Author Topic: Merlin V12  (Read 39234 times)

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Offline stay`tee

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Merlin V12
« on: December 31, 2009, 05:10:36 AM »
On the saturday before christmas i was invited to witness the "start up" of a Merlin V12 motor that a fella is fitting into a lakester to be ran at Gairdner`s Speedweek 2011. The motor was coaxed into life after sitting idle since sometime during WW2 :cheers:,,, it ran, albeit on nine sometimes six and occasionally on twelve cylinders 8-). Most all present oouud and aarrd and were predicting unreal speeds :wink:.
Surley in the history of Bonneville somewon has ran a Merlin, Allison V12 engined vehicle :? :? :? 
First Australian to ride a motorcycle over 200mph at Bonneville,,,

Offline SPARKY

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2009, 09:22:39 AM »
 :evil: SURELY  someone was filming  :?
« Last Edit: January 01, 2010, 12:19:50 PM by SPARKY »
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Offline sockjohn

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2009, 10:52:22 AM »
I must have been about 12 when my dad to me to see what was then called the Confederate Air Force.

A P51 was sitting there and the crowd gawking at it, and when the Merlin engine fired up and billowed a cloud of smoke everyone moved out of the stench, except me.

My dad knew what was in my veins without a doubt at that moment.  That engine was a symphony, and the cloud of smoke perfume to me.

Offline GH

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2009, 12:02:34 PM »
There's a fellow that lives in Pittsburg Kansas that built a 27 roadster with an Allison engine in it, don't know if he ever finished it. The engine was longer than the roadster body and the exhaust pipe was about 8" in diameter and extended back past the rear wheel.

Offline pookie

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2009, 12:17:04 PM »
Hey Stay'tee, back in the 60's there was a guy that put a Merlin in a drag hydro(boat). That boat had the weirdest sound running the 1/4. The name of the boat was "Sugar".At the same time there was a hit song named Sugar.. So everytime I hear that song, you guessed it I get a mental picture of the boat.The boat had good mph,  but was lacking in E.T. Sweet looking ride!!!!Mike R..

Offline john robson

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2009, 03:00:54 PM »
Check out E.J.Potter A/K/A the Michigan Madman. I did a quick search and only found reference to his motorcycle. I believe that he ran that motor in a 1957 Plymouth at various venues. Perhaps Bonneville? Surely someone must remember this as he was at least unique.

Offline Howard

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2009, 06:47:10 PM »
I don't remember any Allison or Rolls Royce engines but back in the 90's a bunch of guys from Texas showed up with an old dragster chassis  with an air cooled WWii tank motor in it. It was determined to be unfit to run so we all gawked at it in the pits.
Howard 8-)

Offline Milwaukee Midget

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2009, 08:06:54 PM »
Last time I saw an Allison in something with wheels was at a hot rod tractor pull in Iowa, probably about 1978.  The sound was outrageous, and it won the event, and I mean lights out won it, against tractors with Hemi's, BB Chevys, and a guy with a SOHC 427.

A lakester with a Merlin?  :-o  I like it.
"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline stay`tee

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #8 on: January 01, 2010, 06:14:48 AM »
A Lakester with a Merlin :-o, I like it too 8-),,, the sound at full noise through the timed mile  :cheers:, now, theres your reason to come "down under" :-)

I often go over to my mates place for a bar-b-que,,  during the seventies he cut two cylinders off the end of a Merlin (V2) and installed it into a homebuilt motorcycle frame, it was a big hit at motorcycle shows along the east coast of Australia doing burnouts, at one time he had a small roots blower on the beast,,, Lucky Kieser is his name, i believe he took it to Sturgess and Daytona, also to a show in Germany somewhere.
First Australian to ride a motorcycle over 200mph at Bonneville,,,

Offline Andy Cooke

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #9 on: January 01, 2010, 07:44:28 AM »
There have been a couple of meteor engined cars in this part of the world.

This one is amusing in that it's in a magazine called 'practical performance car'
http://www.ppcmag.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29&Itemid=19

Andy

Offline RichFox

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2010, 09:40:12 AM »
Don't forget Dave Cox imported that twin Merlin 'liner from down under. It now sits in the desert and the Merlins are for sale.

Offline Crosley

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #11 on: January 01, 2010, 10:20:35 AM »
there was a fellow in  2005  or 2006 ( as I recall) that came through the pits for 974 Studie with photos and a story about these motors.

the photos were old and  tattered , he talked about building a project car with a merlin type motor.

He mentioned EJ Potter had several of these engines and refused to sell any of them to be used in a car project
Tony in AZ...

"If you find yourself in a ditch.... let up on the throttle"

Offline jdincau

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #12 on: January 01, 2010, 11:55:28 AM »
Surley in the history of Bonneville somewon has ran a Merlin, Allison V12 engined vehicle :? :? :? 

Athol Graham
Unless it's crazy, ambitious and delusional, it's not worth our time!

Offline mc1984ss

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #13 on: January 01, 2010, 12:43:38 PM »
Castlemaine hot rod shop out of Australia had built a 55 CHevy with either a Merlin or Allison V-12. It had a P-51 themed paintjob on it and was quite the work of art. This was a few years ago and they were shooting for the most powerfull street car in the world. Not sure what ever happened to it.

Offline Buzz Lightbeer

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Re: Merlin V12
« Reply #14 on: January 01, 2010, 01:38:42 PM »
I remember a magazine feature in a magazine called Superbike, over here in the UK about Lucky definitely different.
There was a guy called Jon Dodd who had a merlin engine in a car that was road legal over here in the UK in the early 80's, you might be able to find out more about him if you google him.
Just love the sound of those Merlin engines, we had a Spitfire & Hurricane WW2 fighter planes do a display at one of our drag race meetings this year, absolutely fabulous noise makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up... hell yeah.