Allison V-12's how many racers used them?

Around here locally back in the 60s. There was a guy that had a 1958 chevy with the 283 still in the engine bay, but an allison placed behind the front seats. It was covered with sheet metal, so no one would know. The only clue was the large tail pipes. The guy had it built to set backwards hooked to the cars driveline. He used the 283 for driving around and the allison for blowing the local rodders away. He would never race a quarter mile, but race at least a flying mile. he would get up to around 45-50 mph and use the 283 engine driveline speed as a clutch starter for the allison, then fly past his compe***ion. At the end of the race, they would be pissed and ask to see the engine and he would pop the hood and show them the little 283 engine. It was one of my dad's friends and my dad use to have pictures of the car.

 

E J Potter (Michigan Madman) was into them too....Pulling tractors, drag cars.......



He did all kinds of weird stuff...was best know for his v8 bike....Widowmaker.



Here is another...how would you like to ride this?



And, you though Evel Kneivel was crazy........................

 

Wasnt there a 64 chevelle altered wheelbase car? anyone have pics?

 

I read an article about the chevelle a couple of years ago cant remember where though.
Is the mooneyes streamliner allison powered?

Thanks for all the reply's and pics guys!!!
Chad

 

I stumbled across this on the net, off topic, but it is just to crazy not to share with everybody. Has anyone ever seen it before?
Thanks!
Chad

 

I believe that was another of Jim Lytle's things -- along with Big Al, the Isetta, the Topolino and the White Truck.

 

I've posted this one before, but it's appropriate for the topic.

Tex Collins' Mustang from Funny Car Pictorial #2.

 

That Chevelle was built by Ed Wood in Bakersfield, California in the early 70's. It ran 4 AFB carbs up front and was bolted to a Turbo 400 trans.

 

Speed boats and aircraft racers, mostly. But some famous race cars, too.

 

E.J Potter had a 57 plymouth , a three wheeler, And also a valient wagon , plus a VW bus with one also.

 

Jocko's streamliner the list goes on.

 

Wouldn't mind having a set of 2.41 Pontiac rear gears. 2.56 was the highest I knew about...

 

The Allison is only 1710ci so a bit lame in the size stakes......

You need to up the stakes to 2500ci and the wonderful noise made by a Packard 4M-2500 V12 out of a PT boat

 

If the car guys would have had the info on making Allison’s go fast that the unlimited boat guys had in the late 50's, they could have done something impressive but they couldn’t carry enough water for even a quarter mile run. It would be different with modern technology.

We did all of the machine work on the prototype fuel injection that became standard on most of the boat engines later on. Fuel mixture for 4000 hp at 5200 rpm was, 1 lb of fuel, 3 lb. of air, 21 lb. of water. Manifold pressure was 90 psi. 2 stage centrifugal supercharger.

We ground hundreds of cams for both the Allison and the Rolls and made many sets of high compression pistons for those engines.

The hp level attainable with those old piston engines is more than adequate to run ahead of the turbine boats of today but at an extremely high maintenance cost.

 

Sounds real nice!

Are they afraid to show the right side of that car?

 

He also traveled around the world repairing them and named his daughter Alison.

 

Here's a famous Hacker on lake Tahoe that has twins in it. Not a car, but hamb friendly age wise...

 

The car is called Big Al

 

In the early sixties, Autopower was flame cutting header flanges for Allison’s, Merlins and Packards. The vast majority went to the unlimited hydroplane racers. Never failed to be amazed at how big the market was for these engines.

 

Ed Snyder was Art Arfons neighbor and crew member.

There was also another Mustang funny car with an Allison called "Iron Horse". I remember some racing mag from around 1970 had a full color feature on it (Super Stock & Drag Illustrated?).

 

Pete1 made a pretty valid statement in post 44. Both that they made serious power in the old piston powered unlimited hydros and that the expense of keeping them up was astronomical. They also used up a big part of the supply of surplus Allison engines. In the 50's they could be bought surplus for pennies on the dollar still in the crate. It was a big deal to listen to the Gold cup in Seattle on the radio in the 50's and 60's or watch the hydro races on TV but when they changed to turbine power a lot of that was lost. They were a lot more reliable in most respects though.

 

Another thread. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/jim-lytle-a-little-snapshot-history.1178512/

 

E J Potter (Michigan Madman) had a 1957 Plymouth and a Dodge Dart station wagon powered by Allison engines. He was most famous for his Chevy powered motorcycles but did the cars and pulling tractors with Allison’s later.

Not car related but Allison’s and Rolls Royce Merlins were used in unlimited hydroplane racing in 50’s 60’s before they started to use turbine engines.

 

Here is the 57 Plymouth with Allison engine.

 

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/thr...eet-legal-1710ci-allison-v12-powered-monster/

 

I saw the twin rear tire Green Monster run. Sounded like a prop airplane in the process of getting up enough speed to take off when it ran. The front engine fuel dragsters of the time were more of a smell-sound sensation for me.

 

Just about all aircraft engines designed to use a prop make all their horsepower and torque at very low rpm’s compared to automotive engines. For aircraft engines with the prop attached directly to the crankcase it’s about 2500 rpm’s. The Allison engine designed rpm was about 3000 rpm and used a reduction gearbox to drive prop. The reason for such low rpm’s is that Propeller rpm’s over about 2500 cause the tips of the propeller to go supersonic causing cavitation, different frequency of vibrations that actually destroy itself.

Even at such low rpm’s these engines are torque monsters. But the sound you describe was probably a launch at low rpm with the wheels being seriously overdriven compared to a 8000 rpm plus launch of automotive engine.

 

Here are some more pictures of the Chevelle. I remember when that magazine came out.
I liked the way he changed the body to fit the engine.

 

Jim Lytle has since p***ed away but had shown a running engine at Famous Raceway a couple times. Eventually the engine p***ed away also. While in Hawaii he was building an Allison powered VW van, I do not know if he ever finished it.