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PPC's Merlin powered Rover
Chippy - 3/4/11 at 03:27 PM

Just watched this on the Meteor, (Merlin), powered car that is often featured in PPC. Ray
5th Gear Click

designer - 3/4/11 at 03:36 PM

Works for me.

coozer - 3/4/11 at 04:18 PM

Does now

Mans a looney, in real live he F's and blinds more than Jordan!

[Edited on 3/4/11 by coozer]

Humbug - 3/4/11 at 05:11 PM

600bhp from 27 litres isn't that great a return...

Also, I wonder if it "uses the original unmodified monocoque" or has he IVAd it

Looks fun though

coozer - 3/4/11 at 07:25 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Humbug
600bhp from 27 litres isn't that great a return...


Yes, but, 1550lb/ft probably makes up for it.

Go on the channel 5 fifth gear webby and watch the show, it sounds awesome!

paulf - 3/4/11 at 08:50 PM

Yes it is quite an impressive creation and sounds nice but I seem to remember my 3.5L SD1 doing about 140mph as standard.
Paul

MikeRJ - 3/4/11 at 09:22 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Humbug
600bhp from 27 litres isn't that great a return...


Why are people so fixated on specific power output these days?

It's a tank engine, originally tuned to run on the crappiest fuel imaginable and to stack up thousands of hours propelling a 33 ton tank around with utter reliability. You don't meet those specifications from a small displacement, low torque, hi revving engine. Especially not in the early 1940's.

[Edited on 3/4/11 by MikeRJ]

loggyboy - 3/4/11 at 09:25 PM

Thats like saying why are people so fixated with big boobs............ Derrrrr their big!!
lol


This (the car, not boobs) was mentioned a few days back http://locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=152945

MikeRJ - 3/4/11 at 09:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by loggyboy
Thats like saying why are people so fixated with big boobs............ Derrrrr their big!!


No, that would just be comparing big numbers e.g. high HP or a big chest (like e.g. Vanessa Feltz). Specific power would be more like chest size to body weight ratio

Ninehigh - 3/4/11 at 09:49 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Humbug
600bhp from 27 litres isn't that great a return...



I was idling through various Wikipedia pages of Fiats last night (after the 600 post in the Mad House section) and found one (19th century) model boasting 66hp from it's 10,997cc straight 4... How far we've come huh?

Mr Whippy - 3/4/11 at 10:12 PM

I wonder if he's even bothered with a gearbox? with that torque would you need one? just a torque converter seems the way to go

Ninehigh - 3/4/11 at 10:17 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
I wonder if he's even bothered with a gearbox? with that torque would you need one? just a torque converter seems the way to go


Hehe, just the "Low/High" lever like the Outrun arcades of the 80's

hillbillyracer - 3/4/11 at 10:50 PM

It runs an auto box, but has a step-up eplicyclic gearset between it & the engine to get up to a decent rpm, revving to 1500rpm is'nt going to make much a of a fast car!

Lightning - 4/4/11 at 11:59 AM

For those of us who a bit older. Do you remember John Dodd with the merlin powered Beast who got in trouble with Rolls Royce. He was down the road from me at the time at the Clock House Garage
Link

MikeRJ - 4/4/11 at 03:16 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
I wonder if he's even bothered with a gearbox? with that torque would you need one? just a torque converter seems the way to go


A torque converter has a maximum ratio of about 2.5:1 but that depends on load. If the car was geared to do 200mph at 3000RPM (with converter running at ~1:1) it could still be doing ~33mph at 500RPM on a flat road. Not something I'd want to drive in traffic anyway!

Mr Whippy - 4/4/11 at 04:07 PM

I find torque converter on my auto cars (once the oil is hot) does little in the way of power transmission below 800rpm ,so long as the idle speed is below that the engine will be effectively disengaged regardless of engine size or power.

coozer - 4/4/11 at 04:26 PM

Pretty sure it has a GM400 auto box sitting behind a Leyland bus 3:1 step up gear arrangement.

Liam - 4/4/11 at 10:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
It's a tank engine, originally tuned to run on the crappiest fuel imaginable and to stack up thousands of hours propelling a 33 ton tank around with utter reliability. You don't meet those specifications from a small displacement, low torque, hi revving engine. Especially not in the early 1940's.

[Edited on 3/4/11 by MikeRJ]


All of which makes me wonder why it has been put in some attempt at a 'performance' car. Dont get me wrong - I'm all for silly engine installations, but this one is going a bit far imho. Doesn't do anything for me. All that work, effort and expense and it has 600bhp. 1500 lbft of torque is irrelavent as I bet it does 2 or 3 k rpm, therefore all that torque is lost in the higher gearing it needs compared to a 'normal' 600bhp engine doing 7 k rpm. So it wont perform any better than, say, a 600bhp skyline. In fact probably worse as it's likely carrying round an extra 1/2 to 1 tonne of engine/transmission lard. What's next? Marine Diesels? Mmmmmm. Had a diesel driven pump at my old work for some tests a while ago - whacking great straight 6 with a giant turbo. Probably a tonne for the engine alone. Could make 140 bhp all day! All week even!! Yeah lets put it in car! Er, not Still I guess the tank engined car must sound pretty cool. Maybe that's the point?

Mr Whippy - 4/4/11 at 11:19 PM

but it must sound amazing up close. I went up in a T-6 harvard once (ok its a radial engine) but it was mind boggling with so much power and everything shaking like a jelly, that's what I think that car would be like to ride in