Molinari Tunnel Boat History and Information

[stokernick]

Love reading all your sharing thoughts about this great time in racing! Thanks for sharing!

[willabee]

When did they use this emblem ?? I have never seen one and most boats pictured do not have them.

I don't know when they started using the pictured plate, but I do know it was on the closed cockpit models until sometime in 1969. That would mean it was used at least from 1966 to mid 1969. It was generally mounted on both sides of the hull in the center of the cockpit area.

The new boats we received for Havasu 1969 no longer carried that plate. The plate was replaced by a preprinted strip of letters that read Scafo Angelo Molinari. This strip was normally applied in the stripe on the rear cowl in front of the whited area used for the drivers number.

The picture of the Merc Team lining up for the Miami 225 in 1970 pretty much tells the story. The #174 is an 18' vintage 1968 and you can see the plate at the heel of Billy Don's right leg. The #998 is a 1970's vintage 16' sprint and the Scafo etc, is visible in front of Sirois's number. Don Clark's #177 is another 1968 18' and appears to have both plate and lettering. That is entirely possible because by then we had strips of the new lettering in the shop in Oshkosh and Don probably liked it and added to his boat. Moving to Downard, another 1968ish 18', you can see the plate in the center of the cockpit. The beautifully restored red boat on post #5 clearly shows the wording on the preprinted strips is "Scafo Angelo Molinari" which means Hull by Angelo Molinari.

In the pic of the Team in 1972, the #251 & #554 were brand new, never raced and they are still sporting the Scafo, etc. The shot of the low cowl rocker is the 1966ish design that carried the plates.

[olboatman]

Please waffle on ! Gary

[Old fiberglass]

Had to be the last one----The not quite 16' sprint that Angelo painted black for me and said it was a taboo colour and he would never ever do another one that colour-----It was the one with the 1000 BP stitched to it's bum.
Most other drivers including Renato were running 17'--that was until they came up against this combination----they did not know whether it was the boat or the motor and i gave all the top guys a very hard time indeed.

The first one was the yellow 18' "Sit up and beg" that Glastron copied , and Mercury imported every other one that was made at Torriggia.

but i do waffle on don't i,----sorry folks.

Jackie with all the racing yoou have done....you must have some pitures like your good buddy Willabee. can explain the "Sit up and beg" comment ???

I like waffles....nothing to be sorry about : - )

[Old fiberglass]

I don't know when they started using the pictured plate, but I do know it was on the closed cockpit models until sometime in 1969. That would mean it was used at least from 1966 to mid 1969. It was generally mounted on both sides of the hull in the center of the cockpit area.

The new boats we received for Havasu 1969 no longer carried that plate. The plate was replaced by a preprinted strip of letters that read Scafo Angelo Molinari. This strip was normally applied in the stripe on the rear cowl in front of the whited area used for the drivers number.

The picture of the Merc Team lining up for the Miami 225 in 1970 pretty much tells the story. The #174 is an 18' vintage 1968 and you can see the plate at the heel of Billy Don's right leg. The #998 is a 1970's vintage 16' sprint and the Scafo etc, is visible in front of Sirois's number. Don Clark's #177 is another 1968 18' and appears to have both plate and lettering. That is entirely possible because by then we had strips of the new lettering in the shop in Oshkosh and Don probably liked it and added to his boat. Moving to Downard, another 1968ish 18', you can see the plate in the center of the cockpit. The beautiful red boat on post #5 clearly shows the Scafo Angelo Molinari which means Hull by Angelo Molinari.

In the pic of the Team in 1972, the #251 & #554 were brand new, never raced and they are still sporting the Scafo, etc. The shot of the low cowl rocker is the 1966ish design that carried the plates.

Great info.....my tired old eyes didn't make out the emblems in the pictures until you pointed them out. So, from what you are saying the first Molinari's hit the USA in 1966-ish ?? Any idea of how many Mercury bought per year ??? Looking at pictures it seems like they were everywhere. Even back then did the hulls tend to rot quickly ???

[Fish]

here is my dads around 1972-73. he had a different cowling though for some reason, maybe a checkmate??

[stokernick]

checkout the 72 Cadillac tow vehicle!!!

[2us70]

I recognise the boat and venue in the 3rd picture of post #17. The picture was shot at the Miami Outboard Club which was where a lot of races were run before the Marine Stadium was built. I am pretty sure the boat is the first Molinari I ever saw and the driver is either Lonnie Todd or Gene Lanaham.
I only got the chance to drive one Molinari, an 18 Glasstron with a J motor. I found it to be one of the sweetest handeling and most comfortable raceboats I ever sat in. I would have lover to run a marathon in one of them.

[2us70]

Does anyone remember the 18 Molinaris being run with twins?

[Mike Bruton]

Ken Mann of Houston had a 15' open cockpit Moly in 70 that I believe had one of those name plates on it.

[Old fiberglass]

here is my dads around 1972-73. he had a different cowling though for some reason, maybe a checkmate??

Great action pictures. In the bottom picture is that what they mean by Molinari elbows ??? The bottom picture certainly does look like a Checkmate cowling.

[timmc6]

very cool read,i did not know volvo was ever in the outboard business period,

[Old fiberglass]

This is my Molinari OE-F3 race boat..Purchased brand new from Renato 1977..I installed a Volvo Penta/König and raced all summer 1977..Paris 6 hours also.

Molinari-Volvo Penta/Konig racing 1977

Much more here:

http://svera.se/blogg/racing-histori...g-racing-1977/

Sounds like a great summer. Did you really travel to the races with towing a Molinari and one on the roof ??

[Fish]

Great action pictures. In the bottom picture is that what they mean by Molinari elbows ??? The bottom picture certainly does look like a Checkmate cowling.

i rekon that is where molonari elbows came from. my dad is Jack Staples. he raced this molonari and won the U class championship in Ufala in 73, then raced most of 74 with it. then he got the first hubercotti (bert serra and homer green also won championships i believe with their hubercotti's) and sold his molonari to Bob V. he flipped bad leading ufala in 74 with the hubercotti and other than racing serra's boat one time in okeechobee, that was his last race.

[willabee]

This one was restored by Bud Clark in Canada I believe. Don't know much about it, but it sure is pretty. Anyone ever run one with a T1 ??

When the 18'ers were new, in the US the "big" motor was the water injected 1350 stacker. The TI came a couple of years later and ran on the newer 16' & 17' sprint boats. However, I'm sure there were 18'/Twister combos running also.