Guest stude8 Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 Some may cringe but some may be awe struck, a 1932 Marmon V-16 engine connected to a Dodge Viper 6 speed trans and using a throttle body fuel injection system all in a 1934 Ford roadster chassis. The "Forman" a 3 year project is now running in Chicago. See it at http://www.jackbowser.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=53Stude8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TG57Roadmaster Posted March 3, 2007 Share Posted March 3, 2007 So, let me guess, does it have a Mustang II front-end?TGOn second thought, I <span style="font-style: italic">don't</span> want to know! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DizzyDale Posted March 8, 2007 Share Posted March 8, 2007 Dear Stude8,THANKS for postin.Quality of the workmanship SHINES through.diz <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stude8 Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 Jack Bowser has a lot of time and money on his hands it seems. I no longer live in Chicago area (retired finally) so I haven't seen this thing in the flesh yet. It is an amazing engineering feat, not just another GM crate engine hot rod. Just the intake manifold was a cad design transferred to a CNC machine that milled it out of a solid Aluminum billet.I think Jack knows more about the Marmon V-16 than Marmon did. There is some video on line of it starting and running if you hunt around.Oh yes, TG, no there are no Pinto parts in this machine, if you look at the chassis photos, the front axle is 34 Ford drilled to lighten it and disc brake rotors to help stop this kind of power the Ford never had to deal with.Stude8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 A question and a comment:Wouldn't drilling the front axle weaken it? Wouldn't you want it to be as strong as possible with that huge V16 in there? Just how much weight would you be saving in the overall scheme of the project? I'm thinking maybe 10 pounds.That said, I think it's a pretty neat project. The only thing I would do differently would be to leave out the center console that drops down from the dashboard. I think that cheapens the overall open-cockpit look of the roadster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ZondaC12 Posted March 9, 2007 Share Posted March 9, 2007 i gotta say that is pretty neat because ive wondered several times what it would be like putting fuel injection on an old engine like that, or bolting up a newer tranny.this would be a blasphemy but imagine a duesenberg SSJ with a 5-speed, or even a 6-speed. they were FAST as they were but imagine the look on the guys with the little imports (and i mean the ones that are actually pretty quick not just the ones with 5k pounds of bodywork) when you blow them off the road with something that to them might as well be a bus.i saw on a website that the SJ or the SSJ could manage 0-60 in about 8 seconds? even THAT would blow the average car off the road. i also read in the same article that the 3-speed in the dueseys were <span style="font-weight: bold">non-synchronized</span>. take that away, and add in the extra ratios of a 5 or 6 speed, come on, tell me you wouldnt knock off at least a second from that time!ill tell ya, if i magically had an extra 248 straight 8 for my buick id seriously consider some hop ups. THAT would be a hot rod i couldnt argue with seeing at a show or something. that deserves respect. the original car's original engine hopped up to make it fast, not just a chevy 350 dropped in. its SOOOO much cooler telling people i have 8 cylinders in a row. many jaws have been broken due to high-speed impact with concrete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motoringicons Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 I saw this vehicle at the Detroit Autorama this month. All I can say is "awesome". Well engineered, well executed, excellent presentation throughout. This car was done right and certainly not your usual belly button, UPS delivered,credit card purchased hotrod.Not only does it have an FI Marmon 16 engine, but the 1934 Ford body has been completely, but inconspicously redesigned for great design balance. It is also important to remember that not all hotrods built in the early days had Ford motors, there are many examples of hot rods and dry lakes cars built in the 1930s through the 1950s that used Ford bodies powered by V-16 Marmon and Cadillac 8,12 and 16 cyl. engines, as well as other esoteric engines of the period. As a side note, Mr Bowser, the owner/builder of this car is the grandson(or some relative) of the Bowser company that made gaspumps in the 1920s and 1930s. At Autorama, they had a 1930s Bowswer pump painted the same colors as the Marmon/Ford hotrod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motoringicons Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 In regards to drilling an axle: On an I-beam axle, the strength comes from the upper and lower parallel (to the ground)horizontal beams. Drilling the vertical portion has virtually no affect on the strength as long as the holes are not close to the horizontal beams. Does it really make that much of a weight difference that will affect speed? Probably not, but it is a cool look and people have been doing this since the first automobile was stripped down to become a racer over 100 years ago. If you ever get a chance to get into the basement of the Indy Museum, there is an early Peerless (pre-1910) that is drilled out everywhere (frame, axles, dumbirons,shift levers, etc, etc). I suppose on some very light weight vehicles that are strictly used for racing, subtracting a few pounds might result in some difference in overall top speed.-GZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted April 8, 2007 Share Posted April 8, 2007 In 1946 the Tony Capanna Marmon V16 was the Fastest car EVER timed on a Day Lake by the SCTA at 145.39MPH. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted April 9, 2007 Share Posted April 9, 2007 sweet picture Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 10RA84 Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Two more pics of the same car... <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />-- JRi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted April 13, 2007 Share Posted April 13, 2007 Anyone notice the Roman numeral? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted April 15, 2007 Share Posted April 15, 2007 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Anyone notice the Roman numeral? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> </div></div>I hoped someone would pick that out! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Call Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 To see and hear this beautiful engine run just go to Now makes 410 HP (originally 200 HP) and 1150 ft lbs out of 492 CI. Pretty damn respectable for a 70+ year old engine. In fact 1150 ft lbs from any gasoline engine of less than 1,000 ci is amazing even by todays standards.To see a video about the car's construction go to The car is featured at page 60 of the July 2008 issue of Hot Rod magazine in a spread of "Dare to Be Different" rods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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