75 and still running a 4 speed 8 second car. God bless you, Ray!

This car would run 11's, straight from the showroom floor, back in 1964. Fast by today's standards.....AWESOME!!!

Fear starts with FE

The most dedicated FE racer of all time!

The thunderbolt is one of if not most favorite cars ever made, love the fact that this one is still competing and wining.

It's good to see a youngster still banging gears and winning trophies. I'm 77.

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.

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.

The sickest FE. What a ride man!

Ray is such a class act. Real down to earth gentleman. Congrats Ray!👍

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

Built Ford tough 👌🏻

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🍺

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?

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.

Amazing racing history with that car and he is a wealth of knowledge. I could listen to him talk all day. Thanks for sharing

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.

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!

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.

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!!!!!!

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✊🏻

I saw him in the early 80s at the strip in Bowling Green. Great car.

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..

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...

What a car, and what a driver ! Probably the winningest car in drag racing history !!

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...

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.

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!!!

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 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!❤🇺🇸🏆

Good job on some one finally recognizing Ray!

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.

A fantastic video for Thunderbolt and FE427 fans! Ray Paquet is an amazing guy and gives a great interview.

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

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.

You just keep hitting home runs with these bad ass Fords! This car is a legend! Love the in car footage!

Awesome interview Evan, thank you so much. I am a little partial to the subject!!

His brother Jim is just as awesome, built my C6 to perfection.

Great job !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Another hidden FORD hero!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All American v8. The Chrysler Hemi's nemesis.......Long live the Ford FE!

This thing revs better than most racing small blocks😲... Tesla killer! 💥👍

I definitely like the Fairlane THUNDERBOLT!

Great Tbolt. Rays been around for quite awhile and always having fun.

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!

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 !!

I loved that video Rev, well done. One of my favorite ss cars. One nasty FE, Fast Engine.

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.

Incredible in depth, highly detailed interview! Evan this one was one of your best yet! Absolutely loved the engine details!

This was the king of the drag strip. The 426 hemi had nothing for this.

Great to see Ray still doing what he loves to do!

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.

When he discusses the class restrictions, he sounds like a professor.

Great story and still have knowledge , and nice for him that he can still enjoy is passion. 👌👏👍

10,000 upvotes for Ray. And glad you got the interview recorded Evan. You've been getting better all the time.

That dude is awesome. Hopefully he’ll be in Bristol in October.

I think Ray still does it because, it still gives him a woody. My kind of guy!!

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.

Ray is a Drag Racing treasure He brought in the thunderbolt and it's 21st century

Dude, I hope I'm still driving a damn street car at 75!! LOL awesome vid!

Always like seeing the FEs running. Nothing like the sound of a FE when it is breathing good. Wow

I've always loved the thunderbolt and Galaxie lightweight...such awesome factory built race cars

Love the Thunderbolt, but that red '63 Galaxie...WOW!!!

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.

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.

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💯💯💯👍💪💪💪

Great video! Love the FE !

I have seen him and this car at the Ford FE reunion here in PA.

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 !

Now that's how you row the gears! A day at the dragstrip is always fun, especially when I am driving! Thanks Evan.

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.

FE engines are my overall favorite v8 in existence! I am interested in the 352 w forged steel crank, topped with some edelbrock performer aluminum heads with the bumpiest stick I can find as well as dual quads!

What a sweet car !!!!

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!

I saw him run at us 131 in1975 with his Fairlane he came off the line and Exploded the 9 inch gear

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.

Awesome story and great car. Amazing to still banging gears at 75 and winning.

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!!

FE 4 LIFE!

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?

That dude is awesome, saw the car when I was a kid at the Dutch Classic years ago.

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!

Man that’s cool that’s one lucky guy I’m 29 and wish I would have been able to go check out the traces in the 70s and keep doing so till now that’s badass

Really well done Evan. What an awesome guy Ray is. Great to see the two of you share this.

I've always been amazed how much can be squeezed out of an NA nearly stock spec engine.

RP, Sir, you are drinking from the Ak Miller font of youth. Drag Gone Awesome. Tell him Revan!

That was great Evan. Ray is a real racing hero to me, his car is about the most awesome thing ever.

What a cool car. Awesome that he's still shifting gears (@ 9200 ! ) Wow ! (I think i'd want some rollbar padding on that bar next to his head with all the paint worn off).

Thanks Evan. Great content as usual .

Wow, just wow. If I had a 427 Fairlane and a Hemi Dart, I'd be in bliss...

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.

I am blown away by this mans knowledge & dedication to the Ford FE & the Thunderbolt, thank you for sharing!!!!

That T-Bolt is a beast! One of my favorite rides of all time...keep shuttin' 'em down, Ray!

Sounds crazy ! . Keep it up man . Great car, great engine .

What a great guy...love the Car..hes getting it done..my favorite car ever built...I was born in 64...pretty impressive history..

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.😍

Outstanding! I love Thunderbolts and that dude can drive for being 75!

What a guy!! Keep it up Ray!!!

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!!

Ray and Jim, Sorry for your loss, brother Mike Paquet passed away September 19th 2021 after a 3 year battle with cancer.