Datsun v. Green Monster

[Vortex]

Its been drivin me nuts lately, does anybody else remember this commercial? It came out in maybe 1968 or so and its a drag race between a Datsun sedan and Art Arfons "Green Monster". The Datsun takes off and the Green Monster is just sitting there, flames blowing out the back. The Datsun gets about 20 feet from the end of the track and Arfons blasts off in the Green Monster and screams by the Datsun. Anybody else remember this? I cant find anything about in on the net. Was it a hallucination?

[dwasson]

Its been drivin me nuts lately, does anybody else remember this commercial? It came out in maybe 1968 or so and its a drag race between a Datsun sedan and Art Arfons "Green Monster". The Datsun takes off and the Green Monster is just sitting there, flames blowing out the back. The Datsun gets about 20 feet from the end of the track and Arfons blasts off in the Green Monster and screams by the Datsun. Anybody else remember this? I cant find anything about in on the net. Was it a hallucination?


We're the same age, but I don't remember getting that high at twelve years old.

[Tallboy]

We're the same age, but I don't remember getting that high at twelve years old.

The thing to remember here is that Dan isn't saying he wasn't that high.

He's saying he doesn't remember.

I, for one, am happy to see Dan finally admitting he has a "problem".:D

[dwasson]

I, for one, am happy to see Dan finally admitting he has a "problem".:D

Why do you think that forgetting stuff is a problem? I don't think it's a problem.... What are we talking about?

[looking97233]

I don't remember it.:D
Rod.

[dwasson]

I don't remember it.:D
Rod.

See, see! I'm not the only one who has blackouts.

[rayjay]

I suffer from CRS, Can't Remember *****

[Joe Walsh]

Vortex, I ABSOLUTELY remember that commercial!

Yep, the Datsun is about to cross through the timing lights when the FOUR V8 engined, 4 Wheel Drive 'Green Monster' leaves the starting line, catches the Datsun, then BLOWS by the Datsun before it hits the lights...

It was GREAT!

I think that the tag line was something like: "Well, at least we won most of the race."

[Hotrauder]

That wasn't Art that was green, that was Bill Bixby. I remember because I was high!:beer:

[SteveS]

Apparently, I missed that trip, too. I did a quick search, and it looks like it was against a Toyota Corona. There wasn't any information, though.

I'd like to see it. The race, not the trip.

[Vortex]

Vortex, I ABSOLUTELY remember that commercial!

Yep, the Datsun is about to cross through the timing lights when the FOUR V8 engined, 4 Wheel Drive 'Green Monster' leaves the starting line, catches the Datsun, then BLOWS by the Datsun before it hits the lights...

It was GREAT!

I think that the tag line was something like: "Well, at least we won most of the race."

Glad somebody else remembered the damn thing, though I thought for sure it was the jet car. Arfons had all sorts of oddball cars but I remember that commercial and hopefully somebody will turn up a clip or something.

[Vortex]

Found it. The synapses kicked in.

[Joe Walsh]

Cool!...A Jet car....my bad, I remembered the Green Monster as having FOUR V8 engines in it!:eek:
This commercial was stored in my memory banks long before I went to college and discovered BEER!:beer:

I just did a search and I was thinking of "TV" Tommy Ivo's Four V8 engined, Four Wheel drive Drag car which would smoke ALL four wheels while running 9's.

[dwasson]

Cool!...A Jet car....my bad, I remembered the Green Monster as having FOUR V8 engines in it!:eek:
This commercial was stored in my memory banks long before I went to college and discovered BEER!:beer:

I just did a search and I was thinking of "TV" Tommy Ivo's Four V8 engined, Four Wheel drive Drag car which would smoke ALL four wheels while running 9's.

There were a few different "Green Monsters". First was the Land Speed Record car, then there were a couple variations for drag strips. The last one I heard of was used to dry the Indianapolis 500 track. There was a motor for the drive wheels and the jet exhaust was ducted downward.

[Mike Poore]

Found it. The synapses kicked in.

Like Joe, I remembered the ad, but thought it to be the Green Monster, prolly only because you suggested the name. Anyway, thanks for digging it out ....it was a cool ad. Did you come up with a year?

[Bluerauder]

Its been drivin me nuts lately, does anybody else remember this commercial? It came out in maybe 1968 or so and its a drag race between a Datsun sedan and Art Arfons "Green Monster".
I am old enough ... but can't say that I remember this one. Seems to me that "The Green Monster" was a little earlier than 1968. Like maybe in the 1962-65 timeframe.

[Mike Poore]

Hey, look what I found; Arfons jet powered Mercury!

http://www.the-rocketman.com/rocket_cars/WALT-RUN-OFF-TRACK.jpg (http://www.the-rocketman.com/rocket_cars/WALT-RUN-OFF-TRACK_lg.jpg)

[Bluerauder]

Its been drivin me nuts lately, does anybody else remember this commercial? It came out in maybe 1968 or so and its a drag race between a Datsun sedan and Art Arfons "Green Monster".

Not all of Arfon's "Green Monsters" were green .... here's some history.

The Green Monster

The Green Monster was the name of several vehicles built by Art Arfons who was often described as a "junk yard genius", and his half brother Walt Arfons. They were initially Dragsters, at first powered by junked automobile engines, then by war surplus piston aircraft engines (Ranger and Allison V-1710), which were plentiful, durable, and cheap, then by jet aircraft engines. The jet powered dragsters developed into jet powered vehicles built to break the land speed record, finally a series of turbine powered pulling tractors.

The first "Green Monster", in 1952 was a three wheeled dragster powered by an Oldsmobile six cylinder motor, and painted with left-over green tractor paint. The name was applied on the car's first outing by the track announcer, who laughingly said "Okay folks here it comes; The Green Monster", and it stuck to all Arfons' creations. The car only reached 85 miles per hour (137 km/h), 20 miles per hour (30 km/h) short of the fastest car, but by 1953 the Green Monster Number 2, a 20 foot (6 m) long six wheeled car powered by a 2000 horsepower (1.5 MW) Allison aircraft engine, was hitting 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) in the quarter mile. Green Monster Number 2 was painted by Arfons' mother to resemble the World War II Curtiss P-40 Flying Tigers fighter airplane, with an open mouth showing large teeth. The top speed of the car was estimated at 270 miles per hour (435 km/h), and it could reach 140 miles per hour (225 km/h) in eight seconds from a standing start. Running on passenger car tires, the car required four wheels on the rear drive axle to withstand the power. At the first World Series of Drag Racing at Lawrenceville, Illinois, it clocked the highest top speed at 132.35 miles per hour (213.00 km/h), and eventually a world record of 145.16 mph (233.61 km/h).

The later cars had various paint schemes where green was not necessary the dominant color. The six-wheeled Green Monster Number 6 became the first dragster to break 150 miles per hour (241 km/h) in the quarter mile. Green Monster Number 11, Art Arfons' favorite, hit 191 miles per hour to beat Don Garlits.

The Arfons brothers then split up amicably, and each became interested in land speed record racing.


General Electric J79 on display at the USAF museum.The most famous "Green Monster" was powered by an F-104 Starfighter General Electric J79 17,500 horsepower (13 MW) jet engine with four-stage afterburner, which Arfons purchased from a scrap dealer for $600 and rebuilt himself, over the objections of General Electric and the government, and despite all manuals for the engine being classified top secret. This car won the land speed record three times during the closely fought competition of 1964 and 1965 with 434, 536 and 576 miles per hour (698, 863, and 927 km/h) in the flying mile (despite blowing a tire on the last record run), competing versus Craig Breedlove who eventually won the record with 600.601 miles per hour (966.574 km/h).

In 1966 Arfons returned once again to Bonneville, but had only reached a maximum speed of 554.017 miles per hour (891.604 km/h) when, on run number seven at 8:03 AM on November 17, Arfons crashed his Green Monster badly at 610 miles per hour (982 km/h) when a wheel bearing froze. He subsequently built another Green Monster land speed record car, but sold it to California rancher Slick Gardner without ever driving it.

In view of his wife's concern over the risk involved in land speed record racing, Arfons instead turned his talents to turbine powered tractor pulling with great success, fielding a series of Green Monster pull tractors along with his son and daughter.

However, in 1989, Arfons returned to Bonneville with Green Monster Number 27, an 1800 pound (820 kg), 22 foot (7 m) long two wheeler. The car left the ground at 350 miles per hour (563 km/h), and Arfons rebuilt it into a less radical four wheeled vehicle for 1990, but could manage only 177, 308 and 338 miles per hour (285, 496, and 544 km/h). In 1991 he tried again, but once again had to give up with handling problems

[alarmguy]

Art Arfons also had a turbine powered Green Monster tractor that he competed with in tractor pulls. I saw it at a tractor pull in southern Ohio back in the '70's.

[Haggis]

[QUOTE=Joe Walsh]I went to college and discovered BEER!:beer:[QUOTE]

You were a late starter, huh Joe. :lol:

Besides most people went to college to discover an education.