What was the engine displacement of the Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt?
Answer
427 cu in
The Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt used a 427-cubic-inch V8.
Ford created the Thunderbolt for drag racing during the 1964 model year. Engineers put the high-rise 427 Ford FE engine—originally intended for the much larger Galaxie—into a lightweight Fairlane two-door post sedan. That combination gave the car an exceptional power-to-weight ratio.
The engine used dual four-barrel Holley carburetors and was officially rated at 425 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, with 480 pound-feet of torque. Performance estimates based on speed and weight suggested that its actual output was considerably higher. The 427 designation refers to displacement, not horsepower.
Only 100 Thunderbolts were produced: 49 with four-speed manual transmissions and 51 with automatic transmissions. The car was built with help from Dearborn Steel Tubing rather than on Ford’s normal production line, and it became central to Ford’s 1964 NHRA Super Stock campaign.