I won't p*** tech for an ARRAY of reasons...to get it to p*** tech would destroy the cars intent. It represents the wildest, in fact is in some cases, a dramatization of, ideas/concepts of this era's drag cars...to change it to meet tech at an NHRA event is to re-engineer the entire car. It's cool looking the way it is, its not a street car, its not a race car, its kind of a tribute, I suppose....and art. Its fun to look at, anyway...and I think I'd be afraid to make full p*** in it... Even if it only went in the 13's...60" wheelbase and no visibility + skating around on those hard-*** slicks!!!? Ouch...
Holy freaking poo poo boys. Another real race car!!!!!!!!!!!! Damn, a blown pony with 8 freaking carbs. How cool is that? Hey, bring that mean looking ***** to the HAMBS at MOKAN and the next weekend to Ardmore, OK. We can do some real "old fashion" match racing. Damn that thing looks good.
I do love this car and its cartoonish look!!! But throw some seatbelts in the thing and it should be fine at any track down to 10 seconds. **** at the local test and tunes ya don't even need a helmet over 12 seconds!!!! Let's see a real p***!!!
Any drag strip outside of California... ***uming it's got the basics in safety covered. It's damn hard to hold a proper race out west with insurance being how it is...
Do some local advertising for the Hamb Drags with the PPE and it would probably double the attendees.
Man.. I bet for Marky that was a dream come true. Way cool and glad you guys were able to help him out.
It's going to be hard to find any NHRA track that will let him make a full p***. If it was just a roll cage issue they might let him make one p***, but if there are several tech issues - no way. But, I sure would like to see that thing let loose!
I was there. It was awesome, even though it launched, and basically ran at idle the rest of the way.....with a few blips on the throttle as it went. Get a parachute on that beast. Kudoz for the effort.
Not in WA.....pretty strict around here. It would RULE if this car were to tear down the track at MoKan....it's a real shame to have cars like this sit, blip the throttle a few times and idle down a track....
That's the sad reality thanks to the "Somebody's gotta pay!" ***-****ers out here on the left koast and the law mill that services'em. Still, we are making a few tiny inroads. ANRA, etc. Now if we could just find a way to keep the leeches from breeding it'd only take one generation ......... Did I just think that or did I type it? It was a good p*** to see all the same gentlemen, nice buggy.
Man, things are greatly different btwn. South Jersey and Maryland then, too...because It would never run here. They are pretty strict here, on my part of the right coast, too...maybe, MAYBE 1/8th mile...for certain events, but not normally. What track is it in Maryland that will let you run without belts? Cecil County? I've never run Cecil. I had toyed with doing the truck "period perfect"...then I remembered I actually wanted to use it for what it was intended for. No way around it here...gotta p*** tech.
It was a serious question...not ball breakin'...Sorry I quoted you wrong, I meant what track lets you run without a helmet slower than 12 seconds? Is it in Maryland? I know they are tight up here...Not allowed on the track for any reason without a helmet and belts.
I may be wrong about the speed and helmets.....I know that many of the drivers of slower cars don't wear a helmet!! It may be 15 secs. not too sure. I do know that not much tech goes on for the slower cars on a Friday street night. Belts, long pants, windows up all the normal ****. Next time I go up, I'll pay closer attention!!!! Oh yeah.....it's Cecil!!
I have always loved this car. From the first time I saw it on the cover of Rod and Custom. A very big inspiration. The HAMB is a traditional car forum. Not a mustang or LS forum. And it is a shame that so many people dont "get it" about the Purple People Eater. It is a period perfect traditional race car. Built with an old dragster engine. To bring it up to NHRA specs would ruin that car. I dont care if it runs 30 second quarters it is bad ***. I know it runs alot better than that. There is video of him lauching it some where. I have seen. But my point is , everyone in todays age expects everything to run 8s like the shoot out cars. Those cars are the out come of 40 years of Research and Development. By back yard hot rodders and by profesional shops combined. I went to all the fastest street car shoot outs in the early 90s. I remember seeing a low 9 second 10 inch tire car with a chute on the back for the first time. Wow. The next year three cars ran 8s. The next year the whole field was in the 8s. Ten years before that if you had a low 11 second street car you probably were the fastest in town. Just keep going back to the early 60s. And bam, there is the PPE. The Purple People Eater is how it was done. No blower restrains, no engine diaper, no on board fire supression system. No SFI trans blanket or Ultra Bell. No power glide trans. Fuel tank out front with out a tube guard around it. AGAIN that is how it was done. To build a period drag car is alot harder to do than just opening up a Summitt or Jegs and waitin for the UPS man. If people dont understand PERIOD PERFECT maybe this isnt the place for them. If the guy that owns the PPE just wants to show it, we being Traditionalist should be happy to see such a fine example. But it seems like he wanted to make a p*** but they wouldnt let him. I am lucky to have small mom and pop tracks around here that would let something like that run. I too would like to see it at the HAMB Drags. But Cali and Joplin MO are very far appart. Long live the PPE.
Guys, bring that thing over to Speedworld on November 15th. 1/8th mile ,for sure! Get in touch with me. We'll plan something. Mark 602-769-0346 markyac@cox.net
This could have turned into a "******* track wouldn't let us run-screw them-did a burnout in the parking lot" thread. Cool to see that it worked out, even with the restrictions. See, level heads do prevail.
Man, I love the PPE, any car that can hold as much interest as that car has, definately has IT in spades. But in defense of strict track tech guys, managers, owners, etc., safety has gotta come first. (Not sayin' the PPE isn't safe, Ive never seen it in person). I have spent the bulk of my 41 years Alcohol/ Nitro racing, and have seen my fair share of injury, and loss of life at the drag strip. Alot of the really horrific stuff I have seen has been in the slower cl***es, where the cars are heavier, not as many crew guys double checking behind each other, and in some cases, a lack of respect and understanding as to what can happen to you in a racecar both on the track AND in the pits. If you have ever had to get ready for a round, while the team next to you is packing up after just having watched their driver get killed, you certainly understand the mentality behind the strict Tech Guy, Track Manager, Sanctioning Body, etc. Dve
The best thing about owning your car is you can do what ever you want with it. This being said If I could only burp the throttle and make a parade p*** on the track I would rather not. When I get out on the track its all or nothing. I try my best to stay as safe as possible but I want to push the car as hard as I can. That's just me. Purple people eater is a very cool car my 2 cents
I remember the first time I saw it at the Primer Nats. Marky fired it up and HOLY ****! I was blown away! But my first thought was...hope he didn't build it as a Cacklefest car! How awesome would it be to drive that thing down a track? I never thought he would get a chance to run it on a track,1/4 or 1/8 mile. Way to go Marky!!!!
I'd sure like to see him at the HAMB drags. We should all get together and throw some cash his way so they can tow out here. If he'll tow out, I'll bring the dragster and blow some nitro! And I AM NHRA legal! I'd love to see that car I think it's cool as hell and I applaud him for building it. Lippy
Like most of us, I don't have the luxury of being able to build and store as many cars as I would like to. That always keeps me on the practical side of impracticality with hot rods that are way too loud and somewhat painful, but can basically be driven anywhere. I could have never built the PPE, but Im sure glad some one had the vision, means and cajones to do it. I seem to recall that after the R&C cover, many of us that were building 50s inspired stuff, kinda got the 60s bug and stances got much lower. I really dont think I've ever seen a car spark so much debate or get so many folks pumped. Thanks for sharing the story and the pics!
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The Jalopy Journal
