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The Blue Flame

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Old Oct 26, 2005 | 01:22 PM
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Default The Blue Flame

In keeping with the season and my Avatat, this week marks 35 years to the day since we set a new Land Speed Record of 622.407 mph on the Bonneville Salt flats with The Blue Flame. It is time to post a link to the story.
http://members.aol.com/kingstonchas/TheBlueFlame.html

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Old Oct 26, 2005 | 04:03 PM
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Great story, Geez - I always enjoy it!
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Old Oct 26, 2005 | 04:27 PM
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Originally Posted by JohnZ
Great story, Geez - I always enjoy it!
Hi John. Thanx for the kind words. I'm on the left in the pic, w/ my gold '69 upgraded to 350/370 specs. Pete had the blaack '64; he now has a black '05. Then Tony and Dean. I tried to post to the C-6 board, cuz Pete reads that board, but the moderator moved it to off-topic before I could edit in the pic.

Well, at least 50 more people have now read the story. Keeps the memory alive.
Geezer
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Old Oct 26, 2005 | 05:00 PM
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Originally Posted by OlGeezer
In keeping with the season and my Avatat, this week marks 35 years to the day since we set a new Land Speed Record of 622.407 mph on the Bonneville Salt flats with The Blue Flame. It is time to post a link to the story.
http://members.aol.com/kingstonchas/TheBlueFlame.html

Great Story There Geez....
But..square me away here...What did the State Police have to do with the Weight of the car as far as being 40% over weight??? How were the State Police involved in the Record Attempt..?

However, the first few signs of trouble arose. We had weighed the car, at the request of the State Police, and found that it was 40% overweight.
Wow..Just a 5 " Slide Rule....Huh...???
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Old Oct 26, 2005 | 06:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Viet Nam Vett
Great Story There Geez....
But..square me away here...What did the State Police have to do with the Weight of the car as far as being 40% over weight??? How were the State Police involved in the Record Attempt..?
Wow..Just a 5 " Slide Rule....Huh...???
The professors and their students who had designed the car assured us that it would weigh 5000 pounds, They had calculated the weight of each part from the drawings, added them up, and came up with that figure. Nobody had thought to double-check on a Professor'sword.

Except the State Police. We were trailering the car out to Utah and the Wisconsin State Police stopped the truck and trailer for a routine weight check for comparison against the manifest. It was then we found out that the builders had added a little beef here and a little muscle there and the car actually weighed 7000#. BIG difference. They had nothing to do with the LSR attempt; rather, they were just the instrument that made us pause.

The 5" slide rule? Just accidental that we had even that. I went out as a racer, not an engineeer. The professor had brought out a dot-head student for any calculations. I had worn a suit, however, and that 5" rule was always in my suit-coat inside pocket. The professor and student made their calculations, gave up on the project, and went home. We fought on.
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Old Oct 26, 2005 | 06:15 PM
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Thanx for the story Firedog
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Old Oct 26, 2005 | 06:28 PM
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Originally Posted by OlGeezer
The professors and their students who had designed the car assured us that it wouod weigh 5000 pounds, They had calculated the weight of each part from the drawings, added them up, and came up with that figure. Nobody had thought to double-check on a Professor;s
word.

Except the State Police. We were trailering the car out to Utah and the Wisconsin State Police stopped the truck and trailer for a routine weight check for comparison against the manifest. It was then we found out that the builders had added a little beef here and a little muscle there and the car actually weighed 7000#. BUG difference. They had nothing to do with the LSR attempt; rather. they were just the instrument that made us pause.

The 5" slide rule? Just accidental that we had even that. I went out as a racer, not an engineeer The professor had brought out a dot-head student for any calculations. I had worn a suit, however, and that 5" rule was in my suit-coat pocket. The professor and student made their calculations, gave up on the project, and went home. We fought on.
Ok Now it makes sence.... State Police not involved in the LSR...Just a pian in the azz on the high way there....
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Old Oct 26, 2005 | 08:19 PM
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Great story, Geeze. Thanks for posting the link. Chuck
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Old Oct 26, 2005 | 09:50 PM
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did you say "dot head"??? Now that's funny.

JB
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Old Oct 26, 2005 | 10:14 PM
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Very entertaining story.... thanks!

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Old Oct 26, 2005 | 11:16 PM
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Great story. Thanks for sharing.

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Old Oct 26, 2005 | 11:51 PM
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really enjoyable read....and, from a time when ANY type of racing took guts.......
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Old Oct 27, 2005 | 08:19 AM
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Great read....

but VNV is the original "Dot Head"......
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Old Oct 27, 2005 | 05:24 PM
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Thanx for the kind words gents. We garnered 1000 views and 250 more people have read The Blue Flame stroy. Trying to keep the memory alive
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Old Oct 27, 2005 | 08:21 PM
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A really great story Geezer. I remember when it happened.
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