[Tom Vaught]

I posted this many years ago after talking to Tom Nell when he was alive and Herb Adams
after he sold the Grey Ghost.

""Also, Can somebody tell me more about the Grey Ghost ?"

The Grey Ghost was originally a 1964 Pontiac Tempest which belonged to Herb Adam's wife.

Herb wanted to try his hand at SCCA/ club racing so he and a few of his friends from Pontiac Engineering modified the stock Tempest so that it would be legal for local club racing at Waterford, Michigan (which uses SCCA rules). It wasn't long before a rod let go in the engine that was in the car.

Some of the people involved in the project were Herb, Tom Nell (Pontiac's engine man who designed the Ram Air V), Dudley (Skip) McCully, and a few others.

They revised the rear suspension, changed the front suspension to pieces similar to what HO Racing later offered (Tall Spindle conversion), added a fuel cell, installed a basic legal at the time roll cage, added racing tires and wheels, and last but not least added a SPECIAL
HIDDEN DRY SUMP SYSTEM IN THE ENGINE AND RIGHT FRONT COWL OF THE CAR! The stock pump pulled the oil out of the pan and sent it to the hidden oil tank. From the hidden oil tank the oil went into the block in a special oil adaptor and a second oil pump driven by the camshaft rear journal fed oil back out of the block to the oil filter. From the oil filter the oil flow was just like a normal engine. This system did away with oil slosh during cornering and made the pontiac engine much more durable.

I was fortunate enough to work with a couple of Ford guys who were hired to restore the Grey Ghost for a Pontiac 2004 celebration. They dealt with Herb Adams and Tom Nell primarily but when they needed to assemble the engine they asked me to look over their shoulders. I was able to see the special parts, actually touch them, and see them installed in the car.

The new dry sump stuff today is much better but you have to give the Pontiac guys (Herb, Tom, etc) credit for their efforts.

By the way, the GREY GHOST led the race at Lime Rock for many laps in the rain over the best that Ford and Chebby had to offer (small guys vs factory teams) but eventual engine issues kept them from the winner's circle. There is a great article in Car and Driver (I believe)
about this race.

I believe that Pontiac Engineering and Pontiac in general was so irritated by this refute of the "GM is not in racing" ban that when the same guys campiagned the 73 Pontiac Grand Am in Nascar they were forced out of the corporation.

JMO.

I am very glad that Ford does not have that ban and actively encourages outside racing activities.

Tom V."

The plumbing schematic is described above.