The Beast of Turin

[purplepickup]

Here's an article and movie trailer of what looks like an interesting story.  In the trailer they fire up a 100 yr old, 1726 cubic inch 300hp Fiat four banger that ran over 140mph in 1913.  Pretty impressive!
http://bangshift.com/bangshiftapex/beast-turin-watch-trailer-looks-amazing-film-saving-one-craziest-cars-ever-built/
And some more pics... http://theoldmotor.com/?p=133946

[chimp koose]

Saw that the other day . There were links to the first start up etc. on speedtalk .

[kb426]

That's pretty amazing.

[Rrumbler]

It is hard trying not to grin when that thing fires.  Those guys had to be walking on air.

[phat46]

140 MPH, on those spindly wire wheels and three inch wide tires! Chain drive, those guys had brass ----s!!! Hell, I'd be scared to crank start that thing, if it kicked back it could kill ya! Sure would like to see it run in person though, even get a ride in it.

[kb426]

Someone explain why there was the delayed reaction to firing. Is there a wound spring that turns the engine over or is there something else mechanical hooked to the crank?

[39deluxe]

I noticed that too. It was amazing though.

Tom

[chimp koose]

maybe someone spun the mag to get it to start. An older gent once told me that if you were smart about it on the model T you would back down the mag before you shut it off and then when you went to restart you might be able to restart by triggering the mag instead of cranking it over. I wonder if they figured they could avoid a trip to the hospital for a backfire by bringing it up on compression with the mag retarded and then swinging the spark advance lever to trigger the mag when hands were free of the crank handle.They must have drawn straws to see who would have to crank it.

[phat46]

maybe someone spun the mag to get it to start. An older gent once told me that if you were smart about it on the model T you would back down the mag before you shut it off and then when you went to restart you might be able to restart by triggering the mag instead of cranking it over. I wonder if they figured they could avoid a trip to the hospital for a backfire by bringing it up on compression with the mag retarded and then swinging the spark advance lever to trigger the mag when hands were free of the crank handle.They must have drawn straws to see who would have to crank it.

Very possible, there used to be a team that toured around to towns and disassembled a Model T and put it back together in something like ten minutes. They would try to start the engine without cranking by just firing the mag. It worked both times I saw them do it.

[enjenjo]

maybe someone spun the mag to get it to start. An older gent once told me that if you were smart about it on the model T you would back down the mag before you shut it off and then when you went to restart you might be able to restart by triggering the mag instead of cranking it over. I wonder if they figured they could avoid a trip to the hospital for a backfire by bringing it up on compression with the mag retarded and then swinging the spark advance lever to trigger the mag when hands were free of the crank handle.They must have drawn straws to see who would have to crank it.

Very possible, there used to be a team that toured around to towns and disassembled a Model T and put it back together in something like ten minutes. They would try to start the engine without cranking by just firing the mag. It worked both times I saw them do it.

I have had a late model car start when the ignition was turned on without cranking it. My guess on the Fiat is that it has a clock spring that the hand crank winds up, and is released to turn the engine over. It was kind of common on old farm tractors made in that era.

[UGLY OLDS]

maybe someone spun the mag to get it to start. An older gent once told me that if you were smart about it on the model T you would back down the mag before you shut it off and then when you went to restart you might be able to restart by triggering the mag instead of cranking it over. I wonder if they figured they could avoid a trip to the hospital for a backfire by bringing it up on compression with the mag retarded and then swinging the spark advance lever to trigger the mag when hands were free of the crank handle.They must have drawn straws to see who would have to crank it.

Very possible, there used to be a team that toured around to towns and disassembled a Model T and put it back together in something like ten minutes. They would try to start the engine without cranking by just firing the mag. It worked both times I saw them do it.

I have had a late model car start when the ignition was turned on without cranking it. My guess on the Fiat is that

it has a clock spring that the hand crank winds up, and is released to turn the engine over. It was kind of common on old farm tractors made in that era.

  That same idea is still being used on McCulloch chain saws ...

Bob...  

[kb426]

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Honda Express moped has a clock spring.

[chimp koose]

KB I used a Honda express front wheel on the mini chopper my students and I are building.

[WZ JUNK]

Here is an example of how they may have started the beast.  It is near the end of the video that they finally succeed.

 

John