I pointed out this Jet Turbine Powered Toyota MR2 a year ago, but now I’ve discovered Ron Patrick’s Jet Powered VW Beatle. The story is well told in a San Francisco Gate article from April (with bonus video), which describes the builder:
Patrick is a 48-year-old Stanford-trained (Ph.D.) engineer who owns ECM (Engine Control and Monitoring), a Sunnyvale firm that makes electronic instruments used by auto manufacturers to calibrate their engines for performance, fuel economy and emissions. He knows cars. He knows how they work. He’s an animated man who has a seasoned sense of humor, a wry view of the world, mixed with a dash of the absurd and an absolute passion for things like, well, jet-powered cars. (Link added –Casey)
Toyotas, Volkswagons, heck, even wheelchairs, shopping carts, and scooters have seen jet or rocket powered mods (but could that picture look more ridiculous?). Bruce Simpson features a few such contraptions at his site, and a 1995 Darwin Award went to a story about a fool putting JATO rockets on his 1967 Chevy Impala. That story turned out false, but it formed the genesis of this unverified story by a supposed biology teacher, son of junkyard operator, and curious guy with a JATO rocket and crazy friends.
In a little over 25,000 words, the author neatly describes the discovery of the key ingredient (the rockets), the construction of the vehicle (a 1957 Impala body on rails), the event (car runs down rails, big mess), and the aftermath (run, run, run, tell nobody for many years). That the story may wrap up a little too neatly may trouble some, but if I can’t link to rumors or outright fiction at this site, what can I do?
Besides, I’m much more interested in the notion of Patrick’s proposed jet powered scooter.
Aside: the ideal powerplant for projects like this appears to be a General Electric T58 turbine, developed in 1953 and often pulled from helicopters. The Toyota and Volkswagen here both use them. Other options include the JFS 100, as used by Patrick for his scooter and this modified Honda Z Car (hmm, amusing cars, even without jetmods). Finally, let us not forget the excitement of an entirely homemade pulse jet.
, afterburner, car, cars, fireworks, flame, General Electric T58, go fast, jet, jet car, jet powered, jet powered bug, jet powered Volkswagen, jet turbine, jetcar, mod, Ron Patrick, speed, turbine, Volkswagen Bug
Posted July 4, 2006 by Casey Bisson
Categories: Planes, Trains, & Automobiles, Questionable...funny. Pointless.. Tags: afterburner, car, cars, fireworks, flame, General Electric T58, go fast, jet, jet car, jet powered, jet powered bug, jet powered Volkswagen, jet turbine, jetcar, mod, Ron Patrick, speed, turbine, Volkswagen Bug.
1 Comment(s)
Comments RSS
TrackBack Identifier URI
User contributed tags for this post:
how to make fireworks (396) - how to make a firework (315) - rocket cars (250) - how to make a homemade rocket (235) - how to make homemade fireworks (177) - how to make a rocket (176) - how to make fireworks at home (131) - HOW TO MAKE FIREWORK (99) - homemade rocket cars (98) - how to make homemade rockets (86) - how to make homemade fireworks rockets (75) - homemade rocket fuel (73) - how to make a FIREWORKS (69) - how to make a rocket car (68) - how to make a rocket at home (68) - homemade rocket car (66) - how to build a rocket (64) - water rocket car (61) - powered (54) - how to make small fireworks (48) - how to make home made fireworks (47) - how 2 make fireworks (42) - how to make origami fireworks (42) - water rocket cars (41) - how to make a homemade firework (38) - homemade fireworks (37) - how to make fireworks rockets (37) - jfs 100 jet engines (35) - jfs 100 (31) - making fireworks (30) - how to make a firework rocket (29) - firework rockets (29) - jfs 100 jet engine (28) - how to make rocket (28) - make a rocket (27) - how to build rocket cars (26) - how to build a rocket car (26) - how to make a firework video (26) - How to make a home firework (25) - how to make a home made rocket (24) - how to make small rocket (24) - make a firework (23) - make firework (23) - make fireworks (23) - how to make home made fire works (23) - Homemade Gate Opener (23) - JFS-190 (23) - used cars (22) - how to make rockets (21) - 206 rocket car (21) - how to make firework rockets (21) - origami fireworks (21) - homemade rockets (20) - how to make a water rocket car (20) - how to make rocket cars (20) - how to make firework rocket (19) - fireworks (19) - homemade jet engine (19) - how to make a water rocket (19) - homemade rocket (18) - how to make a electric rocket (18) - rocket powered cars (17) - how to make a firework at home (17) - how to make a small firework (17) - how to build rocket car (17) - how 2 make a rocket (16) - rocket powered mr2 (15) - how create small rocket (15) - homemade firework (15) - how do you make small fireworks (15) - homemade firework rockets (14) - how to make rocket fireworks (14) - how to make a small rocket (14) - how to make a homemade jet engine (14) - how can i make small rocket (14) - how to make a homemade rocket car (14) - Afterburner for cars (13) - small homemade rockets (13) - rocket beatle (13) - homemade water Turbine (13) - how to make the fireworks (13) - how to make a water car rocket (13) - how to make small homemade rockets (13) - how to make fireworks better (13) - how to make small rockets (13) - homemade water rockets (13) - firework rocket videos (12) - how 2 make a rocket at home (12) - homemade electric jet engine (12) - how to build a rocket powered car (12) - rocket fireworks (12) - homemade cars (12) - firework mods (12) - rocket volkswagen bug (12) - how to make home fireworks (12) - toyota powered bug (12) - how do you make a water rocket powered car (12) - rocket jet car (11) - how make a rocket (11) - vw rocket (11) - how to make little fireworks (11) - home made rocket car (11) - home made fireworks (11) - small rocket cars (11) - rocket firework (11) - rocket car (11) - firework car (11) - how to make a rocket engine (11) - making of small firework rocket (11) - how to make a rocket with fireworks (10) - how do i make fireworks at home (10) - how to made rocket (10) - how to make a fuel rocket car (10) - water rocket powered cars (10) - home make fireworks (10) - how to make a 180 firework (10) - fireworks cars (10) - how to build a rocket at home (10) - how to makes fireworks (10) - how to build cool rocket cars (10) - how to make a Water rocket powered cars (10) - how to build a rocket in sandbox (10) - how to make a jet engine (10) - firework videos (9) - mr2 rocket car (9) - rocket powered beatle (9) - making a rocket (9) - making a homemade rocket (9) - making a rocket car (9) - how rocket cars work (9) - homemade rocket fireworks (9) - how to make water rocket car (9) - build a rocket at home (9) - make fireworks at home (9) - homemade water rocket (9) - how to build pulse jet engine (9) - how to build a homemade rockets video (9) - how to make a home made firework (9) - how to make a rocket in home (9) - how 2 make a fireworks (9) - how to build a homemade rocket (9) - firework origami (9) - how to make a origami fireworks (8) - how to make create a water rocket (8) - make rocket (8) - building a rocket engine from a junkyard (8) - homemade rocket video (8) - how to build the best homemade water rocket (8) -
where did u get a turbojet engine?