Petrolhead gives old 1967 Chevrolet a top speed of 300 mph with cruise missile

[snopes]

A speed demon has come up with a novel way of making his car go faster - by strapping a cruise missile engine to its roof.

Once a reliable 1967 Chevrolet barely driven over 100mph, the Jet-Impala 67 can now reach speeds of up to 300mph.

The powerful car also fires out 30ft flames and leaves massive clouds of smoke in its wake.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...sile-roof.html

[Lainie]

I read "petrolhead" as "pothead," which made the story seem. . .counterintuitive.

[Richard W]

It's not going anywhere near 300mph in that video. Half the time it's not even going in the same direction that the "jet engine" would actually be propelling it, if it was providing propulsion. It's clearly just strapped on for show and shooting out flames... that much weight strapped to the roof must make it slower than it would usually be, not faster.

I wonder if anybody at the Mail watched the video, or looked at the pictures properly? There's no way it would be stable at speed, and if the engine was really switched on, it would just tear the roof off, or more likely just come loose from the bungee cords that appear to be holding it on...

[DrRocket]

Is this really possible?

In a word, no.

if you believe this clown, I've got a bridge you might be interested in.

There is NO WAY a Chevrolet sedan with standard suspension and tires is capable of traveling at 300mph.

This is complete and unadulterated showbiz BS.

A school bus capable of reaching 750mph?????

This guy makes PT Barnum look like a rank amatuer.

What a joke.

[GenYus234]

I think his "wife" is Photoshopped as well. Something about the picture doesn't look right, especially around her hair. Plus, the scale makes her 7 feet tall.

Also, a working turbine engine isn't lighted by holding a burning rag by the tailpipe. A fake or broken engine that is rigged to shoot propane out a hidden manifold in the tailpipe can be lit that way though.

[Tootsie Plunkette]

The real Paul & Therese Stender. And an article about them. And more photos of their creations.

[DrRocket]

I remember this organization now. I saw their bus and outhouse at an airshow at the Eau Claire Wi airport in 2010. They never really did much with them, just idled up and down the runway burping the afterburners once in a while.

I still find their claims for 300 mph for the Chevy highly suspect.

[Singing in the Drizzle]

Like the jet powered VW Bug this look to be all show and no go. All the jet engine just works as a fan to throw ignited fuel out the back. Jet engines tend to produce very hot blue flames if you can see them one that would at the very least make the metal cowling glow red.

[erwins]

I think this is the key part of the article:

'We created the car as a bit of fun, it's a comedy act we do at the motorsport events we go to.

'We tell the audience we found the engine the day before and make it look like the missile is just tied onto the car with a bit of rope. It looks like it's going to blow up at any minute.

'I even dress up as a farmer to add to the effect, it's a little comedy act we do.'

[JoeBentley]

This seems way to much like the classic, perhaps even Ur Example, of an Urban Legend, the old "JATO Car" myth to be taken very seriously.

[DrRocket]

Originally Posted by JoeBentley

This seems way to much like the classic, perhaps even Ur Example, of an Urban Legend, the old "JATO Car" myth to be taken very seriously.

Exactly. This is all nothing more than show business hype.

The OP also claims they've built a school bus capable of 775mph. Reaalllly???

I'd think the people who built THIS car (The current land speed record holder.) would like to know exactly how they managed to break the sound barrier with a school bus, eh???

[RichardM]

A school bus would be capable of those speeds if strapped to a Saturn C5 rocket but I doubt it would be a land speed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_(rocket_family)

Those would cause our house to shake in Birmingham Alabama when they were test fired up in Huntsville.

[Richard W]

Originally Posted by JoeBentley

This seems way to much like the classic, perhaps even Ur Example, of an Urban Legend, the old "JATO Car" myth to be taken very seriously.

It actually says in the article that it was inspired by that.

It's fair enough that it's a comedy act, but the funny thing is that whoever wrote the story for the Mail has apparently taken their claims completely seriously despite reporting that it's comedy...!