hot rod mag photo referencing "ed hoven's 389 inch pontiac runs 70 75mph" sure looks familiar... hmmm
Chris, I grew up in a boating and waterskiing family. You mentioned that you were diggin' on David's water ski............ What David is holding, is a now collectable water ski called a "Speed Star", made by a company called Taperflex. I don't think they're around anymore. The model was specifically made for high speed ski racing,not jumping or turning (slalom), and looks to be approximately 6' long. The bindings were the top of the line in their day (for racing) and were called "super-pro" bindings. Most "Speed Star" skiis were a dark mahogany formica topped affair with red bindings. David's ski was a special offering, with the psychedelic pattern. Note too, that David also bought Taperflex's matching psychedelic shorts. (It was the late sixties, wasn't it!) The ski retailed for around $130 - $150 back then. The vest is also a Taperflex, called an "Aqua Star", shoulder straps adjusted, and the front zippered, instead of snaps or buckles. A full on ski-racing jacket at $29.95. The ladies version was similar, but slimmer waisted, and had "bumps" molded in to form fit a woman's shape(bustline). I still have all of my family's vintage skiis and vests,and ski-belts, back to 1963, including several Taperflex jackets and my Mom and Sister's form fitting vests. My family's skiis include O'Brien Competition (all wood ) slaloms, Taperflex pairs and slaloms, Mahahraja (wood) slaloms, Vogue pairs and slaloms, Featherglide (wood) endurance ski,a "Custom Fiesta' slalom, and, a racing ski I made for my Father when I was in woodshop in Junior High School which we call "The Log". I'll try later to scan some photos from Taperflex's catalog to show you.
Spike, we also grew up around boats, water skiing and motorcycle riding, this all brings up some mighty fine memories, one of my moms friends had something to do with Evenrude during the mid to late 60's and always had some experimental outboard on his tri hull, anyway this guy was one heck of a trick skier and he would come out of the water with a beer in one hand and a lit cigar in his mouth all this coming out backwards. heck i remember us kids taking off in a friends ol' criss craft boat and going all over the lake for hours and we were like 8-9 years old, try that now a days! we were frequents at Salt n sea, San Antonio, Nacimento, Clear lake and a few others. nothing like 20-30 people, a bunch of kids and a dozen boats to make summer fun! in wood shop we made skis from a taperflex design wood w/ formica over them, they were fun but did not have much bite. I ended up gettin the 65 Sanger and sold the 440 HP motor to a guy for his 69 Super bee, so the boat ended up costing me nada! got another hotter 440 goin in, and am going to strip it down to the gel coat and see if i can find the original colors and redo it in them. my kid still is waiting for a buddy to drop off a 454 for his 71 Hallett, one of his friends has a 76 Cole so next summer should be fun!
Very sad to here this, I have not seen Ted since the reunion of drag boat racers in '04 at Pomona, I had known Ted from the day's at Ski Land. Rest in peace Ted.
Chris, I finally figured out my scanner "glitch". Here's a couple of pages out of a sixties Taperflex catalog, the first shows the Taperflex "Sped Star" racing ski, and the second is the info on the vinyl vests. While looking through my ski stuff, I realized that I forgot that I still have my "ski-belt" that I wore when i was about 5 years old. It used to fit around my 5 year old waist, now I can't get it comfortably around my thigh!
cntrlr7, One more ad for flame arrestors, this time, a very cool ad for Edelbrock marine equipment. You just have to dig those multiple Stromberg or Rochester carb set-ups....
While not a drag boat, here's a few shots of my '67 Hallett circle boat that I restored with it's 427 Ford humming along in one shot. This was at Parker, Colorado River in '97. Good times......
Spike, I still have my moms old Taperflex too, dads Velmar with his name inlaid in walnut and my 2 old wood Brads. Cool ad, thanks.
Hey Wheeler, Were those shots of your Mandella taken at Parker? Kinda looks like it. That F-100 makes a cool tow vehicle. Somewhere along the line, people figured they couldn't tow with anything smaller than a turbocharged diesel crew-cab dually. Like you, I tow with my "classic". Lots of people used to tow with El-Caminos and Rancheros. You don't even see much of those used to tow anymore. I've known both Ray Caselli( of blown fuel flatbottom fame) and Don Edwards (of blown gas hydro fame) . Both of these guys towed their dragboats with '64 El Caminos. The BIG engine would have been a 327, likely an old powerglide, and drum brakes all around, and I guess worked just fine, at least I've not heard them say otherwise. The older vehicles can hack it (especially if you have trailer brakes too).
don't get wheeler started on parker pics he will never stop (j/K) river dave said don't spend to much timke over here
flyin-t, Brad skis. I remember the ads, but never had one . I would have liked to tried a Brad or a Murdoch. Great looking skis too. In my family, I was an "o.k." skiier, but everyone else was a more aggressive skiier than I was, so the need for a "hot" ski wasn't necessary for how I skiied. I ski well but I don't do a bunch of "tricks". As a teenager,at the River, my brother and I and two or three friends would get up just as the sun came up, pile in Dad's flatbottom (later a hydro), and take turns skiing all morning, catching the glassy water. By 10 a.m., we were back at the dock after putting in hours of skiing. Dad would come down to the dock around then with a cup of coffee, ask us how the boat was running, and joke about there being any gas left in the boat. Mom would have bacon and eggs waiting for us up at the house. Man, what a great time.
Yes the pix were taken in Parker a couple of weeks ago, the boat is up for sale so I thought I should take it out on the water and make sure it runs.
Now that I've got some skiing guys attention I'll jack my own thread. Any one have any info on these ski's http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=382959
I remember those days also, Spike...but I was doing mine in the bays on the Long Island Sound in CT...what great times!
You might enjoy these......... First is the cover of the '68 NDBA National Championships program with the Sanger "Climax" on the cover. Second shot is my hydro in '91 with my newborn daughter proped up in the seat. Third is me in my Stevens hydro in the water at Parker a moment before lighting it off and suprising the neighbors.....see, it DOES get wet now and again......
Also.....this boat is pretty wild. That's Romeo Palamides doing the tuning in the photo, and the dual blower manifold is of his manufacture....Wow You really should blow up these shots and check this boat out.
I thought you would like to see this. The $1000. down, was actually my Chrysler engine. Vern Wrote this for me to take to the bank.
Tom, That invoice is great. Man, you had a classic Hondo, with the black and gold 'flake and Hemi and all.... Hondos are bitchin....personally, I like them better than a Sanger for dragging,.....just my own preference between the two. A friend of mine, Don Edwards ( Golden Komotion BGH) told me he's talked to a guy , and seen a Hondo stored away that the current owner claims is a former "Panic Mouse" Hondo hull. I've not seen it myself. Don is planning to take a guy who was a member of Ray Caselli's crew, over to see the boat to try and decifer if it might be for real. Most of us are fairly sure that any former "Mouses" have been destroyed, but if it miraculously turns out to be for real, the world's most famous Hondo (let alone drag boat), may be re-assembled for posterity. I know..............we'll see............
Great (semi O/T) thread! I have fond (& scary) memories of attending the Drag Boat races at the Oakland Estuary with my father ... this was in the late '60s and I was just 6 or 7 years old, but can vividly remember several boats flipping ... and drivers getting killed . I know that my dad shot lots of B&W photographs and Color slides at those races ... I vaguely remember several pics of Ron Williams' boat named "SHAKEY" (same as his '70s Funny Cars) ... and the majority of the "HALLCRAFT MARINE EQUIPMENT" product photos in the '68 Vic Hubbard Speed & Marine catalog were shot by my father ... I'll try to dig 'em up, scan 'em, and post 'em here.
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