Randy Rabe/Rabco Boats History Gallery 5

[LakeRacer99]

Here are a few more, enjoy.

1. Ron Jones Tunnel? with triple Twisters...

[LakeRacer99]

2. More of the Jones...

[LakeRacer99]

3. More Jones...

[LakeRacer99]

4. TwisterCraft...

[LakeRacer99]

5. Tunnel Racing Baby...

[LakeRacer99]

6. More Racing...

[LakeRacer99]

7. Molinari 247...

[LakeRacer99]

8. Boat 104...

[LakeRacer99]

9. How about a Molinari Stacker...

[LakeRacer99]

10. Rabco Hustler

[LakeRacer99]

11. Another of this Hustler...

[PARKER RABE]

DONT GET ANY IDEAS GUYS!!!!! THAT MY MOM IN THOSE PICTURES !!!!!!!!:eek: :eek:

[LakeRacer99]

12. Another Hustler...

[LakeRacer99]

13. The Hustler that sunk, I assume..:)

[LakeRacer99]

14. Streaker...

[LakeRacer99]

15. Streaker with 1750XS...

[LakeRacer99]

16. Streakers and Hustlers, How about Penthouse...

[LakeRacer99]

17. Merc Boat 54...

[LakeRacer99]

18. Cool little Woody...

[LakeRacer99]

19. Parker, I hope your dad fired the rigger of this craft...

[LakeRacer99]

20. Shop pic...

[LakeRacer99]

21. Looks like Lake X...


Update...Actually it an engine room at Merc Racing in Oshkosh, WS.

[LakeRacer99]

22. Pair of Streakers with Parker?

[LakeRacer99]

23. Tunnels 104 and 247...

[LakeRacer99]

24. Did we wreck the McCall?

[LakeRacer99]

25. Another Magnum offshore with nice hardware, Overkill?...Nah.

[LakeRacer99]

So, looking at pic #25.
Did they actually make a 20in BP type mid housing? I know the camera is playing some tricks there, but they appear to be longshaft. Check out the counter rotation there.
Awesome pics parker!

P.S. your mom is hot.

[PARKER RABE]

KILLER JOB AGAIN JASON !!!!!! BIG THANKS TO LAKE RACER 99 , MORE TO COME GUYS !:)

[Hot Shot Merc]

Thats realy awsome.These pics are showing the roots of what we all love.HOT BOATING.Rock and Roll Lake Racer!:cool:

[Mark75H]

Cool! Thanks again!

I don't think #7 is a Moli. Maybe a Schulze?

[Raceman]

"Did they actually make a 20in BP type mid housing?"

Yes they did. They made some Twister/Twister1 housings in 20" for offshore racing also. There was one offered for sale on Scream and Fly within the last couple of years with good pictures.

[PARKER RABE]

i wonder where all that stuff is now ????????:confused:

[Fish]

Originally posted by PARKER RABE
i wonder where all that stuff is now ????????:confused:

If I had to guess, I would say raceman's living room LOL

Really big thanks Jason and Parker. These pics are awesome!!!

[Tom Foley]

I speak to Fred at least once a week and have turned him on to Scream and Fly , especially this forum and have gotten some pics to him . Fred has a plethora of photos that would add tremendously to this forum . I will make him aware of this thread, Fred is a great guy , and would probably get into this . Tom.

[Fish]

Have not seen him in a long time, but remeber him. He and my dad were friends and they used to race against eachother back in the day.

fish

[LakeRacer99]

"Cool! Thanks again!

I don't think #7 is a Moli. Maybe a Schulze?"


My titles on these photos are just what I called them, They didn't have any labels on the slides, so I just called it what I thought it was.
Please correct me on any of these images and I will go back and relabel them. I would like these galleries to be accurate for reference archives.

[MODVP22]

Where is this stuff now..hmm, Raceman's Garage and Mike Mullins is horading it;)

[PARKER RABE]

:eek:

[PARKER RABE]

i thought these pics would of got more attention on the site , i dont think ill post the rest , it was alot of work for me and jason .

[sms]

Hope you reconsider! They are great and I appreciate the work!

[Firestarter]

Please reconsider......... this is AWSOME!

[blkmtrfan]

You have to do more, these are fantastic :cool:

[10.5' Tunnel]

We demand Volume 3! Its not the kind of thread that gets a lot of posts, just a lot of views. Keep posting the pics!

[stokernick]

just cause we aint respondin don`t mean we aint viewing,keep `em comin,PLEASE!

[Raceman]

Parker, looks to me like you have an awful lot of attention with em. Over 900 looks in each thread.

[T2x]

Originally posted by Raceman
Parker, looks to me like you have an awful lot of attention with em. Over 900 looks in each thread.

And at our age even pushing a mouse button takes a lot of effort.

Keep 'em coming.

T2x;)

[PARKER RABE]

ok jason and i will get workin on vol 3 :D

[blkmtrfan]

Originally posted by PARKER RABE
ok jason and i will get workin on vol 3 :D

Cool :cool:

[Laker]

Awsome Suff!!
Thanks Parker!!

[oldschoolltv]

Cool Pics the number 6 pic has my dad in it the tunnel in 3rd also that is our tent and my family under it I think I see myself sitting down, the car is an old friend Jack lastinger's old memories, Matt

[PARKER RABE]

Ttt...............

[mr fun]

so thats your mom on the ron jones? that would make a great water color or pen and ink, i'll want to have a go at it one day, need a big print to work from. i can't get over the brackets for the motors, that was some real foreward thinking! is that your dad driving it? too cool! fun out

[time warp]

Excellent pictures, thanks for sharing.

Caleb

[76baja18ft]

whats the story on the ron jones with the triples on it?.. a friend in louisana has its sister.. the other triple boat with the 3 motors in the tunnel.. he post on byuboyz as Lake Trash

[PARKER RABE]

wow i gotta check that out!

[76baja18ft]

there is an article on the projects page about the boat..its truly a work of love for dennis...its a very beautiful boat

[willabee]

21. Looks like Lake X...

Just saw this pictuer today (#21 ) - that is the engine shop at Merc racing in Oshkosh, the guy in the foreground is Denny Robins - looks like it was taken just before loading up for some race ( alot of new powerheads with plastic covers shown in photo - also, Denny mainly built gearcases, but when he finished his build for the upcoming event, he would help the powerhead guys ).

[LakeRacer99]

Thanks Willabee and welcome to S&F.
I was hoping these pictures would get documented with some historic info.
Pic #21 updated

[willabee]

Here are a few more, enjoy.

1. Ron Jones Tunnel? with triple Twisters... That sure looks like a 9x22 Ron Jones. Saw something from Ron Hill where he said that there were only 4 of the 9x22's built. That being the case, this one made it's debut at Parker in 1969 with Joe Habay at the controls. I think it won 2 races, although I can only remember Jim Merten at Galveston in 1970 for sure. It had to be either the third or fourth built. The I/O was first, three engines in the tunnel was next and then two with the engines spread entered Parker. One had light blue trim, the other yellow. I was told that Alan Zwicky, a prop man at Mercury in Oshkosh, bought the one with light blue trim after Mercury put it in storage.

[PARKER RABE]

Willabee , No My Dad Bought It His Name Is Randy Rabe, Ill Geyt Some More Info From Him .

[PARKER RABE]

Just Got Word That We Got It From Gary Garbecht Right From Mercury , In Oshkosh, Gary Put Three Blue Stripe Twisters On It !

[PARKER RABE]

And Yes It Was Jim Merton Old Boat !!!that He Drove For Mercury .

[willabee]

And Yes It Was Jim Merton Old Boat !!!that He Drove For Mercury .

I remember it well. When the two Parker boats got back to Oshkosh, Merten was told by Gary that he was going to run one of them the next season. Merten picked the yellow one, so we used the blue one for engine and prop development. I was the test driver for all of the development work. I was having a beer with Merten when he mentioned that he was having a hell of a time getting the yellow Jones to run to his satisfaction. I told him I had driven it a few times before he took it over, and it didn't perform anything like the blue one. I told him I didn't trust the yellow one, it seemed like it was always trying to hurt me.
Merten had his doubts about my claim, mainly because they were supposed to be identical. The next day, we took them out and had our own little race. I could run circles around him. He knew he was the better driver, so it must be the boat. He parked the yellow Jones, and the rest as they say - is history.

[willabee]

Willabee , No My Dad Bought It His Name Is Randy Rabe, Ill Geyt Some More Info From Him .

I met a Randy Rabe and his wife at an offshore race in Fort Lauderdale in the early 70's. Gary Garbrecht had asked me if I would be interested in running Mercurys offshore efforts, and I said I would like to know more about it before committing. We went to a race headquartered at Le Club. The Randy Rabe I met was a cool dude - he introduced me to his version of rum and coke ( I still drink it today ). His wife was an absolute knockout, but she didn't think much of me. We all went out one night, I got caught up in all the excitement and got a little hammered. I remember her saying something to Gary like - "your friend can't handle his liquor very well" - She was right. I think he was driving an outboard powered boat of his own manufacture.
Is this the same man that bought the Jones:confused: :confused:

[PARKER RABE]

YES THATS HIM !!!!! :eek: THATS MY MOM AND DAD , YES THEY ARE STILL MARRIED , AND MY MOTHER IS STILL BEAUTIFUL AS EVER , THERE BOTH RETIRED BASICLY AND HES OUT OF THE BOAT BUSINESS , BUT STILL DRINKS RUM AND COKES !!! MEE TOO!

I WISH HE WOULD GET ON THE SITE TO TALK WITH US , BUT HE JUST TELLS ME WHAT TO SAY :) HE REMBERS EVERYTHING SO CLEAR ! THE STORY HE HAS ARE LIKE SEEROYS

[willabee]

Thanks Parker, it's good to know that they are still together and doing well. Please tell them that Bill Welch says "Hi". Ask them if they remember a Christmas card they sent - they posed next to some garbage cans looking pretty bad, she was ( pretending, I think ) pregnant, maybe a young you was in the photo and the caption was something like " We hope all is well with you and yours - we're doing great" . We all thought it was hilarious.
I agree, Randy could probably do a great job of story telling - talk him into it.

[PARKER RABE]

U Know What I Still Have Copys Of That Picture!!!! Man Is That Funny , They Did It For Christmas Cards , Sooo Funny !

[76baja18ft]

do you have a recent picture of the ron jones boat?

[PARKER RABE]

no , but i could take some. ill snap a few this week

[Racemore]

Damn,I wish I had my Streaker back.Gona buy another one.Cool pics Mom,Dad and the real Slim Shadey. :D Keepem comin bro. :cool:

[PARKER RABE]

lonnie , mullins had an old streaker for $250 bucks floor was rotton , but hell the metalflake was in good shape , ill see if he still has it !

[mark benson]

Pic. 7 #247 Randy Rabe- Molinari
" 8 #104 Frank Chase- Schulze

[digital_jeff]

Hi Parker,
found this picture. If I find more i'll be sure to post them.

jeff

[PARKER RABE]

Thats awsome jeff thanks

[GENE LANHAM]

Hi Parker,
found this picture. If I find more i'll be sure to post them.

jeff

Hi Jeff and Parker: The yellow boat behind Randy's 202 is the 32' Bertram #303, the only outboard to win the 'Bahamas 500', with Doug Silvera/John Stenbeck aboard. 1970.

Gene

[digital_jeff]

Hi Gene,
Here is your name, proudly displayed on the side of Aeromarine III!

jeff

[littlenige]

digi jeff - please do you have more photo's like that?! Wonderful!

[digital_jeff]

Hi littlenige,
Happy to say I have more photos than you can shake a stick at, sorry to say I don't have the time to do them justice. I'll do what I can though.
This is Parker's thread, so I need to create a separate one for all the various stuff.
Stay tuned,
jeff

[PARKER RABE]

u can put them here if u want

[Hot Shot Merc]

Hey Parks.I was at Ryan Beckleys shop last week getting the stickers for my boat and a guy pulled up after seeing my boat and asked questions only an experienced hot rod boater could ask.We got to talking about the old Magnums and Rabco's.I asked if he knew your dad and he was happy to say yes.He went on and on about some turbine engine boat he did at somem boat show or reggata or something where the exhaust pipe fell off and burned the back of the boat.Then talked about your dad trying to pull it out of the water some pimpin car like a lincoln or caddy that was just spinnin the tires.He spoke very high of your dad and asked me to see if you remembered him.He raced for years but I forgot what it was.His name is Bill Turner.I told him anbout this site and this thread:thumbsup:

[digital_jeff]

Thanks Parker, but i'll try to keep to the subject at hand. :thumbsup:
By the way, here is another shot of #202 - kinda small and in the background. Sweet looking set-up!
jeff

[digital_jeff]

Anyone recognize the guy in the foreground?
jeff

[Mark75H]

Mr. Swift?

[GENE LANHAM]

Anyone recognize the guy in the foreground?
jeff

Looks more like Gordon Hoover than Joe Swift-----? In Lucaya???

[seeroy]

Looks more like Gordon Hoover than Joe Swift-----? In Lucaya???
Gene - I agree that it does not look like Joe Swift - Best Regards - Steve

[willabee]

Thanks Parker, but i'll try to keep to the subject at hand. :thumbsup:
By the way, here is another shot of #202 - kinda small and in the background. Sweet looking set-up!
jeff

Was that shot taken at Le Club in Fort Lauderdale?

[willabee]

Was that shot taken at Le Club in Fort Lauderdale?

The picture I'm asking about is on post #82. I stayed at Le Club when it was headquarters for the race to Bimini that year, 1972 maybe (Sam Griffith Memorial?). Something about that photo looks awful familiar.

[PARKER RABE]

ttt for a great thread

[FUJIMO]

Le Club International PlayBoy Club on the Intracoastal Waterway? What a place that was! Good times & memories for sure. Been torn down & redeveloped since the 80's.