wow man, that is really something. .an NoN EXPectable treat . . didn't even EXPect to ever hear Tommy, 'what to say' of him personally EXPlaining the FOUR ENGINE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE DRAGSTER!🏁🏁gFNM/FL 22.8.'23☮️
Uhhh…, no disrespect, but that’s four gallons to the mile Tommy. I remember when you did your first run in this car. I was a kid but knew enough about cars to appreciate your unusual and outstanding accomplishment. I rebuilt my first engine by myself, a Honda 50, honing it out for a ring job and hand lapping the valves with dual compounds. It was exhausting but I did it and never looked back! Thank you for being the inspiration and legend to us all!
Yes, they were Buick 401 cubic inch "nail heads". If you're not familiar the "nail head" designation came from the small size of the intake and exhaust valves which I believe were designed that way for getting as much low end torque as possible. To compensate the cam was designed with a lot of lift and duration which gave them a characteristic lumpy idle. There was a larger 425 cubic inch version that was just a slightly larger bore. They were designated by Buick as the "Wildcat 445" and the "Wildcat 465" which was their torque numbers emblazened on the air cleaners. My dad had a 1966 Wildcat with the 401. I can't recall if it was the 401 or 425 cubic inch version that was used as starter motors for the SR-71 Blackbird.
I built a V-8 Pinto. I feel like it was a Tinkertoy compared to this one. Never got to see him run it, but I built the Revelle model! Wish I still had it.
Wow! I'm 62 now and remember going to Lions, Ascot, OCIR, etc, growing up, I saw Tommy Ivo run many many times and always thought he was the coolest, so glad to see he's still here, love ya!
I'm pretty sure that's the voice of Keith Jackson on narration. Those were the days when it didn't take a crew of 42 guys in 6 semis backed by an 8-figure budget to race top fuel.
I remember seeing this car at the first drag race that I ever attended in the late seventies at PIR ( Portland Oregon) I was bummed that it was a rain out and it never made a run down the track.Dale pulled had the war eagle trans-am funny car there also
@@deathwrenchcustom No, the coupling chain between the engines, it would have to hold maybe 600-700hp from the motors out put, not the timing chain on the cam!
I remember these tire smoking beasts of the 60's. That was when they all had a different idea to get down the track first. Now if you take off the decals the cars are all the same.
I don't understand how bolting two engines together would work. I would think that one would run at least a little differently than the other (rpm, power level), and that the differing power outputs/rpm outputs would break something. Were they really synchronized that perfectly?
i wrote a report about Tommy Ivo when i was in 3rd grade (maybe 4th?) after reading about him in Hot Rod Magazine or something like that. in the early 70s they had (in michigan) the Ludington Reading Rooms added to the school libraries where there was no 'checking out and returning' books or magazines. they were all given literally TONS of paperback materials and they were free to read/take/use as the students wanted. i then looked for more material on him in the card catalog at the local library and found a book that i used for reference. even my teacher was amazed to hear that he ran a 4-engine dragster...
Talked to TV T.O. many times at Bakersfield hotrod reunion..he walks around with the crowd ..good guy.. watch the movie "bikini beach" and that car does a good smokie burnout.. started by Don Rickles
Years ago on one of my first trips to Tri cities dragway in Saginaw Michigan, i gave my cold coke to Tommy's only crew guy 😊 he asked me if I could go in the push truck and help him push the dragster back to the start line ??? 😂😂😂😂😂😂 what a blast !!!
Tommy Ivo was able to experience both of two exiting worlds, the first big decade of the "TV age" and the first big decade of organized drag racing, all in southern California, what a time and place.
I always wondered how that worked. Years ago Dad had the record Big Sounds Of The Drags. Tommy Ivo’s 4 engine dragster was on that record. So I never saw it, but I heard it.
