September 1, 2002, Woodburn Oregon USA

Is 540 lb ft of torque enough? It was a long drive for me from Seattle to Woodburn (about 25 miles south of Portland). That's a 3-1/2 hour drive each way. But I think it was worth it to see up close an infamous 1200 like White Zombie.

The Datsun 1200 of John Wayland put in an impressive showing -- 13.85 seconds in the quarter mile. John was hoping with his "secret weapon" to break the world record for the street-legal class (13.18 seconds), also set by White Zombie at a previous race. Unfortunately it didn't happen today, but the performance was exciting nevertheless.

While introducing the 408-volt system, everyone was glad to see no explosions occurred. John's secret weapon was revealed to be a special button on the steering wheel which kicked in the extra 72 volts. John let on that when he activated the button partway down the track, he felt a big push from the extra torque.

Car: White Zombie 1972 2-dr Sedan
Motor: two 8" DC motors in series (250hp+, 540 lb ft at driveshaft)
Transmission: None (direct drive)
Fuel: 408v array of Hawker Genesis low-resistance batteries
Driveline: Thick-wall two-piece driveshaft with center bearing
Differential: Ford 9"
Suspension: leafs (on standard 1200 spring mounting points) with slapper bars
Tires: front 175/70-13, rear Nitto DOT (street legal) 205/55-14 at 5 lbs pressure
Gauges: Standard 1200 gauges + dual voltmeters front and center, 10,000rpm Datsun 1200 tach by Kantoseiki, and electronic ammeter
Interior: Standard Datsun 1200, except racing bucket seats, rear seat removed, Plasma-melted headliner.

Photos

White Zombie specfications