Clones are an interesting thing when you think about it. If they are advertised as what they actually are, the machines represent a budget alternative to owning an actual example of a rare or very popular muscle car. Take this 1964 Thunderbolt for example. Actual examples of these cars are worth gazillions of dollars and they should be. Produced as a drag racing special by Ford in extremely limited quantities, they were designed to kick ass on the drag strip and they did just that. Insanely, they continue to be competitive cars in the stock and super stock ranks of NHRA drag racing. This car is not original, it does not have the right engine but it does have the look and (we’re guessing) sound to make people salivate at the mere listen to it.
The motor in the car is a stroker Windsor which displaces 427ci and has aluminum heads, modern touches left and right and certainly not the pedigree that the high riser 427 FE engine in the original cars had but let’s reveal a dirt secret. That little stroker engine probably has a bunch more horsepower than the FE did out of the box!
The interior of the car looks like it came form the factory and while we cannot see underneath the thing, this one is built the right way.
The bottom line is whether or not you would want to have this car. Speaking for us? We would love to run this thing at various events whether they be Ford themed or not. It would be awesome and people would love to watch it go down the track…assuming they knew what they were looking at. Right?
Click here to see the eBay ad featuring this killer Thunderbolt Clone
Perfection!
Damnit, Geordie! You beat me to it!
Wouldn’t want a real one if I could afford it. I’d buy something like this instead and drive the snot out of it. Meant to enjoy. With fewer than the original 100 of these still living I wouldn’t do that to an original. Might add a roll bar.
‘Nice spelling errors on the quarter window messages!
well, it is in Georgia. Mullet required.
The good thing about clones (or tributes) is that they were built to be driven. But . . .
The cost of a high end clone is about the same as the cost of a “medium value” restored muscle car: in the $50K to $60K range. As an investment a clone will never appreciate. I guess it depends on your wallet. A clone is a “toy” and if it doesn’t break your bank – great. But that $50K to $60K is not chump change.
Personally I would rather have the restored muscle car like a 1969 Chevelle SS 396 or a low option 1970 Boss 302. That’s what you can buy with that kind of money.
Enough of your making sense, Lee!
The average gearhead won’t be able to afford this if its the real thing or a clone. $50K for a fake? Don’t get me wrong, its a nice car but would rather have the substance rather than the fluff that surrounds the car.
A set of stickers and a bolt on hood do not make for a tribute…
Its a nice small block Fairlane and worth about 1/3 of the asking price
No – he did recreate what a 1964 Thunderbolt looks like with the exception of the engine. The interior is exactly the same as what Dearborn Steel Tubing, who made the 100 Thunderbolts for Ford, used. BTW – those seats are VERY uncomfortable. Just good enough for the time it took you to make a run.
IMO – he should have gone “all the way” and put a big block Ford 427 in the car. You can buy them directly from Ford as a crate engine. But the builder “cut the corner” to save money and went with the stroker small block which definitely hurts the value of the car. Subtract $12,000 off the asking price for that mod.
Personally – I wouldn’t buy a Thunderbolt clone/replica/tribute. They were designed to be used SOLELY on the drag stripe. Uncomfortable (but lightweight) seats, small drum brakes, tiny radiator (which will definitely overheat if you drive it in traffic), No radio or heater, no sound deadening material.
I would rather have for that kind of money, a 1969 427 COPO Camaro clone.
Remember – the idea is to drive the car and enjoy it.
show me where you can buy a 427 fe crate motor from ford… please.
What made the Thunderbolt what it was was the engine. That\’s like buying a 408 stroker small block powered super stock barracuda clone. Just not worth it.
Actually, it was a combination of the engine mounted in a lightweight Fairlane. This was the first car to do so and qualify for Super Stock classification. Previous to the Thunderbolt, efforts by Pontiac who put SD 421s in Tempests resulted in some very fast cars but they raced in the A/FX class. Stock and Super Stock were part of the “Race on Sunday – Sell on Monday” mantra. No you couldn’t buy a street Fairlane with a full race 427 in it. But you could buy a Fairlane with a HiPo 289 in it.
Keep in mind that the Thunderbolt came out in 1964 ,. . . the first year both the Mustang and GTO were available to anyone. Just a footnote – you had to wait until June 1964 to get a HiPo 289 in a Mustang – 2 months after the introduction of the Mustang. Not a “setting the world on fire” engine, the HiPo 289 is the lightest and smallest high performance engine ever made – 500 lbs. Do a simple intake manifold replacement with an aluminum one – the weight drops to 460 – 75 lbs lighter than an L79 327/350.
Timing is everything in Business – don’t let anyone tell you different
Just a piece of trivia on the Thunderbolts. Ford lost $1500 on each car they made. They made 100 of them – a $150,000 loss. In today’s dollars that’s $1,168,200.00. Ford was famous for “buying” wins with little regard to their cost. Just look at the GT40 used to win at LeMans. Rumor has it that Ford spent more than $2 million to get that win.- almost $16,000,000 in today’s dollars.
The Thunderbolts lasted quite some time until 1968 when Chrysler decided they wanted the Super Stock title hands down and thus was born the Hemi Dart and Hemi Barracuda. The rest is history . . .
Reality check, the demand for these cars will drop off a cliff. The young could care less. The old will die off.
By that logic I should be able to buy a Duesenberg for peanuts right? So how come they still command prices of $875,000 and up?
I hate clones. yech..I have seen this car up close. It sits with other 64’s in a collection. This car looks as good as its pics and is a very nice car, just not my cup of tea. Get rid of the decals, install some race wheels and rubber and then I would like it a lot better.