Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Mr Skrunts on 21 June 2008, 20:01:15
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It seems both the cars I mentioned are the same engine different bodies.
John Dodd's Hand-built Rolls-Royce Merlin Aircraft Engined Car.
The engine is the same as installed in many fighter and bomber aircraft in the Second World War, such as the Spitfire and Lancaster. etc. This one was originally fitted in a Boulton-Paul trainer, is of 27 litres capacity and was rated at over 1.000 horse-power.
In the 1960s, Paul Jameson put a Merlin engine (some say it actually was a Rover-built Rolls-Royce Meteor, which was a de-tuned Merlin without superchargers and with steel components replacing some aluminium ones) into a chassis he had built himself. He did not get around to building a body, and sold the car to Epsom automatic transmission specialist John Dodd, who fitted a fibreglass body based on the shape of the Ford Capri and named the machine "The Beast". Originally it had a grille from a Rolls-Royce, but after complaints from R-R themselves he had to change it. According to Dodd's account, he once drove past a Porsche driver on the autobahn who then called Rolls Royce asking about their "new model". The Beast was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most powerful road car. The engine came from a Boulton Paul Balliol training aircraft which would give 1,262 hp (941 kW) at 8,500 feet (2,600 m). No supercharger was fitted to the engine in car so it "only" delivered about 850 hp (630 kW). The car used a General Motors TH400 automatic transmission. The Beast is alive and well in Marbella, Spain and is still owned by Dodd. It is still taxed in the UK; a DVLA search shows the engine capacity as 27000cc.
It is said that the drivers and passengers in many high-powered sports cars have witnessed the rear end of this "station wagon" or estate car disappearing in the the distance in front of them. John uses it for fun as it does about 1 km per litre of fuel, and the noise is "marginally legal", but is is registered for the road albeit still with an English plate.
A side-view of the John Dodd RR-Merlin engined car. It has an automatic transmission and the bodywork is mainly fibre-glass. With its long "hood", or bonnet in English, short-sighted drivers are not encouraged.
(http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk106/skruntie/Thebeast02.jpg)
The mighty Rolls Royce Merlin engine. A 27 litre V-12 with 4 valves per cylinder, double overhead cams, originally with a supercharger (later higher-altitude versions had two in line superchargers).
This model has the supercharger removed and an American 4-barrel Holley carburettor fitted.
The engine produced over 1.000 bhp when new or 775 Kw.
(http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk106/skruntie/Thebeast.jpg)
The rear of the Merlin engined car, the one most usually seen by other drivers in a straight line. While the car is incredibly quick on acceleration and speed, the handling is not up to expensive sports car standards.
(http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk106/skruntie/Thebeast03.jpg)
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It seems both the cars I mentioned are the same engine different bodies.
John Dodd's Hand-built Rolls-Royce Merlin Aircraft Engined Car.
The engine is the same as installed in many fighter and bomber aircraft in the Second World War, such as the Spitfire and Lancaster. etc. This one was originally fitted in a Boulton-Paul trainer, is of 27 litres capacity and was rated at over 1.000 horse-power.
In the 1960s, Paul Jameson put a Merlin engine (some say it actually was a Rover-built Rolls-Royce Meteor, which was a de-tuned Merlin without superchargers and with steel components replacing some aluminium ones) into a chassis he had built himself. He did not get around to building a body, and sold the car to Epsom automatic transmission specialist John Dodd, who fitted a fibreglass body based on the shape of the Ford Capri and named the machine "The Beast". Originally it had a grille from a Rolls-Royce, but after complaints from R-R themselves he had to change it. According to Dodd's account, he once drove past a Porsche driver on the autobahn who then called Rolls Royce asking about their "new model". The Beast was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most powerful road car. The engine came from a Boulton Paul Balliol training aircraft which would give 1,262 hp (941 kW) at 8,500 feet (2,600 m). No supercharger was fitted to the engine in car so it "only" delivered about 850 hp (630 kW). The car used a General Motors TH400 automatic transmission. The Beast is alive and well in Marbella, Spain and is still owned by Dodd. It is still taxed in the UK; a DVLA search shows the engine capacity as 27000cc.
It is said that the drivers and passengers in many high-powered sports cars have witnessed the rear end of this "station wagon" or estate car disappearing in the the distance in front of them. John uses it for fun as it does about 1 km per litre of fuel, and the noise is "marginally legal", but is is registered for the road albeit still with an English plate.
A side-view of the John Dodd RR-Merlin engined car. It has an automatic transmission and the bodywork is mainly fibre-glass. With its long "hood", or bonnet in English, short-sighted drivers are not encouraged.
(http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk106/skruntie/Thebeast02.jpg)
The mighty Rolls Royce Merlin engine. A 27 litre V-12 with 4 valves per cylinder, double overhead cams, originally with a supercharger (later higher-altitude versions had two in line superchargers).
This model has the supercharger removed and an American 4-barrel Holley carburettor fitted.
The engine produced over 1.000 bhp when new or 775 Kw.
(http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk106/skruntie/Thebeast.jpg)
The rear of the Merlin engined car, the one most usually seen by other drivers in a straight line. While the car is incredibly quick on acceleration and speed, the handling is not up to expensive sports car standards.
(http://i278.photobucket.com/albums/kk106/skruntie/Thebeast03.jpg)
Wonder if it is serviced at 'The Garage' ;D ;D ;D
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:o :o I dont think i could even get half of that on my drive way ;D :y
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Would make an interesting drive today with some of todays technology added, big alloys and low profiles and a sleek body shell.
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It's been done more recently too. 8-)
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk/projectcardetail.asp?id=4
Kevin
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxMxFE37Sxw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwRwN7ewAzs&feature=related
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=korIZ3YynHk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbma5VSWA1s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sIqRiQVmeA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85jfBxQP4ZI
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It's been done more recently too. 8-)
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk/projectcardetail.asp?id=4
Kevin
And he's LPG'd it !
Wonder if Jeremy does an LPG kit for a 27litre V12 ;D ;D ;D
Ken
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I remember seeing that on telly years ago.
Wonder how it handles the twisties??? ;D ;D ;D
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It's been done more recently too. 8-)
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk/projectcardetail.asp?id=4
Kevin
And he's LPG'd it !
Wonder if Jeremy does an LPG kit for a 27litre V12 ;D ;D ;D
Ken
You would need tanks the size of 45 gallon oil drums to keep it on the road, 2 mpg on the move........
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A truly silly project. Not wonder he went through a couple of marriages and I bet he had some grief from the neighbours too.
Still think that engine's more impressive when seen heard in the sky though. :-/
Kevin
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back end reminds me of the reliant simetter
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A truly silly project. Not wonder he went through a couple of marriages and I bet he had some grief from the neighbours too.
Still think that engine's more impressive when seen heard in the sky though. :-/
Kevin
I actually agree with you, but he was a business man and good at his tade, so maybe it was an advertisisng gimmick.
Also, as TheBoy once said regards annother silly project some where, there is also the engineering side of a project, not a case of why did he do it, but can it actually ne done, and therefore some of the engineering concepts that were achieved and overcome.
Silly project yes, but then is every 1000 bhp car rhe same, including the veyron. Lets face it,cant be used to the full potential on the road, and even when maxed, the fuel runs out in 12 mins.
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Nice to see Dodds car again ,I seen it at a Custom Car show in the old Belle Vue in Manchester much longer ago than I care to remember but it surprised me as I thought it burned out in early eighties.
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True, Some things just have to be done to prove it is possible.
I remember the SD1's engine output had to be geared up to reduce the torque to a level where a transmission could be found to handle it. Gears from a bus were used, IIRC, which then grenaded on the way to the shops one day (yes, he's mad enough to use it as a shopping car).
To think I'm up to my knees in a simple LPG conversion at the moment. Some people really do take on ambitious projects.
Kevin
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There's footage I've seen somewhere ,maybe on you tube now , of two guys in hooped sweaters and bell bottom jeans in the sixties firing up an Avro engine fitted to an old E93 Ford Popular and using a prop for propulsion,it's absolutley hilarious .
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Hey Lizzie, where do you think he fitted the battery on The Beast. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Fookin ek!! just seen that!!! what a beast!!! I really want that!!! Hands off lizzy! :y
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Wasn't there a story about an American who strapped a jet engine onto his motor and hit the gas pedal.... followed by the brake pedal... which then melted the brakes, blew out the tyres and the car then flew of the road.... the authorities had to identify him through his dental records after they'd extracted his teeth from a rock....
;D
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It's something of an urban myth ...
http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1995-04.html
But the JATO engine reffered to is the Jet Asissted Take Off additional engines strapped to the side of a Hercules C130 ( 4 each side ) that help get 175,000 lbs of aircraft airborne in less than 250 ft ..... damned impressive.. :)
The rest of the Darwin awards can be accessed from that site as well .. use the links on the left hand side ... :)
Enjoy the stupidity of your fellow man .. :)
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Fookin ek!! just seen that!!! what a beast!!! I really want that!!! Hands off lizzy! :y
Might be too slow for Lizzie if it only does 200 mph ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Fookin ek!! just seen that!!! what a beast!!! I really want that!!! Hands off lizzy! :y
Might be too slow for Lizzie if it only does 200 mph ;D ;D ;D ;D
;D ;D ;D
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Fookin ek!! just seen that!!! what a beast!!! I really want that!!! Hands off lizzy! :y
Might be too slow for Lizzie if it only does 200 mph ;D ;D ;D ;D
Yes, but I would get rid of that stupid bodywork and the chassis; in fact everything but the engine! Then build a new car around the engine with modern road holding abilities and using ultra light, extra strong materials (Titanum Steel?), with the largest fuel tank possible (it is already converted to LPG for back up). I believe the car (in the sixties) reached 250+, so with modern bodywork, turbo technology and electronics to match you must get up to 300+, that's if you had enough skill to hold it on the road! :-X :-X
All dreams of course as you would have to spend F1 scale money on it, so you would need to be a billionaire or find some very wealthy sponsors; an Arab oil shiek or three! ::) ::)
I think really the engine belongs in a Spitfire, and I would settle for a Ferrari! ;D :y
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I didn't realise, until a friend at work commented on aircraft engines fitted in cars, that there was so much interest in John's car.
We first looked at the Napier Bentley on the web, then I remembered John and his amazing car when I lived and worked next to Malaga airport. I was with a German mate buying fuel at the Rosaleda gas station next to the industrial estate near Malaga airport. We watched incredulously as a tall man was trying to pull the radiator out of a white silver shadow. The car was parked under the gas station's canopy. He looked like he was having a towing job so I asked in Spanish if we could help. "Sorry mate, don't speak the lingo" was his reply.
I explained that I was English. He laughed and we extracted the radiator and took it to a workshop in Malaga. After that we worked with him on many occasions and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learnt a lot of tricks from John, but the best part of it was about 1983 or 4, when we took a drive through Benalmadena in that hot and noisy car. I remember him getting me to prime the carb with a Fairy Liquid bottle of petrol. He wouldn't let me drive it but then I've never been much of a fan of automatic transmissions. It had a Turbo 400 from a Cadillac if I remember correctly, and indeed did have a lot of poke
best regards stu