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Author Topic: Puzzle #92 - Solved! Lear Vapordyne  (Read 9127 times)

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Offline Otto Puzzell

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Puzzle #92 - Solved! Lear Vapordyne
« on: November 16, 2006, 04:41:31 AM »
Know what it is?

Please, respond below and let us know what car you think you see here.

If you haven't registered yet, you need to do so in order to reply with your answer.  You can do so by clicking here.

Also, please be sure to check out our other puzzles.

Thanks!
« Last Edit: April 19, 2015, 05:43:17 AM by Otto Puzzell »
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Offline Ultra

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Re: Puzzle #92
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2006, 06:38:39 AM »
Smokey Yunick?
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Click the pic....... Name the car

Offline Otto Puzzell

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Re: Puzzle #92
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2006, 08:13:06 AM »
No.
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Offline Rich

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Re: Puzzle #92
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2006, 09:28:39 AM »
Looks like a Granatelli creation to me.....
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Offline Otto Puzzell

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Re: Puzzle #92
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2006, 10:18:04 AM »
Similar to the STP / Novi car, but it's not one of those. 
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Offline wilsongt

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Re: Puzzle #92
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2006, 10:14:58 PM »
Entered by Shelby?

Regards
Glenn
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Offline Otto Puzzell

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Re: Puzzle #92
« Reply #6 on: November 21, 2006, 03:15:35 AM »
Nope.
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Offline MG

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Re: Puzzle #92
« Reply #7 on: November 23, 2006, 08:12:40 AM »
Damn. With the offset cockpit and what certainly LOOKS like a turbine engine, its hard to imagine it is NOT related to the Andy Granitelli stable of advanced automotive design. Since USAC banned the STP turbo, one wonders why anyone else would spend time developping such a beast. But then, these ARE just sketches, so perhaps this is from someone who was intent on meeting the Granitelli challenge and then abandoned the project one the cars were banned.  Now WHO would DO such a thing?

Musta been one of the prominent Indy racing teams of the day, but other than that, I have no idea.    :(
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Offline Otto Puzzell

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Re: Puzzle #92
« Reply #8 on: November 23, 2006, 11:43:30 AM »
Or, somebody with an interest in turbines, perhaps. 
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Offline wilsongt

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Re: Puzzle #92
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2006, 08:54:07 PM »
Howmet? But I only know their sports racer

An interest in turbines - GM? Or a turbine manufacturer like Allison or Pratt & Whitney?

Rgards
Glenn
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Offline Otto Puzzell

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Re: Puzzle #92
« Reply #10 on: November 24, 2006, 05:33:30 AM »
Not a Howmet or a GM product.

This car was conceived and built to compete in the Indianapolis 500, but rules changes brought about by the turbine cars of the late '60's made rating this car's non-turbine yet non-conventional engine impossible to certify, and the project was scrapped, some millions of dollars later.   
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Offline Tifosi

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Re: Puzzle #92
« Reply #11 on: November 24, 2006, 09:05:36 AM »
Lear Vapordyne...a steam-powered car that wa built to run at Indy in 1969.  The man in the white shirt and tie is Bill Lear, inventor of the Lear Jet and the car stereo of the same name.
  Lear supposedly wanted Parnelli Jones to drive the car, and was purported to have contacted Jones, and Parnelli checked into the machine, but rules changes made it impossible for the car to ever be competitive.

Lear claimed his car ran on a special fuel called "Learium"; plain old H2O was all it was.




Dan
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Offline Otto Puzzell

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Re: Puzzle #92
« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2006, 03:32:07 AM »
You are correct - well done! ;D
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Offline MG

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Re: Puzzle #92 - Solved! Lear Vapordyne
« Reply #13 on: November 26, 2006, 07:53:07 AM »
"Learium"

Naaaah. Prolly had a little STP added for internal lubrication.    ;)
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Offline grobmotorix

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Re: Puzzle #92 - Solved! Lear Vapordyne
« Reply #14 on: July 22, 2017, 03:44:00 AM »
Another contemporary photo:
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Offline Otto Puzzell

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Re: Puzzle #92 - Solved! Lear Vapordyne
« Reply #15 on: July 22, 2017, 08:18:19 AM »
 :)
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Offline Shrike Guy

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Re: Puzzle #92 - Solved! Lear Vapordyne
« Reply #16 on: August 23, 2021, 02:43:26 AM »
On the off chance anybody still cares about the Vapordyne I designed some of the chassis structures and have lots of photos and inside info.  Word was it that Lear went through three possible alternative working fluids, Learium A, B, C, and ended up with D-Learium.  The program was a non-starter from the beginning.  The heat transfer numbers just didn't work and Lear wouldn't hear it, rather listen to his yes-men.  Terrible waste of money and talent, but a hell of a lot of hard work and good times.  The car was, as of 2010, in the hands of a collector.
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Offline Carnut

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Re: Puzzle #92 - Solved! Lear Vapordyne
« Reply #17 on: August 23, 2021, 04:03:31 AM »
Thanks Shrike Guy

It's always interesting to hear from someone 'in the know'!
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Offline grobmotorix

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Re: Puzzle #92 - Solved! Lear Vapordyne
« Reply #18 on: August 24, 2021, 04:34:21 AM »
Quote from: Shrike Guy on August 23, 2021, 02:43:26 AM
... and ended up with D-Learium...

You made my day, Shrike Guy

Cheers from Germany
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