The Nostalgias at Perth Motorplex will see a wacky attempt at a Guinness World Record when Chris Boucher aims to make his 1953 Cadillac the quickest stretched limousine over a quartermile.
Like many good ideas, Boucher said his journey with the six metre long, Merlin big block-equipped limo began with ‘drinking beer and looking at the internet.’
“I thought it was an interesting bit of gear and someone had clearly spent a lot of money to get it where it is,” he said. “I’m six foot five so a car with a bit of room is always a handy thing, so I thought I’d have a crack.”
The limo has actually been fitted out for something it is perhaps even less well suited for – road racing. It features a roll cage, four wheel disc brakes and big sway bars to all make it turn as wel as it goes.
“Surprisingly enough for a car that weighs 5300 pounds you can go around a corner at a reasonable speed,” Boucher said. “Ive had it up to about 180kph and it still drives pretty nice.”
Boucher has actually had the car on track at Perth Motorplex before where he managed a 13.8 second time but he says he wants to put the record into the 12s before he submits the paperwork to Guinness World Records. That should be easily accomplished with the nitrous system – a not so standard feature on a stretched limousine!
“Last time I took it down I had some issues with the nitrous, I couldn’t work out why it wasn’t engaging,” he said. “It wasn’t getting full throttle so I needed to do some work.
“I should be able to crack a low 13 or even a 12.”
Boucher is looking forward to the relaxed atmosphere of the Nostalgias and has been a regular participant in many of Perth Motorplex’s hot rod and street machine events.
“I normally go to Motorvation and for the last eight years I have had cars in every one,” he said. “The Nostalgias is a good spot to go, plus I’m looking forward to checking out the swap meet.”
Hot rod heaven will be Perth Motorplex on Sunday, April 19, 2015 when the Perth Motorplex Nostalgias come to town.
They say you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, but this revamped event might prove that otherwise!
The Cranksters Swap Meet will be the place to be if you are looking for something old, something new, something borrowed (you might want to check on that) – and you know the rest. Just $5 to check out the swap meet and you can take that off your ticket to spectate for the nostalgia drag racing.
Under Perth’s spectacular, clear autumn weather it will then be time to head to the show and shine and get an up close look at some of the metal that made a generation. No plastic fantastics here!
Check up your reflection, regrease that hair and get on down to the pits to see what will be heading on to the race track. It’s not going to be just the drag strip either as the speedway will be roaring into life with some dirt track demons tearing it up.
And of course the drag strip will be its usual wild self with tyre smoking, wheel spinning speed on tap as the classics make it clear they are not just for show – they’ve got some go too!
More event details here.
Image courtesy: High Octane Photos