The Zany Thunder FliteBy Freiburger Posted 11/22/08
If you browsed my most recent El Mirage gallery you had to have noticed photos of this wild custom '62 Thunderbird. The Rocket Birds are kind of an acquired taste, and I happen to dig them to death; Lohnes, meanwhile, thinks the whole lot of 'em should find Titanic-adjacent parking. Yet even he had to admit that this car has a certain something.
When I first saw it I thought it was sheer greatness, but upon closer inspection I decided I could sure live without the enclosed front wheels, the second set of fins on the bottoms of the quarters, and the exhaust gills on the rockers. Upon further review I read on the car's web site that it was intended to mimic what Ford would have built as a factory show car in the late '50s. If that was the goal, they dead-on nailed it. Not all that older show-car stuff was 100 percent cool, and it was often overkill.
What do you think? You at least have to give it credit for topping the Popular Mechanics list of Coolest Cars of SEMA and then showing up motoring on the dry-lake bed a week later.
See the entire story at the Thunder Flite web site, and hope that they never execute the paint-scheme drawings seen there.
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Written by HoosierGTA
Nov 24 2008
Really like these old t-birds . This one is batman cool ! I agree with Dave on all the bad mods but the top is perfect on THIS car . I think it would look at home north of 140 on the interstate .
Written by 62-impala-ss
Nov 24 2008
Some pictures on their website show it in black. I think it looks much better in the El Mirage photos.
[img]http://thunderflite.com/photogallery/photo00026161/TF01.jpg[/img]
Written by Matt Cramer Nov 24 2008
Holy bubble canopy, Batman!
Looks somewhat like a less campy version of the '60s Batmobile. I like it.
Written by ch1ll
Nov 23 2008
this baby rocks and I like all the stuff DF didn't. stuff I'd change would be straighten lower fins for more of a rocket look and change the shape of the "bubble." I'd be banging my head putting it on the ladies, oh hell put a bench seat in it too for the drive in, soon as I can find one. or just get rid of the passenger seat in the cockpit altogther. if you want to go fast git yer own ride! this is a solo act. oh yeah does this thing actually have a turning radius? the covered front wheel wells are way cool.
Written by Brian Lohnes
Nov 23 2008
As DF mentioned in his post, I'm not what could be described as a lover or even a liker of T-Birds. (sorry Randal)
This one however, kicks some major ass.
Brian
Written by DanStokes Nov 23 2008
Dunno Why - but I like it!
Dan
Written by terry russell Nov 23 2008
Not my cup of tea,but damn cool
Written by RickSSR Nov 23 2008
Very Cool!!
My 1st car was a 62 T-Bird, best $400 Dollar Car I ever bought....
RickSSR 8)
Written by squirrel
Nov 23 2008
Those tbirds are neat stock, but they lack something. Now we know what that something is.
hmmm - I like these 'birds - but I'm ford like that....
I must ask - it was at the lakes - did it run? how fast? what's under the hood?
Y block, FE or something modern?