Autoblog

Barrett-Jackson 2010: The Blastolene Indy Special

Drew Phillips — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:30:00 EST

Blastolene Indy Special - Click above for high-res image gallery

We said earlier that the Bonneville Boss Transporter with its Proud American land speed rocket was the most unique vehicle at the auction. Well...we might just have to take that back. Behold this "1952 Watson Roadster" (that's what it's registered as, at least) built by the Blastolene Brothers, better known as the Indy Special. You might remember some of the other Blastolene creations including Leno's tank car, the Hemi Trike, and Piss'd Off Pete.

The Indy Special is everything you'd expect from a Blastolene-built car. Like Leno's, it has a 1792ci M47 Patton tank engine, although naturally aspirated, producing 910 horsepower and 1500 lb-ft torque. At 270 inches long and a weight of 8400 lbs the sheer size is enough to impress just about anyone. Just about everything on the car being hand-built including the aluminum body, and we've heard it cost over $400,000 to make. That makes the final price of $280,500 actually seem reasonable.

Gallery: Barrett-Jackson 2010: Blastolene Indy Special

Continue reading Barrett-Jackson 2010: The Blastolene Indy Special

Barrett-Jackson 2010: The Blastolene Indy Special originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monterey 2009: Blastolene's twin-supercharged V12 Peterbilt hot rod

Drew Phillips — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:56:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Truck, Misc. Auto Shows, Design/Style, Diesel

Blastolene Peterbilt Hot Rod - Click above for a high-res image gallery

We are amazed every time we see a new creation from the Blastolene Brothers, and this latest monster we spotted at last night's Jet Center party in Monterey made our jaws drop. Built by Randy Grubb, the same man responsible for designing and constructing Jay Leno's tank car, this rolling monster is comprised of a chopped Peterbilt model 351 cab and an 852ci two-stroke Detroit Diesel twin-supercharged V12 mated to an Allison 4-speed automatic transmission from a Greyhound bus. The engine produces 500 horsepower and nearly 1000 lb-ft torque with a redline of just 2,800 rpm. Other features include a custom boat-tail gas tank, Baer brakes, stitched leather seats made by a saddle maker and a customized rear end from a semi truck. Overall, Grubb spent over 3,000 man hours and 15 months to build this one off creation and has lovingly given it the nickname "Piss'd Off Pete." Check out all the incredible details in the high-res gallery below.

Gallery: Blastolene Peterbilt Hot Rod

Monterey 2009: Blastolene's twin-supercharged V12 Peterbilt hot rod originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Separated At Birth: We find the 2000 HP twin brother of Leno's tank car

Drew Phillips — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Etc., Misc. Auto Shows, Specialty

1946 Aero Packard Flyer "Dream Rod" - Click above for a high-res gallery

We thought a vehicle like Jay Leno's Tank Car would be a one-off. After all, how many hot rods out there are thirty feet long and have a 1792 cubic-inch turbocharged V12 underneath the hood putting out 1600 horsepower? Well, this bad boy that we spotted at the Los Angeles Concours this past weekend doesn't exactly have that powertrain, but as you can see from that massive engine poking out of its fuselage, it does have some rather impressive hardware. What is it, you ask? A 2500 cubic-inch Packard supercharged V12 originally used in a PT boat from WWII.

The 41-liter motor produces an astounding 2000 horsepower and 3000 lb-ft of torque. That's right, this thing is actually even more bad ass than Leno's tank car. Known as the "Dream Rod", it was constructed by Rodney Rucker, one of the three Blastolene Brothers also responsible for building the tank car and the insane Hemi Trike we spotted at the Grand National Roadster Show earlier this year. Check out our high-res photos in the gallery below.

Update - we've added a video of the Dream Rod starting up after the jump.

Gallery: 1946 Aero Packard Flyer Dream Rod

Continue reading Separated At Birth: We find the 2000 HP twin brother of Leno's tank car

Separated At Birth: We find the 2000 HP twin brother of Leno's tank car originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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