Speed....

Jim: Interesting that you ran a Pontiac Tempest in it. I had a 32 5w coupe in which I installed a 4cyl Tempest back in '63 when I worked at the Pontiac/Cadillac dealership, 4 bbl and HD taxi cl/pp adapted to a 39 Ford ******. Went almost as good as the Olds it replaced. Mickey Thompson was doing a lot with the Tempest engine back then. FWIW
Paul in CT
 
Jim Brierley said:
Vic King's Midnight Oil was built mostly by Vic with partner Pete Wooley, I came along and helped finish it. The first engine to run it was my Cook, Followed by a Single Overhead Cam Sparks, then several others including a Pontiac Tempest but mostly Model B's. In 1960 we took it to Detroit for the NHRA Nationals, and won X-class while setting top time and low e.t. records in class, with the blown Sparks. A lot of history in that car, as well as work and fun.
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This is all interesting stuff!! Can you tell us about what the average or best E.T. the Smaldino rail and Vic Kings Midnight Oil was turning back in the day? Thanks.
 
Smaldino consistently ran in the very low 10 second range. I saw him make one run in the 9's but he had a rolling start. He always ran nitro, somewhere in the later 50's he was running 50% and then switched to 100%. He would start the engine with straight methonal in the carbs and nitro in the tank. As the nitro filled the carbs there was a definite sound change. In the picture posted earlier you will see a fitting on each of the fuel bowls, he ran an extra line into the bowls with a valve that opened the line at 3/4 throttle. This was needed to keep the bowls full as not enough fuel could pass through the stock needles & seats. Vic always ran gasoline and I was in the Service when he was running the Tempest, with a 3/4" stroker crank. He ran mid 130's in MPH but I'm not sure of his e.t.'s.
 
Thanks Jim. That would have put the max wedge and hemi mopar cars running AFX to shame , that I loved to watch in the sixties.
 
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