DEAN "DINO" ARNOLD has been building quality cars and customs of all varities for almost four decades. AND, in the Fall of 2008, he totally turned the Industry upside-down with one of the most unique pieces of machinery that you'll ever see ! It was THE HIT of the 2008 SEMA Show.
It's based on a '61 Thunderbird, it's called "ThunderFlite", and it would make Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, and, George Jetson wish they could've had one when they were Patrolling the Universe !
Again, we gathered May 15th & 16th at Darryl Starbird's National Rod & Custom Hall Of Fame/Museum of this year for the 14th Annual Induction Ceremonies. Dino was Inducted as the Builder/Owner for 2009, and the afternoon before the Ceremonies we spent some time talking about how "ThunderFlite" was created, the tragedies that happened during the build, and, the determination & faith that pulled the car together.
I truly respect Dino for what he did, and how he did it...and I hope his story influences those of you who have thoughts of "dropping out", but find the will to forge ahead in the face of any problems you may encounter to finish your projects. Once you hear his story, you will understand that YOU CAN DO IT AND YOU WILL SURVIVE ! JK\
Top Photo Courtesy of Ron Kimball/Kimballstock. Please check-out his great pix & books available for purchase at: http://kimballstock.com/blog/auto/labels/thunderflite.html
Above Photo Courtesy of Frank Filippinio at Frank Filippinio/Weblogs, Inc: http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/09/sema-2008-custom-thunderflite-t-bird-soars/
Be Sure To See The Official ThunderFlite WebSite For Complete Info & Pix: http://www.thunderflite.com/
