How Fast Does A Model T Go?

Henry Ford famously quipped that people could buy a Model T Ford in any color they wanted as long as it was black. My, how the world has changed. Black is still an option, but so is copper, silver, white, grey, orange, yellow, green, cobalt blue and aquamarine.

There are car collectors who still love their Model Ts though. One of our local car clubs here in Superior, WI did 120 miles of cruising this weekend, and a good time was had by all.

Not only have the colors of cars changed dramatically over the years, the speed at which they travel has likewise changed. It takes a lot less time to drive from New York to Boston than it did 100 years ago.

Not everyone has the same need for speed, but it's comforting to know you've got it when you need it. Here's a trivia factoid you may find interesting: When railroads began to carry passengers, there were great debates about their safety because some scientists proposed that if a train went faster than 25 miles per hour it would suck the air out of everyone's lungs and they would die.

In the event that you really were interested in knowing how fast the old Model T Fords went, you can Google it and it might lead you to a forum where Model T owners are discussing this very thing.

If you're wondering which motor oil to use for your Model T, you'll find the answer to that question somewhere else. In the event that you have a vehicle of more recent vintage, the best place to find the correct viscosity is the lookup guide on our home page of AMSOIL.com. Check it out.

First Photos from Hot Rod Drag Week

Mahatma Gandhi once said that there's more to life than simply increasing speed. But going fast sure is fun, and there have been a lot of drivers having a heart-pounding good time here.

Tonight is the culmination of the 2009 Hot Rod Drag Week which began in Muncie and has returned today after touring tracks in Michigan and Ohio. As you can see here the weather is simply gorgeous at Muncie Dragway.

More than 109 cars have made the trek and a big turnout of locals to watch things wind up and wind out. Our man on the scene noted that one guy running AMSOIL has 1700 horsepower and is having a lot of fun in the process.

Next week we'll do the wrap.

AMSOIL Presence at PRI

One of the biggest events in racing is the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show in Orlando. Held each year in the early part of December, the PRI Show is "the place" to see what's new in the racing and performance market. Power, speed, accesories and lots of industry buzz -- this show has it all. The convention hall has more than a million square feet of show floor. The PRI Show bills itself as the largest racing trade show in the world.

Here are just a few of the AMSOIL related events and presentations taking place.

Boyd's Bonneville Car Headed Toward Orlando

The AMSOIL/Coddington Roadster will be on display at the PRI Show next week. Word has it that the car has been loaded into a trailer and is already heading east. On Thursday, Boyd is slated to make a ninety minute presentation on the building of the Bonneville racer and their atempt at a land speed record. The seminar will feature Boyd and Jo Coddington and Harvey St. Mary, their engine builder.

2007 AMSOIL Mopar Muscle Challenge Winner To Be Announced At 1:00 pm on Thursday, December 6, Mopar Muscle magazine will be announcing the 2007 Winner, and presenting the details for the ’08 AMSOIL Mopar Muscle Challenge in the Press Conference area in the rear corner of the main floor.

Paul Sykora's Smokin' Coupe Again On Display

The ’37 Ford Coupe that won a 2007 Hot Wheels Design Award for car with Attitude at last month's SEMA Show in Las Vegas will be ogled throughout the show as it caresses eyeballs in the American Racing Booth. Hailing from Orlando, Sykora undoubtedly enjoys being in his own back yard. It's one beautiful machine and Sykora knows what's needed on the inside to protect this 2300 horse powerhouse.

For sure, this is only the tip of the iceberg as far as excitement goes. There will be a lot to see and a lot to share. And maybe we'll see you there.

HDT Land Speed Record is Now Official

The word is out and a number of new names have been etched into the record books. This is not the first set of records for Hayes Diversified Technologies, but it is always gratifying to capture a few more slots on the pages of history.

Byron Schmidt of Hesperia, CA, set a new record for the 750 MPS D class of 103.321 miles per hour, breaking the old 101.617. HDT CEO and founder established a new record of 110.432 for the 750 MPS DB class, shattering the old record by more than five miles per hour.

Perhaps even more significantly, these motorcycles were operating with a mixed fuel that was 20% biodiesel. Considering that the day the rolled off their assembly line, before modifications, these were 30 horsepower engines, you might begin to get a little impressed at the engineering behind this achievement. AMSOIL lubricated, of course.

Taking Another Crack at Bonneville

There are actually several Bonneville Speed Weeks, and this week has been one of them as more than 150 race teams, 50 officials, 35 members of the media and a few hundred spectators converged on the Flats. For the first few days the weather has been perfect. Sunny skies, temps in the seventies, minimal wind and hard salt – a week specifically designed for land speed records.

For a second time this year Boyd Coddington brought his rig and crew to Bonneville to take another shot at the record books in their 1927 Model T Ford with AMSOIL the primary sponsor. There was no filming for cable TV. This week the single aim is a land speed record.

Yesterday Jo Coddington qualified for her high speed license to go over 200. At the time of this report, after having achieved a 184 in qualifying, the team was in good position car to attempt its record breaking runs. The record is 199. Weather permitting, we’ll report the final results on Monday.

The Latest from Bonneville

Evidently the weather gods have not been smiling the past two days out on the Flats. Intermittent rain and high winds have forced the course to be closed more often than open. Here is a brief rundown on the the Hayes Team.

Class
MPS-D 750 (modified partial streamlining - diesel powered - 750 cc maximum displacement)
Obtained adequate speed for class record but course delays did not permit required second run. Have to start from scratch but the potential is there.

MPS-DB 750 (modified partial streamlining - diesel powered - 750 cc maximum displacement turbo charged)
Obtained adequate speed for class AMA National 1 mile record and FIM 1 Kilometer International record significant to yesterday.

P-D 750 (production - diesel powered - 750 cc maximum displacement)
Obtained adequate speed for AMA National and FIM International class records but it was felt that the speed did not reflect the potential of the bike. If time allows, the bike will be rerun.

M-D 750 (modified - diesel powered - 750 cc maximum displacement)
Still to be run.

M-DB 750 (modified - diesel powered - 750 cc maximum displacement turbo charged)
Still to be run.

Here are a few additional photos...

World's Fastest Cadillac Uses AMSOIL

Early last week we mentioned that Johnson's Hot Rod Shop would have a contender on the Bonneville Salt Flats. We knew their Cadillac XLR would be fast, but you never know how fast till you really put it out there. With Gramie Bartles at the wheel, "The Worlds Fastest Cadillac" set a record of 222 mph. (Welcome to the Red Hat Club, Rabbit.)

This was actually a huge accomplishment for this new car that had just been completed within a couple days before Speed Week. The project was initiated in March with the build being completed right at the wire. According to the Johnsons, "Going to Bonneville without any testing and tuning before we got there, even without setting this kind of a record, is an achievement in itself."

Bartles built the chassis and worked closely with the Johnsons on the build to insure the vehicle was up to snuff with regard to the the rules and regulations for S.C.T.A. Alan Johnson from California was the builder of the Northstar engine for the XLR. Owner of the XLR, Bob Johnson, looks forward setting more records with the XLR in the coming months.

All such projects involve many team members. In addition to the many other sponsors who helped with support, Bob indicated his gratitude to AMSOIL for the great products that have given his cars the extra oomph and protection he counts on.

We'll keep an eye on the record books as the Johnsons continue to push the envelope.

Thursday’s Salt Not So Sweet

Like boats and race horses, cars on the Bonneville Salt Flats also have exotic names, many related to a common theme here in Utah. Salt Shaker, Salt Lick, Salt Sabre, Salty Dog, Salt Dancer II, and Saline Solution are are just a few of the salty hopefuls gathered here.

At day’s end Thursday the AMSOIL/Coddington car did not as yet set a record. But they did have some excitement. In the late afternoon Jo Coddington, while accelerating, spun out at 180 MPH, headed backwards through the 3rd mile marker and off the course probably about a half a mile. Both Jo and the car appeared fine afterward, the car suffering only minor tire damage.

When the team went out to see her and bring the car back, the motor home got stuck in the soft salt sand. A flat bed was called and in about 30 minutes it also got stuck. Then a monster semi tow-type rig arrived after another hour and that got stuck as well. At the end of the day all three remained stuck out in the middle of the salt flats. As the day ended the car was being readied back at the pits to run again Friday.

The latest report Friday morning: five tow rigs stuck. Bummer.

Wednesday Morning Update from Utah

Tuesday there were delays on the course due to some accidents and some salt surface repair. A Colorado driver was seriously injured when his car begin sliding sideways at 170 mph and then went airborne, crashing hard on its side.

As a result of the delays, the AMSOIL/Coddington car only had one attempt on the track.

The record Jo is chasing is for the fastest pre-1934 roadster, 3 liter/blown gas/modified. The current record is 199 MPH.

According to our man on the scene, "Everyone is still in great spirits and hoping for a good day on Wednesday. Still very hot." You can see from this shot below what they mean by hot. Now imagine being wrapped up in a driver's suit....

Faces on the Flats

The action is shifting into higher gears here in Bonneville. In addition to the AMSOIL/Coddington 1927 Ford Model T Roadster, there are quite a few other AMSOIL lubricated record seekers out on the Flats this week. A few nods of the cap are in order as things get underway.

World’s Fastest Diesel Motorcycle
Fred Hayes currently holds eight world and four national land speed records on motorcycles. This week he’ll try to better those records and add another -- all on diesel-powered bikes. Hayes is an experienced motorcycle rider, earning top honors in several American motorcycle riding competitions through the years.

As founder, president, CEO and chief engineer of Hayes Diversified Technologies (HDT USA), Hayes has led the company to become the largest supplier of military motorcycles to the U.S. Defense Department. No one puts motorcycles through more extreme paces than Hayes. For this reason, the company relies on AMSOIL for the most grueling tests of all. “With over a year of testing, we have found that AMSOIL products continually outperform all other lubricants. AMSOIL provides improved performance, increased fuel economy, lower oil consumption and significantly reduced engine wear in all operating conditions.”

“Just Glad To Be Here”
Another face on the Flats powered by AMSOIL is Lloyd “Hooley” Huffman’s team, “Just Glad To Be Here.” He’ll be striving to break his personal best of 241 mph in a 1953 Studebaker. The team will also be fielding a 1951 Henry J. Co-sponsored by AMSOIL Dealer Pat Grady, we’ll look for new record breaking runs this week.

Johnson's Hot Rod Shop

The builders of last year's head turning G-Force 'Cuda will be back at Bonneville with a new car. An editorial in Popular Hot Rodding called it, "The Greatest Street Machine Ever Built." Despite the hyperbole, we know these guys know how to make cars. And for maximum G's on the Flats this year they will look once again to AMSOIL.

As we hear more, we'll keep you posted.

On the Threshold of Bonneville

How fast is fast?

According to a cover story in the September 1952 Hod Magazine, a California Streamliner was preparing to set a new record out on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Its goal: surpass a then current speed record of 219 mph. In those days, that was a pretty fast clip, though today most of us are well aware that the slowest qualifiers at the Indy 500 are exceeding this speed on a large circle track.

Over the years, our fascination with speed keeps countless manufacturers, racers and speed freaks coming back to the Salt Flats in Bonneville. Dubbed "the fastest place on earth" one wonders whether the Bonneville Salt Flats are the origin of the phrase "flat out fast."

In 1961, an assortment of new records were established including a Streamliner that rushed to 262.231 miles per hour in the fuel class.

At the end of the sixties the top cars looked more like rockets with wheels than cars. Drivers like Craig Breedlove pushed past the 400 mph mark and eventually 600 mph. Before long, some of the vehicles actually were rockets.

Boyd Coddington's Blown Gas Modified Roadster is ready to rock. Driver Jo has salt fever, as they say, and is eager to see what the AMSOIL/Coddington Model T can do.

Speed Trivia: In the early days of the locomotive, editorials urged people not to ride the trains because at 25 miles per hour, the air would be sucked out of their lungs and they would die.