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Tucker (up close)
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If you didnt see a real Tucker up close, check these pics out someone sent out when one had tire trouble out west. Enjoy. Bob
http://www.laubly.com/1948tucker.htm -
Tuckers are fascinating cars, but let's be real for a second....
In 1954, Bill Hamlin pitted his Tucker against a new Oldsmobile 88. The Olds had a V-8, the Tucker a flat six. At the time, Hamlin's Tucker had 110,000 on the clock, the Olds topped out at 78.8 MPH, while Hamlin's Tucker topped out at 82 MPH.
I would have to disagree that any tucker out there could take a 54 olds...
Hamlin's unmodified Tucker was rated at 103 HP at 2,000 RPM, while a 1954 Cadillac was only 87 HP at 2,000 RPM in dyno testing. A Tucker's engine put out some 372 ft. lbs of torque and the car had 0-60 times of 10 seconds. Not bad for a 4,200 lb car.
yeah, of course the Cadillac is going to put out 87 hp at 2000 rpm, that is not even close to the peak HP rpm range.....
The helicopter engine, which powered the Tucker could run for 1,500 hours without a rebuild, and exceeded every military specification required of it.
the only helicopter engine that went into a tucker was the first one, the experimental, the tin goose, the Miller helicopter engine went into that one. After that, they developed their own engine, albeit similar, it was a pancake 6, based on a lot of the original 589 ci miller poweplant
It's now common place for automakers to do crash testing on computers (and they've found that it gives better results than real world testing), and if an owner of a Tucker would be willing to consent to a thorough examination of their car (the original blueprints have been lost)
nope, they still do live simulations with real cars... computer simulations have major limitations, also, the blueprints are very much alive and known. -
Considering the low end torque of the Tucker 450 lbs ft and the Olds is only 300 I would say the Tucker would probably kick the Olds's butt. Note that the 103 HP vs. 87 HP (Olds) was on the dyno (assuming wheel HP) and probably not flywheel.
If you want to see these go to:
http://wikimapia.org/1497492/1948-Tucker-Museum
One of these days I would like to get down there and check out this museum!
Here are the Tuck specs.
Engine Specifications:
Horizontally opposed rear-mounted flat six cylinder engine
Aluminum block produced by Franklin Aircooled Motors
Bore: 4.5 in.
Stroke: 3.5 in.
Piston displacement: 335 cu. in.
Maximum horsepower: 166 b.h.p. @ 3200 r.p.m.
Maximum bmep: 200 p.s.i. @ 1800 r.p.m. (brake mean effective pressure)
Maximum torque: 450 lbs/ft @ 1800 r.p.m.
Piston speed @ max. r.p.m: 1500 f.p.m.
Compression ratio: 7:1
Induction system: 2-bbl. Stromberg downdraft carburetor, mechanical fuel pump
Exhaust system: Twin mufflers, 6 exhaust pipes
Electrical system: 6-volt battery/coil
Valves: OHV, hydraulic actuation inclined @ 70 degrees
Valve overlap: 0
Fuel feed: Direct fuel injection through rotating distributor pump; S-2 single plunger or S-3 multiple plunger systems. Pressure at nozzle; 100 to 200 p.s.i.
Operating oil pressure: 60 p.s.i.
Ignition: 12-volt system, Autolite distributor and low output coil
Firing order: 1-4-5-2-3-6
Weight (complete): 490 lbs.
Lbs. per cu. in.: .83
Transmission:
Type: 4-speed manual with Bendix vacuum-electrical preselector
Differential in unit with transmission.
Brakes:
Type: 4-wheel hydraulic drums, internal expanding
Drum diameter: 11 in.
General Specifications:
Wheelbase: 130 in.
Front tread: 64 in.
Rear tread: 65 in.
Tire size: 7.00 x 15.00
Height: 60 in.
Length: 219 in.
Width: 79 in.
Weight: 4235 lbs.
Fuel Tank: 20 gal.
Mileage: 18-19 m.p.g. average
Original price: $2450 (projected, 1948)
Performance (from Mechanix Illustrated, Aug. 1948)
0-30 m.p.h. 3.5 sec.
0-60 m.p.h. 10.0 sec.
Top speed 119 m.p.h. at Sebring, 1956
Original Tucker Paint Colors
100 Black
200 Walz Blue
300 Dark Green
400 Beige/Tan
500 Silver (Pearl) Gray
600 Maroon -
I'll have to share that link with my husband. He'd die if he came across a stranded motorist driving a Tucker!Take a Ride in a Hudson Jet!
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A New 54 Olds that could only do 78 mph top speed. What a bunch of BS. The Olds v8 with hydramatic could do about 75 mph. in 3rd gear. The only thing I believe about this story is the tucker may have topped out at 82 mph. By 54, GM had Olds/Buick/Cadillacs all capable of hitting 100 mph. Why do you think Olds was the most popular V8 swap into Hudson stepdowns????
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I thought that was a little strange, too- I got my granddad's '55 Buick Super up to 105, on that straight stretch of Hwy 99 just west of Tenino, Washington, when the car was about 10 years old. That was with the infamous Dyna-slush transmission, too. Hard to believe a year-older Olds would be that much slower.
