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View Full Version : So whats the history on this picture? (table boat)



1BadAction
04-14-2006, 10:05 AM
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/6811/tableboat0ww.jpg

I have seen this in several different places and was curious about the history on it. was this some kind of merc promotional stunt or something?

Mark75H
04-14-2006, 01:04 PM
Exactly. Nothing more, nothing less.

Mark75H
04-14-2006, 01:24 PM
If you looked at an old Merc price list, a car price list from the same year and the minimum wage for that year you might not think so. They have always been priced as a luxury item.

Raceman
04-14-2006, 01:30 PM
Actually it's a picture of T-Rex's early drag racing efforts.

2us70
04-14-2006, 08:43 PM
Mercury actually ran that thing in the Gold Coast Marathon one year. I don't remember what year or if it even finished either day. It did make the papers down here so" mission accomplished. I wonder who drew that driving assignment?

1BadAction
04-14-2006, 10:12 PM
guy spent his life savings on the motor and couldn't afford a boat so he used his kitchen table... oh wait that was back when mercury still charged fair prices for their products. My bad...

maybe you should give up on boats and buy a Honduh civic with a fart cannon. parts are plenty cheap for those.

Tony Brucato
04-15-2006, 08:59 AM
I wonder why nobody has splashed a copy of that yet?:D

Mark75H
04-15-2006, 09:36 AM
I wonder why nobody has splashed a copy of that yet?:D

Don't be so sure :D We did it at a water ski show back in the 1960's with a McCulloch :eek:

Fast Fred
04-15-2006, 11:45 AM
Originally Posted by Tony Brucato
I wonder why nobody has splashed a copy of that yet?

Originally Posted by Mark75H
Don't be so sure We did it at a water ski show back in the 1960's with a McCulloch

to funny:eek:

Trikki1010
04-15-2006, 12:09 PM
maybe you should give up on boats and buy a Honduh civic with a fart cannon. parts are plenty cheap for those.

Your telling this to the guy who builds Hydrostream Canada and fixes more boats in Canada:rolleyes:

Pure genious:p

Fast Fred
04-15-2006, 12:42 PM
Hey, what's a Fart Cannon powerhead weighing in at, and the about cost?:eek: :cool:

1BadAction
04-15-2006, 01:05 PM
Maybe you should consider that mercury isn't the only company building good motors. If you think mercury is so great try to justify them raising the prices of all their parts by 50% in the last year.

Oh sorry I forgot you're the expert on everything, what do I know?

I didnt say anything about them being the "only company" or me being an "expert". :rolleyes: so quit pissing and whining about mercs prices on every thread you post on and buy the stuff from other manufactures that you think are so great.

150aintenuff
04-15-2006, 01:31 PM
there sitll is a few cheap merc parts.... oil injection plug... throttle cams, PVS vent plugs.. but who cares..

if i remember my old mercs right they did that with a 6 or 9.8 hp... table is easy.. nothing more than a flat bottom without the bow rise.. only hard thing to do is keep the nose up and it afloat at rest..

1BadAction
04-15-2006, 06:02 PM
Ok, I'll stop complaining about mercury prices the day you stop posting on every single thread and pretending you know everything.

Hey how about you give us another service lesson about the Verado?

your so full of chit its not even worth answering that.

Trikki1010
04-15-2006, 06:11 PM
your so full of chit its not even worth answering that.

If your gonna ride someone, at least make sense:rolleyes:

They spank kids in Kindergarten for crap like that:eek: :eek:

mike farmer
04-15-2006, 06:13 PM
compair a etech to a optimax the black motta cost less

DoktorC
04-15-2006, 06:51 PM
compair a etech to a optimax the black motta cost less

I'm sure either one would hold your dock in place just fine ;).

I've always thought the table picture was cool..you don't see stuff like that anymore. Same with all the lake-x stuff..like the endurace tests where they filled to boats with fuel while moving....back when someone wasn't waiting on shore to sue you lol.

Trikki1010
04-16-2006, 08:03 AM
Just showing my age ;)

I STILL remember getting wacked w/ a pointer stick in 3rd grade:eek: :eek:

LakeRacer99
04-17-2006, 08:56 AM
...back to the topic...the kitchen table thing was and early Switzer or Carlson tunnel plug.

Trikki1010
04-17-2006, 06:19 PM
...back to the topic...the kitchen table thing was and early Switzer or Carlson tunnel plug.

It was the first SPLASH:eek: ;) :D :D

jeffbare
04-17-2006, 06:49 PM
I was a marketing picture Carl K. had taken. The intention was that he would show that a Merc could push any thing including the kitchen table. This is serious, I have read about this.

Trikki1010
04-17-2006, 07:18 PM
I was a marketing picture Carl K. had taken. The intention was that he would show that a Merc could push any thing including the kitchen table. This is serious, I have read about this.

I believe it was a publicity stunt also, but I wasn't there;)

The Big Al
04-17-2006, 07:21 PM
It was the master piece behind Flat Bottom Speed Boats!

M.CHAPMAN
06-16-2006, 09:18 PM
I just stumbled across this thread, Jeff Bare is correct. Kiekhaefer once told someone that his Mercury motors could put anything on plane even a kitchen table. Being the marketing ace that he was he of course had to prove it.

There sevaral photos of this type from Mercury. There's one showing a MErcury powered boat pulling an elephant on water skis.

gofish7070
06-18-2006, 09:42 AM
While working for MERC in the late 60's and attending a dealer congess at a place called Le'sterel somewher noth of Montreal,,,During the new model years rpesentation to the dealers,a out of the darkness came this guy planing this stupid table,,everybody just cracked up,Think the guys first name was Al,,,,,,,,He was a good friend of Frd K.,,,,,,,,,,Since than full publicity shots were taken and distributed,,,,,,,,,,This was the same dealer congress where some indian tribe made Carl K. Big Chief Swift-on-Water,,,,,,,,The whole thing was a riot,Hope this helps,and YES I was there,,,,Gofish 7070

AirRide
07-02-2006, 03:25 PM
on the table?...was'nt it the 3.9 horsepower model?...which was the predecessor to the "BIG" 4 horsepower model? What was the smallest engine Mercury ever made? AirRide

Mark75H
07-02-2006, 04:44 PM
It might be a 3.9, but I think it is more likely a 10

SportJ-US-1
07-02-2006, 05:31 PM
It might be a 3.9, but I think it is more likely a 10

It's a twin for sure, so it's not a 3.9.

Morgan's 6-C
07-02-2006, 09:31 PM
It might be a 3.9, but I think it is more likely a 10

I was right about junior high school age when that ad campaign came out.

"Give me the right power", it said, "and I can plane a kitchen table".

It was their 20hp twin.

I remember it well, as I lusted after one for my first boat, an 8ft Minimax.

It was all down hill from there, more hydros, more motors, a utility, then came the Molinari and the stacker, and the broken legs, a C-6 powerhead that GG sold me for $100 after it took a dunking,.... now it's a V drive Hondo T-deck in storage while I enjoy something safer, .... technical diving.

Ooops, left out the really fun one before the Moli. Set up a 10' GW Invader with an open stacked inline 6 (76ci) with a speedmaster (not the ssm) .. What was really surprising, was that it stayed together, and I stayed alive, untill I sold it to buy the moli.

I've been lurking for a while and these history threads make it all seem like yesterday again.

Dang, .... left out the old Starbuck with the warmed over 235 with the hot pink cowling...

Darlene

RBoso
07-12-2006, 09:17 PM
the ad stood for. the new merc 3.9 has eough power to plane any thing even the dining room table. just don't try it with the tables they have now a days it may not work as well

RBoso
07-12-2006, 09:19 PM
ok 20 hp i was wrong thought it was 3.9