Twin engine dragsters--old photos | FerrariChat
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Twin engine dragsters--old photos

Discussion in 'American Muscle' started by AnotherDunneDeal, May 7, 2007.

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  1. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

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    #1 AnotherDunneDeal, May 7, 2007
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    I have been contributing a lot of photos to a thread in the Texas section on photos taken at Green Valley Raceway in Smithfield, Texas and got away from just photos from there to old drag racing photos. Thought maybe they should be moved to here. Anyone have some they would like to contribute? These are on the old pioneer twin engine cars.

    1. Fritz Voigt, Mickey Thompson twin engine 4WD car.
    2. The Bean Bandits, twin flatheads
    3. Lefty Mudersbach twin rear end car. How do you do the engineering on this???
    4. Twin Ford Indy engines. 5 were bought for $3500 when rules changes took place.
    5 Eddie Hill twin Pontiac in 1961 or 62
    6. Same car in color
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  2. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

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    #2 AnotherDunneDeal, May 7, 2007
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  3. of2worlds

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    #3 of2worlds, May 7, 2007

    James- new location here but still more great pictures! Pic #5 with the Pontiac Grand Prix pushcar is probably 1962 based on the car.
     
  4. of2worlds

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    #4 of2worlds, May 7, 2007
    The 'Freight Train' had quite a following...any pictures of that dragster running?
    CH
     
  5. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

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    #5 AnotherDunneDeal, May 7, 2007
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    I

    I think I located a few.......

    1. Freight Train with Bob Muravez driving. Bob's family did not like him driving so he quit. The Freight Train did not qualify at all in the next four months so Bob got back in under John's name and set the AA/GD speed record as the first gas powered dragster over 200 mph. He later acquired the alias "Floyd Lippencott Jr" and drove the car to four national event wins.

    2. Bob Muravez, aka Floyd Lippencott Jr, with the car at the NHRA museum.

    3. Freight Train at Pomona

    4. Freight Train owner John Peters, still owns the car......
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  6. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

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    #6 AnotherDunneDeal, May 7, 2007
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    And how about the innovative Mickey Thompson?

    1. Mickey in car in the 60's
    2. Mickey's 1954 Pan American car
    3. Mickey's twin engine rail
    4. Mickey Thompson's Challenger 1 Land speed record car
    5. Challenger 1 during 406.60 mph land speed run. Did not make backup run due to the left front engine exploding at 8000 rpm when the transmission shifter for that engine accidentally shifted transmission into neutral and allowed engine to "freewheel". Car would have undoubtedly beaten the old record of 394 mph if the engine had not let go. This disspels the rumor that a driveshaft had broken. This car had no driveshafts...........
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  7. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

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    #7 AnotherDunneDeal, May 7, 2007
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  8. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

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    #8 AnotherDunneDeal, May 7, 2007
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  9. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

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    #9 AnotherDunneDeal, May 7, 2007
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  10. Prugna 328

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    #10 Prugna 328, May 7, 2007
    Very cool old photos
     
  11. stevehuck

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    #11 stevehuck, May 7, 2007
    Tommy Ivo had a 4 engine station wagon called the showboat or something like that.
     
  12. AnotherDunneDeal

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    #12 AnotherDunneDeal, May 7, 2007
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    If you will go to the Texas section you will find several pictures of The Showboat including the Hot Rod Magazine cover. It originally started in 1961 as a 4WD, four engine dragster. The body was added later for showmanship. It was also used in the Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello movie, Bikini Beach in the dragster form.......
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  13. AnotherDunneDeal

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    #13 AnotherDunneDeal, May 7, 2007
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    This is one of my old altereds. It is the last one I had in the late 80"s. Had a big block 454 with a single 900 CFM carb and a powerglide. Dynoed out at 650hp. Ran a best of 8.96, 168 mph. Usually ran very low 9's in low 160's, It came on real strong on the top end. Was usually a little squirrely off the line and a bear to drive if it chose to wheelie..........

    Engine could go a whole season without being rebuilt. Transmission----about every two outings it needed to be gone through. Man that got pricey after a while.
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  14. TMINUS

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    #14 TMINUS, May 7, 2007
    AnotherDunneDeal - Do you have 1/4 times for any of those retro twin engine dragsters?

    Thanks,

    -TMINUS
     
  15. AnotherDunneDeal

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    #15 AnotherDunneDeal, May 7, 2007
    Let me check. I know I have some but I will have to find them..........Any car in particular??

    Okay, here goes some......

    Tommy Ivo twin injected Buicks on gas 8.69 180 mph in early 1960's
    Ivo 4 engine Showboat, 1720 hp, 3555 lbs. 9.14 170 mph
    Chris Karamesines Chizler 1960 Nationals 175.78 mph on gas
    Bill Collier twin injected Chevrolets 1956 130 mph
    Freight Train twin supercharged 1964 8.23 185.94 on gas. Later became the first gas dragster over 200 mph.
    Eddie Hill twin supercharged Pontiacs 1964 8.31 183.70 Later ran a longer chassied car that went over 200 mph.

    I will try to find others as time allows......
     
  16. AnotherDunneDeal

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    #16 AnotherDunneDeal, May 8, 2007
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    Here is the Showboat with a station wagon body on it.
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  17. AnotherDunneDeal

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    #17 AnotherDunneDeal, May 8, 2007
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    Wow, try to figure out the technology on this car of Lefty Mudersbach.

    Twin engines mount kinda side by side. One, however sits a good 12-18 inches further forward than the other. Also ran two separate rear differentials and four rear slicks offset from each other. Really a weird looking setup........

    The best I remember, we lost Lefty in 1968 at 36 years old.......I wonder what he would have innovated if he had been with us longer?

    Lefty was the only gas powered dragster ever to win overall "Top Eliminator" at the Bakersfield March Meet when he did it in 1961. He ran 8.50 at 180 mph in 1961 to win top fuel on gas and beat a field of 75 other fuel powered cars.......
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  18. of2worlds

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    #18 of2worlds, May 8, 2007
    James it is amazing to see the 'Freight Train' still exists today. Mickey Thompson had many great cars. He seemed to be well connected in that he got some experimental equipment from manufacturers to.
    The old racers had some unusual solutions to getting down the track...
    CH
     
  19. AnotherDunneDeal

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    #19 AnotherDunneDeal, May 8, 2007
    Mickey and Fritz had been out with the twin engine 4WD car and Mickey told Fritz to stop by a wrecking yard so they could buy four engines to lay out in the shop when designing Challenger 1. They took them to the shop and laid them out in the mockup frame and a rep from Pontiac came by to see it. Pontiac wanted them to use the Pontiac 389 in the car and offered it to them for $1 per engine. Mickey said, "I'll take 25 and gave the rep $25.
     
  20. AnotherDunneDeal

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    #20 AnotherDunneDeal, May 8, 2007
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  21. AnotherDunneDeal

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    #21 AnotherDunneDeal, May 8, 2007
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  22. of2worlds

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    #22 of2worlds, May 8, 2007
    Mickey Thompson; ever the business man... very cool story!
    CH
     
  23. AnotherDunneDeal

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    #23 AnotherDunneDeal, May 8, 2007
    Mickey held his hand pretty close to his chest so as not to reveal his intentions. This story was told by Fritz. He also told the true story that completely blew the story that the Challenger 1 had broken a driveshaft on the backup run to the record attempt.

    He said that you never wanted to say anything that would cast a negative light on your sponsor if you expected to keep them so they had to come up with a reason other than the fact that one of the Pontiac engines let go. The real story was that on the return run Mickey began to accelerate up and upshifted. The shift linkage to the left front transmission bound slightly and put the tranny in neutral instead of moving up a gear. This allowed the left front engine to freewheel and when he hit full throttle the engine accelerated up to 8000 rpm and let loose. The fact is that a driveshaft could not have broken because the car did not have driveshafts. The transmissions were directly bolted to the differentials. There was also no suspension at all on the car so if the salt got bumpy it transmitted all the bumps straight to the steering wheel. Ouch!!!!

    It was not until several years after Mickey's murder that Fritz revealed what really happened. I wonder what other skeletons are in those closets????
     
  24. of2worlds

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    #24 of2worlds, May 8, 2007
    Yes, more tales to be told from LA LA Land... When in doubt; always follow the money.
    CH
     
  25. AnotherDunneDeal

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    #25 AnotherDunneDeal, May 9, 2007
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