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Gas Ronda's 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt Car!

A few years ago my lifelong passion for the 1964 Ford Thunderbolt would hit fever pitch as I sat at the Famoso raceway with none other than Gas Ronda, the very driver that won it all and so much more in the seat of this very car. It was and extremely hot day at the track that October. After Gas and I had sat in what shade we could muster enjoying the waters that we couldn't get enough of, Gas leaned over after alot of conversation about the infamous car and said, "Butch, I would love you to do my car. What do ya think?" Well, I just about couldn't breath. Here was one of my all around heroes asking me to do on of my all around favorite vintage drag cars! YES, YES!

The first thing we did was get together with Randy Ritchey of Performance Associates to somewhat organize a build plan. I can't tell you how great it was to sit with Gas and Randy to work out a build plan. We are still gathering all of the parts to make this car exactly what Gas remembered during his winning 1964 season. Everything from the correct dated wheels to the 427 High Riser with all the correct 1964 date codes. This car is slated to be finished by the 2014 NHRA season for Gas and I to show 50 years after he won the season! Here are a few pics of the car and the day we spent together the deal was made! I so glad that a piece of Gas Ronda will live on forever!

1954 Ford Crestliner Coupe

This was one of the first street cars the shop did for show duty some years ago. It was one of the first cars to have the then new, Air Ride suspension on the west coast. It surely was the first 54 Ford. This was the car that started it all for the shop, It was my car, and I had to fabricate EVERYTHING from scratch. This car later went on to win numerous awards including a few really prestigeos ones! This car meant alot to me beacause I actually loaded groceries into it as a teen. I always told the old lady that drove it in stock form that I was going to buy it and restore it into a beast. She was all for it. Years after she passed I got word that it was sitting on the ground with no running gear and totally stripped of parts. I picked the car up from a guy by trading a 66 F100 that was in way better shape than the car. But promises are promises and I promised her I would do this. And I did.

Here's what she's got in her;

Engine Transmission;

Ford 427 C.I. Windsor full roller small block

Avenger Cylider heads 230CC 2.08 intake 1.66 exhaust

Roller "Total Performance" Blower cam (big)

Comp Cams chromemoly Magnum Roller Rockers

Comp Cams Chromemoly push rods

Forged rotating internals

Forged steel crank

4340 full floating Forged H-Beam rods with APR bolts

4032 alloy forged pistons

9.8:1 compression

Promoly ring set with special low-tension rings

CL-77 rod and main bearings

CNC ported aluminum Avenger cylinder heads

Pacific Performance Products aluminum roller rocker arms

Comp chromoly pushrods

Total Performance custom hydraulic roller camshaft

Comp roller lifters

Fel Pro gaskets

Stainless bolt kit

7-quart oil pan

Tru Roller timing set

Melling oil pump

Moly oil pump drive

Main studs

Ford Performance Parts main stud girdle with ARP Studs

Moly head bolts

Timing cover

BDS polished Blower intake manifold

SFI balancer

Polished aluminum valve covers

SVO 351W Block

Balanced

BDS 6-71 Stage II polished suprcharger

2 X 750 Holley Blower Carbs

BDS Limited Production Large Scoop

Trans:

Performance Automatic 1000HP C-4

Art Carr 3500 Stall Converter

Rear end:

Ford 9 Inch Narrowed

3.73.1 rear gears

31 Spline Moser Axles

Ford Trac Lok rear carrier

Brakes;

Front Wilwood 11"

Rear Shelby Drum Brakes

Wheels;

American Racing Wheels front 15x7 rear 15x10

Tires;

BFGoodrich 275/60 15 rear 225/55 15 front

Suspension;

Air ride / Ride Tech air bags front and rear custom application (pre shockwave bolt-on)

Exterior:

BMW Mauritus Blue with Light Blue Metallic roof

Interior;

Custom 2 tone blue

Custom Dash and Console

Auto Meter Guages

Budnik Wheel

Billet knobs and accessories

Complete Ron Francis rewire

Keep in mind we did this car 15 years ago! When it was done it was one of the trickest cars in its class. Seroiusly, when was the last time you saw a mid 50's Ford with this treatment????

This is the 63 Falcon we did for my dad Dave Cushman to cruise the local shows and raise hell on the streets. We built this car in 6 months completely. Once we stripped the car down to the body we did the following;

Engine swap from 6cyl to a potent roller small block with Thunderbolt Ram Air. We actually used a real Thunderbolt air ram for the car...cool.

TCI C-4 trans with TCI torgue converter and floor shift

Narrowed 9" with shelby rear brakes, air ride bags, mini tubbed rear end, relocated springs

Front Ford disk brakes, shockwaves from Ridetech, Total Performance Motorsports rear steer power rack and pinion

Rewired the car with a painless system, custom dash console with custom auto meter guages, high back bucket seats

Thunderbolt fiberglass teardrop hood

Rear floor re-layed, custom fuel cell incorperated

American racing wheels

Dad wanted something raspy that he and mom could roll around in and enjoy. Dad has been a car guy and into drag racing his whole life. He wanted the car to have that feel to it. It does and he loves it!

TOTAL PERFORMANCE FORD TOP FUEL FED DRAGSTER PLANS

The plan at this point is to do a full body FED mid sixties based Top Fuel car out of our period correct Woody Gilmore shell. The car was a regular in the sixties all along the California coast. The FED will sport either a large displacement Blown FE, late sixties Large displacement Boss 429 or a Cammer 427.

All destined to be awesome!

1957 Ford Shoebox, CUSHMAN'S COMPETITION held the ISA and JSA Records at the same time...Joe ran a 12.30....ran 12.50's on average. This was hauling back in the late 60's for a 312, mind you it was a blown car! Awesome. Thanks Joe! Watch for this Cushman car to be rebuilt by Total Performance in the near future Fords have been a staple in the family for decades! So has winning, be a winner...Call Total Performance!

Wanted!

69-70 Don Long T/Gas Chassis

We are currently researching the possibility of doing the 69-70 T/Gas car of the first lady of drag racing....

Shirley Muldowney!

As a huge personal fan I would love to give back to the fantastic driver and great lady that Shirley is. This is one of her favorite cars ever so it has to be perfectly done with a beautiful clean and MEAN look!

Mickey Thompson 1964 Fairlane Gasser!

This is going to be the shop show / drag / special event vehicle. This car is a Southern California TRUE VINTAGE DRAG WARRIOR! We picked it up down south to restore it to a killer vintage gasser feel that it had in years gone by. The car has a straight axle from an Econoline, FE big block from a 64 Galaxie, Econoline buckets, old school traction devices in the rear and multiple mods that have happened over the years it was campagned. Our relationship with Mickey Thompson has inspired us to but together out 1964 Fairlane Hardtop Gasser in a vintage theme based on the official mid 60's rules for a really period correct build! The build plan so far is as follows;

1964 Fairlane Hardtop

The 390 FE that was in it will transform to a 454 C.I. FEStroker from our Total Performance engine program

Either; a vintage Mickey Thompson FE Crossram - very period correct - The Mickey Thompson Thunderbolt ran by Jess Tyree actually ran this style of unit.

Or a 6-71 injected supercharged unit, it remains to be decided.

Fenderwell headers

4-speed top loader trans

9" rear end from a K code mustang - that is used to be an easy bolt in in the mid 60's to these cars

Steel Wheels in the back with Micket Thompson period correct wheels

Aluminum skinny's up front, most likely some E.T. 12 spokes or original Mickey Thompson wheels if I can find some that are the correct size and bolt pattern.

Econoline straight axle or possibly a newer axle for safety

Actual Thunderbolt lightweight buckets

Roll bar

Misc fiberglass parts for body panels

The following was copied from the The following was copied from the www.gassermadness.com web page, it denotes the rules that the gassers of the web page, it denotes the rules that the gassers of the era were built to as far as the rules where concerned.

The following was copied from the era were built to as far as the rules where concerned. web page, it denotes the rules that the gassers of the era were built to as far as the rules where concerned.

Stay Tuned!!