Four or five years ago American Pickers found 2 of his V8 bikes Widowmaker and Bloody Mary, both were purchased for 45k with the promise of putting them in a museum they also showed a video clip of EJ doing an exhibition run from 1999.
@@farmcentralohio The announcers at the Tractor Pulls told about E.j.'s drag bikes.. I didn't know any more about them until I got his book .. I was born in 1961 .. Just a kid in the Motorcycle days.
I watch videos of the coolest ever 57 Chevy- the ' shitbox of doom ' and imagine once upon a time it driving a bunch of kids to the lake. E.J.s Dart wagon would be the opposite, a car that was once 2000 horsepower drag machine achieving 150mph now a stocker driving a bunch of kids to the lake.
@@michaelszczys8316 My Cousin bought a new '56 Chevy with the 265 CI dual 4 barrel solid Lifter cam High Compression Corvette engine in it.. He is 88 years old now his Twin Brother just passed away .
I spoke to EJ a number times around 2006 when I bought his book. He would waffle on a bit and it was absolutely fascinating listening to him. The guy had had one of the most brilliant engineering minds and was way ahead of his time. It sounded like; rather than BS and talk about what he was going to do, he would just do it then talk about it and show what he had done. I owned one of his dynamometers and it was pretty interesting the way it was built. I am truly lucky to have come across him in my lifetime. If most people did 10% of what this guy did, they would be very satisfied. He was a true legend and the nicest person as well. Thank you for the video.
He also made a pulling tractor that he used to run locally here in midmichigan. It also had an Allison engine. Once when at a tractor pull, he took off with the sled in tow, and by the time he shut it down, he had left the end of the course and was across the street still pulling the weight sled. He was a legend here from Ithaca Michigan
I think I saw one of his tractor pull builds back in the 80's. Loud as hell with open short exhaust pipe facing up. Remember it knocking the dust off of the arena it was in.
@@stoveboltlvr3798 It sure can’t be easy keeping her vertical & strait riding on a pool of molten rubber! And surprisingly he didn’t mind swapping from 4 wheels to two wheels. I guess what ever it took to keep the funds flowing…. I’m glad I saw him run his bike a few times. I true legend like Gartlits 👍
I was there for the Allison v12 Plymouth run at Atco. The car was white with a blue top and the body looked like he'd grabbed it out of the junkyard, EJ sitting in the backseat. He takes off with tires smoking and achieves great speed but doesn't stop at the end of the track and crashes mightily into the tree stump barricade that was not visible from the pits or the grandstands, old red Cadillac ambulance takes off for the crash site. After a long period of drama while waiting, the ambulance returns slowly back up the track with EJ standing on top in a victorious stance, waving his hands in the air, the sign of a true showman. We didn't know he was in pain, he didn't convey that to his fans and I don't think anyone who was there that day will forget that show, EJ was a master showman.
Jeez this guy had balls the size of bowling balls ! Fearless to say the very least. I've never heard of him and I certainly appreciate you sharing his story.
I read about Potter in a motorcycle magazine in the 1960’s. It said he started the V8 bike on the line with a center stand holding the rear wheel off the ground. No clutch, just revved it up with the wheel spinning an inch above the pavement, then rolled it forward off the stand! The front brake would get cooked every few runs, but he said he didn’t care because he bought a barrel full of them, used. Respect for his massive bravery, but I’m totally impressed by the fact that he engineered and built it all too.
As a young Brit at the time I first read about the " Michigan Madman" in Hot Rod Magazine pictured sitting on his v eight motorcycle. One of my life's heroes. Sad to hear he's no longer with us with his wild machines and burning prodigious amounts of fuel. Great guy.
My dad lived just down the road from EJ in Ithaca Michigan. My dad was a teenager then and always looked up to EJ. He used to tell me stories of hanging out and watching him work on stuff.
Seen his bike run a couple times and once looked it over and spoke with him, an interesting, intelligent guy with a real enthusiasm and belief in what he was doing
The alcohol dipped gloves... God damn that's a legendary story on its own. Glad he had a good keeper in the passenger seat. In his shoes I would've ducked out!! Even with the best moral support right next to me!
As a kid I watched EJ's "Double Ugly" Twin Allison Pulling Tractor in action many times at Berrien County Youth Fair in the early 80s. Looked like a monster that crawled out of a WWII Aviation Junkyard. LOUD as hell and always erupting fire that lit the place up. I have so much respect for him. Fearless and Smart. Love EJ's quote - "IGNORANCE IS A POWERFUL TOOL IF APPLIED AT THE RIGHT TIME, EVEN USUALLY SURPASSING KNOWLEDGE"
Never saw any of his cars but I did have the pleasure of witnessing E.J.Potter in action back in about 1971 in Detroit. He got his big block Chevy bike started, set it up on rear stand in neutral, put a blowtorch on the back tire to heat it up. had a smoke, when his smoke was done he put his helmet on, moved the torch, put in gear, revved it up and kicked it off the stand careening across all the lanes of the strip. If that wasn't enough he came back down the center and into the pits at about 80mph. The never was anyone even remotely close to drag strip exhibitions than the Michigan Madman.
Brian, I read E.J. Potters book and one thing he wrote that changed the way I looked at things in the mechanical world (My Day Job ) what he said was to always do your own research. And that statement has helped me fix more things efficiently and diagnose more problems correctly ...
Thank you so much for the story. I have 25 years of mopar magazine and I live in Australia. I tell this story and most people think I’m full of shit. Great bloke with BALLS Thank you
I remember my dad telling me stories about EJ Potter back in the day when I was a kid. Being that I am from Michigan Michigan. The story is pretty cool. Great job, Brian.
I remember that picture of that 3000 HP wagon when I was very young. We are talking about 1964-1967 timeframe. I was born in 1954, but my brother was four years older, so he was into cars and so was I.
ok that story of leaving the hospital just stopped me dead in my tracks. I gotta share that with everyone I know right now! That dude is 100% made differently than anyone I've known.
You know it's a good day when it's a Lohnes upload-day! I don't think Ive ever heard a boring word come out of your mouth man, and stuff like this is pure gold. Thanks for blessing us with your wast knowledge! 🙏🏻🔥
For what its worth- My dad shot film sometime in the 60s at the dragstrip of the Grattan Raceway in Grattan Michigan. It was a practice day and most of the film was of an open wheel dragster with an Allison in it. Might have been a four wheel drive. The driver was from the area somewhere, but i don't remember his name. I think the grand rapids press did a few stories on that car through the years.
He lost "Bloody Mary" at Onondaga Dragway in Michigan and had to bail out at 150 MPH. I helped him load her up on the trailer once, too. He was a nice guy and THE poster boy for Adrenalin junkies, wherever they are. R.I.P. E.J.!
I knew him,I spent a day out at his farm asking all kinds of questions. Then I spotted a huge crankshaft in his living room, I said that looks like an Allison crank, EJ eyes lit up, then he ran off to his bedroom and came back with a photo album. Inside this photo album was racks and racks of v 12 engines. I said where was this taken? He said, Russia, he said they where world war two engines the Russia used in tanks trucks and planes.The engines would run on gas, diesel kerosene and alcohol. I said EJ, your going to build another pulling tractor aren't you, He said yep. Right after that he was diagnosed with altimeter. I was glad I spent that time with him.
Mr. Potter was my #2 favorite exhibition driver (on motorcycle) only behind Capt. Jack McClure and his Rocket Kart. Saw both multiple times (lucky me!)
He converted to Dart wagon back into a road car after wildly modifying it and almost burning it up! I wonder if it still survives somewhere, it would be vey collectable if it still exists!
I remember Hot Rod Magazine did an article on EJ back around '73 maybe . Anyway , he had taken one of the Allison engines and was using it to power a generator in order to run his latest creation, a 1/4 mile slot car . It was in the testing phase at that time .
good to hear someone else had heard about that car, it ran at the old strip here in san antonio once, couldn't remember if it was him or some other real hot rodder. the car i saw had electric cables running all the way down the side of the strip.
@@jimmieroan9881 that sounds like the same car . At the moment I can't remember what kind of car it was anymore . Almost seems like it might have been another Dart , or maybe the same one repurposed again .
I met his brother and got to sit on the v8 bike. Keep in mind it was stack injected in your face. So the fuel reversion from the stacks would soak him while he rode. Balls of steel is an understatement. Rev it up kick it off the stand and burn it down the track. Wild man
I knew E.J. Potter: His teenage best friend was the son of my dad's friend, Cliff Wetzel, of Diltz-Wetzel Mfg, creator of the world's first fully automatic potato seed cutter, amongst other things. E.J. and Richard, Cliff's son, built a riding lawnmower out of a VW. Richard got a speeding ticket driving it into town to mow lawns. He was also the world's expert on Allison engine tuning. He taught himself Russian, so he could read the service manual for a Russian generator engine. He was a fascinating man. Sadly, he died a few years ago from Alzheimer's.
Excellent video work here on a fascinating character. I read about his V8 motorcycle (in Hot Rod magazine IIRC) - apparently he bought off-the-shelf “warranted” automotive tires for it. After a race weekend he’d return the completely roached tire for a guaranteed replacement. Thanks for the vid. Very interesting and FULL of info I’d never known.
When I was a kid, my neighbor had a Henery J sitting outside, that was set up for an Allison..It had many Bonneville Salt Flats metal participation plaques attached to the Transmission tunnel. It was black with a long arm holding a giant eyeball on the side and a huge name "Hysteria" painted below it...Ford 9 inch rear end and Gasser style front..I've always wondered who built it and it's history...
One more thing I recall: he said some of the drag strip operators were “crooked as hell, especially down south,” LOL. They’d agree to his fee, say they’d have the money at the end of the night as the fees came in, then just disappeared without paying him. In some professions you gotta insist on getting paid up front or no show!
Your videos are absolutely wonderful. Your channel will explode. One note at 6:45, the 12 volt batteries were wired in "series" to develop 36 volts (not "sequence"). Please keep the videos coming!
It would be awesome you could find video footage with these history posts as well! (I know it's hard to do. But maybe other channel viewers might have some;)
My Dork-O-Motive podcast has episodes from 1-3 hours on all kinds of automotive and historical topics. I am trying to keep these manageable in length for my complete lack of skills. Hahah Sincerely appreciate you watching!!
Brian, thanks for this incredible video series and also for your exceptional work for NHRA. Would you consider an episode dedicated to Jocko Johnson’s career ?
The fact that the first car only weighed 4500 with an Allison aircraft engine it, blows me away. When you are talking 2000+hp and who even knows what kind of torque an engine like that is capable of, it's not a bad trade-off at all.
I wish I was like 20 in 1959 and grew up in the 60s. Drag racing was for crazy people. I used to have a sticker on my my helmet that said remember when sex was safe and drag racing was dangerous lol
Having just retired from the tool shop that Lee Pendelton founded, there are some old stories about Lee that I have heard over the years. One was that the final dragster for Lee was wrecked and the driber was killed, so Lee being distraught over this death of his friend, took the racer and buried it in his yard then quit racing... I wonder if it is still there?
Spread the word about Brian’s channel, drag race fans and automotive enthusiasts in general. The videos and history of the sport is outstanding! PS…not hard to understand how the Michigan Madman got his name. Surprising he lived as long as he did
Oh wow so he got a "Twofer" to use one engine and then a spare backup for parts. I wonder if it was infact even cheaper being useless to just about anyone as is. He would have had to source another V-1710 for its accessories section. But no use was there for either the conbination nose case or the huge blower driven from only one engine. He could have later reassembled the W-3420 for a tractor pulling rig.@@brianlohnes3079
Curious -- tractor pull n in the 70`s -- Double UGLY -- ya know how memories R -- seems to me Farmer in Bib Overalls sitting in a bathtube and maybe Allison power -- saw this at the Cow Palace/indoors San Fran and maybe once or twice outdoor circuit !!!
Its insane what these old timers did. Whats more insane is that we these days can go faster with less power and far far less displacement. Hell my kia goes 11.60 with 470 hp. my tuners with 550 goes 10.9. Still absolutely crazy how these guys did what they did. Super cool.
