166 replies to this topic

[E1pix]

Surely I stand mostly alone here on this, but........

Twin-engined karts. By the mid-'80s, a 135cc reed-valve motor from Komet, Atlas, TKM, and similar put out at least 50bhp per on alcohol fuel. Yep, over 100 bhp on a machine weighing about 400 lbs., with driver, about 10% less power than a Formula Ford at a third the weight.

I once drove a single 135 Open kart, and that thing made my dad's 428 Shelby seem like a sick dog by comparison -- at least, up to 100 mph. Our last kart only had 34 bhp, and ran 74 seconds on a road course where the FF Lap record was 71.

A famed US karter-turned-NASCAR guy named Lake Speed drove them, won a World title, then tested a Formula Ford to move up. He called it "A really big, really slow kart."

[Sterzo]

A famed US karter-turned-NASCAR guy named Lake Speed drove them, won a World title, then tested a Formula Ford to move up. He called it "A really big, really slow kart."

Echoed by Johnny Herbert, who said it was only when he reached F3000 that he found a car that was as good to drive as a kart.

 

But as far as most of the twin-engined projects on the thread are concerned, the one question has to be: "Why, oh why?"

 

 

[Bob Riebe]

This thread brought back forgotten memories.

Those were the good old days, no spec. bs racers.

[elansprint72]

Bimotore at Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, 2008.

[elansprint72]

4 x JAP. (!)

 

[Graham Clayton]

Staying on the twin-engined go kart theme, back in the early 1960's McCulloch, who were best known for superchargers, built the R1, which had a pair of 87cc MC-6 engines, each displacing 5 bhp.

[Michael Ferner]

But as far as most of the twin-engined projects on the thread are concerned, the one question has to be: "Why, oh why?"

Power, power, and then even more of it.

But I agree, most of these "concepts" are an exercise in overcomplication! In racing, the best advice has always been: "Keep it light, and simple!!"

[BRG]

McCulloch, who were best known for superchargers,

I thought McCulloch were best known for grass mowers and chainsaws?

[10kDA]

Right, and karts, drones, and gyroplanes, just about anything 2-stroke except boats and they were in it.

 

I thought McCulloch were best known for grass mowers and chainsaws?

 

 

Staying on the twin-engined go kart theme, back in the early 1960's McCulloch, who were best known for superchargers, built the R1, which had a pair of 87cc MC-6 engines, each displacing 5 bhp.

[Bob Riebe]

Right, and karts, drones, and gyroplanes, just about anything 2-stroke except boats and they were in it.

McCulloch was famous for innovation and new ideas, which he brought with him to the outboard business. One of these ideas was marketing a complete line of factory matched boat, motor, and trailer combinations. The customer could purchase the complete package, already put together and rigged at the factory. This idea became very popular 25 years later with such companies as Bayliner. The McCulloch boats were very innovative as well, with features not seen on any other boat. But that is another story. McCulloch also produced a very successful racing version of the 75 HP motor, with a custom lower unit. McCulloch also had the first surface gap spark plug, 100 to 1 oil mixture, the first modern low profile fishing motor, the first diesel powered outboard, and much more. Some projects which were in the experimental phase were a 125 HP four cylinder, radial 2 stroke outboard. It measured 18" wide, 26" long and 52" high and weighed 260 lbs. It was called the R-120, and incorporated a turbo-supercharger plus re-entry turbine. It had fuel injection plus force feed lubrication to eliminate the need for mixing gas and oil. It had power steering, power tilt and trim and a variable pitch prop.
To properly utilize his newly developed Lake Havasu test site, McCulloch built a dynamometer boat, a virtual floating laboratory for testing his outboards.
Lake Havasu, named for the Mohave word "Havasu", which means "blue water", sparked the imagination of McCulloch, who purchased 3500 acres of lakeside property along Pittsburgh Point, the peninsula that would eventually be transformed into "the island". The property had originally been purchased from the Santa Fe Railroad, by World War II veterans.
In 1963, on the courthouse steps of Kingman, Arizona, McCulloch purchase a 26 square mile parcel of barren desert, that would become the site for Lake Havasu City. At the time, it was the largest single tract of state land ever sold in Arizona, and the cost per acre was under $75.

Edited by Bob Riebe, 05 August 2020 - 02:04.

[E1pix]

Thanks for the great info, Bob!

Mr. McCulloch also purchased the London Bridge and reconstructed it on Lake Havasu — brick by brick.

[BRG]

It seems McCulloch are famous for pretty well everything EXCEPT superchargers? 

[Geoff E]

It seems McCulloch are famous for pretty well everything EXCEPT superchargers? 

 

A passing mention in Turbocharging and Supercharging by Alan Allard -

 

"In the USA virtually no use had ever been made of positive displacement blowers

and there had been very little development of the favoured centrifugal

superchargers in the automobile world, although such belt-driven centrifugal

superchargers as the Paxton and McCullough were in evidence in the 

1950-55 period, and the Judson vane-type a little later."

[Myhinpaa]

The twin engined BMC Mini Moke + the later BMC/Downton Minis have been mentioned here before, some more recent articles below.

 

The Downton car was even entered for 1963 Targa Florio, but cooked its rear engine. Paul Emery however built the very first one in '62.

 

http://mk1-performan..._pics_twini.htm

 

A webpage devoted to a modern day replica with some more on the history of the originals.

 

https://twinimini.co.uk/

[Graham Clayton]

Back in the late 1950's Bill Schaefer built a supermodified fitted with a 283ci Chevrolet V8 engine. As he didn't have the money use a stroker kit to increase the size of the engine, he lengthened the chassis and installed a second 283ci Chevrolet V8 engine. The car ran at various circuits in Illinois and Missouri before it was retired and replaced in 1961 by a USAC Champ car.

 

 

https://www.hotrod.c...win-engine-car/

Edited by Graham Clayton, 26 December 2020 - 04:30.

[Keith Rolleston]

There has been no mention in these pages of Gordon Allen's twin Mini car, raced by Rod Embley. It was a quick car and saw off Jags on many occasions.

 

It is currently owned by Neil Preston with whom I corresponded in July 2020. He has one engine installed at present and is using the car on the road. The other engine was being rebuilt. IIRC this car had two 4 cylinder engines with blocks cast by Gordon Allen to sit on Mini gearboxes, and fitted with shortened Jaguar cylinder heads.

 

I well remember watching it on full song going round Gerard's Bend at Mallory Park understeering with the tail hung out! Neil has posted elsewhere on this forum requesting information and memories of the car in its heyday.

[Myhinpaa]

Gianfranco Mantovani of small scale FJ/F3 builder Wainer built a twin engine Alfasud in '77, it was meant for competition use.

 

http://www.f3history...iner/Wainer.htm

 

The car is up for sale at RM Sotheby's auction in Paris 23th of February.

 

https://rmsothebys.c...-wainer/1025776

 

 

+ Brainchild of ace Abarth Lancia/Fiat rally engineer Giorgio Pianta, the twin engined Lancia Trevi VX.

 

https://www.fcaherit...-trevi-bimotore

 

Allegedly built as a test mule for use by Pirelli to develop tyres for the coming Lancia Delta S4 Stradale (?)

 

Seen here before the San Remo Rally in 1984, @ 1:16

Edited by Myhinpaa, 22 January 2021 - 19:25.