PT boat

[jlat]

hello peoples: I came across something interesting where a group of 12 all over 70 yrs. of age restored a WWII PT boat. It's all wood and it took them 15 yrs. to do it. They lost a few restorers on the way but it is powered by 3 1800 HP Packard turbo charged air craft engines. 78' long
unbelievable
Goggle PT boat 658. That should get you there if interested.
IBBY

 

[slow305]

This is a pretty good watch.

Trailhead: PT Boat 658

 

[TexasT]

Three 1800 hp turbocharged engines. WOW.

"we were just going to turn it over, we didn't know it would run." haha. Packard engines, of course it would start and run.

 

[troGNman]

Awesome story! Thanks for the video link.

 

[TurboDave]

Great video!!! and story!!

 

[turbofabricator]

I have actually had my hands on a few of those 2500cid Packards. An Unlimited Hydroplane team was using them for a few years and asked me for some help with an oiling issue they were having. Seems they don't like to be turned to 3800+ RPM. Rod bearings were failing. We tried cutting the rod width to get more oil volume out of the bearings, and pressure feeding the mains with a manifold and dircect drilled bulkheads. They ended up going turbine. But they had T-shirts made up the said "Miss Tubbs, Piston Powered and LOUD AS HELL!" (Tubbs was the boat's sponsor at the time)

I just love those PT boats. That's another item added to my bucket list. Gotta go see that boat. Think of the fuel burn that thing had! They no doubt ran AV gas in those things. Probabaly 115/145. Man that would be a blast to take for a spin up through Puget Sound. 60+mph with three Packards SCREAMING!! Now we're talking. I have spent many many hours volunteering with museums restoring old aircraft and love it. I got to spend quality time with REAL men........MEN that flew B-17's, P-51's, tail gunners, ball turrett gunners, WWII Army R&D guys. Those guys have my respect. Talk with a few of those guys some day. You can still hear the passion and TERROR in their voices when they tell you what it was like to be shot at by a Bf-109 over Germany or flying through HEAVY flak knowing that the next one had your name on it. WWII vets are dying at a rate of 1,000 a day. Hurry before it's too late. Soon all those stories will be long forgotten, and all we'll be left with are the PC'd stories from Hollywood, and public school teachers.