Viper Chassis

H Modified

Introduction

Pictured on the right is the Viper Crosley seen at the Las Vegas convention center in 1962 or 1963.

Current Owner:

photo provided
by Dave Thielke

"I remember reading about and considering the double crankcase mod when I built the Viper, back in the 50s, but it didn't seem feasible at the time on an H-Mod budget. I regularly turned over 9 grand (not bad for then) after going to a forged crank and a few other things. I think it came from a military generator, or possibly a thermo-king truck refrigerator, it's been a long time.

I still have the #3 crank throw with rod attached after my first rather stock mill expired while dicing with Bill Molle at Salt Lake in '58. Seems that when I coasted to a stop, the engine was still running on two cylinders, but I had no more power to the wheels. At first, we thought I had blown another Crosley gearbox, as you could rev them like heck, as long as you didn't shift, as the cluster gear would shed it's straight cut teeth, but a teardown revealed the sad results. Oh well, such are the origins of legends and souvenirs." Dave Thielke