Oldsmaniac

While readin a SS and Drag Illustrated November 67 Agent 1320 reported,
"Oldsmobile fans.you're in trouble. The two most famous Olds funny cars are out of competition, one permanently, one maybe not. The Hurst Hairy Olds which began coming on strong early in the year, was destroyed recently at a North Carolina strip after a wild ride. The Lutz 'n Lundberg 442 funny car has been retired and put on the block, with no decision yet as to its replacement. With the destruction of John Smyser's Terrible Toronado last Spring, that just about does it for this marque in funny car racing."

don71

Agent 1320 didn't work long enough to meet Warren Johnson.

Ok not the same class of racing,,,but.

Two engines one car. Who has the ***** left?

oldcutlass

Hairy Olds goes where hairy Olds wants, from I understand a pretty wild ride.

66-3X2 442

Keep your eyes open,the Lutz & Lundberg funny car may be for sale here in a while.

Oldsmaniac

Well I believe the twin engine Toro was the Terrifying Toronado and not the Terrible Toronado. Here is the reported final run of the HHO.... wow I thought it would have been more exciting and more flames. Glad the driver wasnt hurt.

Hairy Olds

That was the last time the engines were fired in anger on the drag strip. The car was dismantled after it was returned to Michigan and taken in a roundabout way to the salvage yard.

joe_padavano

If the front wheels are spinning, it's kinda hard to steer - which is the fundamental problem I have with wrong-wheel-drive cars.

twintracks

Joe, I respect your experience, but anyone who's driven a Toronado in the snow would disagree with the statement above.
The constant problem with the Hairy Olds was fighting torque steer from all 4 wheels, and matching the throttle control between the two units.
The rear unit would try to drive around the front unit if they got it wrong, or had some sort of mechanical failure.

joe_padavano

I'll offer that if your Toro in the snow is spinning both front wheels, IT isn't steering either.

I will correct my prior statement, however. Spinning both back tires will also make directional control difficult. You really need all four tires to be ROLLING, not SPINNING - which is NOT happening in this photo.

twintracks

True, up to a point. However, wheels that are spinning, and pointed in the direction you want to go, the car will turn. If it does push, you just let off for a second, and it will redirect. Of course, that won't work on the Hairy Olds.
Ask the guys who raced Toronados up Pike's Peak. Steve McQueen also raced highly modified Toro Front Drives in the Baja 1,000. They were mounted in giant dune buggy looking chassis. In all cases, the failure was always a small plastic gear in the tranny.
I know Toronados are not for everyone, but it always surprises me how little respect they get, even on Oldsmobile sites. I love 'em.
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