lear indy car

[forums.autosport.com]

As I understand it, the car still exists in the hands of a collector. The equivalency formula is as good an excuse as any, I guess. If you look at the projected horsepower, then take a look at the size of the condenser they mounted, you can only assume that the car would be out of feed water in a few laps. I have no idea why a test engine wasn't run extensively on a dyno first....or why it appears that qualified steam engineers weren't in on the project. Condenser notwithstanding, the car might have the potential to run land speed record times....but that would probably take modifications that might invalidate the car as a historical collectible.

Ken

This Autosport uninformed drivel is the best yet. Where do these people come up with such absurd notions?? It is most distressing to have to see light steam constantly be the victim of these unin formed and deluded people.

At least the remains of the Indy car exist, the Ferguson four wheel drive system alone was worth getting. When I bought all he remaining Lear steam hardware, the race car was high on my list for sure. The car was gone and I was told Mrs. Lear had it and the bus removed before the bankruptcy sale and auction.
Roy Renner and i were forbidden to say anything to Bill Lear directly about the stupidity of the Indy car, anything had to go through Wallis first so he could keep up his fraud of being a steam expert and his job with Lear Motors. Wallis had about as much expertise as the recent one who fell flat on his face. A very active PR campaign based on pure B…S.. and wild delusions.

The first Lear deltic opposed piston engine was briefly dyno run; but the central rotary valve leaked like a sieve and froze, then there was the water in the oil problem they had forgotten existed and was one big mess. According to the last chief engineer that I had the pleasure of working with, two engines were built, one for testing and the one in the Indy car that never ran one foot. One engine apparently remains in the race car and supposedly the first one was given to the Reno High School shop class.
They had no concept of how to size the condenser not that it really mattered, the car was a technical joke of the decade to anyone who knew anything about steam cars.
The Indy people saw through the absurdity of Lear's claims and laughed him out of the office according to Bill Jr.. Remember he went back to Reno and announced he would build his own Indy race track. Then had a bulldozer scrape the track in the desert and that is as far as this thing ever went.
Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/23/2015 11:32AM by Jim Crank.