Just in case Christmas passed by without Santa delivering that perfect toy to spend the next year playing with, the auction website Bring a Trailer just listed a project car with serious potential. It will require plenty of love to get back running again, but the interior and exterior already look like pretty solid tributes to a series of experimental Fairline Thunderbolt drag racers built by Ford in 1964. Just like any great present, stickers all over hint at the performance potential within, though an engine swap will probably figure into the future of this period-correct racecar build.
Building A Period-Correct Drag Racer
The original Fairlane Thunderbolts featured plenty of lightweight construction on a car smaller than the Ford Galaxie, in the hopes the high-rise 427ci that worked so well in those bigger bodies for NASCAR would do even better with less weight to haul around. Fiberglass used for the doors, hood, front fenders, and bumper helped to trim poundage, while this build features the fun teardop-style ram air hood scoop and staggered Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro tires that look absolutely incredible.
A Damaged 427ci V8
Unfortunately, the car apparently suffered through a few years sitting outdoors with the engine's valve cover removed, so now the 427ci V8 shows damage including coolant in the oil and internal corrosion. Hopefully, the two Holley four-barrel carburetors, MSD ignition, and tubular heads can be salvaged and then swapped over onto a new powerplant, should the next owner decide to scrap this mill. On the other hand, the original Thunderbolt V8s put out an absurd 425 horsepower and 480 lb-ft of torque, so maybe putting the time in to rework this damaged engine would be worth the effort.
Red Interior With Aftermarket Goodies
The rest of the driveline includes a three-speed automatic and a Detroit Locker rear end equipped with 4.11 gears. Front discs and rear drums handle braking, while the interior sports plenty of aftermarket gauges, a Cheetah SCS shifter, and a roll cage. The front and rear bench seats look perfectly liveable, matching the red dash which even includes a locking glovebox—though not exactly the most weight-saving of features, at least some manually operated windows should additionally help to trim the fat, since the original Thunderbolts would have employed plexiglass instead of the real thing. Bidding currently sits at $2,600 with seven days remaining until the final gavel.
Source: bringatrailer.com.