This is a 1957 Corect Craft that was restored by Doug Duke in New Smynra Beach Fl. It was a ski tow boat from Cypress Gardens . The trailer was made Crosley.He sold it a couple of years ago.
Cool Thread !! As a member of the S.D.B.A. boats are in our blood. I must say these ole girls are sweet ! Brings back the craftmanship in the hull not just some mold layup.
Here's my crackerbox 20 years ago, built in 59 by Rowdy smith and my father in law Bob Grant. Restoring it now.. 12' 6" with a hotrodded V860. Man that thing is fun, slid all over the lake! Did great donuts.
Like you I am not into boats but I remember seeing the hull of this boat - minus engines - at Harrah's Museum in 1978. From what you have written, maybe Harrah's did not own it and it was there to have work done on the hull. I recall it was parked near to a door. Another vintage boat is Len Southward's Allison-powered Redhead , which was the first boat to go 100mph in this corner of the world (in 1953). It is now in the Southward Museum and there are some pictures of it here - http://www.nzgrandprixhydroplane.com/newsjuneaugust2008.htm
Here's some photos of some early runabouts. The sporty styling of boats from the late 40s through the 50s has always appealed to me. Spent many hours of summer fun in a 1957 Century Resorter like this one ....
You have to admit that the styling of some of these boats could rival any early Ford roadsters and coupes any day ....
Baby Bootlegger Caleb Bragg was an early racing car driver that got his first start in a matchrace against the famous Barney Oldfield at the Los Angeles Motordrome boardtrack. He entered in the first Indy 500 and later held many World Distance records before retiring from motor racing around 1915. He was also a pioneer aviator being the first President of the Wings Club from New York and also serving in the same role with Langley Aircraft Corp. His passion however was speedboat racing. During the 1920s he entered many high ranking craft to participate in the Gold Cup races near Detroit. His most famous boat was Baby Bootlegger that won twice in 1925 and '26.
Toby posted a few pictures of Howard Browns 'How 'Bout That' drag boat. He was our neighbor when I was a kid in the mid '60s and later I would work for him. He was proud of the fact he had a boat on the cover of Hot Rod, the only time in the history of the mag that a car was not featured somewhere on it's cover. I heard through the grapevine that he passed away last year as did my other old boss, Roger Weiman of Rogers Custom boats the year before. The old HR cover followed b a shot of my old Howard and my old Buck Smith wood decker along with some of my other favorite shots...
The SLO-MO-SHUN III as restored to original at the Kirkland Concourse. Beautiful boat. Highly prized here in the NW. Also, check the hydroplane museum n Kent, WA. Unbelievable!
The I/O (inboard outboard drive) was invented by some Frenchman in the 1890s but it was George Riley of hot rod speed equipment fame, that really perfected in the 1930s. There were dozens of guys that built I/O's but his was a winner. Volvo infringed his patent in the 50's but Riley didn't have the funds to do anything about it, not to mention he was an old man at the time. His name is all but forgotten in the boat world but he was an innovator. A shot of his out drive, I'd kill to stumble across one of these, a nice shot of a boat at speed with his out drive and a flattie V8 for power and his custom marine V8. That's George next to his behemoth 75 horse outboard, that was largest outboard of it's time both in size and HP. My friend has 2 of these along with a NOS power head. That Riley out drive is one of the most beautiful things ever bolted to the transom of a wood hull...IMHO.
The famous, in So Cal and Arizona in the late 1970s and early 80s, "Ups and Downs" poster. I still have an original in the wall of my garage. Been there since 1980. My friend secured the rights to it and reproduced about 10 years ago. They sold out in about 12 minutes. This is the repo. The poster does not of course have the dots on the girl's boobs.
The Jalopy Journal
