OT: Really, Really Old Racer
04-28-2011, 02:12 AM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
OT: Really, Really Old Racer
(Put this up in the Racing Forum, but thought since a lot of you don't go over there you might enjoy seeing a piece of history.)
And I mean old. Almost a century old.
Rolled up to the garage at the track today (Thunderhill), and there's a really odd noise coming from the dyno guy next door. A few minutes later something really, really, really old rolls out. 1913 Peugeot, runner up at Indy 1914. 90MPH qualifier, maybe 10th-12th fastest overall with 1/2 the displacement.
First car to have: overhead valves, four valves/cylinder, dual overhead cams, penta combustion chamber, and overlap cam timing. Maybe the dry sump was a "first" also, but I forgot with all I was being told. Restoration at a shop in Corte Madera, I should know the name. Guy named Ivan is the co-owner?
~70HP out of 3.0L @~3K. Flat torque curve. Either this car or another like it ended up over at Miller's with a broken crank, and his engines were based on seeing this. Then when Offy (the Miller machinist?) bought all of Miller's equipment when he went bust in the depression, the Offy engine used/still used (?) is based on this thing.
The dry sump thing was pretty neat, too. A pump down low on the front, then 6 vial looking things and a drip system with a vernier device for the mains, etc. that the riding mechanic had to monitor. Also a hand pump on the gas tank to keep it pressurized for fuel feed. Pretty large Zenith updraft carb. And of course a magneto to spark the thing.
Everything was hand made. Only the axles and engine were left from the original, it having become a parts source for a single seater in the '30's. Went from Cunningham to the Collier collection. Didn't ask who owns it now. No welding, all blacksmith work to make the frame. That exhaust pipe is 4", was packed with sand from the roof where they held it while the guys with the torches heated it so they could make the bends. All from historic photos.
Ivan ran it at Milwaukee last year, but a piston seized during his run. The original pistons were steel, and had 2 6mm compression rings. No oil rings.
Not a Porsche, but pretty amazing what was rolling around out there 100 years ago.
And I mean old. Almost a century old.
Rolled up to the garage at the track today (Thunderhill), and there's a really odd noise coming from the dyno guy next door. A few minutes later something really, really, really old rolls out. 1913 Peugeot, runner up at Indy 1914. 90MPH qualifier, maybe 10th-12th fastest overall with 1/2 the displacement.
First car to have: overhead valves, four valves/cylinder, dual overhead cams, penta combustion chamber, and overlap cam timing. Maybe the dry sump was a "first" also, but I forgot with all I was being told. Restoration at a shop in Corte Madera, I should know the name. Guy named Ivan is the co-owner?
~70HP out of 3.0L @~3K. Flat torque curve. Either this car or another like it ended up over at Miller's with a broken crank, and his engines were based on seeing this. Then when Offy (the Miller machinist?) bought all of Miller's equipment when he went bust in the depression, the Offy engine used/still used (?) is based on this thing.
The dry sump thing was pretty neat, too. A pump down low on the front, then 6 vial looking things and a drip system with a vernier device for the mains, etc. that the riding mechanic had to monitor. Also a hand pump on the gas tank to keep it pressurized for fuel feed. Pretty large Zenith updraft carb. And of course a magneto to spark the thing.
Everything was hand made. Only the axles and engine were left from the original, it having become a parts source for a single seater in the '30's. Went from Cunningham to the Collier collection. Didn't ask who owns it now. No welding, all blacksmith work to make the frame. That exhaust pipe is 4", was packed with sand from the roof where they held it while the guys with the torches heated it so they could make the bends. All from historic photos.
Ivan ran it at Milwaukee last year, but a piston seized during his run. The original pistons were steel, and had 2 6mm compression rings. No oil rings.
Not a Porsche, but pretty amazing what was rolling around out there 100 years ago.
04-28-2011, 08:17 AM
#2
Three Wheelin'
It just amazes me what guys used to run. There's a car that i wouldn't feel comfortable going to the store in, and they were throwing it around Indy, which at the time was not even remotely safe. Amazing.
04-28-2011, 08:39 AM
#3
Rennlist Member
Very cool! It's great seeing more & more of the historical epics being restored.
AFAIK, this isn't an official or historical race car. But local racing & building legend (including Porsche stuff...) Dave Coleman, has built what he claims to be the fastest Model T. In 2008, he brought it out to our DE to show off. In these pics, another legend, Mike Levitas (Pro racer and owner of TPC Performance) rode shotgun with Dave.
Dave claims the car will do over 100 MPH. In the last pic, Mike is helping as much as he can.
AFAIK, this isn't an official or historical race car. But local racing & building legend (including Porsche stuff...) Dave Coleman, has built what he claims to be the fastest Model T. In 2008, he brought it out to our DE to show off. In these pics, another legend, Mike Levitas (Pro racer and owner of TPC Performance) rode shotgun with Dave.
Dave claims the car will do over 100 MPH. In the last pic, Mike is helping as much as he can.
04-28-2011, 09:33 AM
#5
Rennlist Member
It amazes me that there is so much engine technology in that Peugeot that is still in use today-or maybe another way of saying that engine technology hasn't really changed much in a 100 years.
