 Would you believe 12,000 horsepower — and 9000 pounds? The Allison- powered Quad Al was Jim Lytle's 1965 successor to Big Als I and II, his famous pair of chopped-top '34 Fords. Return next month for the |
The movie projector in my head switched on, replaying the last pass ever made by the retiring Tommy Ivo, and its immediate aftermath on the OCIR starting line. When TV Tommy popped through history’s first Funny Car roof hatch and attempted to symbolically ignite his driving gloves with a torch, unsuccessfully, I was close enough to shoot wide-angle photos (which I could not find in time for the wicked publisher’s unreasonable deadline, dagnabbit).
Next, my mind wandered to a couple of other four-engined creations that I saw only in magazines: the Allison-powered Quad Al, which never ran, and the short-lived 1970 Mach IV Mustang, which came and went during the 435 days that this draftee spent in Southeast Asia.
What great material for Now And Then, I thought — if only I could come up with enough artwork to illustrate these incredible vehicles for younger readers.
Shown in Kent Fuller’s original configuration, the future Riviera Wagon Master was certainly capable of boiling all four tires, as demonstrated at Lions in 1964 or ’65. (Note promoter C.J. Hart and his legendary starter, Larry Sutton, reacting to four nail-head Buicks at full song.) However, later photos show only the front tires actually smoking off the line — suggesting that the Funny Car’s rear differential was rarely, if ever, actually connected (to the right-side engines). This dragster body was painted by an unknown crewman named Don Prudhomme, who also made shakedown runs for Tommy Ivo at San Fernando Drag Strip in early 1961. (Ron Lahr photo courtesy of the Wallace Family Archives)
Gee, it looks like I’m gonna get two columns out of that early-morning drive through the country. (Thanks, Chris Martin!) Having uncovered more material than will fit within the strict, claustrophobic confines imposed upon poor DRO columnists, I’ve devoted the rest of this space to photos of the two Funny Cars. Next month, please return for the four-Allison competition coupe that preceded them both (1965), among other V-12 combinations built by the king of big-inch engine swaps, Jim Lytle. 
|
||
|
