1969 Steam Powered Indianapolis 500 Race Indy Racer Lear Vapordyne - My Car Story with Lou Costabile
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- Опубликовано: 14 окт 2024
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On "My Car Story" we're in the Suburbs of Chicago on 8-6-16.
We're looking at a THE ONLY Steam Powered Indianapolis 500 Race Prototype Racecar in 1968 to run hopefully run in 1969 ( which it never did) built by Bill Lear of Lear Motors Corporation named the Lear Vapordyne # 23.
The car's Owner is Rick Parsons. Rick saw this car at an auction in 1997, and 2 years later bought the car in 1999. This is currently the only known video of the car.
Rick shares in his discussion on the fascination for this car, “I’ve always been interested in the engineering aspects of race cars“ and “things of unique engineering exercises are quite interesting to me.”
Well Rick…I can see why this car would be on your list to acquire, because this car meets all your criteria of a race car with unique engineering.
ENJOY!
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I bet Jay Leno would love to get his hands on that beauty.
You never know :-)
usually he likes cars that you can drive on the road...
Doble steam CAR
I'm pretty sure Jay only buys them when they have the engine
Am very fond of steam power cars thanks to Jay Leno's videos.
Glad you are able to see this car. As I understand it, this is the only video of this car. Pretty cool, Lou
Me too, I never knew someone made a steam race car. It would be interesting to see on the track. It kinda reminds me of a little Pinewood Derby car :-)
I think they made two, I remember something about one sitting under a cotton wood tree, wonder if this is the one? Sadly the designer missed a decimal point on his condenser calculations (needed to be 10x larger to work). He had a bus and some other stuff with this triangular shaped engine I think it was 3 stage. As a kid I read a fiction book, can't seem to fine any ref to it on line, I want to say was called "A car called camellia" about a propane fired steam indy car. I also read that the engine parts were sold to some of the guys running steam Bonneville racers.
Ever heard of this idea ruclips.net/video/uV5YsAdA9Lg/видео.html A sort of seam car or more like a vapor powered car. I have passed info on this tech on to Leno to see if he would get into this but so far Na Da . Patents 672256 , 3190554 ,
Dig this old /new idea ruclips.net/video/H_Vnxapd5fs/видео.html . I had this idea of instead of a fire to make it move, chill the cold end with liquid N2 and use the heat in the surrounding air for power . Don't have the math to see it would work or not but it was fun dreaming it up . Patent 3190554 .
What a crazy and distinctive race car. I have never seen such a car. Nice impressions. Thanks a lot for uploading. Greetings from Germany
Hi Peter Pretorius from Germany. Glad you enjoy this one :-) Hope you see many more cars on the Channel you'll enjoy, Also here's a Germany / American car for you, Lou ruclips.net/video/MwoIRnAPsGQ/видео.html
Reading a description of the engine sounds like 3x2 steam version of the Napier Deltic, the two stroke opposed piston diesel engines commonly found in English locomotives in the 1970s.
Hi WJCTechyman, Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge. Hope you see many more cars on this RUclips Channel you enjoy. Please subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this RUclips Channel, Lou
Sadly, they didn't start it...
I agree with you Valeriy Reiter, and I try to start as many as we can (sometimes the cars I'm sharing are not working) and in this cars case the engine is not all there to start....
Thanks for your comment, Lou, that makes sense... So the engine is missed or I don't get it? All I know about is it was similar to Napier Deltic configuration, but works on steam. Very interesting, 'cause there's no need in high-pressure blower, injection system and compression stroke: you just open a valve, steam pushes the pistons and exits through exhaust ports to the condenser))
And some heat from condenser goes back into intake port, if I understand it right. Very clever
It's a shame that I can not help restoring such a beast)) In my country, no steam cars are known to survive in WWII, we had only few steam locomotives and cranes
Hi Valeriy Reiter, I understood, it's not there.
If you liked this, you should talk to Jay Leno, he’s got some really interesting steam cars. He has 2 Doble steam cars, which are absolutely fascinating.
Hi Liam Roggenkamp, I'd love to meet and see Jay Leno and see his steam cars. Agreed, that would be fascinating, Lou
You definitely got the scoop here! They were definitely trying some wacky stuff in late 60’s and early ‘70’s in Indy (Shelby Turbine, Lotus Wedge) , NASCAR (Wings, Drop Snouts), Can Am (Chaparral with fans/skirts) Drag Racing (early Rear-engines, oddball funny car body types) probably other racing too. What a golden time. Now the cars all look indistinguishable...
Hi Matt Kustom Kostumes, Glad to read you appreciate the "scoop" on this car :-) Lou
The guys at SACA (Steam Automobile Club of America) may be able to locate parts or people to get this vehicle back together and running
That would be fun to see run.
Some of the folks at SACA were on the team that built this car. Very interesting stories.
Hi tadwyn, Glad you enjoyed this one :-) Hope you see many more cars on the Channel you'll enjoy, Lou
I am so intrigued right now it's borderline upsetting! Wish we could've seen the internals, but a huge thanks to 'ol Lou for bringing us this video...I wonder if Jay has seen this?
Hi SmokeyMcSizzles, Glad to read this one is intrigued you :-) Lou
A STEAM racer?!
That is awesome!
Hi Herowebcomincs, Glad you enjoyed this one and think it's "awesome!" :-) Hope you see many more cars on the Channel you'll enjoy, Lou
To Mr. Rick Parsons and anyone who played a role in this car's survival, Thank you! I finally can see its ground effect nose. My only information about it comes from the book "Indianapolis 500 Chronicle" by Rick Popely with L.Spencer Riggs,Publications International, Ltd. ,p 205-206. It was shown at auto shows but never raced. The prototype engine was displayed beside it, NOTE: not in it. The heat source was to be burned kerosene or propane with 2 pit stops to take on water for the steam to complete the Indy 500 miles. The phrase in motorsports used today is "Balance of Power". If you're old enough to remember ( or read the book) "The Beast" Pushrod V8 Mercedes used by Team Penske to dominate the 1994 Indy 500, you know the rules that allowed it to run the larger boost advantage were eliminated for '95 and Team Penske doesn't even qualify! Back in 1967-69 the governing body USAC couldn't determine how to measure the horsepower of anything but a conventional combustion engine. When one team has the economic or technological power to develop something no other team has the money or technology to develop and dominates the sport (or for Indy, 30 cars of roughly 20 owners including your paying spectator drawing driving stars) it destroys competition. Many argue Porsche's 917 Spyder (Team Penske) killed Can-Am. So by the end of '69, the innovative technologies that made IndyCar so interesting were "ruled out" in order to save the sport. It's impossible to achieve a BOP rules package that invites innovation without eliminating domination by the wealthiest teams and satisfies the bulk of paying fans. Only Dan Gurney or Roger Penske had ideas that could save IndyCar. To save IndyCar, Roger Penske had to buy not just the Speedway but also the series, and to preserve competition the cars had to become specifically built within a box of rules. To contain the cost, the cars are built by one company. It's not perfect (I long for a Smokey Yunick), but the series is surviving. Despite the Covid crush on the world's economy, IndyCar will have more cars competing next year. I hope innovation returns, but I'll settle for the thrilling competition that far outpaces what F-1 and NASCAR offers in any race to race comparison.
Hi David, Happy to read you enjoy this car :-) Thank you for sharing your knowledge, Lou
The fuel was Kerosene. Bill Lear begged,and got an a meeting with William Besler, the inventor of the steam airplane which flew in the Oakland airport in 1933. Steam power is more fuel efficient, producing less pollution, requires less atomospheric oxygen, uses less parts which are subject to mechnical fatigue.
Hi esteban corral, Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge. Hope you see many more cars on the Channel you'll enjoy, Lou
The only prop plane to ever have REVERSE! LMAO
ROFL!!!
Awesome steam turbine. Could not spool up to max pressure boiler running low. Never seen one or heard of this and lived in Indy 28 years at the track a lot.
Hi tony england, Happy to share this historical Indy piece with you. Lou
Technology never dies!
You're right.
I did a little research on this car. Bill Lear is THAT Bill Lear of Learjet fame. He sold the company and used his millions to try to make steam power the (old) new thing. From what I could find, I don’t think the car actually EVER had an engine installed - definitely not a competitive one anyway. He also was never guaranteed sanctioning by Tony Hulman/USAC. After the STP, Shelby, and Lotus Tubines shook things up, Hulman wanted to tighten the rules up to quash ‘wacky’ cars. After losing millions on the project, Lear’s steam dream evaporated.
Thanks for viewing and sharing your research.
Lou Costabile, YW, thanks for bringing this car to so many people’s attention. The problem this car, and all other steam cars have is finding a steam power plant that is light enough yet powerful enough to be competitive - the old power to weight ratio is never where it needs to be...
Nice to look at, though I keep thinking what would happen if someone hit it in "500" traffic. But I can readily understand why this one lacks an engine; you need use it with some regularity AND maintain it. Correct, Lou, a Napier Delta or some variation would've worked, but probably not well enough to qualify for the field. (Not to mention dealing with race organizers who swiftly hobbled and ultimately outruled gas turbines.) Today's technology would only improve it, but (still) hardly for 500 near-continuous miles. Check out "the fastest kettle in the world" that set the world land speed record for steam-powered vehicles in 2009.
Hi johcafra, Hitting any car in the "500" is not a good day :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge, Lou
johcafra wonder what they would do with a car that had NO INTAKE? (closed loop steam) (so much for restriction plates!)
When was the last time the car ran? Was there ever an attempt to qualify it for the Indy 500? Run any practice laps? The car looks a lot like the gas turbine cars that Andy Granitelli ran in 1968 except longer. Same wedge like design though. If Leno owned it, he would want to DRIVE IT!
Hi Scooter George, Let me take them one at a time, Last time it ran? Not sure it ever did. Qualify for the 500? No. Run any practice laps? Not sure but I don't think so. It does look like the gas turbines and I agree with you, if it had an engine and ran, I'm sure Jay Leno would like to drive it. Hope you see many more cars on the Channel you'll enjoy, and cars that I'll know more about :-), Lou
Don't think it ever ran, condenser size miscalculation made it not feasible.
@@n3glv Citation please, or else it's a lie.
@@StuffBobbyDoes Do your own basic research you lazy millennial troll.
Looks like a life size Pinewood Derby Car!!
You're right :-)
neat car. I would've liked to hear it fire up but with no engine that's not possible. Still liked it anyway. Keep up the videos Lou
Hi Camopar87, Glad you thought this one is neat :-) Thank you for the encouraging words, Lou
Omg. Why not state speeds and range and stuff like that. Bummer
Hi Dan Murphy, Sometimes we do, however if your looking for stats you need to go to "Motorweek" or "Car & Driver" of "Consumer Reports:, however if you want to hang out with the Care Takers and listen to the story of the car, you've found the right place, Lou
Great car. Vague video
Hi Geoff, Car = :-) Video = :-I Hope you see many more cars on this RUclips Channel you enjoy. Please subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this RUclips Channel, Lou
There have been a few external combustion engines. Far more efficient but the warm up time of a couple of minutes is too long.
Amazing car looks great
Glad you enjoyed the car / video and thank you for commenting, I really appreciate it, Lou
I read that no one has a complete engine for these, only leftover parts. A former crew guy said that modern ceramics would make this car successful. It was banned back in '69 anyway.
Hi Terry, Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge, Lou
Turbine was banned. (andy granatelli ) don't think steam was, since it never ran.
I would love to see it with the skin removed to see the boiler and engine.
If we can find that engine, I'd like to see it too.
there is nothing there.
Suppressed technology?
Hi Michael, Thank you for viewing and sharing. Hope you see many more cars on this RUclips Channel you enjoy. Please subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this RUclips Channel, Lou
so if the engine is not there than how can it all be there?
Hi John Schooling, Jr. Good point. Thank you for viewing and sharing, Lou
Didn't it qualify 10 mph faster t(with a tookie drivé),han any other car that year, then mysteriously withdraw before the rac
Thank you for viewing and sharing your thoughts.
Lear's steam turbine car's problem was using a turbine. It takes a lot to get a turbine to speed and they don't produce much torque. According to what I have heard the steam generator got emptied before the turbine could get up to full and efficient speed. Check out www.steamautomobile.com in the forum and start reading. It is fascinating.
IIRC it was a triangular shaped 3 stage piston steam engine. I think I also read at one point that the 'working fluid' was not water, possibly propane or freon.
Hi tadwyn, Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge. Hope you see many more cars on this RUclips Channel you enjoy. Please subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this RUclips Channel, Lou
It's not a steam powered race car it's the shell of what used to be a steam powered race car
I can see why you would say that.
@@loucostabile they took the engine out who wants to look at a fiberglass shell? It's still a beautiful thing though
Cool! I remember Lear being into steam in the late 1960's and I remember this racer from a Machine Design article. ruclips.net/video/blGTfgc0gpk/видео.html . I think what could not be worked out was a condenser design that could be placed in the car. The condenser was going to be way to big . Lear did get a great deal of publicity from this idea so that was good! .
Hi ufoengines, Happy to read this car brings back memories :-) Thank you for viewing and sharing. Hope you see many cars on this Channel you enjoy! Please Subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this RUclips Channel, Lou
Boiler!? Doble make a car in the 1930s that did away with the boiler. Why use one in a race car?
Because you can :-)
I think I read about this car in Popular Mechanics or a similar magazine in the '60's. They don't have, nor do they even discuss, the 3-bank opposed-piston steam engine based on the Napier Deltic design. Kind of pointless, and inept. Steam engines don't get their power from water.
Hi Jj Robinson2, Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge. Hope you see many more cars on this RUclips Channel you enjoy. Please subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this RUclips Channel, Lou
So where is the engine? So who has the engine? So why is there no engine?
We've looked, it's not here.
just hook an oven to the steam pipes and crank it to 450 and you've got yourself an electric steamer
Hi Deimos Phob, Thank you for viewing and sharing your thoughts. Hope you see many more cars on this RUclips Channel you enjoy. Please subscribe, and hit the "bell" so you can see all the cars when they are uploaded on this RUclips Channel, Lou
Nice car, BUT IT DIDN'T HAVE THE ENGINE ! I mean, he keeps saying it's all here - except the engine - just a minor detail. I don't know but I feel like I'm maybe not the only one here watching this video cause of the engine.. well there's nothing about it, it's not even there. The interviewer think it runs on water...
Hi Happy Fox, Yes, I agree, I would have liked to see the engine too, however I'm sharing with you what is left of this historic vehicle that did run on water, Lou
3:49. A NACA scoop.
Thank you for viewing and sharing.
Condensers seemed to be pain with steam applied to automotive tech . This land speed racer seems to just dump the steam after being run through the expander / turbine . ruclips.net/video/q0siFtwUO2s/видео.html . Patents 3109554 , 672256 .
Thank you for viewing and sharing your knowledge.
I'd like to see this tech in a car you could buy some day , ruclips.net/video/9T8qnysG3aM/видео.html . Be handy here in Georgia during the summer . The propellant could cool the car's interior as well as propel it .
Thank you for viewing & sharing.
Lou Costabile - this is annoying clickbait, please take it down(or at least change title to: random chat about the Vapordyne not having it's engine, and the owners other cars) or you could do it one more time, only this time include the engine that makes this car what it is.
Hi Happy Fox, If / when you find the engine, let mw know. Until then, I'll stick to the rest of the car, Lou
Dear Happy Fox, the reason I strongly disagree with you that this mere clickbait is that for most IndyCar fans under the age of 50, they've never heard of this car! If you're an IndyCar fan between 50 and 60 you've heard of it and maybe saw a still black & white photo of it in an article, but you've never seen it in color and you're thinking it was cut up for scrap or simply lost in a warehouse next to the Arc of The Covenant's crate. At my age of nearly 58 in the year of COVID-19/2020, I'm thrilled to see it in any form!
Can't see it being legal to race. Exhaust output of steam engine is water. Can you imagine running behind a wet mop?
Splish splash I was taking a bath...
A steam-powered Indy race car without the steam engine and probably without the boiler and other components necessary. I guess that just makes it a shell with wheels and tires. What a disappointing video.
Hi Marty Harless, Clearly this one is not for you :-( Hope you see many more cars on this RUclips Channel you'll enjoy :-) Lou
@@loucostabile aside from it not having the running gear I learned nothing about the car. Maybe if you had some information about how often it would need to stop for water or fuel for the boiler that may have been interesting as well as top speed and average speed on a course.