A link for anyone out there who remembers TURBONIQUE and a quick peek into the past at pure insanity for those who don't. turbokart.jpg (76.4 KB) Enjoy. http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2006/04/the_real_acme.html
I think I remember Uncle scooby alluding to having one some time back. Is anyone here actualy doing anything with one?
On a Z-16 65 Chevelle no doubt. One of the rarest mid 60's muscle cars ever. Thats amazing, I just bought some old Hot Rod mags at a garage sale that had the adds in there for it.
Oh Hell Yes!!! Those old magazine ads................. always wanted to test one, Thanx for the "trip"!
Also Search for the "Tobacco King" '64 Galaxie. On a colder note, Arctic Cat built a Turbonique powered snowmobile to compete for the land (snow) speed record in the early 70's. Unfortunately, you can't pedal a rocket engine, and it blew up.
The Turbonique Sizzler Chevelle In Captain Jacks own words, as transcribed by Bangshift.coms Lohnes, I ran the sizzler car for one season, McClure said. I think I ran 25 or 30 dates with it. The car was a real Z16 Chevelle that had one of the Turbonique Rocket Axles in it. The big problem was that all the Turbonique stuff was **** and it didnt hold up. On the track I would put the car in neutral, hit the ****on and drive the Chevelle down the track with the rocket axle providing the power and smoking the tires all the way down. The way the rocket axle worked was pretty simple. There was a rocket engine that was ignited when I hit the ****on. The exhaust (thrust) from the rocket engine would spin this big turbine wheel, which was attached to some planetary gears that spun the axles and drove the car. The problem was that the gears and turbine wheels couldnt hold up to the abuse and I had a couple turbine wheels break and even melt on me. All this came to an end when I went through the lights at 162 mph, the turbine wheel melted, and locked the whole works up tight. I was told the car rolled 12 times. I was lucky not to be killed and I was done with anything that had to do with Turbonique.
Turbonique also made some 'pure thrust' rocket engines that were used in some go-karts for exhibition and match race runs, usually racing against dragsters and beating them!. A few guys were killed with these things, when sometimes,, the rocket would fail to ignite. The combustion chamber would then flood and fill up with fuel and oxidizer and then, either upon a second hit of the starter ****on in a continued attempt to fire the rocket motor - or sometimes, just completely spontaneously too - he entire rocket motor would explode violently. Mart3406 ===============
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