Strangler or Twister!!!!!!

[Guy Hanson]

What was ultimately A BETTER race motor? Strangler or Twister did one of these stand out as being superior or was it a toss up?? I am talking in general terms, not a one off speed record!!!:cool:

Does anyone know how many or approx how many Super Stranglers were made?
And how many Twister II,s and IIX were made??

Hope this may start some interesting discussion!;)

[Mark75H]

Hundreds of Twisters were made. Maybe 50 of each OMC race motor.

The OMC's only won a handful of races ... probably due as much to prop and boat set up and more to driver skill than the motors. What makes them seem more dominant was that the few races they won were the big races.

[STV_Keith]

The Super Stranglers had a kick ass, distinctive sound. Always loved the way they sounded.

http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=153295&stc=1&d=1219870506

[Mark75H]

Keith, the picture is too big. It chokes even my computer and fiberoptic connection.

[STV_Keith]

It's 400k and 980x692 - what kinda wussy computer you got there? :D That better?

[Mark75H]

Zactly ... 400K ... apparently there was a slow connection between your server and verizon, too. Made bad seem worse. It only needs to be about 110k.

[KG4]

I have always been a twister 2 fan but i would love to have both of them in my garage now:D

[PARKER RABE]

...................

[KG4]

Love the pictures,Those twisters look bad ass.

[STV_Keith]

Twisters huh...ok... :D

[STV_Keith]

Funny, these are pics of the same guy that had the Power Craft above with the Super Strangler.

[Li'l Toy]

My history with fast boats is all about sounds and smells, and there's nothing like the sound of a Super Strangler. Even better than a pair of megaphone Mercs on a Wing.

[T2x]

My history with fast boats is all about sounds and smells, and there's nothing like the sound of a Super Strangler. Even better than a pair of megaphone Mercs on a Wing.

Have you ever heard a Merc Stacker?

T2x

[Li'l Toy]

Have you ever heard a Merc Stacker?

T2x

If by stacker you mean the three megaphone exhaust. It may be that I heard so many of them that I just see the Super Strangler as unique.

My brother and I ran the Gold Coast Marathon in about 1965 (I think I was 13). We're milling around north of the 79 St. Causeway trying to figure out a clock start when we just hear this "sound" coming from south of the Causeway. Dave Craig and another wing come under the bridge flat out and screaming for the start line--hit it perfect.

Few years later, I am spectating at the GCM now run in the bay only around the Pelican Harbor Yacht Club, a red wing is leading but over the hour it is reeled in by a single engine tunnel with one of the Merc side exhaust box racing inline 6's (sorry, not good on names of models). I kind of saw that as my experience of the end of an era.

[Mark75H]

Merc side exhaust box racing inline 6's (sorry, not good on names of models).

Could hardly be described better ... everyone knows exactly what you mean:thumbsup:

[T2x]

If by stacker you mean the three megaphone exhaust. It may be that I heard so many of them that I just see the Super Strangler as unique.

My brother and I ran the Gold Coast Marathon in about 1965 (I think I was 13). We're milling around north of the 79 St. Causeway trying to figure out a clock start when we just hear this "sound" coming from south of the Causeway. Dave Craig and another wing come under the bridge flat out and screaming for the start line--hit it perfect.

Few years later, I am spectating at the GCM now run in the bay only around the Pelican Harbor Yacht Club, a red wing is leading but over the hour it is reeled in by a single engine tunnel with one of the Merc side exhaust box racing inline 6's (sorry, not good on names of models). I kind of saw that as my experience of the end of an era.

You are describing Gene Lanham's Wing being chased by Gary Peacock in a Zonker with a single Twister One on the transom.

[Li'l Toy]

I forgot it was Peacock, but Lanham I should have known--red WGNU boat? I am just terrible on names.

Not just the end of the Wing era, but the end of the GCM too, if I recall. Or did it really end when they stopped running Miami to West Palm and back?

[Guy Hanson]

Great comments thanks, yes boat racing is about those three elements: Site-Sound and smell!!! these motors racing particularly together!! create these elements so well to the point they can make the hairs on your back stand up!!
The site of an old style tunnel with nothing but air and a spray under and around it, a screaming strangler , BP , twister running on some yummy smelling fuel and doing 100 plus MPH cant be beat by anything!!!!

You know instinctively that its all on the edge, the motor is at its limits the boat is flying and no room for driver error at this point and the driver knows he is on the ragged side of life, it makes for an impressive and dangerous site!:reddevil:

P>S better add another couple of elements: extreme danger and extreme fun!:)

[Li'l Toy]

That's right--the great smell of castor oil at an OPC race. But wait, only mineral oils were legal in OPC then. Oops.

[Jeff_G]

Ahhh, bean oil. I ran it in the early 90's and it was actually funny how many on the beach would be remarking about someone running illegal fuel! Great smell. Legal at the time.

[lilabner]

The Sound of Music

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x34/butchbsa/RedWahlStackCat.jpg

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x34/butchbsa/yellowstackcat.jpg

[Bob V]

I have to ask the question that I have often wondered...What did you do when you were directly behind a boat with a pair of three pipe or six pipe stackers and you did not have enough power to pass it nor did you want to give up your position?

[lilabner]

I'd like to know also..I was usually in one myself..Actually they were pretty rare when I was racing..The most I ever saw at a race were three Bubble Cats in the Around Miami Beach Race..

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x34/butchbsa/sportmaster001.jpg

This one has Quincy stacks..Mercury didn't have any more..even for Dave Craig..


http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x34/butchbsa/DAVES4POINTCAT.jpg

[Mark75H]

Actually they were pretty rare when I was racing..The most I ever saw at a race were three Bubble Cats in the Around Miami Beach Race..

This one has Quincy stacks..Mercury didn't have any more..even for Dave Craig..

Thanks, that was some info I was looking for!

[T2x]

Lil Abner:

Do you have pictures of the 1966 Orange Bowl 9 hour....before the Hank Bowman accident?

I am looking for pix of two hulls........

a red wing copy called "Miss Subway"

and a white wing with the superstructures cut off with the driver in the middle.

Thanks

T2x

[lilabner]

Sorry, but I was in the far east when they ran that one..Dave may have some..I'll ask him for you..

Butch

[lilabner]

Do you think this could be the mystery wing? It was built in Miami..but probably around 1964..I can ask Carl if he ran it in a race..

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x34/butchbsa/cmoesly5.jpg

Butch

[T2x]

Do you think this could be the mystery wing? It was built in Miami..but probably around 1964..I can ask Carl if he ran it in a race..

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x34/butchbsa/cmoesly5.jpg

Butch

Butch:

That's not it......... but wow! It is a design I had not seen before.

What I am looking for is an all white wing........ very sleek........ that I believe either Dave Craig or Odell ran in the '66 Orange Bowl event.... At the time I asked about it and was told it was one of the wooden Switzer wings that had been cut down...and it looked exactly like that.

The other boat (Miss Subway) was a Switzer Wing copy (I think) including amber tinted canopies over the cockpits. I saw it at a few races over a couple of years and it belonged to a guy from Chicago.

T2x

[GENE LANHAM]

You are describing Gene Lanham's Wing being chased by Gary Peacock in a Zonker with a single Twister One on the transom.

Rich: That was the last GCM, run on the long course North Biscayne Bay by the Pelican Harbor Yacht Club. "Fish"s father, Jack Staples, won, driving a single Molinari with some kind of a 'Twister'. Jack was pushing me so hard, I spun the Red Bird in turn 2 of the last lap, and finished second. That was the last race for the Red Bird, the last Gold Coast Marathon, probably one of the last races for the stackers and the "Hot Multies". In the past 35 years, I have run that last lap in my brain a thousand times-----

Gene

[T2x]

Rich: That was the last GCM, run on the long course North Biscayne Bay by the Pelican Harbor Yacht Club. "Fish"s father, Jack Staples, won, driving a single Molinari with some kind of a 'Twister'. Jack was pushing me so hard, I spun the Red Bird in turn 2 of the last lap, and finished second. That was the last race for the Red Bird, the last Gold Coast Marathon, probably one of the last races for the stackers and the "Hot Multies". In the past 35 years, I have run that last lap in my brain a thousand times-----

Gene

I stand corrected on the Zonker/Peacock combo.

By the way........ we won the "great race"....and Magoon's little buddy survived........ with a smile on his face and a trophy to boot.

Rich

[mk55]

anybody got a sound clip of a stacker?