Sam Wheeler E-Z-Hook Streamliner Photo Gallery Photo Gallery

Sam Wheeler is getting ready for another Bonneville run. The land speed racing veteran is retooling the E-Z-Hook streamliner for the world record, and coveted first-to-400 mph title.

Check out photos of Sam Wheeler and the redesigned E-Z-Hook streamliner in the Sam Wheeler E-Z-Hook Streamliner Photo Gallery.

Mock-up of new E-Z-Hook streamliner colorway.

Lake Gairdner, Australia March 2006. Sam drove Mike Akatiff’s Ack Attack. L to R Mike Akatiff, Greg Akatiff, Sam Wheeler, and Ken Puccio [Ack Attack crew chief].

Sam wheeler at computer, old friend Roger Lamb pointing to CAD drawing of rear wheel. Lamb Components is building the carbon-carbon brakes for the EZ HOOK. Roger and Sam are high school friends, and built their first streamliner then.

Performance Machine built this custom wheel to Sam’s design. Wheel was also computer stress tested. Goodyear 450 MPH tire.

Sam and Chris Weismann discuss transmission design. Chris built the auxiliary transmission to Sam’s specifications.

Sam and Fred Fox, Chairman of Parts Unlimited, work on new streamliner paint scheme.

Fred Fox and Sam Wheeler in the EZ HOOK shop in June 2012.

Fred Fox and Sam in December shaking hands on the deal for Parts Unlimited sponsorship.

Sam checking trueness of new chassis changes.

Sam with streamliner behind the EZ HOOK shop during photo shoot.

Sam and crew at Bonneville.

Sam and high school friends with first streamliner. This liner ran 95 MPH in 1963.

Bultaco powered liner. Bicycle wheels and EMT electrical tubing frame.

Bultaco liner.

Sam’s Norton streamliner in wind tunnel at Norton in England.

Caltech graduate students who did the aerodynamic work on Sam’s Liner for their graduate degree thesis.

Clay model used by the team to test the aerodynamics.

EZ HOOK liner in Kawasaki green.

New center structure of streamliner frame with transmission case in place. Hayabusa engine, will be a stressed member at lower left.

Machined side plate jack shaft support. The back end of the E-Z-Hook has been re-engineered to mate with the new drive-train components.

Weismann transmission case. Input shaft fits on transmission output shaft.

Vance & Hines Hayabusa engine #1.

Vance & Hines Hayabusa engine from rear.

Intake and upper engine mount of Vance & Hines Hayabusa engine.

Partially complete swingarm center section. This part was fabricated using wire EDM machining.

New rear swingarm pieces. Several more machined pieces will complete the beefy assembly.

Another view of swingarm assembly.

Rear swingarm assembly.

Sam working on CAD drawings.

Remains of front tire on EZ HOOK streamliner after 355 MPH run in August 2006. Tire exploded at speed and caused crash at over 355MPH.

Sam posed with the Ack Attack streamliner in March 2006 on the salt lake of Lake Gairdner Australia.

Getting buckled into the Ack Attack for a run in Australia. Due to wet conditions only 250MPH was reached.

Sam some minutes after crashing at 355 in August 2006 at the Bub event, Bonneville.

Green skid marks on salt after 355MPH crash.

Pieces of front tire that exploded during 2006 355MPH run.

Mike Akatiff and his friend Sam Wheeler at Bonneville 2006.

Sam Wheeler and Denis Manning, Bub meet August 2006. They have been friends for years.

New rear wheel made by Performance Machine to Sam’s design.

Rear wheel and rear sprocket for rear wheel belt drive. Gates belt is designed to deliver over 500HP at over 450 MPH. Conventional O ring chains have always been a weak point and last only 1 run with water cooling.

IGNITION3 production company crew are shooting a new documentary on Sam. L – R Jon Lague, Jeff Lague, Sam. This crew has been following Sam since April 2004 while covering the motorcycle LSR world.

Sam working on new lower section frame. Existing chassis was cut in two pieces and new center section was fabricated. Most of this section is machined aluminum which will be anodized black to protect it from the salt.