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Bloody Mary

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Jive-Bomber, Oct 27, 2009.

  1. Jive-Bomber
    Joined: Aug 21, 2001
    Posts: 3,754

    Jive-Bomber
    MODERATOR

  2. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    It's amazing what a bit of ingenuity will create when a few guys decide to go racing.

    I see a lot of things on that car that a lot of guys think of as being relatively recent idea and yet they were used on a car that is now 80 years old.

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  3. Special Ed
    Joined: Nov 1, 2007
    Posts: 7,967

    Special Ed
    Member

    Yeah, Octane magazine is a good read. I was even fortunate enough to have my own car featured in it. Some interesting, and different cars in there! That Bloody Mary car is too cool!
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2009
  4. woodbox
    Joined: Jul 11, 2005
    Posts: 1,231

    woodbox
    Member

    "By crikey" sounds like these two fellows were a couple of right propper rascals eh?
     

  5. model.A.keith
    Joined: Mar 19, 2007
    Posts: 6,279

    model.A.keith
    Member

    The car was at Shelsley Walsh earlier this year doing some 'demonstration' runs up the hill

    car was taken out of 'hibernation' for the event,

    turns out that the crankcase on one of the engines is in about a dozen or so pieces and had been temporarily tacked together to get it running :eek:

    I understand that 'funds permitting' it may be restored to a more useable condition.


    still great to see the car at a real historic venue.

    [​IMG]

    .


    .
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2009
  6. Rootie Kazoootie
    Joined: Nov 27, 2006
    Posts: 8,134

    Rootie Kazoootie
    Member
    from Colorado

    Attached Files:

  7. Ned Ludd
    Joined: May 15, 2009
    Posts: 5,025

    Ned Ludd
    Member

    Ooh. John Bolster's car. It was as important in the history of the Special as cars like the Duane Spencer roadster were in the history of the hot rod.
     
  8. Nads
    Joined: Mar 5, 2001
    Posts: 11,862

    Nads
    Member
    from Hypocrisy

    Erm, Doane.

    That thing sounds like a squadron of angry wasps.
     
  9. Artiki
    Joined: Feb 17, 2004
    Posts: 2,013

    Artiki
    Member
    from Brum...

    Hardcore. Pure and simple.
     
  10. Sounds nasty!
     
  11. Asphalt Outlaw Hero
    Joined: Dec 9, 2006
    Posts: 963

    Asphalt Outlaw Hero
    Member
    from Dixie

    JAP V twins were THE pre-war V twin motors in England and Europe. Brough-Superior used them until around 1936.Lots of record attempts were done using them.
    Morgan used wooden frames for a long time.Actually stronger and more flexible than steel ( don't try to Z it though:eek:).
    Great story.
     
  12. The earliest Fords had wood frames as well. Including Henry's race car the 999. I love these real oldies. Is this the next level of rat rod? Wood frame, maybe even air cooled roadsters. You notice that the only fender on the Bloody Mary car is the one next to the driver, asymetricly stripped down roadster is very cool.

    I've seen the 999 several times at Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. It set a landspeed record on Lake St. Clair in 1904. 91 mph. How Cool is that? [​IMG]
     
  13. SAVAGE
    Joined: May 13, 2002
    Posts: 925

    SAVAGE
    Alliance Vendor

  14. fur biscuit
    Joined: Jul 22, 2005
    Posts: 7,828

    fur biscuit
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    "the corners are no problem, it's those tricky straight bits in between" :D
     
  15. 60'shotrod
    Joined: Nov 18, 2007
    Posts: 2,914

    60'shotrod
    Member

    Us Brits can do something RIGHT!:D;)

    Nick.
     
  16. Mart
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 4,893

    Mart
    Member

    Diggin it a lot. Like the extra frame rail straight up the middle.
    Well guys, there's a set of plans there....
     
  17. 22dodge
    Joined: Dec 27, 2006
    Posts: 241

    22dodge
    Member
    from Nevada

    Awesome car. Always had a "thing" for cycle cars... :rolleyes:
    Thanks for the article, Jive Bomber.
     
  18. lakester47
    Joined: Feb 24, 2008
    Posts: 117

    lakester47
    Member

    Bloody Mary has always intrigued me. Glad to see it on the HAMB. Low buck, low tech, high ingenuity, and high results, isn't that what hot rodding is all about? Can you imagine a conversation between John Bolster and Bob Rufi?
     
  19. Piper106
    Joined: Jul 29, 2006
    Posts: 126

    Piper106
    Member

    I've had an interest since I read the Profile Publication booklet on 'Bloody Mary' about 35 years ago in the local library.

    Two big motorcycle V-twin engines and as I recall only about 800 pounds... must need nerves of steel to drive that thing... Or maybe as the British say you need to be 'a little daft'... maybe both.

    Piper106

    Question for today. I recall Bloody Mary being listed as 7 cwt plus a few pounds. Why are there a 110 pounds in a British 'hundred weight' (cwt)???
     
  20. tfeverfred
    Joined: Nov 11, 2006
    Posts: 15,791

    tfeverfred
    Member Emeritus

    Classic story of hot rodding beginnings from across the pond. Sweet.
     
  21. 22dodge
    Joined: Dec 27, 2006
    Posts: 241

    22dodge
    Member
    from Nevada

    Here are a couple of photos, one of the 4 engined version.
    The rear shot backing up is interesting also...
    Just a cool piece of history...:cool: '22
     

    Attached Files:

  22. 22dodge
    Joined: Dec 27, 2006
    Posts: 241

    22dodge
    Member
    from Nevada

    My converter says 112 pounds for a "hundred weight". :D
     
  23. Piper106
    Joined: Jul 29, 2006
    Posts: 126

    Piper106
    Member

    Question for today. I recall Bloody Mary being listed as 7 cwt plus a few pounds. Why are there a 110 pounds in a British 'hundred weight' (cwt)???

    My converter says 112 pounds for a "hundred weight".

    Ok, why are there 112 pounds in a hundredweight???

    Piper106 <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
     
  24. Harry Bergeron
    Joined: Feb 10, 2009
    Posts: 345

    Harry Bergeron
    Member
    from SoCal

    Ok, why are there 112 pounds in a hundredweight???

    Because it's equal to 8 stone, old bean!

     
  25. shmoozo
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 671

    shmoozo
    Member
    from Media, PA

    Yeah ... think about the wind chill on a frozen lake at 91 MPH in a car as open as that. BRRRRRR!!!

    Oh, and the engines in the cars (there were two, actually) were ... well, the Wikipedia article about them describes them like this:

    Let's see, 18.8 liters is almost 1150 cubic inches, right? And that's a 4 cylinder engine, so over 280 cubic inches per cylinder! Not too many racing cars with engines like that being built today, eh? Those things must have sounded like tug boats!

    :)
     
  26. shmoozo
    Joined: Aug 14, 2007
    Posts: 671

    shmoozo
    Member
    from Media, PA

    No wonder most of the planet switched to the metric system.

    :p
     
  27. Zerk
    Joined: May 26, 2005
    Posts: 1,418

    Zerk
    Member

    Profile Publication also gathered 3-5 booklets together and bound them, creating a very enjoyable series of books. My library had these available when I was just a sprout, and eager to read anything about wheeled vehicles. "Bloody Mary" was definitely a favorite. Can anyone recall how many Bloody Mary versions were built?
     
  28. Mark H
    Joined: May 18, 2009
    Posts: 1,461

    Mark H
    Member
    from Scotland

    Not bad for a couple of kids with basic hand tools!
    Love it!
    My favourite line from the write-up;
    "a car that travelled mostly sideways":D
     
  29. Hisik
    Joined: Jul 7, 2006
    Posts: 12

    Hisik
    Member

    Love it.

    The look, the ideas, the construction, the name.

    Awesome that something like that was created nearly 90 years ago. Hats off to the Bolster brothers.

    And thanks for the article Ryan, another car I would have missed without your help.
     

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