EJ Potter, the Michigan madman tried unreal power in bikes and cars, most famous for small block Chevy powered Harleys

He built stuff like a 1957 Plymouth stuffed full of an Allison airplane engine that ran nearly 150 mph in a period of time before Funny Cars existed. One could argue that EJ had the first one. He refined that idea after the Allison backfired through its supercharger and the car essentially became an oven. Potter suffered burns on his hands and arms while trying to get the car to a halt. His solution to the fire problem was to buy a brand new Dodge Dart station wagon, put another Allison (hooked to a tug boat clutch and a 1-ton truck rearend) in that and enclose the entire engine in a steel coffin to prevent the fire from escaping and burning him again.

“I did have a whole season running the Plymouth, the Southern tracks really liked that car, although guys like Ronnie Sox hated it. To see a big old Plymouth running as fast as I did didn’t do much for those guys.” excerpted from a great write up at Bang Shift: http://www.bangshift.com/blog/The-BangShift-Interview-EJ-Potter-AKA-The-Michigan-Madman.html

bottom two photos from http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=428585&page=927 and the top two I've posted before

Innovative hot rodder made a fifth wheel trailer to haul his slingshot, mate up with his hot rod. That has to be unique! It's awesome!

The photo was labeled the 1960 Deetroit Trotters Ohio race team.

From http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=428585&page=270

A tale of the Tubonique racing cart from the great maniac that drove it! Capt Jack ( no better name could ever be thought of! )

Jack McClure's go kart powered by twin Turbonique t-16 jets, it turns 152mph in the quarter. 400 lbs of thrust.

http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/search/label/turbonique for all the Turbonique info, advertising, and videos I've come across

1965 Z-16 Chevelle called, "The Sizzler", a name that would prove dangerously ironic less than a year after McClure took the driving assignment. Powered by one of Turbonique's "Rocket Drag Axles" the car was a true freak show and ran speed and times totally unheard of from stock appearing cars of the era.

"I ran the sizzler car for one season," McClure said. "I think I ran 25 or thirty 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 shit and it didn't hold up. Middlebrooks had lots of ideas and designs but the stuff was always on the verge of breaking or blowing up. I had no idea how dangerous the Turbonique rocket kart was until a few years after the fact and I looked back on my time with it and thought about how lucky I was that the thing didn't blow up."

But back to the Chevelle.

"So the car was able to be driven around on the regular engine and transmission, but you didn't use that on the strip. On the track I would put the car in neutral, hit the button 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 button. 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 couldn't 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 162mph, 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."

Read the entire interview, "The Life and Rocket Powered Times of Capt Jack McClure "
http://www.bangshift.com/blog/The-Life-and-Rocket-Propelled-Times-of-Captain-Jack-McClure-One-of-Drag-Racing-s-Most-Incredible-Performers.html

The Winged Express driver passes the competition on the far side of the track, between the other dragster and the wall, post burnout lane change

Learned about it in the Feb 2011 Hot Rod magazine, Roddin at Random. Too bad Hot Rod isn't more focused on drag racing and hot rods instead of new Chevy LS engine head tech articles and putting LS engines into a 1979 Camaro. When did a 79 Camaro with any engine ever define "Hot Rod"?

The Lawman, Boss 429 Mustang that AL Eckstrand brought to the USO tours during Vietnam to take the troops mind off the war for a moment

best looking dragster musclecar? A Superbird from Sox and Martin with a 440 6 pack hood scoop is the best mopar I can conceive of

from http://www.oldhippie.com/forums/

A variety of photos of the "Stone Woods and Cook" Willys dragsters... the iconic Willys dragster

photos from http://www.oldhippie.com/forums/drag-street-racing/81-street-elem-gassers-roadsters-mod-production-sports-52.html

there is integral coolness in VW's... but it takes some work to make it show

via : http://chromjuwelen.tumblr.com/

Smothers Brothers 68 Hurst Olds

I'm watching Season 3, episode 212, (you can get it from Netflix, mailed, it's not instant downloadable) and they filmed Dick taking his Olds (looks like a 68 Hurst Olds) down the quarter mile in 12.9 at 109

I can't put the youtube video here, the owner doesn't allow that option (he wants you to see it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xh3qg14K2-M or buy it on his website)

Some still photos are in a silent video, no action film at all, at minute 5:48 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv2KBEXlZiE&NR=1

43 years in a barn, but it had one hell of a racing career before hibernation

Looks amazingly good for having hibernated.. about the only thing that indicates true age are those slicks.

Mike Bamber's old "Silver Dollar" A/GS 1940 Willys

the engine was being rebuilt in it, to make a few passes on the Nostalgia circuit, when a guy teaching his daughter to drive plowed into the barn, missed the Willys, but hit the engine stand and knocked the engine over - cracking the blower case. Lucky that no one was hurt, and that the truck was missed completely

great heavens! A DragginSnake!

From the fantastic collector of awesome dragracing images: http://magneticbrain.blogspot.com/

Serious setback, US Nationals Indy 1965 Jack Chrisman's Merc Comet 427 SOHC

Gotta love that Magnetic Brain http://magneticbrain.blogspot.com/

Jungle Jim

Found on http://elcistebravado.blogspot.com/

a pair of cool photos from Bubblevisor, I looked for more, but nothing else caught my attention like these 2

Awesome 4 wheel burnout!

from http://bubblevisor.blogspot.com/

VoodooTimm's blog just starts strong and stays on the gas

check out the wide variety... not everything is NSFW, or car related http://voodootimm.tumblr.com/