So while Chad was rolling around the the center part of the US last weekend at the rainy Goodguys Show and then at Kyle’s Ice Cream Cruise, I was in good ol’ Epping, NH, rocking the microphone at New England Dragway. When Saturday racing was finished, “post race activities” ensued which included a couple adult beverages and a patrol of the pits to see who was thrashing, who was partying, and who could potentially be victimized in a turned over porta-potty.
Before we were able to execute any porta-potty hi-jinx, we stumbled upon the pit spot of a racer in full on thrash mode, swapping the popped small block Chevy out of his early Chevy II for a more mild mouse. While that’s kind of neat, but not all that interesting on its face, things got way cooler when we recognized that this car was powered by propane and it had a set of totally weirdo carbs on the top of a tunnel ram. Between the huge regulators, threaded pipe and elbow fittings, along with the fact that it was on a fringe equipped rug, we dug it. We’ve seen propane carbs on forklifts and stuff before but never a pair and NEVER a pair of them on a damned tunnel ram.
This experience leads us back to the question of the day because it was the coolest weirdo thing we’ve seen in some time.
What’s the coolest weirdo automotive thing you’ve seen recently?
I vaguely recall an article in one of the lesser hot rod type magazines from the early to mid 70’s about a 1969 Dodge Charger equipped with a set-up like this for drag racing. I thought it was called the Gas-X. Turns out I was only a bit wrong.
Here’s the info.
http://www.streetlegaltv.com/news/hybrids-that-haul-dodges-69-hemi-%E2%80%9Ccharger-x%E2%80%9D-ran-on-propane/
A supercharger on a flathead V8 – don’t often see that.
What about the S.Co.T. blowers (and repops)? You can hardly throw a cat in the Rodder’s Journal or Street Rodder editorial suites without hitting photos of another S.Co.T.-blown flattie (or an Ardun-headed V8 with an aluminum lung).
If you watched the US Nats on ESPN Sunday, they had a short clip of a new dragster – a diesel using dual turbos – made about 3500 hp.
Turbos were outlawed in the top digger class before the technology could develop …
Definitely hadn’t seen that before.
There were some prime examples out at Bonneville Speed Week. The most awesome one I saw may have been a Model A Ford flathead four banger with a one-off DOHC cylinder head that looked like an overgrown Toyota 4AGE piece. Built by Pete Aardema, as you may have guessed…
Three mains and probably ten cam bearings . . . sounds like a plan (or an imitation Frontenac Ford).
an old pontiac 4 cylinder with a4 71 blower in a rear engine flat fender jeep tube frame dragster. this was acouple years ago at mission race way, Ithink it was a old sand dragster. sounded wicked
They were at Bonneville with it last year! That is definitely out there and cool!
I went and looked at a 70s F100 that has a inline 6 with a butane, yes butane similar to that, guy was asking 400 bux but the truck has way too much rust for me
Not all that uncommon a setup in Australia – lots of us run LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas, propane / butane mix) over here – I run an Impco setup on a 351 Cleveland in a 1973 XB Falcon coupe. Most service stations over here have LPG pumps – around 60 cents a litre compared to about $1.40 a litre for unleaded petrol. Have a look at http://www.gasresearch.com.au/ – Gas Research Australia do lots of high perf / turbo / supercharged type stuff – check out the gallery on there. With the big distances we tend to travel over here LPG makes it very economical – I’ve always been a bit surprised its not that big in USA….
Evinrude 2-stroke V8 in a sandrail. Not that I’ve seen it personally but the video of it on the dyno made me want to find a Fiero or a Vega and put one in!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRKeuHyI0lw
A Big Block Chevy Can-Am Fuel Injection Manifold at Super Chevy Maple Grove back in the 90’s. The Injector stacks were made from old Raid Bug Killer spray cans. Awesome looking.