massive grunt

[pipme]

Merlin power !!

http://www.rodshop.com.au/project55p2.htm Almost only in Oz !!

A UK engineer named John Dodds (gear-box guru ) completed the build of a Meteor tank engined, (effectively an unblown Merlin) fi-glass Capri R-R grill etc, some years ago ... attracted much negative publicity for R-R.
Made the news ref high speed runs on autobahn etc .... project died a death, fire I believe.
P

 

[IanDB]

The block looks too big for the body!!

I remember the John Dodds machine. I think he used to live somewhere around Epsom in Surrey. Never saw it but it made the local press.

 

[pipme]

My old friend in Melb uses XXXX rodshop for specialist kit, like bellhousings to marry up non standard gearboxes and engines etc.

Dodds was (eventually) cornered by a rich German after a burn on a 'bahn ....... desperate to buy the 'beast' which had buried said Germs Porsche at something over 200 mph ....... At least, that's how the story goes !!

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[AdamW]

Reminds me of my work experience at McLaren.

I spent the time building F1 LM roadcars (jumped out of bed every morning, couldn't wait to get to work!) and one day they took me to the plant in Woking where they finished the cars off.

They demonstrated the remote diagnostic system. Basically a mobile phone and modem wired into the engine management. If you have problems with your car then you ring up Mclaren, they ring up the car and perform diagnostics. They can even turn the engine on and off. They will then tell you if you need to call your mechanic (every car came with a full tool chest and the assumption that you had your own mechanic).

Anyway, oneday they received a call from a German, let's call him Gunther. Anyway, the phone call went something like this:

"Guten Tag, mein Mclaren nicht ist moving, it isn't"
"OK, we'll see if we can diagnose the problem."
5 minutes pass, the tests are run.
"Well, Mr Gunther, we think we know what it is. We have traced the problem to the engine management and telemetry recording system. The sensors are malfunctioning, in fact they are giving readings of continuous speeds of 220mph+ for extended time periods."
"Ja, that is correct."

Basically, this guy was a very wealthy businessman who used his new car in order to cut the commute time from his family home to his office, 200 miles away. So at dawn he would strap in and drive the whole lot in about an hour! Crazy man!

 

[IanDB]

The sensors are malfunctioning, in fact they are giving readings of continuous speeds of 220mph+ for extended time periods."

What? It couldn't handle a gentle cruise at 220+? Not buying one of those then.

 

[pipme]

McLaren ......Too poncy by half .... get the big Merlin rotating at 3500 rpm. stuffed in the old Capri look-a-like body wiv R-R grill. Imagine that starting / stuttering up, on a cold winter morning !!
Mind you, the Can-Am series McLaren sports cars were something else in the days of yore !! ..... saw Bruce McLaren back then too !!

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[pipme]

The sensors are malfunctioning, in fact they are giving readings of continuous speeds of 220mph+ for extended time periods."

What? It couldn't handle a gentle cruise at 220+? Not buying one of those then.

That's Naff all compared to 35 mph down Nempnett hill, on the Fordson Major, in neutral !! (that's fifth gear in these parts, sixth for a five speeder)

P

 

[AdamW]

Didn't that guy get put in prison for his Jensen-Interceptor/Reliant Scimitar/Volvo P1800/Ford Capri look-alike? They ordered him to stop driving it (although how you could do that if it has tax, MOT and insurance I do not know!) but he stuck two fingers up at them and carried on.

Two-speed automatic gearbox as well! Possibly a PowerGlide but I am not that knowledgable on running gear.

I seem to recall seeing Top Gear or similar, where they had the actual car. Starting it up involved lots of switches and buttons to do things like prime the fuel pump, charge the starter cap, etc... A pre-flight checklist, pretty much! Not a matter of key in ignition, turn it.

Probably wasn't too bad for cold starts, aircraft engines have to function in huge temperature variations.