The claimed compression ratio was 13.5:1. Racing equipment includes tubular exhaust headers, an electric fuel pump, altered rear suspension with heavy-duty traction control bars and asymmetrical leaf springs, trunk-mounted heavy duty 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. Later cars have aluminum front bumpers in place of the fiberglass units due to racing regulations.
#65 thunderbird racecar windows#
Fiberglass doors, hood, front fenders and even the front bumper on the earliest cars along with Plexiglas 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 hinges and a latch. Installing the Ford FE V8 in a vehicle intended for an engine no larger than a small block engine required major reworking and relocation of the car's front suspension components and the modification and strengthening of the suspension mounting areas. In standard form, the Fairlane is 12 in (305 mm) shorter than a Galaxie, rides on a 3.5 in (89 mm) shorter wheelbase and weighs approximately 700 lb (318 kg) less. As installed in the Thunderbolt, the engine was rated conservatively at 425 hp (431 PS 317 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 480 lb⋅ft (651 N⋅m) at 3,700 rpm of torque estimates placed the actual output was close to 600 hp (608 PS 447 kW). 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.
Overview Ford Fairlane 500 Thunderbolt rear view Modified, street-driven, 1964 Fairlane Thunderboltīased on the standard two door post sedan 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 cu in (7.0 L) V8 engine with dual 4-barrel Holley carburetors intended for use in the much larger Galaxie. A total of 100 units were produced forty-nine 4-speeds and fifty-one automatics, enough to secure the 1964 NHRA Super Stock championship for Ford. The Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt is a limited production, factory experimental, drag racing version of the Ford Fairlane produced during the 1964 model year only.
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