Vanishing Point / Satanic Machine
Discussion
Sure I've read somewhere else on t'internet that this is an ex Sammy Miller car (let's face it, you can't exactly buy a rocket funnycar in Autotrader). Having read what I can on the Perrot/Feeler website, I just wondered if anyone knew any more about it, and specifically if there's any footage available of their apparent record breaking runs? Was featured in a French TV special apparently? Searched all the usual places and can't find anything.
I've been fascinated by Vanishing Point since I saw Sammy Miller running it when I first visited Santa Pod (1986 ish), so just curious to know if this is indeed one and the same car, and if anyone knows whether Bob Feeler still has it, and if so if it's still active?
Ta
I've been fascinated by Vanishing Point since I saw Sammy Miller running it when I first visited Santa Pod (1986 ish), so just curious to know if this is indeed one and the same car, and if anyone knows whether Bob Feeler still has it, and if so if it's still active?
Ta
hornet said:
Sure I've read somewhere else on t'internet that this is an ex Sammy Miller car (let's face it, you can't exactly buy a rocket funnycar in Autotrader). Having read what I can on the Perrot/Feeler website, I just wondered if anyone knew any more about it, and specifically if there's any footage available of their apparent record breaking runs? Was featured in a French TV special apparently? Searched all the usual places and can't find anything.
I've been fascinated by Vanishing Point since I saw Sammy Miller running it when I first visited Santa Pod (1986 ish), so just curious to know if this is indeed one and the same car, and if anyone knows whether Bob Feeler still has it, and if so if it's still active?
Ta
I've been fascinated by Vanishing Point since I saw Sammy Miller running it when I first visited Santa Pod (1986 ish), so just curious to know if this is indeed one and the same car, and if anyone knows whether Bob Feeler still has it, and if so if it's still active?
Ta
It is the last Vanishing Point Trans Am, yes. Bob and Vincent also have Sammy's jet dragster, which almost unnoticed ran into the 5.40's on Sam's one appearence in the car at spr, and was at the time the third quickest jet in the world!
I believe Bob and Vincent still have it. I was in France a couple of years ago, and a poster advertising an event at the local circuit proclaimed that Le Machine Satanique would be appearing. As it was a FF/F3 type track, I cant imagine that the rocket car was leant on at all though...
MotorPsycho said:
Now that's just awesome...never seen footage of Oxygen before.
I only saw Vanishing Point run once in the mid 1980s, but it left an impression that remains to this day...rocket cars tend to do that to 12 year olds! The man is and always will be an absolute legend.
the ex-Oxygen rocket car is now 'laffin-gas', a partnership between David and Carolynne Knight.
www.laffin-gas.com/history.php
www.laffin-gas.com/history.php
Are you sure about Oxygen?
also quoted on same site:
"Knut knew the famous Sammy Miller, and when Sammy died, he acquired the last in the line of Miller’s rocket cars – ‘Oxygen’. Knut completely restored the car, which gave him hands-on access to the knowledge accumulated by Sammy Miller. Knut has helped with the creation of the ‘laffin-gas’ chassis, and has designed the running-gear, suspension and steering."
also quoted on same site:
"Knut knew the famous Sammy Miller, and when Sammy died, he acquired the last in the line of Miller’s rocket cars – ‘Oxygen’. Knut completely restored the car, which gave him hands-on access to the knowledge accumulated by Sammy Miller. Knut has helped with the creation of the ‘laffin-gas’ chassis, and has designed the running-gear, suspension and steering."
hornet said:
MotorPsycho said:
Now that's just awesome...never seen footage of Oxygen before.
I only saw Vanishing Point run once in the mid 1980s, but it left an impression that remains to this day...rocket cars tend to do that to 12 year olds! The man is and always will be an absolute legend.
If you look in the fir eup road on his run you can see my Mum and Dad with our old red pop in the fireup road behind Steve Green. Steve used to tow our pop to the track with the cortina!
fordcorsair said:
the ex-Oxygen rocket car is now 'laffin-gas', a partnership between David and Carolynne Knight.
www.laffin-gas.com/history.php
www.laffin-gas.com/history.php
I thought Laffin-Gas was an evolution of the Twisted Sanity project, or am I getting confused?
Looks promising, whatever it is.
According to another Pistonheads thread this week written by Germany’s top track announcer Benni, Bob Feeler is still active, although not racing. Eric Teboul´s brother is running Jet dragsters & Jet FCs in France, together with his partner Vincent Perrot. Including a two-seater Jet FC, where they take passengers.....8-) And they still own (and run?) the ex-Sammy Miller "Vanishing Point" rocket FC, now named "Satanique Machine". (Their page is at www.perrotfeeler.com , in French but with pictures) I have not been to French drag races in the past years, but in the 90s the rocket was still driven by Bobby. Both Bobby & Eric knew Sammy quite good, without him Eric Teboul never would have got his rocket bike, and he still dedicates every run to Sammy. (By the way, he is fitting a larger tank to it to have thrust up to the finish, and maybe we see some unbelievable times/speeds in 2007..)
Hornet, you’re right about the Laffin Gas Rocket dragster. Most, if not all the technology onboard comes from the Twisted Sanity project. Furthermore, Carolyn and the Laffin Gas www.laffin-gas.com team are expected to carry out further test development runs this Saturday (Oct 28th) at Shakespeare County Raceway’s Last Chance Bonfire Burn-Up (weather permitting of course).
The Enthusiast said:
Did Sammy Miller run over 400mph unofficially in Norway? Was it the Mustang Funnycar that did 3.5 seconds at Santa Pod?
i dont think sammy ever ran over 400mph, i think he did somethnig like a 392mh run in the states somewhere. But (this might shock you) Sammy Miller wasnt the quickest rocketeer in drag racing. In 1977, Kitty o'neil, in her rail, ran a 3.22 second run @ 412mph. Officially the quickest run in histry, but no-one really knows anything about it!!!
See links below:
www.the-rocketman.com/images/kitty
http://draglist.com/lists/rkt-alltime
Oxygen 'broke its back' on a run in either sweden or holland (cant remember which). I had heard that the remains of the front half of the chassis had been used to form the nose cone of one of those "Robosaurus/truckosaurus' mechanical transformer robotty things that were quite popular in the late 1980's / '90s. It toured the fairgrounds and municiple playing fields of europe as part of a travelling stunt show.
Funny how there is never an Anthony Billington around when you need one!! lol
Funny how there is never an Anthony Billington around when you need one!! lol
dragnut said:
The Enthusiast said:
Did Sammy Miller run over 400mph unofficially in Norway? Was it the Mustang Funnycar that did 3.5 seconds at Santa Pod?
i dont think sammy ever ran over 400mph, i think he did somethnig like a 392mh run in the states somewhere. But (this might shock you) Sammy Miller wasnt the quickest rocketeer in drag racing. In 1977, Kitty o'neil, in her rail, ran a 3.22 second run @ 412mph. Officially the quickest run in histry, but no-one really knows anything about it!!!
See links below:
www.the-rocketman.com/images/kitty
http://draglist.com/lists/rkt-alltime
Without opening the links, wasn't the 412mph at Bonneville or Black Rock or somewhere? Pretty sure Miller has all the records in terms of runs on an actual drag strip. Interesting reading though...akin to the Thrust SSC / Budweiser Rocket debate.
hornet said:
dragnut said:
The Enthusiast said:
Did Sammy Miller run over 400mph unofficially in Norway? Was it the Mustang Funnycar that did 3.5 seconds at Santa Pod?
i dont think sammy ever ran over 400mph, i think he did somethnig like a 392mh run in the states somewhere. But (this might shock you) Sammy Miller wasnt the quickest rocketeer in drag racing. In 1977, Kitty o'neil, in her rail, ran a 3.22 second run @ 412mph. Officially the quickest run in histry, but no-one really knows anything about it!!!
See links below:
www.the-rocketman.com/images/kitty
http://draglist.com/lists/rkt-alltime
Without opening the links, wasn't the 412mph at Bonneville or Black Rock or somewhere? Pretty sure Miller has all the records in terms of runs on an actual drag strip. Interesting reading though...akin to the Thrust SSC / Budweiser Rocket debate.
dont Thnk so. im pretty sure they were on a drag strip
jpt said:
Are you sure about Oxygen?
also quoted on same site:
"Knut knew the famous Sammy Miller, and when Sammy died, he acquired the last in the line of Miller’s rocket cars – ‘Oxygen’. Knut completely restored the car, which gave him hands-on access to the knowledge accumulated by Sammy Miller. Knut has helped with the creation of the ‘laffin-gas’ chassis, and has designed the running-gear, suspension and steering."
also quoted on same site:
"Knut knew the famous Sammy Miller, and when Sammy died, he acquired the last in the line of Miller’s rocket cars – ‘Oxygen’. Knut completely restored the car, which gave him hands-on access to the knowledge accumulated by Sammy Miller. Knut has helped with the creation of the ‘laffin-gas’ chassis, and has designed the running-gear, suspension and steering."
Anthony Billington still has the last of Sammy's rocket cars, the one Sammy ran at the Speed Freaks Ball 2002 (Mustang?)
Sammy holds the all time 1/4mile record on a drag strip, both ends with 3.54@386mph (which I believe was in the Mustang) yes Kitty O'Neil ran 3.22 reportedly but it was on salt flats with no approved timing and no verifiation
Edited by MotorPsycho on Thursday 26th October 15:39
Been scooting about the internet trying to find more info about Kitty O'Neal's 412mph run, but there's very little detail that I can find. I'm certain I read somewhere that it wasn't at a drag strip though. Ky Michaelson's site doesn't seem to give any details other than the time and speed, which I find odd, although that may just be cynicism on my behalf. I suppose that makes O'Neal Stan Barrett to Miller's Andy Green.
A related thought...does anyone think we'll ever see that sort of performance (3s) on a drag strip again? From mooching around various forums, a majority of fans now have never even heard of the likes of Sammy Miller - most discussions about highest speeds seem to end with "top fuel, innit", which is understandable I suppose, but I find it quite sad. Most of Miller's exploits were well before my time, but I'm still fascinated by them and the era of rockets in general.
A related thought...does anyone think we'll ever see that sort of performance (3s) on a drag strip again? From mooching around various forums, a majority of fans now have never even heard of the likes of Sammy Miller - most discussions about highest speeds seem to end with "top fuel, innit", which is understandable I suppose, but I find it quite sad. Most of Miller's exploits were well before my time, but I'm still fascinated by them and the era of rockets in general.
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