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Author Topic: The Beast  (Read 2200 times)

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Mr Skrunts

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The Beast
« on: 21 June 2008, 20:01:15 »

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.





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.






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.


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Vamps

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Re: The Beast
« Reply #1 on: 21 June 2008, 20:11:21 »

Quote
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.





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.






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.



Wonder if it is serviced at  'The Garage'  ;D ;D ;D
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JiMbOb789

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Re: The Beast
« Reply #2 on: 21 June 2008, 20:13:40 »

 :o :o I dont think i could even get half of that on my drive way ;D :y
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Mr Skrunts

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Re: The Beast
« Reply #3 on: 21 June 2008, 20:14:22 »

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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Kevin Wood

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Re: The Beast
« Reply #4 on: 21 June 2008, 20:20:25 »

It's been done more recently too.  8-)

http://www.ppcmag.co.uk/projectcardetail.asp?id=4

Kevin
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Mr Skrunts

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Mr Skrunts

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Ken T

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Re: The Beast
« Reply #7 on: 21 June 2008, 21:49:56 »

Quote
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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amigov6

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Re: The Beast
« Reply #8 on: 21 June 2008, 21:52:45 »

I remember seeing that on telly years ago.
    Wonder how it handles the twisties??? ;D ;D ;D
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Mr Skrunts

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Re: The Beast
« Reply #9 on: 21 June 2008, 21:56:56 »

Quote
Quote
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........
« Last Edit: 21 June 2008, 21:59:05 by skruntie »
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Kevin Wood

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Re: The Beast
« Reply #10 on: 21 June 2008, 22:07:10 »

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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Myagemo

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Re: The Beast
« Reply #11 on: 21 June 2008, 22:23:28 »

back end reminds me of the reliant simetter
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Mr Skrunts

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Re: The Beast
« Reply #12 on: 21 June 2008, 22:24:26 »

Quote
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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Olympia5776

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Re: The Beast
« Reply #13 on: 22 June 2008, 00:33:18 »

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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Re: The Beast
« Reply #14 on: 22 June 2008, 00:49:58 »

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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