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Show a. ;Jr " r-i Ilium imii - mit aiL V "y'i"'.., 1 ZFFT I Photoi courtesy of Marv JenMnc Mormon Meteor III made Its debut in Indianapolis In 1938, above, after Ab Jenkins, left, and Augie Dusenberg worked g on Its design. The race car's distinctive design has drawn such fans asTonlght'Show host Jay Lenb, left, who checked the Interior during a Pebble Beach, Calif., auto show. Jenkins' son, Marv, is currently restoring the Meteor's engine. to Hill Field in 1943 Marv Jenkins is looking for a car engine. Not your standard automobile engine, mind you, but one adapted from an airplane engine. Jenkins is the son of Ab Jenkins, noted in Utah history for testing his "Mormon Meteor HT race car on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The younger Jenkins is restoring the Meteors third version and is looking for a spare engine, loaned to Hill Field in 1943. "Dad put the car on display in the Capitol Building in Salt Lake City that year," Jenkins said. "He had two spare engines and didn't think he'd need mem so he loaned them to Hill Field for training purposes. "The demand for this type engine was heavy during the war and there were none available for schools. Dad worked with officials and provided the engines for the students to assemble and disassemble since they were similar to the Allison Engine." The missing engines were Curtiss-WrigConqueror aircraft engines, converted for car use. The engines generated 750 horsepower at 2,400 revolutions per minute, allowing the car to reach speeds of 225 mph. On Ab Jenkins' record runs, the car averaged 3.5 miles per gallon at 200 mph. "I've not been able to track down the engines, and I thought that maybe some long-tim- e base workers might remember e, Westside Fitness Center tioned them again before he died in 1956." Anyone having information or recollections of the engines may contact Jenkins at his St George home by calling (435) 673-283- 9. Jenkins is restoring Mormon Meteor HI so it can be driven to auto shows in various parts of the country. "Some of the engine parts were made from magnesium," Jenkins said. The parts have either deteriorated or dissolved due to time, water and weather conditions." Ab Jenkins built Mormon Meteor III in 1938 in Indianapolis using the engine and parts from two previous versions of the car. (The original Mormon Meteor name was applied after it was suggested in a DeseretNews name the car contest) Helping with the chassis and body work was n automotive engineer Augie Dusenberg. Three years later, Marv Jenkins took the car out for a h "spin," the first of many tests for the car. The car broke several speed records and Ab Jenkins held more world's records than any other driver. The car has a wheelbase of 142 inches and is 250 inches long. It weighs 4,800 pounds. Marv Jenkins removed the car from the State Capitol building display in 1991 to start restoration efforts at the Dixie College auto shop in St George. Local businessmen donated parts and paint reducing 208-mp- by Lisa Ryan Hilltop Times facelift Of well-know- staff The West Side Fitness Center, Bldg. 1277, is getting a facelift that will accommodate $200,000 in new equipment The facility closed May and is expected to open in early July with new Life cardiovascular. Life Fitness strength conditioning circuit equipment and 11 gets record-settin- them," Jenkins said. "Dad never Bill Orndorff Hilltop Times editor !ifTrw 1 Engines missing, loaned by w June 4. 1998 Cardio Theater. Cardio Theater allows participants to listen to the radio orTVs' POOR COPY with headphones while doing their workouts. There are control pan- GO the cost of what could be a $100,000 restoration to $18,000. "Once I started the restoration, I realized there were more parts needed - parts that I couldn't find," Jenkins said. 1 hope I can find the spare engines so I can get the car rurining without having to buiki more parts." chest press, shoulder press, fly, arm curl tricep exten-sio- n, machine, lat pulldown, leg they want to listen to," Margie Stutz, Hess Fitness Center athletic direc- Tracs and a Gravitron tor, said. The facility will also have new carpet, paint, coun-tertoin the locker rooms, a new washer and two new dryers, new towels and a new larger water heater for the men's locker room. The life Fitness circuit equipment includes the lifted, proper technique and provides a workout certified staff members. Stutz said this equipment seated rowing summary. A complete line is the top of the line ani els on the equipment that allow people to select what Ab Jenkins and Wendell Ashton wrote a book, "The Salt of the Earth," in 1939, detailing racing at the Salt Flats and the building of the Mormon Meteor. The book was updated inl993, and is now sold to benefit the Ab Jenkins Scholarship Endowment Fund at Dixie College. extension, leg curl, leg press, back extension and abdominal machine Nordic machine will also be available. This high-tec- h equipment maximizes workout and results. Twelve computerized stations target every muscle group effi- ciently, effectively and safely. Visual display keeps ' users informed of weight of cardiovascular equipment to include treadmills, recumbent cycles, upright cycles, life rowers and step- pers is provided for the she expects to attract more patrons to the West Side Fitness Center. "We currently have about 2,500 patrons a month and total body workout "Everyone who plans to we're hoping to attract to use the equipment and receive a personal code," Stutz said. The training is minutes in length and will be provided by more and different opportunities to people." When it reopens, the center will be open 5 a.m. 7 p.m., Monday Friday. more people and increase use the equipment will participation by 1,000 peohave to participate in a ple a month," Stutz said. training session on how "Maybe it will open up 20-3- 0 |