World Fastest Chevy.

[Speedfreak17]

This car is the world fastest Chevy!!
http://www.nishmotorsports.com


Land-speed racing is a family affair for the Nish clan. Three generations of the family were present at the Bonnenville Salt Flats in 1999 when the Royal Purple Streamliner cranked out four more records.
There is a whole lot more to land-speed racing than pointing the car in a straight line and mashing the throttle. Terry Nish is the picture of concentration before a record-seeking run begins.
Tom Klein of K-Dyne Power builds the record setting small-block Chevy engines that power Royal Purple. Depending on the class, they range in size from 256ci all the way up to 461ci.
Nish Motorsports bills its Royal Purple synthetic motor-oil Streamliner as the fastest small block Chevy-powered vehicle in the world. No asterisks, no disclaimers, no explanations, no excuses. Regardless of displacement, type of fuel, supercharged or not, venue of racing, or any other variable under the sun, it is indeed the fastest Mouse motor on planet Earth.

Royal Purple earned that enviable distinction during 1995 in the hands of Terry Nish, patriarch of the Nish family motorsports dynasty. With power from an engine poked and stroked to 427 ci, Terry drove the Streamliner in a class called B/Fuel to an official two-way average speed of 330.282 mph on the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats. Terry's son Jeff upped the ante considerably in 1997 by driving the car to 344.561 mph in class A/Fuel.

Racing has been a Nish-Family tradition since the '70s, when Terry campaigned Sprint Cars and sons Mike, Jeff, and T.J. were all cutting their teeth in the Salt Lake Valley Racing Association's circle-track mini stock class. As age and experience permitted, all three boys moved up to Sprint cars and than to the American Indy Car Series. When they seriously turned their attention to land-speed competition in 1993, all four Nish men were veteran racers.

By this time, the car was even more of a veteran with a long history dating back to 1953. The legendary land-speed racer John Vesco conceived its basic design after his friend Jimmy Dinkins flipped the Vesco/Dinkins belly tanker at 175 mph. Dinkins survived the crash, but the top of his helmet was deeply gouged by the abrasive salt. With his partner's near death experience still fresh, Vesco set out to design the thinnest, most aerodynamic, and safest Streamliner ever. Using aircraft quality 4130-alloy-steel tubing, he built a remarkably narrow, but strong, substructure incorporating the first-ever over-the-head, full-rollcage driver compartment.

Dubbed the Vesco Family Streamliner No. 444, it debuted in 1957. The Bonneville Nationals and southern California Timing Association classified it as experimental owing to its narrow 24-inch tread width. Powered by a '32 Ford Model B four-cylinder engine topped with a Riley four-port cylinder head, it ran 168 mph and was honored with Hot Rod magazine's Best Engineered Car of the Year award.
WHAT MAKES IT GO
The Nish family currently maintains a stable of five different small-block Chevrolet engines for the Royal Purple Streamliner, each for a specific class. The two largest engines are built around Donovan aluminum blocks, while the three smaller ones utilize cast-iron Bow Tie blocks. All are topped by Brodix aluminum heads. The bore and stroke vary according to engine size, but compression ratios are constant at a stout 15.0:1. Hilborn fuel-injection system deliver the fuel, while Mallory Super Spring ignition setups provide spark. Internally, all of the powerplants rely on the strongest parts money can buy, including Callies crankshafts, J&E pistons, Diatron connecting rods and front geardrives, Reed camshafts, Jesel rockers, Isky valvetrain components, and Manley titanium valves. Four-stage Barnes dry-sump systems, Dan Olsen oil pans, and Royal Purple 41 oil help keep it all together.

Class A/Fuel and A/Gas: 461ci with 4.155-inch bore x 4.250-inch stroke, 8,000 rpm, 800 hp on methanol, 1.73hp/ci
Class B/Fuel and B/Gas: 427ci with 4.125-inch bore x 4.000-inch stroke, 8,500 rpm, 735 hp on methanol, 1.72hp/ci
Class C/Fuel and C/Gas: 368ci with 4.165-inch bore x 3.380-inch stroke, 9,000 rpm, 625 hp on methanol, 1.69hp/ci
Class D/Fuel and D/Gas: 300ci with 4.030-inch bore x 2.940-inch stroke, 9,500 rpm, 550 hp on methanol, 1.83hp/ci
Class E/Fuel and E/Gas: 256ci with 3.750-inch bore x 2.900-inch stroke, 10,000 rpm, 500 hp on methanol, 1.95hp/ci

From 1957 to the 1970's, the Streamliner set multiple records powered by everything from a pair of Yamaha 40ci motorcycle engines to Offy 90ci engines to flathead Fords and even a Boss 302. But it has been the succession of small-block Chevys that has made this purple speed-eater a famous record setter.

With stream from a 355 ci Chevy, Rick Vesco brought the car to a new benchmark, hitting 300.300 mph in 1981. Still the Chevrolet power, Vesco family friend Dave Spangler reached 295 mph in class C/Gas in 1984. Spangler became the third person to earn a place in the 200-mph club driving the Streamliner.

In 1987 Jeff Nish became the first in his family to drive the Vesco Streamliner. Running in a class called D/Fuel with a four-cylinder Chevrolet, he established new FIA and USFRA records at 220 mph.

In 1988 the Vescos put the car into storage and devoted their efforts to a new four-wheel-drive Streamliner. The purple car remained temporarily retired until 1993, when Nish Motorsports made a deal with the Vesco family to update and campaign old No. 444.

With assistance from Rick Vesco, the Nish Motorsports crew lengthened the chassis three feet and reconfigured the body accordingly. They also designed, fabricated, and installed a suspension system, which the car lacked. This may sound odd, but many land-speed record cars are nonsuspended. For propulsion, the Nish family had Gordon Hoyt build a tout 350ci Chevy linked to an early Ford three-speed manual transmission.

The Nish team made several runs in 1993, but could not break the 295-mph C/Gas record Spangler had a set nine years prior. "Nineteen-ninety-three was our first year at the Salt Flats," remembers Terry Nish, "and it was a huge learning curve." When they returned home, the Nish family put all of its knowledge to good use. During the '94 off-season, Nish stripped the car to bare bones and revised it in some important ways. He installed all-new plumbing including a conventional radiator in place of the water tank. The suspension was refined, and Nish installed a new Chevy small-block coupled to a C6 Ford transmission.

To ensure maximum reliability in concert with the scorching power level land-speed racing demands, Terry Nish turned to Tom Klein of K-Dyne Power in Scottsdale, Arizona. Klein has designed and built all of the Nish-family racing engines since 1982, and they knew he could be relied upon to deliver the goods.

In the latter half of 1994, the 427 ci K-Dyne powerplant carried the car to a B/Gas record of 291.407 mph and earned Terry a seat in the 200-mph club. For those keeping count, this made him the fourth person to achieve that milestone at the wheel of the Royal Purple Streamliner-impressive indeed, but only a warm-up act for the following year's stellar performances.

In 1995 Dave Spangler and his old friend were reunited for a go at the 295-plus mph C/Gas record Spangler set in 1984. Aided by further refinements to the chassis, body, and suspension, he averaged 302.623 mph, more than enough to surpass his old mark. This also earned Spangler a spot in the exclusive 300-mph chapter of the 200-mph club.

Spangler wasn't the only racer to set a record over the three-century mark in the Royal Purple car during 1995. Terry did it no less than three times with the pinnacle a 330.283-mph run in the B/Fuel class. Terry also became a proud new member of the 300-mph chapter in 1995. While 1995 was a banner year for Royal Purple, it did not end well at all. During the tail end of the last run that established both FIA and a landspeed authority record of 320.114 mph, the car caught fire and was extensively damaged.

The Nish Motorsports team brought the injured warrior back to its shop for a total rebuild that was ultimately completed in time for the latter part of the '96 season. The car took up right where it left off prior to the fire, carrying Terry to a 300.043 D/Gas record and son Mike to a new D/Fuel mark at 304.700 mph. Like his father and Dave Spangler.
Mike Suddenly found himself welcomed into the 300-mph chapter, courtesy of Royal Purple. Unfortunately, 1996 did not conclude any more favorably than 1995. In October, while traveling at well over 300 mph, fire again broke out in the Streamliner, inflicting extensive damage.

There is always plenty to do between runs. Pressurized water from the fire extinguisher is used to clean the ever-present salt off the car.
Back at the shop, the Nish clan made the most of the opportunity by incorporating numerous improvements into the rejuvenated machine. Chief among these were an additional 12 inches to the chassis, a beautiful new body fabricated by Auto body Express of Ogden, Utah, new fuel and oil tanks, a refined engine air-inlet system, and custom aluminum wheels built by Bogart. Other noteworthy changes included installation of a Fire Fox fire-suppression system and a Liberty five speed air-shift transmission in place of the C6. the C6 held together at record speeds, but it was determined to be the cause of both fires because it began to push oil out of the case when the car passed 300 mph.

ROYAL PURPLE STREAMLINER RECORDS

Year	Class	Event		Driver		Record mph
1977	H/Fuel	Speed Week	Rick Vesco	213.279
1986	F/Gas	Speed Week	Jeff Nish		220.452
1987	F.I.A.	World of Speed	Jeff Nish		201.398
1995	B/Gas	World of Speed	Terry Nish	315.971
1995	L.S.A.	Private		Terry Nish	320.114
1996	D/Fuel	World of Speed	Mike Nish		304.7
1997	C/Gas	Speed Week	Terry Nish	322.136
1997	A/Gas	World Finals	T.J. Nish		332.622
1997	A/Fuel	World Finals	Jeff Nish		344.561
1998	B/Fuel	World of Speed	Terry Nish	338.276
1999	E/FS	MUROC		Terry Nish	231.516
1999	E/FS	Speed Week	Terry Nish	272.32
1999	E/GS	Speed Week	Mike Nish		276.475
1999	A/FS	El Mirage		Terry Nish	249.297

Table fixed by jay@af

All of the hard work paid handsome dividends when the car took to the salt
again. Terry's sons T.J. and Jeff both established new records- T.J. in A/Gas at 332.662 mph and Jeff in A/Fuel at 344.561. In doing so, they both joined brother Mike and their father in the 300-mph chapter of the 200-mph club. The fact that all four Nish men earned a spot in the 300-mph chapter is all the more remarkable when you consider that a total of only 36 drivers in the history of land-speed racing have established a record over 300 mph!

For nearly half a century, Chevrolet's small-bock V-8 has reigned unchallenged as the most prolific and successful competition powerplant there is. Of all the venues where it competes, few are quite so challenging as the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Nish-family Royal Purple Streamliner currently holds 14 national and FIA world records and has carried six individuals into the 200-mph club and four Nish men into the club's 300-mph chapter. But most important is that the purple No. 444 car continues to reign supreme as the fastest small-block Chevy-powered vehicle on the face of the Earth!


Royal Purple thoroughly encapsulates its driver, necessitating assistance to secure and tighten the safety harness.

Before the canopy goes on and the car is launched, a race official gives the harness one last pull to ensure it's as tight as possible. Regardless of how tight it is made, the car's acceleration will inevitably generate some slack as it forces the driver back in the seat.



The front suspension is built around a single trailing arm anchored at the rear via a Honda CBR 650 motorcycle coilover shock.



The early Ford differential incorporates a Cyclone quick-change centersection with a spool to ensure that the wheels drive at the same rate. Mark Williams axles deliver the twist to the drive wheels, which are spaced only 24 inches apart.

The Liberty air-shafted transmission sandwiched between the engine and differential has been trouble-free for the past five years. The Ford C6 transmission used previously had a habit of puking oil at high speed and catching fire.




WHAT GOES INTO BUILDING A WORLD-RECORD STREAMLINER


Tim McNees of McNees Enterprises in Salt Lake City is the man behind the fabrication and modifications of Royal Purple's chassis along with help from crewchief Cecil McCray and Mike Nish. It is a spaced rail design with structural bracing made from 15/8x0.095-inch 4130-chromonly tubing.

The car's current body design is the culmination of many years of experimenting with airflow and the air-intake system. Jim Burkdol of Auto Body Express in Ogden, Utah, assisted with design work and fabricated the fiberglass body components. The lower half of the body is secured to the chassis by a series of evenly spaced steel tongue and groove brackets. The top portion is attached to the bottom with Dzus fasteners.

The differential is an early Ford unit that incorporates a Cyclone quickchange centersection with a spool to ensure the wheels drive at the same rate. Mark Williams axles deliver the twist to the drive wheels, which are spaced only 24 inches apart. Final drive ratio varies all the way down to 1.49:1, utilizing the team's quick-change gear selection. Power is delivered to the differential through an air-shifted Liberty five-speed with a 0.90 Fifth-gear overdrive. Unlike conventional manual transmissions, the driver simply pushes a button to change gears while maintaining wideopen throttle.

Originally, The No. 444 car had no suspension. There is divergence of opinion regarding the need for suspension on land-speed record racers, but as time passes more and more cars are using it, mostly due to the deteriorating condition of the Salt Flat's surface. As currently configured, Royal Purple has a rather unusual custom-fabricated suspension setup. The front utilizes early Corvette spindles and hubs attached to a heavy-wall 2-inch square tube axle. The square tube is welded to a heavy-wall 4x2-inch rectangular steel tube that serves as a center trailing arm. The trailing arm is anchored at the rear via a single gas coilover borrowed from a Honda CBR 650 motorcycle. Four precisely located rubber bumpers control bump and rebound, and an antisway bar helps keep the front-end stable.

The rear suspension uses two trailing arms, two Monroe adjustable coilover shocks, and Hyper Coil springs. As in the front, an antiroll bar ensures added stability at high speed.

The car normally runs with 30 degrees of positive caster in the kingpins, and the steering locks at only 3 degrees of turning radius. As with all 300-plus-mph cars, super-strong wheels and tires are specified. Bogart Wheels of San Diego, California, fabricated the three-piece aluminum alloy wheels. The rears measure 15x5-inch, and the fronts are 15x4-inch.

Royal Purple's tires are Goodyear Front Runners. The rears measure 25x4.5x15 inches, while the fronts are 21x5x15 inches. Using nitrogen, the rears are pumped up to 70 psi. Though the tires are rated to 300 mph by Goodyear with the 0.140-inch tread depth they come with, the Nish team discovered that they would start throwing rubber at very high speeds. To solve this problem, they shaved the tires to a tread depth of 0.060 to 0.070 inches.

Stopping a 300-plus-mph car can be a daunting task, so serious thought has gone into Royal Purple's brake system. Dual-piston Wilwood calipers mounted on the rear wheels help, but most stopping force is generated by the car's parachutes. Duel Stroud Safety Equipment ribbon-type parachutes attach to the chassis with a 75-foot-long lines. They are deployed by a spring-loaded electric solenoid triggered by buttons on the steering wheel.

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[Rich]

WOW!! Now that is fast. hmm I wonder If I can get them to build me the same engine and put it into my caprice j/k

[matt horton]

ooooowwwwwyyyyyaaa pppphhhhhhh iiiiiiimmmm


i WANT 1