Real 427 Thunderbolt 4-Speed Runs 8s | Ray Paquet Winds his FE to 9,200 RPM and he's 75 years old!
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2021
- We get a close-up look at Hall of Famer Ray Paquet's 1964 Thunderbolt. It has a 427, dual carbs, 4-speed transmission and it runs 8s at 150-plus mph. Amazingly, Ray has run this car for 5 decades and at 75 years old he's not letting up!
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75 and still running a 4 speed 8 second car. God bless you, Ray!
WOW! Shifting an FE at 9,200!!! Most old small blocks can't do that without blowing up.
Did you notice the age of one of his competitors??
amen
💪🏻🇺🇸. Ray is such a humble man. Repairs organs and tunes them. 🤣 Ain’t no wonder he can make sweet music and world records from that ol Warrior. God bless you Ray!
the FE King at 75
This car would run 11's, straight from the showroom floor, back in 1964. Fast by today's standards.....AWESOME!!!
..on Firestone Redlines and wheelspin all the way
10.60s on slicks
Basest muscle car from the 60’s
You're maybe rounding down a little much, but yeah they were very fast
@@Terminxman That's from the news clips back in 64 that the Thunderbolt would turn out of the box 10.60s I remember not 11s that the op said. Modified well the sky was/is the limit with these
It's good to see a youngster still banging gears and winning trophies. I'm 77.
LOL !
Same here, RD. Class of ‘44. I was a war baby (Oct. 11, 1944). So refreshing to watch & listen to real quality drag racers like Ray. I started going to Indy in 1962. Most fantastic drags were those early years when racers were new to all the upcoming speed parts and how to finesse them ( and how everybody else did too!) Racers worked at night on their machines at the mall and hotel/motel parking lots as all race cars had to be removed from the race track grounds. Folks were allowed to camp on the shoulders of most of the roads around the area. The drive-in movie across from the front gate became a giant camping/party and when the cops weren’t looking, drag racing took place out front. THEM WERE THE DAYS!
Who remembers Harvey Troxell’s big barn & camping grounds?
💥😖💥 I'm just so tired of these old guys talking down to us young folks! Back on October 7th, this 54 year old geezer was lecturing me about how "his knowledge and experience is greater than mine, and that I'd only achieve his wisdom once I reached his age". Unfortunately, I had to come to grips with the reality that it would be a LONG time before I'd be able to verify his 'claims', since I was only 53 at the time, and my birthday wasn't til October 8..... 😁
@@HighlanderNorth1 - Glad you caught up to him... but I'm a 73 year old retired GM engineer... 74 in January... LOL !
The thunderbolt is one of if not most favorite cars ever made, love the fact that this one is still competing and wining.
amen
This man and his car must be protected at all costs. God bless you Ray.
Been friends with the 3 Paquet brothers for years. Worked with them, raced with them, and I'm a better man for knowing them. Thx for the memories.
Jim's a Great Guy built my C4 .... Best Damn Trans I ever had
We had a trans built by Jim for our FE powered altered best trans we ever had in any of the ford's we raced
Bad Ass Kustoms What happened to Jim?
@@cjbert6790 Jim has retired and now living in Fla. I still talk to him weekly. Haven't see Mike in years. I'll talk to Jim or Ray and update this post on Mike. Jim and Mike worked for me back in the late '60's at my Shell and Standard service station.
Dave Lee Thanks, he was a great source of knowledge on building drag race transmissions!
Fear starts with FE
Mr Ferrari says FE stands for Fast Engine
@@leeroymeadows5566 Yep and thats what taught Mr Ferrari a lesson at Lemans.The Mighty Fe powered Gt40.
IRON
Actually an acronym for Ford Edsel.
The sickest FE. What a ride man!
When I was little my dad and a friend of his ran one of those for a little while. He has pictures of it. I think they ran in the 11 sec range back then.
Dralg car only bro
The 427 and 428CJ cars in Stock are still winning in C/ S and C/SA
Other than a Daytona coupe, this would be at the top of the list for favorite blue oval of all time.
@@richardkersey8993 a little of
The most dedicated FE racer of all time!
This was the only car/engine combo that could compete with the Hemi-Cudas in the 1960s. Chevy never did step up to this performance level in a stock engine configuration. I remember watching the Thunderbolts running down the Chrysler Hemis, sometimes winning by a few inches. That was exciting racing.
They won the NHRA manufacturer’s cup in 1964
Ray is such a class act. Real down to earth gentleman. Congrats Ray!👍
Amazing racing history with that car and he is a wealth of knowledge. I could listen to him talk all day. Thanks for sharing
Exactly.
@@stujones3566I love it.
I love it
I am a Chevrolet guy and Iove this car ! This is REAL racing right here. Who else tuned their volume wide open at the 9:45 mark??? lol
Thunderbolt is one Bad Hammer. Had a 67 Fairlane GTA with a 428cj. Shaved and heavily ported heads, Special grind solid lifter cam, harlon sharp roller rockers, 12.5 TRW domed pistons, Mallory ignition, Holley double pumper made 650 to rear wheels through a race prepped big block C6 with high stall converter. Car had full interior and ran 10:30. Much respect to him for getting the T Bolt down into the 8s. Had a 66 Mercury Cyclone GT Holman and Moody edition with 427 4 speed manual. It had aluminum bumpers, fiberglass decklid, hood and front fenders from the factory. It was sold while I was in the service when my parents retired.
Great story, thanks for sharing!
That has nothing to do with this car.
Ray is definitely one of the best Ford racers ever. 9200 rpm FE? You bet, that's how we ran 'em in our back motor dragsters.
Back motor? I believe the dragsters of the day were Slingshot or front motor cars. What year was that?
@@JesusLives889 No FE engine revved anywhere near 9200 RPM back then. The rotating assembly was way too heavy, the crankshaft would shoot out at half track, ignition systems were junk, and the camshaft and head technology wasn't anywhere near what it is now.
@@kennydemartini2169 I believe you're comment is intended for Nettles as I did not comment on FE RPM potential. Now that you mention it though Freddie Lorenzen said his tunnel port 427 ran all day long at RPM in excess of 8500 with high nickel block, steel crank and cross bolted mains. The man became Nascar legend driving that setup
Respect is not a strong enough word for how I feel about this man, his car and the OEM(Ford) - and I come from a Chevrolet Family !
Not to make this about me but, I just bought (8-2021) a 1966 Fairlane GT. 96,200 original miles. I’m the second owner. First muscle car for me. I couldn’t be more happy. Runs and drives great. Very happy to see this man still kicking ass. Here’s to many more great years🍺
I love this guy ! Thats how you take a 4 speed down the track ..
I grew up in the 70s , best years of my life ..my opinion is nobody has as much fun as we had in the 70s as far as cars go ..the kids now days have fast cars due to technology and computers and this generation is press the launch mode and just hold the wheel and the car does everything for you . U don't see any engines hanging from trees now days lol ..back in the day we would swap a motor with a come along and be racing that night..
And he put it #2 with the front wheels still up.
And clutched #4...
He was having problems with that trans that’s why he had to clutch 4th
Thanks for the thought about motors up in trees. We had a large elm tree that grew right next to our driveway in front of the garage and my older brothers always had a hoist hanging from the tree limb waiting for the call. By the time I had my car the tree had gotten dutch elm disease and had to be cut down. So I had to use a regular cherry picker. Oh yes fond memories of power shifting my four speed.
@@humblewisdom8976
Ww had a similar situation with the old ash tree we used as kids about 5 years ago and had to take it down .
My parents have recently past and we had to sell the house so pretty much all we have left is a pile of pictures and alot of memories of the good old days . Life gos on I guess and arthritis has got the best of me but I at least can watch my son work on cars . I think him and his friends get tired if me hanging out in the garage with them but they put up with me lol ..
Thanks for the reply .
I met Ray a couple years ago at the Columbus swap meet. I have one of his old pistons when he set a record. 157.98 @ 8.453 315 SS/A. Such a neat guy. He’s an organ repair man. (Explains how the T-Bolt carries such a sweet tune)! Keep rowin’m Ray✊🏻
My Uncle was one of the head FE motor engineers/designers in the 1950's and 1960's. Looking back I wished I would have liked Fords. My Mother (my Uncle's sister) told me this much later in life after he was gone, what I missed out on on not liking Fords. He never mentioned this to me, as I was to interested in Pontiacs at that time. Watching this brought back a lot memories as I was very good with Sticks, and miss power shifting. I enjoyed this as I am 72 and can relate. Still had fun back then, however now just memories, especially in SoCal...
always wanted to know The FE s engineers names & more about them .Chev LS is more less a copy of FE engineering ,too much to list like enginerring .
Realize this is two years old but your uncle surly worked with Mose Nowland
The FE-427, the most versatile engine ever built when it comes to all forms of racing. From the drag strip to LeMans this beast was so reliable. Dan Gurney and AJ foyt were pulling 240 plus miles per hour down the straightaways at LeMans with this engine in 1967 I believe. The 24 hours of LeMans, can you say HIGH endurance?
Born to win engine.
I HOPE TO GET MY 64 FAIRLANE DONE BEFORE I'M 75. I TURN 73 NEXT MONTH. I*be not yet decided on what motor but after riding in my Son*s 2023 Mach 1 the Coyote is a diffenent possibility.
@@normanschwartzjr2564after watching this video, how could you choose another engine ?
Don't forget NASCAR. It won more races than any other big block. The 426 hemi combined with the 426 wedge may have equaled it, but that 427 is an awesome engine.
Awesome video!!! Love how you talked about the history of the car. And the old guy still rowing the boat!!! And shifting at 9000-9200 that’s badass!!!!!!
Ray and Jim, Sorry for your loss, brother Mike Paquet passed away September 19th 2021 after a 3 year battle with cancer.
A fantastic video for Thunderbolt and FE427 fans! Ray Paquet is an amazing guy and gives a great interview.
This should give hope to those who keep being told they are too old to do young mens sports.
What a way to live out your twilight years!
The way he was jammin those gears and kickin the clutch you’d think he Was a young man.
As a former drag racer and now a road course racer, Ray has given me extra incentive to keep piloting my modified Focus RS around the track. At 73, I was just starting to think how much longer I could keep up with six 20 minute track sessions in a day. Now I'm thinking as long as Ray hangs in there, I can hang in there.
Road racin is a bit more physically strenuous that draggin thou. Even in a lightweight Focus.
I know Kurt Neighbor, that Thunderbolt definitely turns 9200 rpm and is an absolute beast.
Kurt and Ray have faced off many times over the years.
My dad Ray Lowe raced his 66 thunderbolt with these guys. I grew up with these guys
I really enjoyed this video, thank you so much for the great interview with this legend! I attended many US NATIONALS during the 70's & 80's. I bought a shirt every year I went,except for the first one,which was 1970 & I was 17. I was there for the 25th & the 50th. I had photo albums full of mostly Fords. There's several photos of the stock class Fairlanes,& S/S Fairlanes & T-Bolts. This includes Ray's cars! If I recall, they ran SS/C back then & now it's SS/A? Also the 427 valves were two piece,if I'm correct. Too high rpm & after awhile they'd come apart. I can't imagine running an FE engine at 9,000 & more! I'm 68 now,I don't know how old Ray is but he sure looks good! It was great to see two Fords in the class finals! Also to run an 8.62 to an 8.80+,Kurt must be shaking his head! I've been living in GA for four years now,they just recently held their last National event at Commerce, GA. It's been held here for I don't know how many years. It will be torn down, just like so many others, so sad! I miss attending Indy,I'd like to get back up there one more time! Fast Fords Forever!❤🇺🇸🏆
What a class gentleman Ray is.
You just keep hitting home runs with these bad ass Fords! This car is a legend! Love the in car footage!
Ray you’re an amazing man! With all those rules you make it work with 8.6 ET ‘s and 9,200 RPM! A very in depth interview with the right questions. Kudos to you both! Thanks guys.
What a car, and what a driver ! Probably the winningest car in drag racing history !!
No, that crown belongs to Dan Fletcher's '69 Camaro.
@@sergeantmasson3669 Based on what, give me the numbers !!
@@sergeantmasson3669 Fairly cool, though not as Real as Ray's car. It's had more engines and trannies than Grandpa's axe. I couldn't believe my eyes looking at an LS high ram fuel injected engine; out of a late model COPO. For cripes sake, Ray wasn't even able to change the orientation of his carbs ! It's always been a 427 FE powered T-Bolt, always 4 speed, always ultra cool !!
You can tell this guy can stand at the back of his car with it running; stick a wetted finger up in the air and tell you what jetting he is going to change the carb to today.... A true tradesman of his trade...
As a man of 77 still racing Formula Ford I appreciate the gentleman. And I know what he means when he says he is grateful he can still do it.
This was the king of the drag strip. The 426 hemi had nothing for this.
Ford always made the best motors.
@@CanIbeFrank that's right
Chrysler and Chevy had to supercharge their engines to keep up
@@CoyoteFTW 😂🤣😂🤣
@@CanIbeFrank +That's funny but far from the truth..This engine type has been replaced by several others including Ford cammer while Chev and Chry used the same style for years.
Good job on some one finally recognizing Ray!
Built Ford tough 👌🏻
I saw him in the early 80s at the strip in Bowling Green. Great car.
Great Tbolt. Rays been around for quite awhile and always having fun.
One of my favorite cars was his 67 Fairlane ... I would watch him kick azz and take names back in the day at US 131 Martin Dragway!!!
Incredible in depth, highly detailed interview! Evan this one was one of your best yet!
Absolutely loved the engine details!
I'm a Chevy guy but I gotta admit two of my favorite cars ever are the t-bolts and Gapp and Roush's TAXI that four door hurt a lot of feelings back in the day
Great video, great interview with a legend. I'm a die hard Chevy guy, but I've always admired the T-Bolt cars, and Ray is as classy as they get. I am still drag racing big blocks at 63, guys like Ray give me hope to keep doing what I love most. May God watch over him and keep him at the track for many more wins. Thanks Evan!
Awesome interview Evan, thank you so much. I am a little partial to the subject!!
Great to see Ray still doing what he loves to do!
His brother Jim is just as awesome, built my C6 to perfection.
Jim built my converter and did a little bit of work to my powerglide. Still going strong!
I used to watch the SS Big Blocks Run in the 1960s and early 70s and in those days there were far more Mechanics who knew how to work on the big V 8s with factory four barrels. There cannot be to many Mechanics left who know how to work on the older V8s, that generation has passed on, except for this knowledgeable older gentleman that owns the 427 and has raced for years. I talked to a Ford Dealership not long ago and they said all there mechanics are trained to computer scan the engines and look for codes, they would not even know how to tune, adjust and trouble shoot a SS like this Beauty.
Great story and still have knowledge , and nice for him that he can still enjoy is passion. 👌👏👍
This guy has to be experienced, man. Imagine being in his pit crew. He's probably a good teacher and absolutely an awesome grampa.
I'm 40 years old and already feeling back pain and just age in general. I am amazed at this old timer, may he still be doing this at 100.
49 years 'n know what, it's up to your mind setup, if ya know what i wanna say...for sure the body gets older 'n the bones are not the same like 30 years ago...but come on as we was young and the back hurts we say "well yesterday it was maybe a little tooooo much, today i relax and tomorrow...full force" but now the most like to say "i'm getting old"...no 'cause age is only a number, for real it's nothing more...my great grand father use to say "life is to short for waisting time and as long something hurts you are still alife, so go for it and make the best out of it, have fun and enjoy each single moment" he die in 1987, with a smile in his face. Sometimes i think that the people back in the days got more life in them, till the last day of there lifes than the young ones...
I loved that video Rev, well done. One of my favorite ss cars. One nasty FE, Fast Engine.
Cant wait until you get that bad Cleveland done :)
Cool guy, very cool car, excellent video.
That would be my dream car. Nothing like the sound of an FE.
I've had a few though my life from an old Galaxy with a 352, a 63 Ford truck with a 390 out of a school bus to transplanting a 428CJ into my 77 4x4 pickup that originally came with a 360.
10,000 upvotes for Ray. And glad you got the interview recorded Evan. You've been getting better all the time.
Very nice content Evan, loved seeing this Thunderbolt in action. My father had a dark blue 1964 K code Fairlane with the 289/271hp 4speed. It was by far his most favorite car that he ever owned. He said that when he would race big block cars on the streets, he would laugh when he would hear their lifters dropping as they tried to match his RPMs. He sold it before he went into the Navy and it was hit by a bus shortly after and scrapped. Though not a ground pounder like the Thunderbolt, it was a decent performer in 1964.
When he discusses the class restrictions, he sounds like a professor.
I've always wanted a Thunderbolt and appreciate what Ray has accomplished 😌 👍👍. Thanks Evan for the great programming of historical enthusiasts , such as Ray and Jack.
Ray thank you for inspiring me, you help turn me into a 64T-Bolt fanatic,iam happy to have a clone, but thats good enough for me, thanks for the inspiration sir, i been watching you race that beautiful car for years💯💯💯👍💪💪💪
Ray is a Drag Racing treasure He brought in the thunderbolt and it's 21st century
I've always loved the thunderbolt and Galaxie lightweight...such awesome factory built race cars
Now that's how you row the gears! A day at the dragstrip is always fun, especially when I am driving! Thanks Evan.
One of my uncles told me about a friend who had acquired a T-bolt back in the mid. 60s after they were no longer factory state of the art. My uncle got a ride in it on a paved county road. Said it was the scariest ride he’d ever took. Awesome what hi g this one going thru the gears.
I remember a pal of mine said his uncle had one and it had a Stuart Warner speedometer and hi uncle showed him 180 mph. Scared the sh*t out of my pal 😊
Thank you for sharing, it's really great to see these older fellas still racing, I have a buddy that is near 80 that is still heavily involved..
Be safe, God Bless!!
I definitely like the
Fairlane THUNDERBOLT!
Have always loved these cars...the Factory race cars: Just AWESOME !
The Ford 427" T Bolts
Pontiac Swiss Cheese race cars, with the 421"
The HEMI Dart & Cudas.
Man....to have had money in the old days, sign me up, I'd have one of each !!
What a sweet car !!!!
I am blown away by this mans knowledge & dedication to the Ford FE & the Thunderbolt, thank you for sharing!!!!
All American v8. The Chrysler Hemi's nemesis.......Long live the Ford FE!
In NASCAR, Ford 427 FE engines won more races than the Chrysler 426 Hemi. Petty got angry about that and switched to Ford until Chrysler developed the aero cars. By 1974, no more big block engines in NASCAR.
@@sergeantmasson3669 Agreed.
I think Ray still does it because, it still gives him a woody. My kind of guy!!
That T-Bolt is a beast! One of my favorite rides of all time...keep shuttin' 'em down, Ray!
I believe this is the same car that Connie Moore bought from Ray back in 1980, then sold it back. Have a ton of pictures. Stood it on the rear bumper at the Winternationals at Pomona. Wish we could post pics.
Great job !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another hidden FORD hero!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That was great Evan. Ray is a real racing hero to me, his car is about the most awesome thing ever.
You are SO right, Tom !!
Excellent interview! Thank you Evan and Ray.
Ray has so many trophies but he only displays a couple of them. Boxes and boxes full of trophies in his attic and in his garage, LOL. I got a kick out of that. I love this guy!
Killer content. Great interview and video Evan. Ray thanks for sharing the Thunderbolt and all the insight.
Outstanding interview. Thanks for doing this.
What a legendary car & driver, and still winning events! Thanks to Ray, for taking the time to share all of that great information. Awesome video.
I remember attending the Double H dragstrip near Blue Ridge GA back in the early 1960s, and a red 1963 or 1964 ford called Thunder Bolt was racing there that day!
Great interview. Fascinating man. Never a dull moment.
Awesome story and great car. Amazing to still banging gears at 75 and winning.
Great video! Love the FE !
Seeing that older fella being still so passionate about his sport brings a smile on my face.. I mean, isn't that how all of us would like to age?
Great guy, great car great interview. Thanks Evan!
Wow! Great video! What a great combo of personality, driver, and car!
What a great guy...love the Car..hes getting it done..my favorite car ever built...I was born in 64...pretty impressive history..
Always like seeing the FEs running. Nothing like the sound of a FE when it is breathing good. Wow
Thanks for making this video. I've been watching this car race since the 70's and it's still one of my top favorite cars to watch. A true treasure!!!
That dude is awesome. Hopefully he’ll be in Bristol in October.
Great video! Always loved the Thunderbolts 👍🏻
It’s great to know there’s still love for the FE!! Thanks Evan!
Really well done Evan. What an awesome guy Ray is. Great to see the two of you share this.
Thank you!
WOW!! Awesome ride Ray! Thanks for all your hard work becoming a legend. So glad I got to see you and your furious fords in action!
Awesome video !! This guy is Great!! 75 and still doing it, reminds me of my Uncle Gene, passed away at 83 last Christmas day. Still out in the shop up until he couldn’t battled cancer for 17 years, He was a hot rod builder and loved to talk as well. Keep up the Great work Evan!!
Thanks
It must be something with us Ford guys. I'm getting up there and age myself and I'm planning a winter build for next season. I want to get back into racing since I'm retired and really do not have much to do. I still remember how great it was when I started racing in the 80s and 90s. Like with this gentleman and like others life gets in the way and you have to change some of your activities.
I've been too worried that I might be too old to do this all over again. Watching your video has really pumped me up. I'm still trying to figure out what Ford I want to run with. almost like every other Ford guy I only raced mustangs. I'm thinking I want something different as long as it's an Ford.
I know it's not much different but I did come across a 67 or 68 cougar. It was someone's project and all the rust has been taken care of and replaced with sheet metal.
I enjoy your channel look forward to watching more.
This thing revs better than most racing small blocks😲... Tesla killer! 💥👍
This was the best clip i've ever seen.
It aroused deep feelings in the people's soul.
Whishes all the best in the competition in the future from a enthusiast from Sweden.😍
Thank you Christer. We’re fans of your countryman Johnnie Lindberg.
A man's car and a man's man banging gears in it. One of my all time favorite cars. Fantastic clip!
Such a professional owner, wrench and driver. Thanks for bringing him to us via YT.
Really love this show! I grew up around the drag strips and thought these cars were the most fun to watch. This is my first introduction to Ray and he is a Hero already...
Wonderful Video Evan. Ray is a true giant in the sport. I cannot wait to meet Ray in the near future and get some pics of that beautiful timeless T-bolt. Thanks for sharing. Cheers from Motown/Dearborn.
I always love videos from the drag strip… great content, great car, great driver 👍