I'VE HAD SO MANY FRIENDS WITH BOATS, MOSTLY OLD ONES, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE ALWAYS SITTING IN THE BACK YARD. I ALWAYS SAY TO THEM, AT LEAST IF I HAVE AN ISSUE, I CAN DRIVE MY HOTROD TO WORK! YOU CAN'T DRIVE YOUR BOAT TO WORK!!! LOL
I have both of those in a group I saved several years ago...Gofannon may have saved them from a post I did...maybe not...I also am just glad to share them with the Hamb because your reaction was quite similar to mine when I was saving them. The two images I shared related to Navarro in the other recent Trammel Thread you did were also in that group...
How's your Roaring Roadster coming along Gofannon...it's was looking awesome when I saw it...it had a Big Six didn't it? Is there a particular Track T that was the inspiration for your build...
...lovely...you are going to really enjoy that when it roars to life...you have the body all squared up I see...the engine is getting rebuilt? Nice shiny bits on it...
I do it all the time! Did it on this one before I read everyone's replies. The 2 friends that were involved in the accident lived 2 miles apart, in what now is a fairly tough neighborhood. the site of the roadside accident was 12 miles away near present day LAX Lincoln was/is Coast Hwy 1. I google map speed shop addresses from old ads to see if the building is still there. Same with old car for sale ads in back of old magazines. Usually find that the guys that were selling show rods lived in pretty nice digs.
Hello, We used to go down to the Long Beach Harbor to watch the pit area and the start of the Long Beach Harbor to Catalina Ski Boat Race almost every Summer starting in 1959. The pit area in West Long Beach Harbor was at the mouth of the Los Angeles River. The cool attraction of the whole area was that when a large South Swell come blasting up the So Cal coastline, the waves sneak inside of the Long Beach Breakwater and hit the shores with some credibility. It used to be a daily happening, before the Breakwater was built, according to my dad, who frequented the beach as a teen. But, the Breakwater has a large opening at the Southern end and in the middle. They contribute to the swell sneaking inside of the harbor and end up at the mouth of the Los Angeles River. The Golden Avenue Boat Ramp was just a several yards away from a bounce back wave that comes from a large sneaker South Swell. Those usually came into the harbor, hit the shoreline rocks on the Terminal Island side and moved to the center of the LA River section. The shallow, sandy bottom made the wave peak and break into nice tubes and short walls. The rides were quick, speedy and fun. It was also a showcase area, as folks stopped their cars and/or watched from either shoreline breakwater rocky areas. At the time, we had surfed here several times, then later, waterskied the same area back down under the bridges to Anaheim Street. When we first tried the longboard, the deep skegs were also fun for moves similar to surfing, but in the shallow waters, dug deep into the sand and we went flying off in front of the stuck longboard. A photo of injected and/or carbed, flat bottom ski boats in the Long Beach Marine Stadium in 1967. The single fin water ski had a fin, but was not a factor. We were in front of the shoreline where the marina is located and it was like skiing out in the ocean. Falling in fresh water at the Colorado River was pleasurable as a mouthful of clear water was cold and fine. But falling in salt water in this part of the Long Beach Harbor was not the most pleasant taste or feel… @Moriarity @HEMI32 Most of the race boats look like the two shown in this thread. Dual carbs, or single carb for reliability was the key. Family ski boats used for the competition, although some boats were built to the hilt for the most power available. The early names like Rayson Craft, Howard, Nordskog Marine were popular, as was a super strong guy named Chuck Stearns. A few similar flat bottom ski boats at the drags in Long Beach, in 1967. The long course from the LB Harbor goes through some of the most dangerous currents and conditions between the shoreline and Avalon Harbor. But, every year, brave souls strapped into their large single ski boards plus their version of ski boats for power took off for the island... approximately, "26 Miles Across the Sea..." Jnaki I was impressed with the quality of the Rayson Craft Boats back then and did some research on Rudy Ramos. Those high quality ski boats were considered "top of the line." But, there was a never ending supply of other ski boat manufacturers supplying their versions of a family fun experience. “Rudy probably started every Catalina Ski Race...he pulled his daughter, Ronni, with a triple Engine Evinrude powered Scarrab..Ronnie and Stan Leader latter teamed to win mixed doubles..several times...” “Rudy's only wife was Frankie Ramos...I think she and Rudy started the Long Beach Boat and Ski Club. The club that still promotes the Catalina Ski Race.” “If it takes an hour to ride a high-speed Catamaran to Catalina Island from Long Beach and another hour for the return trip, how come the fastest waterskiers can make the round-trip in just under 51 minutes? They must be going really fast–and they are! The Annual Catalina Ski Race usually held in July attracts teams from around the world who seek the ultimate challenge in waterski racing. The 62 mile-long race on the Pacific Ocean to Avalon and back starts and finishes near the Queen Mary.”
I had a real big jump on building a car that was strongly influenced by Rudy's. even painted a spare door with a 5 like his just to sit around. Unfortunately, I got sidetracked by finding a different real deal track roadster ('23 body) with original paint on it still, so that became the project which still isn't finished. I absolutely love track roadsters. Both sides of my family raced them locally here in PA.
When I got into Track Roadsters in 1995, most of the locals that had raced them 45 years prior, were around and had a picnic once a year. I learned so much of the local and west coast history, and made some great friend. These pictures are on one of my walls as a reminder, that over sixty of the drivers that made it to Indy, along with 11 winners, started in local Track Roadster Racing, all over the U.S.
The Jalopy Journal
