Reverse Engineering

[Speedbag]

In the new issue of Automobile magazine, there is a great story that's not your typical car-mag stuff titled “Reverse Engineering”. It's a story about a man named Bill Castle, who is what you might call "handy" with tools and fabrication. He's a retired project engineer for Allison Corporation who used to moonlight at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as a race mechanic; he lives so close to the Speedway that you can hear the cars rounding Turn 4 from his living room. Castle has spent some years since "retiring" restoring antique automobiles for various clients. He's restored cars such as a 1908 Stearns with 535 cubic-inch engine and double chain-drive, a 1929 Cadillac, and a 1926 Bentley that he and his wife have driven from Maine to California, among others. The guy loves cars. But that's only the beginning of this story.

Castle was doing some work for a customer on a Bugatti Type 46 years ago, when he spotted an old, decrepit engine in the customer's basement. It turned out to be the remains of a Miller racing engine...to be specific, a 183 cubic inch straight-8 that once powered Tommy Milton's Durant Special Indy racer in 1922. It wasn't complete, but he made the owner an offer and ended up hauling it back home, where it sat for several decades. Then, in 2004, he got the idea to build a transmission for the engine so he could restore it and put it on display. No, he wasn't going to buy a used transmission, since they aren't available anyway. Instead, he drafted, modeled with wood, then cast and machined his OWN duplicate Miller transmission for the engine. This is pretty damned impressive in itself, but then he got another idea...

Why not build a WHOLE CAR to put the engine and transmission into? Now, at this point you should know that Bill, in 2004, was in his early 80s. So, he proceeded to spend the next several years researching, designing, and fabricating EVERY nut and bolt of a Miller racing car, to exact specification, and constructed a complete, running Miller racer. From the frame to the axles to the brakes, and all the little bits in-between, this man built it all himself, with the exception of a few things like the engine's valves, which he substituted with Mazda valves that were the same size as the Miller's originals, and the fourth carburetor, which was missing when he purchased the engine. He was lucky enough to find the fourth carb hanging on the wall of a tavern in Indianapolis! Shock absorbers, wheel spindles, fuel tank, all of it...fabricated. He did use vintage instruments though, going through something like eight tachometers before finding the perfect one. When the chassis was complete and running, Castle hired a craftsman in Indianapolis to fabricate the gorgeous bodywork for the car. I can't find any photographs of the completed car online...buy this magazine if only for this article. What is revealed in the article's pictures is amazing.

So, today, Castle is 90 years old and his craftsmanship is now on display for the world to see. The only thing I could find online about his car is this video, which shows the first firing-up of the engine in the chassis. It's short, but impressive.
Ability and ambition defined….

William Castle's Miller

[abby normal]

Like I needed another reason to feel pathetic and useless ... Thanks.

Seriously, though ... 

I wish I had 10% of that guy's talent and drive.

[Duck-Stew]

Link to it on the HAMB:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?s=a55d131050678d47f2a60ee5c5745e37&t=278695

[Speedbag]

Like I needed another reason to feel pathetic and useless ... Thanks.

Seriously, though ...  

I wish I had 10% of that guy's talent and drive.

+1

My exact feelings after reading the article while eating breakfast. I've built what I consider to be a few pretty neat things, but by comparison I am a rank amateur.

The car is now painted blue, and is absolutely gorgeous. I would love to see it in person.

[the_Journeyman]

Wow.  If I had just a bit of his abilities, I could deal with anything my aging garage throws at me!!!

JM

[badgalbetty]

as remarkable as this man is did you ever consider how remarkable the guy that built this from scratch in the first place was?I mean someone had to come up with this in 1922. It is truly lovely and a great way to start my day. Thanks!
My hat is officially off to both men Bill Castle and Miller.

[abby normal]

Bgb ... Good point.  Kudos to all mechanical genius types.