Drag racing enthusiasts will have plenty to consider at Mecum Auctions’ Kissimmee 2017 classic and collector car auction. An impressive group of early muscle cars and vintage drag cars hailing from the collections of Don Fezell and Jackie and Gary Runyon will be among the headlining vehicles of more than 3,000 cars at the world’s largest collector car auction, to be held Jan. 6-15.

The Don Fezell collection includes 43 high-quality collector cars including a quartet of Chevrolet Impala Z11 lightweight drag racers — one that features the Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins-prepared “Old Reliable IV,” the most famous Z11 ever built. The Fezell lineup also includes a trio of 1968 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet Lightweights, of which only 51 were produced for drag racing. Fezell’s collection incudes cars from drivers such as Jenkins, Dave Strickler, Phil Bonner, Ed Miller and Bud Faubel; represents classes such as A/FX, S/S and A/MP; plus includes engines such as the Z11, Hemi and Cobra Jet.

The Runyons will offer a rare Lee Smith altered-wheelbase 1965 Plymouth Belvedere A/FX “Haulin Hemi II” and the 1963 Pontiac Catalina “Swiss Cheese” that was sponsored by America’s Largest Pontiac Dealer — Packer Pontiac of Detroit. Nearly 50 cars from the Runyon Collection are set to cross the auction block.

www.mecum.com

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Breaking News! The restoration of the “barn find” Phil Bonner 1964 Ford Thunderbolt continues on schedule in Georgia under the careful eye of Donald Allen.

Story and photos by Al Rogers

Under the direction of owner Donald Allen, the restored Phil Bonner Thunderbolt “barn find” will be unveiled at the 2015 Muscle Car & Corvette Nationals on Saturday, November 21, on the show floor of the Donald E Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.

In January 2015, I was on hand for the discovery of the Thunderbolt originally owned and raced by the late Phil Bonner. It had been stowed away in a pole barn awaiting a total make-over for nearly 20 years. The previous owner, Hal Reed, purchased it nearly 30 years earlier upon finding it tucked under a porch in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Due to health reasons, Reed sold the Thunderbolt to Donald Allen who is recognized and respected in the “Ford World” as one of the best restorers of performance Galaxies, Fairlanes and Thunderbolts. Allen has been at it for nearly 35 years and put his mark on more than 3,000 Fords during his stellar career. He’s restored Thunderbolts once owned and raced by Dick Brannan, Steve Hornell, Milo Coleman and others. Each of these Thunderbolts are award winners.

Since the discovery, new owner Donald Allen has been on a mission to restore the Bonner Thunderbolt to a level that would make the late Phil “Daddy Warbucks” Bonner proud. A great deal of time, expense and passion has gone into the restoration process. Every nut, bolt, body panel and component has been carefully verified before it is installed.

The highs and lows of the journey have made the restoration likewise memorable. Preston Bonner, the grandson of Phil, came forward to offer his support to the restoration. Larry Davis from the Thunderbolt Owner’s Association has provided his expertise and knowledge with the verification and documentation during the restoration process.

One of the highlights was having Wayne Blackwood — a close friend to the late Phil Bonner and onetime drag racer for Carey Paul Ford in Decatur, Georgia — reach out to Donald Allen. Blackwood had valuable information that could only be supplied by a true race car driver who was there for the significant happenings. He and Phil Bonner had a friendship exceeding 50 years. The information will have an impact on the appearance and look of the finished “Phil Bonner Thunderbolt.” It’s fair to say it changed the course of direction Donald Allen took with the restoration.

Join Donald Allen, Hal Reed, Preston Bonner and others during the restored Bonner Thunderbolt’s unveiling at the 2015 Muscle Car &Corvette Nationals in Rosemont, Illinois, on November 21, 2015. For more information, check out the official show link at www.mcacn.com .

We’ll have more to share about the Bonner Thunderbolt restoration in the future. Stay tuned!

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Story and photos by Al Rogers

On a brisk morning last January, this 1964 Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt emerged from 40 years of hiding. It had been stowed untouched for the last two decades in a non-descript barn in northern Georgia. Although the Thunderbolt had been hidden under the radar for decades, a handful of Thunderbolt hunters had knocked on the owner’s door in hopes of finding the car or its current whereabouts. All were rebuffed.

That hidden Thunderbolt held a special piece of racing history, and the owner knew it. Ford Motor Co. had provided it to Phil Bonner as a replacement to his original burgundy Thunderbolt after a member of Bonner’s racing team took his first Thunderbolt on a pass at Paradise Dragway in Calhoun, Ga., and rolled it.

Plans are underway for Bonner’s second Thunderbolt to receive a rotisserie restoration by the new owner who has already restored a handful of award-winning Thunderbolts and Ford factory lightweights. He purchased the Thunderbolt with the intent to restore it back to the way it looked when Dearborn Steel Tubing (DST) initially performed its magic to those select few 1964 Ford Fairlane destined for drag racing glory.

The April 2 issue ofOld Cars Weeklywill showcase the long-lost 1964 Phil Bonner Ford Thunderbolt as it was photographed by Al Rogers during its recovery. Rogers had the pleasure to be on hand and followed the process as it was removed from the pole barn where it had been stowed for the last 20 years of its 40-some years in hiding. Rogers will also provide updates of the Thunderbolt’s authentic restoration in coming issues ofOld Cars Weekly.

Related Resources
Standard Catalog of Ford, 1903-2002 book

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