Saturday, June 4, 2011

Barrett-Jackson 2010: The Blastolene Indy Special


When Street Rod builders Randy Grubb and Michael Leeds came across two M47 Patton Tank engines, they immediately bought them and began sketching ideas for cars to build around the massive engines. The 1792cid SOHC aluminum V-12 engine is air-cooled and fed by dual 2-barrel carburetors. Power output is estimated at 910hp and 1500lb-ft of torque. The massive powerplant is mated to an Allison 4-speed automatic transmission that was originally designed to handle the workload of a Greyhound bus. The first Blastolene Special was finished in 2002 and then quickly sold to Jay Leno.


This is the second and only other tank powered car built by the artists at Blastolene. The hand-built aluminum body was formed in the spirit of the shark-nosed Watson Roadsters that were very successful at Indy in the '50s and '60s, but nearly twice the size. With a 160" wheelbase and an overall length of 270", it's no wonder that this creation weighs in at 8,400lbs. This wonderful piece of automotive art is very capable on the open road and is a thrill to drive. **TITLED AS A 1952 UUU WATSON ROADSTER**


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