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Author Topic: Art Arfons dead at 81  (Read 2122 times)

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Offline grumburg

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Art Arfons dead at 81
« on: December 05, 2007, 08:46:34 AM »
Was a NE Ohio legend, local hero, and one of my idols growing up. Built the Green Monster land world speed record car in his back yard with military surplus parts , scrap metal and ran 576 MPH at Bonneville. His race for the LSR with Craig Breedlove made great headlines. Later switched to jet powered drag cars and pulling tractors and built and raced well into his 70s. Watched him run his jet car at Dragway 42 in the 70s and when he "lit the wick" to stage, blew a fence about 200 feet behind the tree to kindling! What a crowd pleaser. The ultimate back yard tinkerer with the b++ls to back it up!
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Offline bill440cars

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Re: Art Arfons dead at 81
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2007, 11:20:40 AM »


         That's sad, but at least, he seemed to have decent life span. I remember seeing him on tv shows like Wide World of Sports and Sports Spectacular. Also, later on, in some Tractor Pulls, with his Jet powered rigs and his Daughter had a jet powered 4wheeler, didn't she? Yeah, back in the day, we had some really interesting folks in racing and such.

                                    Later on, Bill :) ;)   
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Offline bill3749

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Re: Art Arfons dead at 81
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2007, 12:00:21 PM »
Ahh Yes, Art Arfrons. Seemed like everytime you picked up a Hot Rod Mag in the 60's & 70's he was doing something else strange and wonderful to go really fast. Doesn't seem like there are anymore of those kind of guys around anymore. They'd just hang it out and go.
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Offline dusterdude

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Re: Art Arfons dead at 81
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2007, 12:37:15 PM »
yea,art and evel,seems like the supply of balls in this world have dried up.you just dont see guys like that anymore.
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eldar

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Re: Art Arfons dead at 81
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2007, 02:06:46 PM »
It is sad but I doubt the amount of balls have changed. Difference is that EVERYTHING is so much costlier. Fuel and everything. Plus there are less venues around the country and stuff like this is so frowned upon now by so many people that I think potential speed freaks get squashed.
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Offline tramp

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Re: Art Arfons dead at 81
« Reply #5 on: December 05, 2007, 02:17:14 PM »
he built a tractor for a tractor pull in a nearby town
it broke the machine it was so powerful
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Offline grumburg

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Re: Art Arfons dead at 81
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2007, 05:18:50 PM »
Read an article today that Craig Breedlove spent 250k 1965 dollars to build the Spirit of America, and Arfons spent less than $10k on the Green Monster. Used a 1937 Lincoln front end, a Ford dump truck front axle in the rear, and a 1949 Packard steering gear. Parachutes were fired from a $3 flea market 12 gauge shotgun. Bought a damaged GE J79 jet engine from a junkyard for $625 and called GE for a copies of the manuals. An Air Force major come to his garage the next day and said that the engine was classified and was going to confiscate it. He said " I have a receipt and it is mine". Major figured without the manuals, it could never be repaired. Wrong! When he first fired it he blew the water out of a neighbor's pond (can I hear a Tim Allen "ruh-ruh-ruh?") With no engineering or aerodynamic degrees, (him and brother Walt owned a feed mill) built or made all the parts.  In 1966, in an attempt to pass 600 MPH, a wheel bearing failure at 550 turned the car into a 4 1/2 mile trail of scrap but due to his safety cage, he only received a few salt burns. As they helped him out of the wreck, he said "Better call my wife. She will be pi++ed if she hears about this on the radio". Brillant and henpecked! ;D   
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Offline gerhed

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Re: Art Arfons dead at 81
« Reply #7 on: December 06, 2007, 09:20:06 AM »
Saw Art at the Detroit Dragway (Sibley at Dix) back in Sixties.
A real inspiration to me in my formative tinkering years.
« Last Edit: December 06, 2007, 09:25:19 AM by gerhed »
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Offline Ichiban 4

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Re: Art Arfons dead at 81
« Reply #8 on: April 27, 2008, 03:01:14 PM »
Quote from: grumburg on December 05, 2007, 08:46:34 AM
Was a NE Ohio legend, local hero, and one of my idols growing up. Built the Green Monster land world speed record car in his back yard with military surplus parts , scrap metal and ran 576 MPH at Bonneville. His race for the LSR with Craig Breedlove made great headlines. Later switched to jet powered drag cars and pulling tractors and built and raced well into his 70s. Watched him run his jet car at Dragway 42 in the 70s and when he "lit the wick" to stage, blew a fence about 200 feet behind the tree to kindling! What a crowd pleaser. The ultimate back yard tinkerer with the b++ls to back it up!

Late note:

Saw Art and Walt Arfons both..back in late 50's with first Green Monsters..running Allison V-12 aircraft engines.  Seemed quite over-the-top @ time..when rest were still running Ford flat head V-8's and small block chevy's.

Then they came out with their first J-47 jet dragsters..which were completely out of the park.  I think some of us may have sustained hearing damage from standing so close to the starting line of their green monsters.

Sorry to hear that Art has passed on.  But @ 81 in the racing business..that's a pretty ripe old age..seems to me.  Does anyone know what became of Walt Arfons over the years?  Since I don't keep up with the NHRA/drag world any more..may have missed it.

Ichi
« Last Edit: September 09, 2008, 12:22:20 AM by Ichiban 4 »
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Offline grumburg

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Re: Art Arfons dead at 81
« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2008, 08:23:05 AM »
Just googled Walt and he lives!  Interesting bio on wikipedia. 
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Offline narcoticrex

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Re: Art Arfons dead at 81
« Reply #10 on: April 28, 2008, 12:17:51 PM »
Quote from: grumburg on December 05, 2007, 05:18:50 PM
Read an article today that Craig Breedlove spent 250k 1965 dollars to build the Spirit of America, and Arfons spent less than $10k on the Green Monster. Used a 1937 Lincoln front end, a Ford dump truck front axle in the rear, and a 1949 Packard steering gear. Parachutes were fired from a $3 flea market 12 gauge shotgun. Bought a damaged GE J79 jet engine from a junkyard for $625 and called GE for a copies of the manuals. An Air Force major come to his garage the next day and said that the engine was classified and was going to confiscate it. He said " I have a receipt and it is mine". Major figured without the manuals, it could never be repaired. Wrong! When he first fired it he blew the water out of a neighbor's pond (can I hear a Tim Allen "ruh-ruh-ruh?") With no engineering or aerodynamic degrees, (him and brother Walt owned a feed mill) built or made all the parts.  In 1966, in an attempt to pass 600 MPH, a wheel bearing failure at 550 turned the car into a 4 1/2 mile trail of scrap but due to his safety cage, he only received a few salt burns. As they helped him out of the wreck, he said "Better call my wife. She will be pi++ed if she hears about this on the radio". Brillant and henpecked! ;D   

Awesome.

I am 31, and before this year, have never cared about engines or racing (unless it was a video game) so I never even heard of this guy (some of you are probably screaming "SACRILEGE!").  However, I am learning so much about this stuff (mostly from you guys) that I cant help but enamored by mechanics/engines now, and this is certainly a dark day in the world of motors.
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