27000cc

[Sinky]

on the way to the pub tonight as i was waiting at the bus stop this went past me!!! she's still alive and running!


The engine is the same as installed in many fighter and bomber aircraft in the Second World War, such as the Spitfire and Lancaster. etc. This one was originally fitted in a Boulton-Paul trainer, is of 27 litres capacity and was rated at over 1.000 horse-power.

The following is as in the Wikipedia report on this car:

In the 1960s, Paul Jameson put a Merlin engine (some say it actually was a Rover-built Rolls-Royce Meteor, which was a de-tuned Merlin without superchargers and with steel components replacing some aluminium ones) into a chassis he had built himself. He did not get around to building a body, and sold the car to Epsom automatic transmission specialist John Dodd, who fitted a fibreglass body based on the shape of the Ford Capri and named the machine "The Beast". Originally it had a grille from a Rolls-Royce, but after complaints from R-R themselves he had to change it. According to Dodd's account, he once drove past a Porsche driver on the autobahn who then called Rolls Royce asking about their "new model". The Beast was once listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's most powerful road car. The engine came from a Boulton Paul Balliol training aircraft which would give 1,262 hp (941 kW) at 8,500 feet (2,600 m). No supercharger was fitted to the engine in car so it "only" delivered about 850 hp (630 kW). The car used a General Motors TH400 automatic transmission. The Beast is alive and well in Marbella, Spain and is still owned by Dodd. It is still taxed in the UK; a DVLA search shows the engine capacity as 27000cc.

www.spainvia.com/Merlincar.htm

[speedy88]

Whaow! That must have sounded immense. And what a day to take it out, it always makes me smile when "special" cars get used.

[carat 3.6]

Charlie Broomfeild did a much better job, he's got that engine in an sd1 rover.

Here:

[Mr S]

A friend of mine is currently building a 1950s Bentley open-wheeled car with a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine in it, it's bleedin' fantastic!

[crazymonkey]

150mph @ 2000rpm. wow thats actually beyond amazing never realised these engines were that low revving but with 1550ft/lb (I think it was) torque can understand why.

[carat 3.6]

Feb 4, 2012 23:31:03 GMT Mr S said:

A friend of mine is currently building a 1950s Bentley open-wheeled car with a Rolls-Royce Meteor engine in it, it's bleedin' fantastic!

Has he put a couple of 4 barrel carbs on top,?

[Mr S]

Nope, he's casting his own manifolds at the local school (!) and will be running 3 carbs that are apparently extremely hard to get hold of (a rare breed of SU IIRC). This is all from memory, it's been a while since I last saw it, I'll try and get some pics if he'll let me next time I see it!

[SamR380]

Good to hear it's still about and running

Body roll much?



How about this Bentley with a Rolls engine?

[optima21]

have another monster with a merlin engiine

[Sinky]

Morning!Oh ny head hurts!

Yeah my wife could'nt get her camera phone out quick enough to capture it .
Everybody at the bus stop were looking at me funny cause I was clapping my hands!

He undertook a Seat at a speed bump, seen me clapping and floored it lol. ;D

Eh ........ rather him than me .It squirned about with all that power. ;D

Decided to have a few beers in celebration of seeing it. (Ahem)

[TurboDieselWeasel]

Hi!

There are vids on youtube his doughter put up. He drives it regularily in Spain - and for every MOT he drives it back to the UK. Great man!

[stealthstylz]

Seems to be aging well this car, it's never gonna be beautiful but doesn't seem as bad looking each time I see pics of it.

Charlie Broomfield used the 500hp version iirc. I'm pretty sure there's only that 55 Chevy ^^^there that's used the full fat supercharged version.

Matt

[generallee]

I love aero-engined cars, there is something wonderful about having such a savage amount of power so effortlessly available!

However, imagine what it would be like if, well, you didn't think one of Rolls-Royce's finest was quite enough. Perhaps you wanted a bit more power. To be able to "get yourself out of trouble" if you like.

That is when you need this-





It's a Bently, but with 42 litres of V12 Packard engine from a torpedo boat!! ;D

[grez6232]

The Beast was on Top Gear in 1998:



I might be thinking about something else but I believe the dispute with Rolls Royce got rather ugly and ended with the builder leaving the country and the car disappearing.

[Butterz]

If anyone needs cams for the merlin or meteor engine my friends dad has the remaining stock. He bought them from an MOD auction. All brand new, each wrapped in wax paper. He Also has few engines lying around. One he rescued from a firing range, it's got bullet holes that go right through the block! It now sits on a pedestal on his front lawn

[speedy88]

Feb 5, 2012 13:21:16 GMT grez6232 said:

The Beast was on Top Gear in 1998:

Holy curse word that man is an appalling presenter

[popuptoaster]

Think a deltic is to big for a car?

[sheffieldcortinacentre]

depends on the car!

[bortaf]

Feb 4, 2012 22:31:37 GMT speedy88 said:

Whaow! That must have sounded immense. And what a day to take it out, it always makes me smile when "special" cars get used.

Must be due it's MOT
IIRC you can't MOT a RHD car in spain ?? not sure if that's the real reason he comes back every year, perhaps it's just an excuse to drive the thing ;D

[guslopez]

[/quote]

Must be due it's MOT
IIRC you can't MOT a RHD car in spain ?? not sure if that's the real reason he comes back every year, perhaps it's just an excuse to drive the thing ;D[/quote]

No you can't. Then again you cannot live in Spain & legally drive a foreign registered vehicle if you are a resident, whether you register as a resident or not. You are deemed to be one if you are here for more than 6 months.
Under EU rules/UK law ,the car is not legal in the UK either , regardless of the tax,mot ,insurance as if it is going to be out of the country for 12 months then you are required to re-register it in the country that you live in. If you leave the Uk knowing that you are going permanently then you are meant to notify dvla that it's going to be exported.
Under spanish law you have 6 months then it has to be re-registered on to spanish plates. It's only 30 days if you want to avoid paying import taxes !
Unfortunately there's many down that way that have been running around for years but there's a massive crackdown on now as the Spaniards need the money ! Plus they are all linked to the dvla now ;D