MARINE-ENGINED DRAGSTER

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31006, 11 March 1966, Page 9

MARINE-ENGINED DRAGSTER

’THE Australian dragster champion, E. Thomas, has installed a high-performance Chrysler marine engine with which he hopes to send drag-

ster record figures tumbling. Already he has achieved a new Australian record of 9.98 seconds for the standing quar-ter-mlle with the new engine. The engine is the 7-litre Golden Lion Ski, which develops 415 b.h.p. It has a hemi-spherical head design and a compression ratio of 11.1. The standing quarter record was achieved with the engine running on petrol and in standard form. Thomas tested the engine on his own dynometer which registered 428 b.h.p. at 5000 r.p.m. The reading was 425 b.h.p. at 6000 r.p.m. in standard condition. Thomas hopes to bring the Australian dragster record below 9sec with the Gold Lion Super Ski, which he plans to supercharge. This will be done by lowering the compression ratio and using a blower direct-driven on the front of the engine at about 141 b boost. With methanol fuel he expects the engine to produce about 900 b.h.p. Before acquiring the latest engine, Thomas had used both 5-litre and 6-litre Chrysler engines with which he broke the Australian record about 12 times. He has held the record for the last 18 months. Both these engines were highly modified with 2000 man-hours being spent on tuning. The 5-litre engine was developing finally 625 b.h.p. and the 6-litre 750 b.h.p.