O/T MAYBE) I'm into anything with wheels and/or a motor. As a kid I grew up on the water (mid 60's till early 90's) with my dad and uncle who ran a couple boats on the west coast (Marine Stadium in Long beach being their home track). My uncle ran a couple boats back then "The Grim Reaper" (B/G/H) and "Wild Thing" (B/G/F) up till the mid 70's. Pops has alot of pics from the day I will try to scan and post later. In the mean time does anyone have any pics or memories to share about goin fast on the water? Just for the record goin fast on the water is a totally different world from asphalt for anyone who hasn't done it!!! (GOOD TIMES) I got off the water when my first son was born 1991, due to the fact I had a reason to live at that point.
I've got a good friend who just restored his uncle's Beesmeyer ski boat. It was built with a 406 multi-carb ford originally, and when Gentry was being pulled behind, it had a 427 Ford. Engine was loooong gone, as was all the rest of the hardware. He restored everything to the way it was, but dropped in a 502 Chevy, and just hit the water with it a couple weeks ago. -Brad
Some of my earliest memories were in the pits at the drag boat races. ChopPop raced E-Boats, Crackerboxes ("No Results") and SK class ("The Exciter") boats at Marine Stadium for years. Will get some pics. Still looking for the SK/Flatty. It had a 390 Caddy punched out 415, dry stacks and we ran it on Alcohol when racing. Switched over to gas for family use. Mucho funo. ChopPop got out of it when it got expensive to go fast.
ChopPop in the E-Boat. Note the early RedRam Hemi, Crower Intake, lots o carbs, the Nash in the background and the the shit eating grin. 1959
What was an "E BOAT" never heard that one before. From the looks of it it was a "E Ticket" ride for sure.
I've heard of a "K" boat wich was short for kilo? Pretty much a mile drag race 10 boats wide. BLOWN GAS FLATBOTTOMS, NOW THATS AN "E" TICKET
I saw the "K" boats run numerous times a Lake Ming in Bakersfield they ran a triangle course around boueys. Very fast and VERY spectacular crashes
My Father in law use to run drag boats here on the west coast too. His boat was called " The California Shaker". Started in the late 60's with a blown gas flat and finished with top fuel hydro. He's got lots of cool storys of back in the day. Lots of pictures too. My dad helped a buddy of his build and run a blown gas flat in 1964 called "Little Ski-mer". Bob Garner drove that boat untill 1970 when he swithched to blown gas hydro. The hydro was called "Miss Super Glide" It was an old shovel nose hydro. He built a Sanger shovel nose a couple years ago to re-create his old boat. He takes that out once in a while and runs it on the lake. I'll post some pictures later.
I crewed on a TA/Hydro for years,many great memories. It was a Cole,by the name of "Airtime",formerly run by Jim Epler. Won many races for us in the Pacific Northwest.Our team then went on to TA/Funny cars. I'll try to borrow my friends scanner tommorow to throw on a few pics. Anyone out there have pics?
This clip came up on a search for drag boats...Cowes and an Italian racer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFvXBINLInc
I wrenched on Ed Hill's Blown Fuel Hydro "The Texan" for seven years. Great fun and education at the same time!! We ran the Harold Kindsvater / Arlen Kurtis big hydro, did pretty good. Any chance Scott is Bones Notebooms son?? Remember them from that era, great bunch. Got out in the mid '80's, lots of friends went down. Seven I think in '84 alone. Thanks, K
ChopPop and me in the Exciter. Note: I've got my own crash helmet. Used to tear ass around the lake with ChopPop on a regular basis, but safety first and all ChopPop and my Uncle Eddie putting a new engine in the boat. ChopPop and a little Choptop in 1967. Dig the red footie PJ's. I've still got the Mustang. Taken in Grandma's driveway in South Gate, CA. on State Street.
I was around boat as a kid growing up, but had been out of it for a lot of years. I bought this '65 Stevens for the Hemi that was in it. It was pretty rough, but I decided the hull and trailer were too nice to junk, so I went right through the whole thing and redid it over the winter. The Joe Reath built Hemi came out and a Nailhead went in cause that's what I run in all my hot rods. It's not a drag boat, but hopefully close enough for this thread? We're having a frikin ball with it!!
Thanks all of you guys, that is my first flatbottom...what a blast! That's a nice looking Sanger you picked up, good luck with it. You guys should check out the forum http://www.v-driveboat.com if your into V-Drives. It's a forum of fantastic people just like the HAMB.
My engine builder used to run traditional style race boats in a 275ci class. The boat was called "Busted" and ran a built little 265sbc. I thing he is trying to sell it now.
Hello Chop Top, I may be wrong, but is the wood decked flatbottom in your pictures a Stevens hull? The "target" design looks like one of the styles that Stevens used on their boats. Was it a 17' hull? Stevens made a 16' hull specifically for "E' class runabout racing, as well. Spike
Hot boats, drag boats, performance ski boats....whatever you wish to call them.....they are the best! If you have never been in one, you do not and can not understand. This is a great part of the hot rod hobby. I have a '74 Rogers jet I bought and built in the early 90s, still have it. Now I am building a 14-71 blown 541" Pontiac for it with intentions to exceed 100mph. I have a fortune in the darn thing...ate a lot of mac and cheese to buy the parts but, it is worth it. Here it is mocked up as I am fitting the motor in the hull. Then, in 2003, I locate what is probably the opportunity of my lifetime. I found a stunning '72 Hondo flatbottom with a complete blown, injected Mickey Thompson HEMI Pontiac! This one will be faster than the jet. I have these 2 boats now and look forward to enjoying them soon! It's my Pontiac 'navy'. Steve Barcak www.pontiacheaven.org <DIR>Hosting 11th annual Pontiac Heaven, show, swap, drags, party and all around good time. Saturday April 4, 2009 at Speedworld near Phoenix, Az Also hosting- 7th annual Nostalgia drags, show and swap coming Sunday April 5, 2009 to Speedworld. Phoenix, Az </DIR>
The Jalopy Journal
