Ford’s one-of-a-kind 1964 Turbine-powered 18 wheeler has been found and restored.
2 Likes
We’ll se something this big again, but it will be electric.
Interesting!
For those really interested in turbine powered vehicles, I’ve just finished a book, " Chrysler’s Turbine Car by Peter Lehto". It’s both enlightening and entertaining. I had the privilege of riding in one, but not driving it as I was too young, as my uncle was selected to be one of the folks who got one of the 50 turbine cars for a 3 month evaluation. The lack of vibration was amazing, as was the sound.
I winced when I read the part about starting it with no oil. 
As I recall Chrysler was big into turbines at one time. I’ve seen much less about Ford. This was enlightening.
I remember stopping for gas on the way home from church. An old lady was filling her turbine from the kerosene tank out back. Some rich person drove one around the block on a bottle of cognac.
Ah … Mmmmmm … Not exactly.
It’s STEVE Lehto. He’s a Lawyer in the Detroit area. He has a very popular YouTube channel = YouTube: Lehto’s Law
2 Likes
Thanks CR, I was looking at the book as I
typed that and still messed it up.
I wonder what the fuel mileage was? I drove a 72 Ford C850 for several years with a 534 cubic inch gasoline V8. It averaged 4 mpg. 2 mpg. if I cruised at 70 with a 40,000 lb load. Fuel mileage is what killed the gasoline powered piston engined truck and I imagine the turbine was even worse.
Where are the air hoses and light cord and hangers that belong on the back of the cab?
Anything combustible would work, from what I can recall, Tequila for example
Some tequila is better burned than consumed.
4 Likes
That was one of the demos that they did at the 1964-65 World’s Fair in New York. They emptied a bottle of (supposedly) “Old Napoleon Brandy” into a tiny container attached to the fuel feed of a Chrysler Turbine Car, and started the engine while we watched.
98% of tequila is better burned than consumed…
2 Likes
Tequila is better burned, then consumed. Flaming shots are the way to go if you don’t like the flavor of the alcohol.
You can say much the same thing for piston engines, heck, our gasoline is already 10% moonshine and some cars will run on 85% moonshine. In Brazil, some even run on 100% moonshine.
1 Like
Saw an older Caddy today riding way down on its back haunches. Reminded me of bootleggers cars in OK and AR when I was a kid.
1 Like
You can say much the same thing for piston engines, heck, our gasoline is already 10% moonshine and some cars will run on 85% moonshine. In Brazil, some even run on 100% moonshine.
Ethanol is not quite moonshine but a couple moor steps in the distilling prosses it would be I say that is a waste putting it in the gas instead of jug’s where it could be enjoyed much more.as far as running in the engine the old diesel’s ran good with it.
I don’t think you are old enough to remember the old bootleggers. 
At least for the Chrysler you were advised to use Diesel but you could use Gasoline or jet fuel as well. Still not fuel efficient enough to go into mass production.
There were still a lot of bootleggers in OK in the 60s. And even now in AR some folks do a thriving business selling otherwise legal bottles and cans of booze out of their car trunks in the counties that are still dry.
In college I went to Iowa with my roommate for Thanksgiving. A beer with high alcohol % was illegal in Iowa but quite a favorite of her family and neighbors. So her boyfriend’s car trunk was filled with a ton of beer taking up more space than our luggage. That old Pontiac was soooo overloaded with four people, luggage, and enough booze to float that corner of Iowa for awhile. Her family was happy. 
1 Like