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This dragster posted here on eBay is the thirteenth Green Monster. It’s being sold without a reserve and with four days left is already up to $7,800. Can you imagine going over 200 MPH in this dragster in a seven second quarter mile? That’s a V12 Ranger engine, an engine used in several World War II aircraft. It was built by Walt Arfons, his thirteenth Green Monster. He sold it to Fred Sibley in 1959 who repainted and renamed it White Lightning. Fred raced it until 1968, at which time it disappeared. It was found in a shed in his backyard. There’s a YouTube Video of Fred drag racing it. With that crude steering, suspension, tires and such, it would be a very scary ride. Thanks to Peter R for spotting this listing.
Here is a old picture of the car.
Joey G…
Wow I want this just to have it in the garage looking awesome!
Our team “Lil Abner” use to run against the “Green Monster” which was built by the Arfon brothers. The Green Monster and Lil Abner use to be the last run of the day usually. I remember running against this dragster almost every other Sunday for top Draster of the day. “Lil Aber” was a coupe, roadster, dragster. The top would come off for a roadster, the body would come off for a dragster. Lil Abner was running a 1956 Pontiac dual four barrel carb engine with every thing done to it. We would run Arfon’s dragster, beat him off the line by 40 feet, get 40 feet from the finish line {1/4 mile} and he would go by us just like an airplane. Never could beat him in all three years. Mr. Arfons invited us up to Cleveland Ohio to see his warehouse. He had air craft engines stacked from floor to ceiling 30 feet high in a 50×80 building. We asked him what does he do when something happened to the dragster engine which was as big as my car, he said,”pull it out, put in a new one”. A great guy and the really great old days. I am proud to have met the Arfons family.
the other cars in the background are interesting also. i hope this car gets saved and put on display somewhere. it would take a very special kind of person to race this. great find.
The Arfons brothers were some of the best known race car drivers back then, and not just among drag racers and fans. They were so well known that they got photo features about them written up in general circulation magazines, not just in ‘Hot Rod’. Running dragsters with giant V12 fighter plane engines helped with the popularity.
I remember seeing them run—and not too far from the fans who were lined up along the strip watching. No armco back then, just a strip of asphalt, bit of grass, and then the fans in or sitting on top of their cars. I never raced so I wasn’t up on the rules, but I got the idea that it was pretty much ‘You run what you brung’ and they found a class to put you in. I had a friend with a ’62 Corvette, no roll bar, and he just drove it to the strip and ran it. His reaction times were too long for him to ever win. His was the first Corvette I ever drove.
That’s quite a story from Duffy about running against the Arfons car. Must have been a little bit of frustration going up against a car with a V12 engine that was built to power a very fast airplane. If those war surplus engines hadn’t been available it might have been a more level playing field. But they were awesome to watch and listen to.
Wow, this is the coolest thing here so far. Just love vintage dragsters. I wonder if Don Garlits knows about this? Be a great addition to his museum in Ocala, Fla., a “must see”, btw for anyone going down I-75 in the Sunshine. He has all kinds of stuff like this. ( not that he needs another project) What a beast, but you know, these guys that built this were sharp, they knew what they were doing, and I have news for ya’, I bet this thing handles better than that Willys FC-170 with the white spokes, not that I’d have the grapes to drive it.
Both Walt (owner, but I don’t think he drove) and Art masterminded Land Speed Record attempts at Bonneville in the 1960’s. Walt’s Wingfoot Express was powered by JATO units, Art’s Green Monster eventually got a J-79 (like Craig Breedlove’s second Spirit of America).
Yeah, I’m an LSR geek… :-)
Cool old car for sure. Here’s the low down on the Ranger and it’s history with the Arfons brothers. http://blastoland.com/blastoland/RANGER_HISTORY.html