Friday, November 29, 2024

the Phoenix’s last ever run in 2003 at Bonneville, set the current record for the Unlimited Diesel Truck class at 272.685 mph! (With a junkyard find ’47 International K-7 semi !)


R.B. Slagle, who thus became the first trucker to enter the prestigious 200 Club. 


For Speed Week 2003 the streamlining was extensively improved by adding a "wing" at the front and a new long tail to reduce the turbulence at the back, somewhat in the style of "long tail" versions of sports racing cars for Le Mans. The modifications must have been effective, because Carl Heap improved on his record again early in the week (272.685 mph)


 

Skip the first 8 minutes 


Or see this WAY too short video that cuts out the semi truck used as a pusher that was spinning tires like made to make speed 

The Phoenix made its debut pass at Bonneville in 1989, running 158 mph. Eventually, the truck went 188 mph, then 212 mph, then broke 250 mph -- and the streamliner record. 

Carl Heap proved just how far a determined team can come with some effort (and a lot of streamlining). 

The truck now resides in Hastings, Minnesota, at the Stagecoach Diesel Motorsports Museum.


First race above, and 13 years later, the evolved and streamlined last race


https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/slagle-heap-43-international-detroit-diesel-bonneville-race-truck-tribute-page.526065/


I just learned that the WW2 Jeep headlights were hinged, so the soldiers could use them at night to work on the engine

 


1st time I've heard of a car that was stuck on a beach getting unstuck by harnessing a parachute to get the unlimited power of the wind to pull it back to solid ground!

 




bare metal is impressive. Flawless bare metal even more impressive.

It's a mystery to me why they brought their wagons, and pulled them around all day, but, I gotta admire the paint and body work on them!

Nice 2002




it sure gets people to look in your booth when you have a Cord in it (very unusual), but, an electric Cord? Ummmm, don't they know that electric conversions aren't impressive, only original or hot rodded cars are impressive

 


the photo ( in the upper right corner of this infographic) of the CEO/founder of Simple Green, with his 20 year younger trophy wife (former model from Genova Italy) and her 4 dogs... she founded a non profit dog rescue, in Newport Beach


this booth was using pin ups to grab attention, and had hired women who looked like 1940s pin up models to work in the booth too

 

everything looks better with a hood scoop, even a 62 Impala



sweet Pontiac wagon!



a 1978 Lincoln and human remains of a wealthy NY couple who were missing for 44 years, were just located at the bottom of a pond near a hotel they had been staying in.







"It looks as if they were parking at the diner and he accidentally stepped on the gas pedal when he was parking and they backed into the lake," Sullivan says. "He must have had the car in reverse, and he stepped on the gas because the headlights are facing the shore. He backed into the lake accidentally."

Because the car was so badly deteriorated, they had to drain the pond to get the car out of it

seen in traffic a couple days ago, and since I was behind it, I could even smell the exhaust. Nothing else on the road is putting out any exhaust fumes because of their catalytic converters... but wow, it smelled like the good old days!



Seen in traffic last week

 

it's a Cadillac, but, really how different is it from a Corvette? The roof? The rear looks like it's as wide as a Vette, the exhaust looks like it is from a Corvette

 

seen in a parking lot today

 

gotta respect the Hazet company when they bring the classic tool chest to SEMA for a booth draw


starting tonight on Amazon Prime, is the hour long special, The World According To Kaleb On Tour

 


Not as enjoyable to watch as Clarkson's Farm, but entertaining just the same

Thursday, November 28, 2024

a drag racing Dodge truck, well, that's unexpected!



3 guesses what state this comes from, first two don't count

 

and then there was the Jaguar tow truck thing, made on a Dodge truck chassis




What a good looking truck, great color combo choice

 

Campagnolo had a lot of variety in their race team service vehicles

 




decades ago, there was such a craze/passing fad for BMX competitions and the merch money to be made from kids with money who wanted to dress to impress, that BMX teams hit the road, followed the tours and competitions, and created a genre of BMX team vans and transporters


Believe it or not, if you're a new reader and weren't reading the blog in 2018, I already posted about Bob Haro, he not only was the first to design the BMX bike, he was also a stunt rider, and artist! https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2018/11/in-addition-to-being-bmx-pioneer-haro.html