Warbird Information Exchange

Interesting story in the link below.

https://bangshift.com/bangshift1320/ban ... t-history/

Interesting timing as the Merlin powered "The Beast" is also coming up for auction soon and making the rounds in automotive media.

https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/ ... ast-8bEqL4



Unfortunately in my opinion the front end looks just like The Great Family Truckster

It looked a lot better with its pre-conflagration body. It resembled an overgrown Ford Capri at a glance, except the bonnet (hood) was 3 or 4 times the expected length.
I saw it once on the road in the mid-70s. An imposing beast...

I guess while we're on the subject of cars powered by V-12 aircraft engines, how about a '55 Chevy powered by a Merlin?

https://www.hotcars.com/this-rolls-royc ... ever-seen/

_________________
Dean Hemphill, K5DH
Port Charlotte, Florida

There's a Rover SD1 too, although that's a Meteor engine, without a supercharger. Understandable, as cars don't tend to cruise around at 40,000 feet.

The vehicle in the article's photos seemed familiar. Took a couple of days of looking and thinking. Tracked it down. Two of my photos from the May 2013 POF airshow...

Allison powered chevelle.
https://www.motortrend.com/news/throwba ... d-monster/

Jay Leno (of course) has a 1930s Rolls-Royce Phantom roadster powered by a R-R Merlin; he and his team spent a fortune making it work properly, but it does, and he drives it on the street. It's even beautiful-looking, and gets 4mpg!

Afrons is best known for his J79 powered Green Monster, one of a long line of jet powered world speed record cars.
American Craig Breedlove had cars powered by J47 and J79s.

When it comes to specially built cars, a lot of people get a Merlin (aero) engine confused with a Rolls Royce Meteor V-12 tank engine.
Tank engines are a lot less expensive. V-12
IIRC, Leno Also has a car powered by a Meteor and another by a Hispano Suiza aero V-8.

Finally, the custom wagon above looks to be based on the well known UK Reliant Scimitar sport wagon.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliant_Scimitar

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

There was an Allison powered '55 Chevy at the POF show some years back. As I recall, it was painted like a P-51.