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hudsonespie · 4 years ago

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Understanding Water Jet Propulsion – Working Principle, Design And Advantages

Ships are enormous structures, weighing anywhere between 100000 tons and 500000 tons. Yet, they are moved with ease across the earth’s oceans.

At the other extreme of the vessel size spectrum, small fishing trawlers and pleasure yachts barely weigh over 10000 tons. They are commonly found speeding along the coastline at very high speeds.

So how are such different vessels and boats powered across water?

This is where marine propulsion comes into the picture.

Different vessel classes utilize various propulsion systems that use several techniques for generating power. Earlier vessels used fossil fuels such as coal to run large engines powering propellers.

Later models worked using reciprocating engines and diesel-run marine engines that were more efficient. Nuclear power is also used nowadays to power warships but is far too expensive and dangerous to be adapted into the commercial shipping sector yet.

The main problem faced with all these systems of propulsion is the by-products they produce that pollute the environment. In addition, these sources of power are scarce resources that are not easily procured.

Wouldn’t it be convenient if some form of power could be generated using an easily available commodity that does not create toxic products?

This is where water jet propulsion comes into the picture.

Water is the most abundant resource present on earth, with nearly 75% of the earth covered with water bodies. In addition, when used as the sole propulsion component, no harmful by-products are created, and the entire process is environmentally friendly.

In this article, we will take a look at water jet propulsion, its working principle, and the advantages that it poses.

Conventional Marine Propulsion Systems

Propulsion refers to the mechanics behind generating thrust and force that can be used to move a body under its own power. The required power is conventionally produced using two or more marine diesel engines that work on either two or four-stroke modes.

These engines have several piston cylinders that generate rotational motion through the combustion of the fuel at ignition temperature. The rotational motion is used to rotate a crankshaft that is connected to the marine propeller shaft that leads up to the propellers.

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Propellers have hydrodynamically shaped blades numbering three or more, that force water behind the ship to propel it forward. The engines are placed on strong shock-absorbing platforms capable of redirecting vibratory motion into the large surface area of the hull.

To alter direction, rudders are used to direct the incoming fluid mass from the propellers. In newer azipod designs, the rudders are integrated into the propellers, resulting in a compact system that can rotate in most directions to change the trajectory of the vessel.

From the above description, there are several problems that can be identified. The main disadvantage of this conventional system is the dependence on a large number of components, that are not easy to replace.

For instance, if the marine propeller shaft requires repair, the propellers and entire shaft assembly have to be removed from within the ship, at great cost to time and labour.

A simpler design would allow for repairs to be performed faster, by allowing various components to be more accessible.

Water jet propulsion has this benefit, as it is built into a compact system that can be taken apart without having to dismantle a large part of the ship.

Now that we have a proper understanding of the method in which conventional propulsion works, we can better understand water jet systems and the advantages they come with.

Water Jet Propulsion

Using water as a source of power eliminates several problems arising out of conventional propulsion methods. It’s fast, quiet, and extremely environment friendly.

Nevertheless, water jet propulsion cannot be used for large ships such as tankers, cargo carriers, or warships at present. It is more suited to powering smaller coast guard and naval vessels, trawlers, tugboats, and personal vessels.

The idea of using water as a source of power was first considered as early as 1661, by Toogood and Hayes who theorized that a central water channel could be used to generate propulsion. The idea went through several iterations before it was widely accepted and integrated into commercial vessels.

Several commercial enterprises design, construct and install water jet systems. The main difference in these companies is the installation components, the degree of movement, working component design, and material choice.

Briefly put, water jet systems are placed at the stern of the vessel, near the waterline. Water is drawn and processed within the system to exit the aftmost nozzle at a high velocity that propels the vessel forward.

In the next section, we will analyze how this system works and the physics behind water jet propulsion.

Working Principle, Mechanism, and Components

The water jet system operates on the principle of Newton’s Third Law which states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

The force developed due to the rapid ejection of water from the aft nozzle of the water jet system creates a reaction force that propels the vessel forwards.

The water is directly fed into the main machinery through a suction duct located on the underside of the vessel.

Most vessels use only a single duct, although a higher number of ducts can increase the power generated which is required in large vessels. The fluid passing through the inlet is directed through the main processing unit of the system.

In case of any blockage due to debris near the inlet, the vessel can be stopped until the debris is cleared. Other mechanisms are present that can backflush the inlet so that the debris is dislodged.

The inlet water is a relatively low energy fluid since it is at rest prior to suction. However, in order to create sufficient thrust, it must be converted into a high energy fluid. This is accomplished by inducing an element of turbulence using blades. The blades are powered using an impeller and stator arrangement.

Due to fluid mechanic responses, sufficient pressure is created using this turbulence and is then ejected as a high-pressure jet from the nozzle. The impeller is a shaft that is powered using an onboard motor. It is coupled to the stator that rotates the blades.

To understand the impeller-stator arrangement, it can be likened in principle to the engine of an aeroplane that rapidly increases the outlet velocity of air entering the turbine. The impeller shaft is rotated by the main drive shaft connected to the motor and is coupled using reinforced bearings and connectors.

The nozzle is located at the aft of the unit and directs the fluid leaving the system. It is controlled by a swivel system that is connected to a steering wheel in the bridge of the vessel.

The swivel motion extends anywhere between 150⁰ to 180⁰ on most vessels. There is an essential component known as the astern deflector that aids the vessel in moving in reverse or taking turns while in reverse.

The deflector is designed using a hydrodynamical shape that is able to smoothly redirect flow in the opposite direction of ejection. It fits over the mouth of the nozzle and can be lowered or raised depending on the steering manoeuvre required.

The powering of moving components on the unit is provided using two main sources-

the onboard motor for the impeller shaft, and

hydraulics for the deflector operation.

The hydraulics are generally oil-based and are stored within the hull of the vessel, to prevent any form of pollution in case of an oil spill.

To access the various components of the vessel, several access panels are provided throughout the length of the unit. However, care must be taken while opening the system, and the entire unit must be powered down and brought to a complete standstill.

Due to the large vibrational shocks and forces acting by the propulsion system, the unit is mounted on specialized structures that can redirect and absorb the output forces. The force is redirected into the large hull surface area so that it may safely be dispersed without creating dangerous point loads.

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How are Water Jet Crafts Operated?

Water jet systems are extremely precise and accurate when it comes to manoeuvrability and steering. This is because of the incredibly wide range of motion that is provided by the nozzle.

The main controls available to the officer in charge of steering includes a throttling lever, a steering wheel, and a lever to lower or raise the astern deflector. We will look at some primary steering operations and how water jet technology accomplishes the same.

For acceleration in a forward direction, the throttling lever is gradually increased with the deflector kept in a raised position. In this condition, the thrust generated by fluid exiting the nozzle is directed in an aft direction, thus propelling the vessel forwards. By adjusting the throttling lever, the speed of the vessel can be changed as the fluid exits at faster rates.

For turning operations, the steering wheel is used in conjunction with the throttle. The direction is controlled by the wheel, while the rate of turning is subject to throttling. To obtain tight turns, high throttle and sharp rotation of the wheel are required. Depending on the number of units and power generated by each unit, the speed of turning can vary depending on vessel size and weather conditions.

Lastly, for reverse, the astern deflector is lowered and the throttle increased. As the throttle increases, the water jets exiting the nozzle are redirected downwards and in a reverse manner using the hydrodynamic shape of the deflector. This causes the vessel to move in a reverse direction.

To turn while reversing, the wheel is used to change the direction of the water jet leaving the deflector. While steering, it is good practice to remember that the bow always points in the direction in which the steering wheel has been rotated. This helps especially when reversing, as the turning convention is flipped in this situation.

The number of units in use can have a major effect on the efficiency and effectiveness of the water jet system. Although using a single system is common, a dual system arrangement is preferred. This is because it provides a higher degree of control.

For instance, to keep the vessel stationary, a combination of the forward and reverse modes can be used. The deflector is lowered partially such that half the thrust is allowed to pass through, while the remaining half impinges off the deflector and provides reverse thrust. In this situation, steering is still active.

Rotating the wheel allows the vessel to take a turn with a turn radius of nearly zero, i.e., the vessel executes a turn about its current position. Advances in water jet technology have allowed for even single-unit systems to execute this manoeuvre.

Similarly, the vessel can move transversely without any translational motion using dual units. This is achieved by using individual jets in different directions to keep the vessel steady. If the arrangement is not properly handled, the vessel can rock violently, resulting in parametric resonance and eventual damage to the vessel. It may also cause damage to the dock upon collision.

An interesting point to note is that water jet units can come in three main variations at the time of fitting-

the standalone unit,

separate duct and nozzle,

or a separate duct.

The preferred metal for construction of the nozzle is steel, while either composites or steel are used for the duct. Having a complete standalone unit allows for easy installation since the entire system simply needs to be connected in a dry dock.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Water jet propulsion has several advantages that make it an attractive choice when choosing propulsion systems. Speed of vessel is very important when it comes to small crafts, and water jet-powered boats are able to reach 40 knots (75 kmph) even in poor conditions. This is comparable and often higher than conventional industry standards.

In general, to reach high speeds, conventional propellers blades have to rotate at very high RPMs to generate sufficient thrust. However, this results in a dynamic pressure difference between the surrounding medium and the edges of the rotating propeller blades. This causes disintegration of the edge due to a phenomenon known as cavitation.

Cavitation is caused due to water that rapidly vaporizes near the blade surface resulting in microbubbles that damage the edge of the propeller blade. This effect can quickly wear through metal and force the vessel to move in unpredictable directions.

Although water jet systems also use hydrodynamic blades, there is a smaller dynamic pressure difference between the internal machinery and surrounding fluid. Thus, the effects of cavitation are considerably reduced. This results in a longer working life of the system.

The water jet system is very compact and is able to produce a considerable amount of power within a small unit. This makes it a good choice in vessels with space constraints.

The propeller blades are covered with a shrouded design, that prevents any accidental contact with the high-speed blades. Thus, it is safer than conventional blades that are not shrouded. Another advantage of using water jets is that the entire assembly does not need to be submerged.

For normal systems to be effective, the entire blade and shaft assembly must be submerged, whereas only the inlet needs to be submerged in water jet systems.

Water jet propulsion is also easier to manoeuvre since steering is almost instantaneous. This is because of the immediate response of the hydraulic systems that swivel the outlet nozzle.

Unlike conventional vessels that require a larger turning radius, water jet-powered vessels can execute a complete 360⁰ turn while remaining at a fixed position. In addition, turns can be executed at a much faster rate by simply increasing the throttle provided to the water jet. Thus, steering and navigation are considerably faster and more efficient.

Another benefit of water jet systems is the lack of a gearbox. Although this presents a higher level of control in standard propulsion systems, it is unnecessary when it comes to water jet systems. This is because only a single gear mode is utilized, and there is no need to change the torque of any rotational component. The only rotating component is the impeller that is connected to a basic rotational coupling. Thus, lesser components need to be serviced and repaired in water jet systems.

Lastly, from a military aspect, water jets do not produce as much noise as compared to conventional propulsion. This translates into reduced physical noise, and reduced SONAR signatures. This has immense application in military-grade vessels that can travel at high speeds without being easily detected by SONAR and other systems. This occurs in part due to the shrouded design of the assembly, which redirects and redistributes noise.

The main disadvantage of water jet systems is the high initial costs that they pose. Unlike standard propulsion systems, the components and machinery associated with this technology are still far too expensive to be integrated into all vessels. In addition, the cost of installing and maintenance can be steep owing to the specialized nature of the process. Thus, most boat operators and owners prefer to go for cheaper alternatives.

Another issue faced by water jet systems is that they can only be used in the cases of small and medium vessels. This is because the amount of thrust generated by standard equipment sizes can only achieve sufficient thrust for vessels of these sizes. Larger vessels would also require the propulsion systems to be proportionately larger.

It is not that it cannot be achieved in the near future; it is simply far too expensive to execute this type of manufacturing. In addition, constructing components of a size comparable to conventional propellers requires specialized equipment that is still being researched and developed by commercial entities. In the near future, we can expect a gradual increase in the number of vessels being powered by water jet propulsion due to lowered production costs.

Disclaimer: The authors’ views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of Marine Insight. Data and charts, if used, in the article have been sourced from available information and have not been authenticated by any statutory authority. The author and Marine Insight do not claim it to be accurate nor accept any responsibility for the same. The views constitute only the opinions and do not constitute any guidelines or recommendation on any course of action to be followed by the reader.

The article or images cannot be reproduced, copied, shared or used in any form without the permission of the author and Marine Insight.

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fxmobilemechanicservicesoma-blog · 6 years ago

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itsworn · 7 years ago

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Street/Strip 1969 Chevrolet COPO Camaro Lives Again As a Gorgeous Day-Two Restoration

Chevrolet’s Central Office Production Order (COPO) system was originally designed to enable short assembly-line production runs with equipment or paint schemes not normally available to the general public. Think police cars, taxicabs, that sort of thing. But it wasn’t long after the dawn of the muscle car that enterprising Chevrolet dealers like Fred Gibb, Bill Thomas, and Don Yenko used the COPO system to build factory hot rods, stuffing big-inch motors into lightweight platforms like the Nova, Camaro, and Chevelle.

COPO cars were typically ordered to race. And race cars usually don’t live long lives. They’re either hacked up in search of higher speeds, wrecked in that same search, or suffer a combination of the two. That’s why finding a real COPO car these days, like Grady Burch’s Burnished Brown 1969 Camaro, is a big deal.

Back when these factory race cars were new, not many people outside of dealership employees had any idea what COPO meant, or that it even existed. As Cliff Craver, the Camaro’s fourth owner, tells us, “At the time I bought it, which would have been 1975, I didn’t know it was a COPO. Never thought it would have come from the factory like that. We just always thought it was a plain-Jane car, maybe a six-cylinder, that somebody had put a big motor in.”

Regardless of its genesis, Cliff was excited at the prospect of owning the car. “It was a heck of a car, always fast, no matter what engine was in it. My friends and I knew about the car when we were growing up. Everybody knew about the brown Camaro.”

That’s because the Camaro spent the first 44 years of its life in central Pennsylvania. Dick Patterson, a salesman at Williams Chevrolet in Lebanon, special-ordered the car for its first owner, Ned Smith, who raced it “up and down the East Coast,” says Cliff. “He trailered the car; it never saw many street miles.”

The second owner, Eli Dobrinoff, also drag-raced the Camaro, almost exclusively at York US30 Dragway. It didn’t see much street duty until coming into the hands of its third owner, Dick Barcellona, who lived in Harrisburg.

When Dick bought the car it was without an engine. Cliff says Dobrinoff blew up the original 427 (“a picture window in the block” is how he described it) and put a 454 in it to race, but that motor was out when he sold it. Dick replaced it with an over-the-counter L88 crate engine from Sutliff Chevrolet in Harrisburg.

“Dick mostly drove it around town, cruised in it, and kept it in a garage. Never put many miles on it,” Cliff says.

He met Dick through a mutual friend, Jim Gelenser. When Dick decided it was time to part with the Camaro, he offered it to Jim first for $2,000. “But Jim didn’t want that big motor, so he suggested selling it to me,” Cliff recalls. “I jumped at the chance. It was a fast car and I wanted to own it.” He paid Dick $2,500.

Cliff bracket-raced the Camaro throughout 1976. “I’d race Saturday nights at York, then Sundays at South Mountain, in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, about 15 to 20 miles away.” His best time was 11.71 at 117 mph.

Near the end of 1976 the Camaro lost Reverse, so Cliff took the car to Winters Transmission in York, where he was told he should not bother to fix the trans but get a full competition transmission instead. “I assumed they’d use a different case,” Cliff says. “At the time I didn’t know what a CX transmission was. I just knew it was a Turbo 400.” He says that was the “best $275 I spent back then. The transmission worked great. It was a reverse valve body with a manual shift. It would chirp the tires going into Second, and sometimes even into Third when the road was right.”

But the racing, even brackets at local tracks, was hard for him to afford on his mechanic’s wages. So he decided to put the Camaro on the street. “I had a really good race record on the street,” he says, “but after I ‘grew up’ I just maintained it as best I could. I did the cruise thing in Harrisburg, took it to car shows. I’d drive it just on weekends and keep it in the garage.”

That’s how Cliff would use the Camaro for the next 37 years.

In fact, he might own the Camaro still were he and his wife Diane (who helped Cliff with the car’s upkeep) still in Pennsylvania. But when their son took a job in Washington State, Cliff retired early and the couple followed him west. He wanted the Camaro to stay in central Pennsylvania, though.

The Camaro’s fifth owner, Skip Lecates, was from York and was already friends with Cliff, Jim, and Dick through local cruises. He knew all about the car, even knew Eli Dobrinoff, the second owner. “It was a logical thing for me to sell it to him,” says Cliff. “I could not figure out what it was worth without the original drivetrain, but he made me an offer and I was happy. It was a heck of a lot more than what I paid for it.”

Skip bought the car in early 2013, and took it to the GM Nationals in Carlisle that June, parking it in the Solid Lifter Showroom. That’s where it caught the eye of Grady Burch. “I looked at it for almost a day while sitting with the car I brought, and the more I looked at it the more I liked it,” Grady says. “It really started to impress me with its originality and zero corrosion. The only problem was I was told it didn’t have its original drivetrain.”

Grady talked up the car with his buddy, restorer Mike Angelo, “who thought I was nuts,” Grady says. “I think his exact words were, ‘It’s a brown turd. Why would you want that?’”

But want it he did. Skip told him it was available, so Grady worked a deal. He owned a 31,000-mile, 396/375hp 1969 Nova, “all original drivetrain, mostly original paint, almost all the original paperwork, and an Ammon R. Smith car to boot.” Grady wanted to trade the Nova for the Camaro, but Skip wasn’t interested in the Nova. As the two talked, Grady mentioned that the Nova’s original owner, Chick Renn, had shown an interest in the car. Skip knew Chick, knew he was at the show, called him, and shortly thereafter “we worked out a deal between the three of us that left all happy,” Grady says.

After the Carlisle show ended, Grady took the Camaro to Brian Henderson and Joe Swezey at the Super Car Workshop to inspect it on a lift. Knowing the car had race history he was concerned that there was damage underneath, but was pleasantly surprised to find very little bent metal. Even the rear fender lips, which had been rolled to clear slicks years ago, had been bent back into shape by Cliff.

While the car was in the air, Swezey, looking closely at the transmission, spotted the factory’s CX tag on the case. Closer inspection revealed the Camaro’s VIN stamped on the transmission flange. “That made the trade even better,” recalls Grady. All those years ago Winters Transmission put new guts in the Camaro’s original case, unbeknownst to Cliff Craver.

Since the car eyeballed so well, Grady’s original plan was to put the car on a rotisserie, repair what little floor pan damage there was, and let it go at that. But he and Mike realized more than half of the car had been repainted over the years, “much of it was flaking off, and it was too dark,” says Grady. They decided to completely restore the car (Inside the Award-Winning Restoration of a Day-Two 1969 COPO Camaro).

The restoration was just the start. A photo of the Camaro, taken while Cliff was racing at York in 1976, inspired Grady to delve deep in his stash of day-two parts to return the car to competition trim. Gary says, “I have been collecting parts forever. A lot of it comes from eBay, believe it or not. When I see something I want I go after it, whether I need it right away or might need it down the road.”

Just 11 months after Mike began the restoration, the brown Camaro debuted at the 2016 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals. Six months later Grady brought it to the Solid Lifter Showroom in Carlisle, where Dick Patterson, who had originally ordered the car, plus owners four through six, posed for a photo.

“Grady and Mike did a remarkable job on the car,” says Cliff. “It looks basically like when I had it, except it’s all one color brown! There were things touched up when I owned it, so it’s nice to see it freshly painted. I was real happy to see the car again.”

At a Glance

1969 COPO Camaro Owned by: Grady Burch Restored by: Mike Angelo; owner; Joe Zeoli, A-1 Automotive Machine Shop, Greensburg, PA Engine: 489ci/600hp (est.) 1969 L88 V-8 Transmission: TH400 3-speed automatic Rearend: BE-code 12-bolt with 4.10 gears and Posi Interior: Black vinyl bucket seat Wheels: 15×6 front, 15×8.5 rear Torq-Thrust Tires: F70-15 Goodyear Speedway reproduction front, 10.00-15 Penneys Foremost A F/X slicks rear Special parts: Numerous N.O.S. and date-code-correct restoration and day two components; original interior; original CX-code transmission case

This photo of the Camaro at York US30 in 1976 inspired Grady Burch not only to restore the COPO Camaro but return it to its racing days. “It was picture day at York,” remembers fourth owner Cliff Craver. “If you wanted a photo they pulled you up to the tower. It was free so I took advantage of it.”

Note how closely Grady and Mike Angelo caught the Camaro’s 1976 look. This angle shows off the BE-code rearend—“all the guts are COPO-specific,” says Grady—with its N.O.S. Cal Custom diff cover, which Grady had “hanging on the wall for years.” Also note the Lakewood traction bars, which came off of another of Grady’s cars and were restored by Mike.

Grady replaced the 1973-vintage L88 crate motor with a 1969 CE L88 block with a January casting date. Joe Zeoli at A-1 Automotive Machine Shop bored and stroked the engine to 489 inches and installed a forged crank, rods, and pistons. The Crane hydraulic roller cam “mimics a ZL1 cam,” says Grady. “It’s a true 12.5:1-compression engine that’s been completely blueprinted and balanced.” Though it hasn’t been on the dyno, Zeoli estimates “600 horsepower or better.” Grady says.

Feeding the engine is a period-correct, Holley 850-cfm double-pumper on a 1969 L88 intake manifold, all capped by a Cal Custom fly-eye air cleaner.

Grady found the Cal Custom valve covers on eBay, “brand new in the box.” The 1974-vintage Hooker headers were also mint-in-box. Stampings on the box indicated that Hooker shipped them to Jacksaw Pontiac, a dealer in Cleveland that did big business in performance parts.

The car having traveled barely 21,000 miles, the Camaro’s original interior was “perfect,” says restorer Mike Angelo. Just the carpet had been replaced. The Stewart Warner tachometer is a 970 model, part of a tach collection Grady’s been compiling for years. This one has been converted to modern electronics. The sender underhood is a dummy.

Though the Camaro didn’t have one back in the day, Grady thought a roll bar would be a nice touch. The vintage Lakewood bar came from the same collector who had the headers. To accommodate the downbar that runs through the back seat, Mike took the original seat out and installed a donor seat modified for the bar to pass through and upholstered with Legendary seat covers.

In the 1976 photo a fuel-pressure gauge is visible on the cowl, so Grady wanted one, too. “I have been collecting those bullets for years,” he says of the housing. “I have quite a few N.O.S. ones in boxes; they’re hard to come by.” He filled it with a period-correct 2 1/8-inch Stewart-Warner pressure gauge.

Among the most eye-catching mods on the car are the 10-inch Penneys slicks—as in JC Penneys, the department store chain. Back in the 1960s Penneys had a performance parts catalog under the Foremost brand. “I believe Mickey Thompson made the slicks for Penneys,” says Grady, “as they’re identical to Mickey Thompson slicks.” He’s mounted them to Torq-Thrusts with gold centers.

Some assume the “by Grady” badge is the ultimate vanity plate made by the owner, but it’s a real-deal brass dealer tag that Grady’s friend Phil Wojnarowski found on eBay a couple years ago. Grady took it to a local plater to have it chrome plated.

At this year’s Solid Lifter Showroom, the Burnished Brown COPO Camaro enjoyed a reunion with (from left): Dick Patterson, who originally ordered the car at Williams Chevrolet; Skip Lecates, owner number five; current owner Grady Burch; Cliff Craver, owner number four; and restorer Mike Angelo.

Racing in 1976

Cliff Craver raced the Camaro for a year in 1976. His best e.t. was 11.71 seconds. Note the daylight visible under the front tire.

Cliff ran a variety of wheels on the Camaro, ending its racing season on Rallys.

At first Cliff drove it with the Cragars that the previous owner, Dick Barcellona, had mounted. “Then I bought a pair of Center Lines for the front [visible in the black-and-white photo elsewhere in the story] thinking I’d get Center Lines for the rear, but I never did.”

The fly-eye air cleaner was key in making Grady’s version of the Camaro look like Cliff’s did in 1976.

Dragway 42

We could not have found a better location to photograph Grady’s Camaro than the all-new Dragway 42 in West Salem, Ohio. How is a 60-year-old dragstrip “all new”? Ron Matcham, himself a drag racer, spearheaded a multiyear renovation of the facility that literally rebuilt it from the ground up—including changing the direction of the strip from south-north to north-south. The first 750 feet of the track is concrete, the rest is asphalt. In addition to bleachers at the start line (which came from Daytona International Speedway), Ron had grassy berms built on both sides of the track for casual “amphitheater” seating and clear views of the entire quarter-mile. We want to thank the folks at Dragway 42 for their hospitality, and we invite MCR readers to check out this beautiful new facility. Learn more at dragway42.com.

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