ Davis Ford Thunderbolt...think it ended up in Pacific Northwest (Jeff Wittig?)...purchased by..."Mad Dawg" Bob Glidden hisself...realizing early on... he had no time for this "project"...longtime friends/ early crew Harold Stout/Larry Spain initially ran the car in the red/white/blue Glidden/Allen "colors"...later going all red paint...sold to Willie D. & son Lyle Smith...good guys/racers... in Florida who raced it a few years (still own)...for sure Dallas Kelly ran his "Homewrecker" T-bolt hard early-mid '70's as well...Oklahoma's Connie Moore/ Michigan-Ray Pacquet came to the "party"... a lil' later in the "fray"... (still the basis of Ray's "today" car)...over on the H.A.M.B....hokey *** message board section...there is a thread dedicated to Thunderbolts...a awful lot of early info/photos...about 200 pages long...guess there's still a lot of interest...in the ol' Ford shoebox...as "Nazy Crate" called 'em... Drake