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Episode 8

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Episode 8

Who can identify the subtle but serious error in the article below, authored by Art and Walter Arfons, which appeared in the July 1956 issue of Rod Builder & Customizer magazine?

Clue #1:

There are two text characters that need to be changed.

Clue #2:

The two characters are numbers.

Clue #3:

The two characters that need to be changed are identical.

Clue #4:

The two characters, that need to be changed, need to be changed to the number two (2).

Clue #5:

The error is on page 15 in regard to information provided on page 14.




CAUTION!!!

WARNING!!!

ALERT!!!

The solution is given below.

DO NOT scroll down further

UNLESS you would like to see the solution.




SOLUTION


As reported by many sources, the first Green Monster (1) was a three-wheeled dragster powered by an Oldsmobile six cylinder engine and the second Green Monster (2) was a six-wheeled dragster powered by an Allison V12 aircraft engine.
The June 1990 issue of American Rodder magazine reported that the Green Monster 1 engine was a 1940 Oldsmobile flathead six and the top speed of the dragster was 86 miles per hour.
In 1954, Green Monster 2 clocked the highest top speed at 132.35 miles per hour at the first World Series of Drag Racing in Lawrenceville, Illinois.

The image below is from that July 1956 issue of Rod Builder & Customizer magazine article above which indicates the photo is of Green Monster 1:

Below is the complete photo for which only a portion was given in the article as shown above:

A 1940 Oldsmobile flathead six engine is shown below:

The vehicle in the article is not Green Monster 1 for the following three (3) reasons:

  1. Green Monster 1 was a three-wheeled dragster. The photo in the article shows a vehicle having at least 4 wheels.
  2. Green Monster 1 was powered by an Oldsmobile six cylinder engine. The engine in the photo of the article is certainly not an Oldsmobile six cylinder engine, but an Allison V12 engine.
  3. It was Green Monster 2 which made top speed of 132.32 mph at 1954 World Series; not Green Monster 1, which only had a top speed of 86 mph.

Therefore, the following portion of page 15 of the July 1956 issue of Rod Builder & Customizer magazine needs to be changed


That is, change the number '1' to '2' in two places in the text above.

Note too that the photo below shows Green Monster 1 as acquired from the July 1957 issue of Motor Guide magazine:

Other photos of Green Monster 2 are given below:

Photo of Allison V12 engine:

Labeling of Allison V12 engine:

Cutaway of Allison V12 engine:

Advertisement for surplus Allison V12 engines:

Advertisement for Allison engines:

Videos about Allison V12 engine:


For more information about the Green Monsters, visit the web page GREEN MONSTERS.

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