Home > Vehicles >
 
Tornado
    Select Image to Enlarge
Select Image to Enlarge
Select Image to Enlarge
Select Image to Enlarge
Select Image to Enlarge

Lou Abrahams' Tornado, driven as it almost always was by Ted Gray, was significantly different to the form in which it had contested the 1956 AGP. During 1957, working through contacts at GMH, Abrahams had imported a 260 cu.in. (4.6-litre) Chevrolet Corvette V8 to replace the bored-and-stroked sidevalve Ford V8 with Abrahams' own ohv colt. version which had been the power plant for the Tornado in all its previous appearances. The continuous flow fuel injection system of the Ford based engine was carried over, as was the methanol fuel with its convenient tolerance for mixture variation.

Late in 1957, the Tornado had run the fastest times at a BP-financed Australian land speed record session at Coonabarrabran in NSW; luck and bravery counted as much as sheer speed on this occasion, but the Tornado's performances during 1958 were enough to indicate that the big blue car had the legs of anything else then racing in Australia. All the car needed was reliability gearboxes and driveshafts were continually being uprated to match the power of its Corvette engine.

 

 
 
 
 

Contents

History
Teams and Drivers
Vehicles
Records
Events
Locations
Links
Contact Us

Other HRDU Sites

Hot Rod Events
Hot Rod History
Hot Rod Hall of Fame
Hot Rod Magazines
Hot Rod Books
Hot Rod Tech
Hot Rod Tours
Kustoms
Memorabilia
Show Rods
Land Speed Racing Australia
Land Speed America
Land Speed Racing History
Land Speed Racing Historians

More HRDU Sites

All About 1934 Chev's
48-53 Chev Pickup's
History of the Corvette
Prototypes
Car Spotters Guide
Monaro Shrine
Aussie Utes
Wheelstanders
Scallops
Slopers

About

About Hot Rods Down Under
Contact Us
Copyright
Disclaimer
Terms and Conditions
Privacy
Site Map

Hot Rods Down Under
Movies
Music
TV
Calendar
Links
Home