Author Topic: Captain Midnight  (Read 8494 times)

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Offline sailingadventure

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Captain Midnight
« on: February 25, 2012, 11:13:00 AM »
Captain Midnight
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[/b]

I know most of you think I`m crazy to build a car that I can`t race because it doesn`t meet all of the safety requirements, but let me tell you why I did it.
For years I wanted to build a car that was different. Everyone had a Camaro, Mustang, or Chevelle and no matter how nice any of these cars were, they were just cars.
I have been restoring and building cars most of my life, I`m now 65, and wanted to build something of my own design and build the way it would have been built in the `50s.
I first had the idea to build this car about 1994. When I started the project, I knew I wouldn`t race it at Bonneville and at the time I didn`t know about the East Coast Timing Association .
After a failed beginning, I put the car on hold while I worked on other things.
About 2004, my brother spotted a P-38 on E-Bay and after a heated bidding war with some guy in California, I had a tank. The tank sat around until 2005, while I waited for motivation.


I wanted to build a car that not only looked good, but that  I would be able to drive. The tank was only a little over ten feet long and to install a transmission so I could drive it meant that it would have to be lengthened so I cut it in half and added 18” to the middle.




OK, now that it`s long enough I have to build the frame. This is what I made.



At this point, I was going to add a roll bar but it wouldn`t fit inside of the body and I didn`t want to make one that  would stick out of the body. If I had added a roll bar at this point I wouldn`t been able to mount the battery or overflow tank for the cooling system due to the very limited space I had to work with. I would have had a difficult, if not impossible time removing the motor. That`s why I didn`t install a roll bar.
If I`d known about the ECTA  when I began this project seven years ago, I would have built the car differently.
I have learned quite a bit over the past few years while building this car and If I build another one, you can bet it will be built to race.



Here is the finished car.



Now it`s time to start something new. If you`d like to see more about this car, go to my website,www.mccainautomotive.com Thanks for taking time to read this, and maybe I`ll see you at the track this year.

                                                                Jeff McCain



Offline Peter Jack

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Re: Captain Midnight
« Reply #1 on: February 25, 2012, 12:45:50 PM »
Really nice job on the tank and a fun website to wander around.  :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

Thanks!

Pete

Offline Glen

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Re: Captain Midnight
« Reply #2 on: February 25, 2012, 01:05:00 PM »
Great stuff, love the old Bonneville pictures. Thanks for sharing the fun build. There was a street legal tank driving around the pits last year on the salt. :cheers:
Glen
Crew on Turbinator II

South West, Utah

Offline hotschue

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Re: Captain Midnight
« Reply #3 on: February 25, 2012, 01:05:30 PM »
Jeff....Thanks for posting, great fab job, enjoyable read......
Udo Horn
221.559 D/CGC '03
182.144 G/GMS 2019

Offline 38flattie

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Re: Captain Midnight
« Reply #4 on: February 25, 2012, 03:04:51 PM »
I think it's a hell of a neat build!

The quality of work looks first class, and it looks like a wicked lot of fun! :cheers:
With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. However, this is not necessarily a good idea. It is hard to be sure where they are going to land, and it could be dangerous sitting under them as they fly overhead. -- RFC 1925

You can't make a race horse out of a pig. But if you work hard enough at it you can make a mighty fast pig. - Bob Akin

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Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Captain Midnight
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2012, 03:49:30 PM »
I've watched it with interest Jeff, it's a beautiful build.Congratulations.

Dr G
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

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Offline redhotracing

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Re: Captain Midnight
« Reply #6 on: February 25, 2012, 04:37:01 PM »
You can still go 135 at ECTA events, with proper safety belts, etc. Looks like it's
got a Flattie, so opening her up at the Wilmington venue would be fun...
Luke- Winston Salem, NC
Loring 2 Club- 201.252 (2010)
Ohio 2 Club- 203.712 (2013)

Offline Cajun Kid

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Re: Captain Midnight
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2012, 05:01:13 PM »
Jeff  the tank looks awesome,

How did you get my company Blimp to stay still in the background?

Charles
ECTA Record Holder Maxton
E/CBFALT, E/CBGALT, E/CGALT, E/CFALT, A/CGALT, C/CGALT, D/CGALT, C/CBGALT, B/CBGALT, C/CFALT
OHIO
B/CGALT, C/CGALT

LTA Record Holder and 200 Club Member
A/CBFALT, B/CBFALT, C/CBFALT, C/CFALT, C/CGALT,   E/CGALT, E/CFALT

Fastest Standing Mile at Ohio  203.343mph
Fastest Standing Mile at Maxton 196.967mph
Fastest Standing 1.5 Mile at Loring 213.624mph
Fastest Standing Mile at Loring 204.109mph

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Offline grumm441

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Re: Captain Midnight
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2012, 05:36:58 PM »
Jeff
Nice one
G
Chief Motorcycle Steward Dry Lakes Racers Australia Inc
Spirit of Sunshine Bellytank Lakester
https://www.dlra.org.au/rulebook.htm

Offline sailingadventure

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Re: Captain Midnight
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2012, 04:57:14 AM »
Thanks, everyone for the kind words. If any of you local guys are in Greensboro, come by my shop. Visitors are always welcome. :-D
                                                                                                                                                       
 Jeff

Jeff  the tank looks awesome,

How did you get my company Blimp to stay still in the background?

Charles

 Charles, I had to work fast!

Offline grumm441

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Re: Captain Midnight
« Reply #10 on: February 26, 2012, 07:23:05 AM »
It's a long way from my place
however, next time I'm over
G
Chief Motorcycle Steward Dry Lakes Racers Australia Inc
Spirit of Sunshine Bellytank Lakester
https://www.dlra.org.au/rulebook.htm

Offline Stainless1

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Re: Captain Midnight
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2012, 10:20:02 AM »
The scooter pic looks like it was shot at the Patio Motel... nice collection of vintage pics
Stainless
Red Hat 228.039, 2001, 65ci, Bockscar Lakester #1000 with a little N2O