Maybe me and Mike Barrett wll need to go after our old record for towing a portaloo! Set on The Black Rock desert on 5th October 1983. Timed officially by USAC, no less. However, excessive wind limited the attempt on the sound barrier!
Last edited by Pullman99 on Thu May 03, 2012 12:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ian Robinson
Bluebird K7 - the restoration project of the Century.
Well, if things are getting that esoteric then everybody can be a Land Speed Record holder.
I am inspired to set out on that rather stony path myself; keep an eye on the media for news of a new land speed record for the fastest Armitage-Shanks avocado bidet mounted backwards on a mobility scooter with different sized wheels powered by twin Lockwood valveless pulse jets fuelled by Camping Gaz on top of Helvellyn.
Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.
I'm not a hundred percent but in the Thrust II days they took a elderly gent down the course (who's name eludes me) in one of those porter loo's but not sure if they ever registered it and perhaps it is in a different 'crapper' class because they had strapped it down on the back of a truck i.e Porter Loo. I think the lads would have gone faster than 46m.p.h though! Anybody?
Novie
apparently it was richard nobles brother andrew and mike barrett, in 1983,that devised the towing of sixty six year old ron benton, one of the team who made the bodywork, across the black rock desert sitting in a portaloo! he emerged to a sink plunger fanfare wearing a biggles hat and goggles and a toilet paper scarf. not sure if any time was recorded but the moment was filmed i believe
The world is full of Kings and Queens; who blind your eyes, then steal your dreams..
Cheers Mike what a hoot, and brings back so many memories with dear old Ken with his penetration device there on the Black Rock Desert Apparently he was the only one who could drive in straight lines and did mark the course with the lines for Richard to follow. God it seems so long ago now Ron Benton that's the guy on the bog
Novie
I've gone
jonwrightk7 wrote:apparently it was richard nobles brother andrew and mike barrett, in 1983,that devised the towing of sixty six year old ron benton, one of the team who made the bodywork, across the black rock desert sitting in a portaloo! he emerged to a sink plunger fanfare wearing a biggles hat and goggles and a toilet paper scarf. not sure if any time was recorded but the moment was filmed i believe
Not quite, but nearly!
The sequence that Mike has posted from You Tube is from the Neil Parker film "For Britain and the Hell of it" covering the story of Richard's successful attempt with Thrust 2 in 1983. On an engineeering "down day", Neil wanted to incorporate some lighthearted sequence that showed the team's spirit but I cannot remember who came up with the idea of towing a Portaloo through the measured mile. The sequence for the camera was done in several shots with Ron Benton (who was then 67) entering and leaving the loo - called "Blue Flame II" as Gary Gabelich had been present on the desert a few days before. Just in case there were any lurking stealth and shifty types, we didn't actually have Ron on board the trailer (which was highly ustable and the loo was full of, er, waste and stank like you wouldn't believe). It was actually me driving the red Dodge pick-up that was hired from "Rent-a-Wreck" in Reno. All great fun and it's the first time I've seen that footage in a while. Ron was a great actor as well as being a highly skilled metalworker. Looked a bit like George Eyston too!
The day after the record was won, on the 4th October 1983, we were out on the desert once more on a glorious morning for team photographs and - as the timing aparatus was still in place - USAC agreed to time a real attempt on a record that nobody thought would ever be achieved. Mike Barrett and myself shared driving (change at each end of the mile) and set off but there was a very strong wind from the South and with the enormous drag of the Portaloo, it was a bit difficult to set any meaningful time (I've got the USAC certificate somewhere but haven't been able to check). All great fun. An hour or so after the attempt, I was up at the North end of the track removing the Mile markers and had to stay put for quite some time as there was a huge sandstorm. These conditions would have prevented any running with Thrust 2 and a few days later the first snows arrived. 4th October 1983 was a close run thing!
Last edited by Pullman99 on Sat May 05, 2012 7:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ian Robinson
Bluebird K7 - the restoration project of the Century.
Mike Bull wrote:Thrust 2 was always 'my' record vehicle- it was the one that got me excited by such things when I was a kid. I've always loved the sheer brute force of it's shape!
Same here - it's the one for which I can remember where I was and what I was doing.
One by one, the penguins are stealing my sanity...
Lets get away from porta potties for a moment .......
Elvington on Sunday and Monday will see some of the fastest two and three wheeled creations that can operate on an airfield. Former and current record holders will be joined by some new entrants and the new category for scooters (not sure they will run dozens of mirrors and the esso tiger tails from the chrome bars!).
There will be electric bikes, the turbine 2K2 road bike and the cyclecar of Graham Sykes - which has a 3.9 litre alloy V8 for power.
The 222.19 mph wheel driven outright UK record (flying start 1/4 mile) could be under threat, but probably not the fastest one way of 241.15 mph (set by a non wheel driven streamliner), as top speeds of 250 mph are predicted.
I just saw this and thought it well worth a share. I most strongly recommend full screen with the sound right up!
After that brown-trouser run he got back in and did it all again to get the record. Certainly one to sort the men from the boys!
One by one, the penguins are stealing my sanity...
Apparently he was the only one who could drive in straight lines and did mark the course with the lines for Richard to follow. God it seems so long ago now Ron Benton that's the guy on the bog 
