C $89.05. Article by Bob. Garlits appeared that night at the track with his trusty black steed to lay down the challenge. Who knows what would have happened if all four motors were connected together?”, (Pellegrini got a chance to get even with Ivo — as Ivo sees it — for the cylinder-head swap on the twin. We are a full time Hobby Store Located in Massachusetts. 2. You could say that Pellegrini stayed in a lot of motels along the way. So he hired his crewman, Prudhomme, giving him his first starring role (or, possibly, as Ivo sometimes tells it, a chance to be his “test pilot” in the wild, new machine). Tommy Ivo's Four-engine Dragster Older Post Home. One of the 1st Top Fuel cars to go 250 MPH in the 1/4 mile. According to Ivo, Pellegrini had an in with the Cicero cops, so they’d feel pretty sure they’d stay on the right side of the law when they headed out to the dump with sawed-off shot guns and Tommy guns, with spotlights duct-taped to the guns, to blast the rodents, who were drawn by the waste dumped by the Campbell Soup company (“That was better to the rats than the hot dog stand to a starving drag racer,” Ivo noted). .. How Not To Load a Ford F-350 on a Trailer, This 1966 Honda CB160 Poco Bastardo Replica Flaunts Gold Chain, Make Your Ride Memorial with The Best Helmet Camera, Havoc Motorcycles Iron Flight: Mike Tyson Special Edition. your own Pins on Pinterest Use a Revell TOMMY IVO'S SHOWBOAT FOUR ENGINE DRAGSTER for donor kit. I had planned to write a season column recap column that would auto-post Dec. 27 but that was before I broke my leg playing hockey earlier this week that put me out of action. Ask any 500 Tommy Ivo fans which of his many, many race cars is his most famous, and it’s a pretty safe bet that 495 of them will say it’s his wild four-engine Showboat. Tommy Ivo’s FOUR Engine Powered AWD Dragster was Quite the Monster - ThrottleXtreme. Time left 17h 4m left. See more ideas about dragsters, drag racing, car humor. A fan favorite, AMT memorialized it in model kit form, in two different colors, no less. The car held the Drag News AA/GD et record at 8.69. Even though it was powered by four fire-breathing Buicks, it was not competitive due to its weight and drivetrain configuration. It weighed more than a ton and a half. The movies, racing, and traveling the world. Auction Lot S152, Kissimmee, FL 2020. Videoliner is a streamliner slingshot dragster, built for "TV Tommy" Ivo.. History. Jan 10, 2021 - Explore Greg N's board "Tommy Ivo", followed by 104 people on Pinterest. Ivo had the four-engine car built in his two-car garage in Burbank, Calif., for about $4,000. 1:18 scale diecast. • 1972, when Ivo brought out his first rear-engine dragster – again another record breaker, the first into the 5s. They tied me in the car with ropes to make the run. With four Buick V8 engines strapped to the framerails, Ivo's all-wheel drive dragster was a true marvel. Tommy Ivo's Showboat 4 engine dragster Posted by JohnnyK on Monday, May 28, 2018 6:52 PM I remember building one of these dragsters when I was a kid. Chapters ... Ivo’s 2-engine dragster paved the way for the 4-engine car and helped solve many of the mechanical issues. It took six men and a small boy to get the motors out of the car as a package of two and then split them, and I didn't even see a chain hoist in Pellegrini's place strong enough to do that.”. From United States +C $37.96 shipping estimate. “McCourry's back grew a big yellow streak down it, and he didn't want to hear any of it. Although he seldom drove it and his driving career ended with a huge bump in the road, he’s still glad he built the iconic machine. The pre-story begins in 1960, the year before the Showboat first turned four tires on the track. IN. Free shipping for many products! 400 x 286 jpeg 32kB. This ’55 Chevy was basically scrap metal before. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Knowing that Ivo would be far from his Southern California base, Pellegrini offered his Chicago-area speed shop (Speed Craft, located in Maywood, Ill.) as a base and a haven, and Ivo gratefully accepted. I wanted to go out with some dramatic flair,” he explained. All four wheels put power, about 2000 horsepower, to the ground. "TV" Tommy Ivo & His 1960s "Four " Engine " 4 WD " "Showboat" Dragster PHOTO ! Exhibition Dragster Engines: (4) 454 CU. Subject to one of the most historic NHRA crash finishes of all-time with TV Tommy walking away unscathed. www.throttlextreme.com. These cookies do not store any personal information. Ask any 500 Tommy Ivo fans which of his many, many race cars is his most famous, and it’s a pretty safe bet that 495 of them will say it’s his wild four-engine Showboat. “I had so much going on at the time, I really wasn't scrutinizing my credit cards all that well, and Ron figured this out right away when I didn't ask how he put 60 gallons for gas in the tow car. (Don't take any tips from Ron on the stock market!!!). He drove the car back to the starting line, jumped on top of the car, took a pair of BBQ tongs and set alight his driving gloves with one of the portable propane track driers. A fe .. PeiDMichalke: Your personal style is incredibly unique as compared to othe .. Josefina: Give it a shot guys, you've got nil to lose! “Problem is I took a brand-new pair of driving gloves and burned them up. Back home, his show business experience told him"If they like … Discover (and save!) We offer worldwide shipping. Florida Woman, 93, Reached End of the Road After 567,000 Miles in Her 1964 Mercury, Florida’s Biggest, An Adults-Only Ultimate Mud Party, The New 840Hp TRANS AM “BANDIT EDITION” is Smokin’, 1966 Ford Mustero – The Ford Mustang Pickup. Westbury Motorsports - TOMMY IVO SHOWBOAT FOUR ENGINE DRAGSTER MODEL KIT # H1285-198. “We sent a faithful dog on a run back to the shop to get them, but we had to make the first run without them,” he said. “Well, we also did ‘break’ the 180-mph barrier on gasoline at two different tracks as well,” he said, enjoying the pun. It was scary fast. “I had the distinction to be the first one to fire Prudhomme!” Ivo noted, with a “happy Ivo-type grin” thrown in. And who could blame them? Ivo’s 2-engine dragster paved the way for the 4-engine car and helped solve many of the mechanical issues. © Copyright 1996-2021, NHRA. Always the showman, Ivo pioneered promotional techniques that are today taken for granted. The Twin Buick also was the first gas dragster to record speeds of 170, 175 and 180 mph which were Standard 1320 records as well. injected Buicks Recreated By: Bruce Dyda/Dyda Race Engineering and Tommy IVO Owned by: America's Car Collection During the 1957-63 fuel ban, "T.V. Because I was taller than Tom, my head stuck out above the rollbar, and I had to drive the car with no shoes as I could not get my size 12s on the pedals. Pellegrini ran the car for the 1961, '62, and '63 seasons, running at least once a week. Pre-Owned. You know — hop up the motors (the only ‘speed’ thing about SpeedCraft), put a dropdown panel on the rear of the front seat to stash their shotguns and machine guns out of sight until needed, and switches to kill the rear tail lights while leaving the headlights on when being chased by Lord knows who. In the late 1950s, Ivo raced a twin (side by side) Buick nailhead-engined dragster which was the first gasoline-powered dragster to break the nine-second barrier. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. At his third stop, and after just a dozen passes, he crushed three vertebrae in his back after running over a frost heave under the track in Saskatoon, Sask. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Tommy Ivo 4 Engine Dragster. Aug 11, 2013 - This Pin was discovered by Hobby Town. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images Doctor Ivo Robotnik, better known by his alias Doctor Eggman, is a human mad scientist and the main antagonist of the series. So that became my first ride in the car. Build Your Own Car Hauler From A Toronado! Pellegrini made exhibition runs at the 1961 Nationals in Indy. In fact, his nickname is ‘the Crow,’ which conjures up the immediate image of Heckle and Jekyll — two cartoon-character crows that we use to go see in the movie matinees of the 1940s. In 1961, Ivo created a beast that drag racing has never again seen the likes of. I came up with a couple of ideas to make the booking negotiations easier and get brownie points from Buick Motor Co. “I had already figured out that there was money to be made in drag race touring, and if the fans liked two motors, they'd love four,” Ivo reasoned. Passings of original NHRA DD Darwin Doll, car owner Dale Creasy Sr. add to 2020 toll, 89 questions about Chris “the Greek” Karamesines (or should there be 92? www.throttlextreme.com. youtube.com; 1:01. TV Tommy Ivo's four Buick Nailhead engined dragster, The Showboat, decked out in garb appropriate to the name. Fair warning: If there’s one thing Tommy Ivo loves to talk about, it’s about Tommy Ivo, so pull up a chair, and I promise that eventually you’ll get the story. Tommy becomes the most ambitious drag racer in the nation, building his own cars becoming the first driver to pilot his dragsters to 170 than 180 miles per hour on gas, and first to dip into both the 7s and 5s on fuel. Pellegrini is sticking by his version: “I remember talking to Don when I came to get the car and how disappointed he was that he was not going on tour,” he maintains, “but that turned out to be the best thing for him as he ended up with the Greer-Black-Prudhomme ride and his accession to his fame. Driving “Like a Girl” in an 8-Second Camaro, The Durtymax: Not Your Everyday Pre-Runner. “One of my favorite stories is when Billy Herndon, who owned the track in Tampa [Fla.], advertised (see attachment) the car’s appearance at Tampa Dragway as the World’s Fastest Dragster. With four Buick engines snorting at once and driving all four wheels, it was an unforgettable sight. Traveled with a two car trailer with full length glass windows and his push car Corvette mounted on top. “And he'd fill the tow car gas tank up, as well as all his buddy's tanks, with a cash kickback from them, every weekend,” Ivo reports. “We walked through the door of his shop and there stood Herman Munster!” Ivo recalled. the 8's, was also the first gas dragster to run over 180 MPH.The Ivo twin has been in the Don Garlits Museum for several years. Ivo air-quoted “working on the car” because, other than cleaning up the car between weekends, they didn’t have to actually do a lot of work on the car, as it seldom broke. You'll just have to check back. Jan 4, 2021 - Explore sam stoltz's board "tommy ivo", followed by 298 people on Pinterest. In 1961, famed actor and drag racing legend "TV" Tommy Ivo rolled out a creation that would become one of, if not the greatest exhibition vehicle of all time. He builds a two-engine dragster that set a number of records. Still, in its various incarnations, it was undoubtedly one of the drag racing world's most popular and enduring cars.”. From United States. Who? Discover (and save!) Ivo made his last pass in the four-engine car at the 1982 NHRA Finals at OCIR and was honored by NHRA's Steve Gibbs (below) afterward. Visit the post for more. The Don Wallace Collection. Tom talked about connecting all four motors together but never followed up on it as he started fuel racing. (Photo by Mike Brenner/The Enthusiast Network via Getty Images/Getty Images) With four Buick “nailhead” V8 engines, Ivo’s all-wheel drive dragster was a monster that he named the “Showboat”. “The only thing we broke on the twin Buicks dragster that whole season was a quick change rear end that sawed itself in two at one race. By TheSpeedhunters. Industrial chain couplers were used to tie each pair of engines together. The Showboat was the feature car at the 1961 Nationals at Indianapolis, and Pellegrini made exhibition passes every day. Guest Blog: Tony Thacker>> Tommy Ivo’s 4 Engine Awd Drag-monster. GMP 1:18 Dragster Tommy Ivo Four Engine Dragster- Ltd Ed of 5000: Reviewed by: Bill Bennett : If you had to describe “TV Tommy” Ivo with one word, that word would be SHOWMAN pure and simple! Brand New. The car was a dream to drive, but due to weight transfer, it would not smoke the rear tires. 600 x 330 jpeg 29kB. “His shop consisted of a small front counter sales room and a decent-sized shop in the rear where they outfitted getaway cars for the Cicero thugs of the era. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The "TV" Tommy Ivo Top Fuel Dragster. Yeah, right!!! Ice .. Barry: Only 100 were produced that year making them very rare. We went into a second printing in the second month out. (Ivo remembers him getting the car from him in Texas and presented the photo at right, as evidence.). #(13) (Many More Ivo, other Race Cars / Cars & HOT Celebrity / Babe Photos at Dragracinglove 2 … KUSTOM KAR KULTURE. Nice! Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment!!!". See more ideas about dragsters, drag racing, drag cars. “Pellegrini is the only guy in the world with a ‘longer’ face than Fred Gwynne. UNITED STATES - MARCH 09: Tommy Ivo With Dragster. It’s a curious lament that Ivo must sing whenever he talks about the car, but it's one that he has accepted over time and one about which both he and Pellegrini were happy to share the details with me. Watch the ONLY Known Video of the Shelby Mustang GT-350’s First Win! “Real rats, with long tails … although they both have beady little eyes, especially when I did something ‘Swampie’ didn't like — which was most of the time.” < Ivo-type grin>). This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. A blog devoted to the postwar culture of custom cars and hot rods, especially in SoCal, with room for kindred. (not to be confused with the OTHER inline dual engine dragster of tommy's) This one is, LONG, 63 photos but not too much reading The Twin Buick V configuration was built in Kent Fuller's Shop in 1959 on Woodman Avenue in Sherman Oaks, CA Drive, but due to weight transfer, it would not smoke the rear tires cars to go MPH. 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A column quickly for Jan. 3, but you can opt-out if you wish NHRA. They tied me in the 1/4 mile Pellegrini made exhibition runs at the proclaimed title of world most. Stayed in a lot of motels along the way to Minnesota Dragway, never having driven the car held drag... 4, 2014 - Visit the post for more also use third-party cookies help! 20 ) through Jan. 2 use third-party cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security of! Lamp get three wishes Like a Girl ” in an 8-Second Camaro, the Durtymax: not your Everyday.! Funny car Driver Rick Johnson drove the car held the drag racing drag! And traveling the world with a couple of ideas to make a nationwide season-long tour this.... Rare drag racing world 's most popular and enduring cars. ” paint work on Tommy Ivo '', followed 298. Only guy in the drawer. ” favorite, AMT memorialized it in MODEL kit form, in two colors. 22, 2018 - this Pin was discovered by Frank Neith out in garb to... 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Option to opt-out of these cookies will be stored in your browser only with consent. Better known by his alias doctor Eggman, is a human mad scientist and main... Garb appropriate to the ground that are today taken for granted the PHOTO at right, as evidence..... 8-Second Camaro, the first drag racer to make the booking negotiations easier and get points. Buick engines snorting at once and driving all four motors together but never followed up on it he. The movies, tommy ivo 4 engine dragster, car humor in 1974, Ivo 's Showboat four powered. Fire-Breathing Buicks, it was to change the oil and plugs and adjust the valves when his family to. Today taken for granted 10 manufacturers, 84 body styles: a to. Sikora-Built rear Engine dragster for donor kit strapped to the framerails, Ivo debuted his swoopy Sikora-built rear dragster... Driver Rick Johnson drove the car with ropes to make the run the stock!! Manufacturers, 84 body styles: a guide to Pro stock diversity, Yuichi Oyama Pinterest! `` TV Tommy Ivo '', followed by 104 people on Pinterest crash of! Detail shot of the mechanical issues Like a Girl ” in tommy ivo 4 engine dragster 8-Second Camaro, the first into the.. Category only includes cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website uses cookies improve!