1964 Thunderbolt how fast were they?

[BlueOval Ralph]

Hedman sold headers as headers in late 50's Stahl had built Jenkins Strickler 4 tube equal length headers in Early 63 for thier Z 11 in Romulus Mi

[Hemi Moose]

Here's a shot of Gas Ronda in his '64 Fairlane Thunderbolt...'Headers by Doug' on the front fender.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Dan Bennett

Ray Brock's caption on one of the photos is interesting. It sounds as if no one had come up with the term "headers" at that point since he goes into great lengths describing what we've taken for granted for many years.

I know the Pontiacs and Mopars still were using cast pieces to link tubing parts, so was this the first header?

The first exhaust I ever saw with curved, individual pipes was on the Ford Indy engines and was referred to as a "bag of snakes" Maybe the technology from Cosworth carried over.

Open headers or exhaust cutouts became legal for stockers and the super stockers in 1961. Prior to that they could use crude headers but had to run thru a complete muffeled exhaust system.

[chris3racing]

NHRA Eliminators, 1964 Winternationals, SuperStock, Gas Rhonda, 1964 Thunderbolt @ 12.05 ET. 1964 Nationals, Indy, SuperStock, Butch Leal, 1964 Thunderbolt @ 11.76.

First Thunderbolts were built by Don Snyder and was driven by Dick Brannan and Phil Bonner "Daddy Warbucks." Both of the first original Thunderbolts were on display in 2004 at the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame Reunion in Henderson. Dick Brannan had a CD that show the building of the car on the "third Floor" of the building at Ford Motor Company. Only people working on the project were allowed on that floor. The car on display only had an "Autolite Spark Plugs" decal on the lower part of the fender near the door. Brannan explained that when the car first came out they had put decals on it like all of the other cars. Ford Motor Company Representatives advised them to remove all the decals except the spark plug decal because they were made by Ford Motor Company.

Don Snyder was inducted into the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame in 2004 and passed away just a few months after the event. Dick Brannan is no longer doing these types of events. Phil Bonner is in poor health and is actually almost blind.

[Hemi Moose]

Here's Phil Bonner's '64 Fairlane Thunderbolt and some before & after shots...

[troublemaker427]

Where did you come up with this information? "Don Snyder built the first Thunderbolts???" "Built on the third floor of Ford"????? "Don Snyder dead??"

All 100 Thunderbolts were built at Dearborn Steel Tubing in Dearborn Michigan. A single story shop that was the skunk works for Ford racing in the early to mid-60's. The first 11 cars were Vintage Burgundy, the rest were Wimbledon White. Don Snyder owns the Brannan car which was the first car out of the doors at DST. He also owns the Bonner '64 Fairlane hardtop that started as a "body in white" at Holman Moody. The restored/wrecked Bonner car is in my shop and still owned by Phil.

Oh and by the way, Don Snyder is still very much alive!!!

Please do some fact checking before you put these type of things out there!! I would imagine Don would appreciate that!!

Oh and Phil is doing much better. I talked to him last night on the phone and will be with him in two weeks in Dawsonville for the Moonshine Festival....

Originally Posted by chris3racing

NHRA Eliminators, 1964 Winternationals, SuperStock, Gas Rhonda, 1964 Thunderbolt @ 12.05 ET. 1964 Nationals, Indy, SuperStock, Butch Leal, 1964 Thunderbolt @ 11.76.

First Thunderbolts were built by Don Snyder and was driven by Dick Brannan and Phil Bonner "Daddy Warbucks." Both of the first original Thunderbolts were on display in 2004 at the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame Reunion in Henderson. Dick Brannan had a CD that show the building of the car on the "third Floor" of the building at Ford Motor Company. Only people working on the project were allowed on that floor. The car on display only had an "Autolite Spark Plugs" decal on the lower part of the fender near the door. Brannan explained that when the car first came out they had put decals on it like all of the other cars. Ford Motor Company Representatives advised them to remove all the decals except the spark plug decal because they were made by Ford Motor Company.

Don Snyder was inducted into the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame in 2004 and passed away just a few months after the event. Dick Brannan is no longer doing these types of events. Phil Bonner is in poor health and is actually almost blind.

[chris3racing]

427, the information I posted was my understanding of information that was discussed at the Henderson reunion with Brannan, Snyder and Bonner. Yes, Snyder owned the Brannan car at that time and Bonner had his there at the same show.

I apologize concerning Don; however, the word the following year was that he had passed away following his induction in 2004. I am glad to hear that Phil is doing better, I missed seeing him last year at the reunion and understand that he was not coming this year.

[Hemi Moose]

Here's one of an old ad...