The really "Old School" boating thread

[2manymustangs]

Hey I know that guy Spike, he lives down the street from a friend of mine. Pretty interesting guy, knew a lot about old boat history like you guys also. He would walk down and bullshit with us once in a while when we'd have the hotrods out. Yeah he did have an old hydro too. Actually, I think he had more boats, plus he was always finding really bitchin old parts. Haven't seen him in a long time, cool guy. Kinda weird seeing a picture of him on here after not seeing him for so long.

I have other pictures of the guys that were at the book signing at Marina Pacifica for Don Edwards Drag Boat book... Spike was there, I will post them up when I get home and find the pics on my external HD... His tow rig is/was a Mach 1 Mustang but then you prolly already knew that...

[WESTERNAERO]

I have other pictures of the guys that were at the book signing at Marina Pacifica for Don Edwards Drag Boat book... Spike was there, I will post them up when I get home and find the pics on my external HD... His tow rig is/was a Mach 1 Mustang but then you prolly already knew that...

Yeah he would drive it down the block sometimes when we had the cars out and hang out.

[Sharp shooter]

Yeah he would drive it down the block sometimes when we had the cars out and hang out.

I met spike at Lake San Antonio back in '97 and put him in the following years video. Did an interview with him at the Catalina ski race v-drive boat exhibit. The guy "is" nostalgia! He even does gigs with his 50's band Lil Elmo and the Cosmos.

Spike is the guy to talk to when it comes to anything Stevens boat related.

This is a shot I snapped at San Antone the same weekend I met Spike. The boat is hooked up to his Mach 1.

When they first filled Lake San Antonio my Dad took us there a lot. The lake was new and Dad was getting worn out by the Parker crowds. A lot of good memories there.

[Sharp shooter]

Some awesome stuff in here.

You guys could write multiple books with all your knowledge

HAHA!! Thanks.... Even though I'm not sure about that. lol

[gn7]

Heres a little piece of history for you. You know what this is a picture of?
I wish it was larger, but this is how I received it, and don't think the original pic is very big. maybe 3X5 max. This is the first time I have ever posted these online.

Attachment 25299 Attachment 25300

I can't really see the people in those pics. The profile shot looks like an 18 Hallett maybe...? I got nuthin.

Sorry Jerry, didn't see that you had responded to these pics.
That's a pic of the first 21ft Rayson cruiser. It has the crown deck like Devines as opposed to the more common flat ski deck.
That's Rudy driving, I have no idea who is with him.

[Sharp shooter]

Sorry Jerry, didn't see that you had responded to these pics.
That's a pic of the first 21ft Rayson cruiser. It has the crown deck like Devines as opposed to the more common flat ski deck.
That's Rudy driving, I have no idea who is with him.

Oh ok. So aside from Maxies 1 of a kind 59 model (yeah right...), which boat was the first 19'6" GN hull? The first one I see in the magazines is the Edelbrock boat in '68 I think. Or were the big flatbottoms first?

[gn7]

Not really. the first one I poached a couple years ago from a thread on PB. The LBMS pics I tripped over looking for info on Marion Beaver's "Gummy" hydros for a friend whos dad(Wayne Thompson) that drove the Uncle Gummy hydro, when Bob Ellis was driving the Gummy's Ghost hydro.
The guys with the old flat is from Glen L's "news letters" There is some pretty cool pics buried in the site, You just have to dig for them because they are buried in years of news letters.
The Mandella that Nordskog is driving still exists in resides in Palos Verdes, I believe with Bob's bother in law.

Heres a little piece of history for you. You know what this is a picture of?
I wish it was larger, but this is how I received it, and don't think the original pic is very big. maybe 3X5 max. This is the first time I have ever posted these online.

Attachment 25299 Attachment 25300

Oh ok. So aside from Maxies 1 of a kind 59 model (yeah right...), which boat was the first 20.5 GN hull? The first one I see in the magazines is the Edelbrock boat in '68 I think. Or were the big flatbottoms first?

The 20ft v bottom was before the flat. The first flat was the wood deck yellow and blue one he won the Orange Bowl 250 in 1969 with the injected Boss 429. I posted a pic of it earlier in this thread.

Interestlngly, the very first V bottom GN hull win was the 1967 Outboard World Championship in Havasu with 3 Mercs driven by Rudy, Ron Larson and Michael Reagan.
But I believe you are correct that the first inboard powered 20 ft GN was Vic's "Big Red E" at the Elsinore 500

Rudy swore the 20ft V bottom is nothing more than the Allison hull cut down and straked. When built the flat for the Orange Bowl in 69, he just threw a "false" bottom into the mold to flatten it out. Who is I to doubt it. Sounds possible.




Vic in the Big Red E and Butch Patterson in Rudy's Phfft



Vic at the 68 Elsinore 500. Kam Nelson was the trophy girl.

[Sharp shooter]

The 20ft v bottom was before the flat. The first flat was the wood deck yellow and blue one he won the Orange Bowl 250 in 1969 with the injected Boss 429. I posted a pic of it earlier in this thread.

Interestlngly, the very first V bottom GN hull win was the 1967 Outboard World Championship in Havasu with 3 Mercs driven by Rudy, Ron Larson and Michael Reagan.
But I believe you are correct that the first inboard powered 20 ft GN was Vic's "Big Red E" at the Elsinore 500

Rudy swore the 20ft V bottom is nothing more than the Allison hull cut down and straked. When built the flat for the Orange Bowl in 69, he just threw a "false" bottom into the mold to flatten it out. Who is I to doubt it. Sounds possible.




Vic in the Big Red E and Butch Patterson in Rudy's Phfft



Vic at the 68 Elsinore 500. Kam Nelson was the trophy girl.

Thanks for the info Bob.

Doesn't the GN actually measure 19' 6" and they call it a 20? I'm a cloudy on the details. What about the decks, there's at least 2 and one drops down in the front.

I interviewed Rudy (one of many times) and we got on the subject of these bottoms and he said the same thing to me about the U-9 having the same bottom. I peaked under the boat and thought, it sure doesn't look the same, but I wasn't going to question King Rudy. lol

Where's the Edelbrock boat now?

[RPB]

Very nice thread gentlemen...cheers

[Slowride]

The picture in this Berkley ad that Sharp Shooter posted is from a early jet boat tech article in Boating News/Hot Boat. All those boats are basically like the ad says, V drive flats setup with Berkleys. This was before they figured out that they were better off using a outboard type shallow V hull design than a inboard v drive flat hull. Those things had to be a hand full to drive.

Really wasn't as bad a ride as you'd think. Actually made my ass pucker LESS crossing a wake than my 18 Advantage (Rogers)! You did NOT want to come down flat after coming out of the water though.
Pump unloaded like a mad dog in anything but glass. Just kinda squeeze into it and cross your fingers.....