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SCT
10-17-2002, 12:02 PM
There is a guy on OSO that is looking for an old Checkmate racing tunnel from the early 70s era. He has posted some neat old pictures of his dad racing the boat. I know very few Cmate tunnels were produced and I'm sure the boat was probably fire wood along time ago, but it is an interesting article.

Maybe someone can help the guy out.

" A yankee in the South"
SCT


http://www.offshoreonly.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=34913

Raceman
10-17-2002, 12:29 PM
SCT, there are a couple of those boats still around, although I'm not aware of that particular one. Troy Collins from Augusta, Ga showed up at the ODBA race in Jasper with one in 2001 with a 1500XS on an old BP mid. He made two passes and hit the trailer, but it was neat to see a blast from the past on the water.

I think this guy's memory is off a notch or two though. The OMC rotaries weren't around in 73 when he was talking about his dad being passed by one. I think they were more like early 80's, but can't remember for sure.

Mark75H
10-17-2002, 05:53 PM
Sorry, Raceman, 1973 is the correct year for the OMC rotaries. They were more or less concurrent with the prototype OMC looper V-6 and the Super Stranglers.

Raceman
10-18-2002, 04:01 AM
Sam, my memory's a little foggy on the rotaries, but it's hard to believe it was that early unless there were two waves of em. The first major race I went to was Miami in 75. The Merc privateers still had T2X's and there were a VERY few T3's there. Before I'd gone, which I assume was the year before, they'd run the T3's there or somewhere for the first time and everybody had been speculating that they were some kind of opposed 6 because the cowl looked way too narrow for a V engine. I'm sure of the year and also sure that even though both factories were present, there wasn't a rotary or V6 OMC in sight. That's the year that Reggie and two other boats blew over dead in front of where I was sittin' on the front straight. Anyhow, the rotaries I remember later were big ole' motors and were more than competitive with the V6's they were running against. I know they ran em on bigger boats than were ever being run in the mid 70's. I'd be interested in knowing if OMC had two different rotary programs with one early and one late, with a gap of several years in the middle, or if my memory is that far off on those.

Spreadeagle
10-18-2002, 07:59 AM
http://forums.screamandfly.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19875


Put an in-line stacker on it and I'd bet the neighbors would be jumpin for joy!!

later
gary

bglz42
10-18-2002, 09:22 AM
My memory is DEFINITELY foggy on most stuff, but I remember that race like it was yesterday. (I still have the cloth patch!) I actually put my hands on one of the rotaries. And spent hours watching them in practice. They made a sound like no other outboard, before or since. Here's a quote from a Wankel site:

OMC 1970's Rotary Engines
OMC (Outboard Marine Corporation) bought a sub-license for the Wankel engine from Curtiss-Wright, announced on March 2, 1966.

OMC 4 rotor outboards raced about six times summer and fall of 1973, winning every race in U class (unlimited). For example, at the Galveston Speed Classic, they placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, lapping the entire field three times (a fourth rolled and smashed). Displacement was 122 cubic inches. Power was estimated at 330 hp.

That was the race Dad was in. He only raced a few seasons before mom made him quit. We went to a race in Memphis, and a driver was killed. That settled it. Ironically, Dad was killed in an industrial accident at work in 1977. Should have kept racing...

JimG

Rickracer
10-18-2002, 09:32 AM
Or at least find out more about them? I love the way rotary motors run, I had a beat up '74 Mazda RX-4 with a 13B in it once upon a time. Very impressive motor. :cool:

Raceman
10-18-2002, 12:07 PM
Damn, now you guys are gonna make me go diggin' in the attic for old Powerboat Mags. I wasn't getting it in 73, but I know I remember pictures of the Rotary. I'm also pretty sure it was outlawed and if so I'd be curious as to when. I was thinking that in the old pictures which I VAGUELY remember that there were V8's runnin' at the same time.

Jay R.
10-18-2002, 03:08 PM
Anyone know a website that gives some info on these old rotorys?

BK
10-18-2002, 03:59 PM
Der wankelmotor:

http://www.der-wankelmotor.de/Motoren/OMC/omc.html




Zur Outboard Marine Cooperation gehören Evinrude und Johnson. Unter dem Label Johnson wurde der Vierscheiben-Renn-Wankelmotor RC 42 1973 eingesetzt. OMC hatte seine Lizenz 1966 erworben. Die Kammern des RC 42 sind wassergekühlt und die Läufer gemischgekühlt. Der Kammerinhalt beträgt 491 ccm. Die Leistung betrug 260 PS bei 8000Upm.
© Photo Archiv Dieter Korp!

BK
10-18-2002, 04:03 PM
[IMG]http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:FLLzkZoVbFwC:www.der-wankelmotor.de/Motoren/OMC/Johnson_RC42.jpg[IMG]

brianT2
10-18-2002, 04:11 PM
this is jimbo in a rotary powered boat and johnny schubert in a v4 powered boat, both appear to be scotti hulls. picture is from a 1974 boat race program. sorry to burst your bubble raceman?

brianT2
10-18-2002, 04:21 PM
race was held at lake baldwin near the naval training center in orlando. I don't remember jimbo actually being at that race.

Rickracer
10-18-2002, 04:30 PM
How 'bout in English????:D :D

FASTPACE
10-18-2002, 04:55 PM
RICKRACER: ICURRENTLY OWN A 1990, MAZADA RX-7 WITH A 13B INNERCOOLED ROTARY. 155 MPH, RAN OUT OF GUTS. THIS THANG WILL SET YOU BACK IN YOUR SEAT. THIS IS A SALVAGE CAR, HAD TO INSTALL FRONT CLIP.

Rickracer
10-18-2002, 05:13 PM
...who has an RX-7 with a blower rotary in it. He just sold the blower and is going intercooled turbo. I'm interested in seeing how it runs. He's not quite ready for my lil V-8 S10 though. :D

crazy horse
10-18-2002, 08:59 PM
The april 2001 issue of the Antique Outboarder has a 14 page story on the OMC wankel. It says that the engines were first introduced at the Miami Boat Show in Feb. 1973.

bglz42
10-18-2002, 09:09 PM
Here's my patch from the 1973 race...

Bill Gohr
10-23-2002, 02:44 AM
Those were hands down the coolest trick thing that came out. They were running them up here in 72 and released in 73. Smallest package for the power you'll see. The last one I saw together was at the OMC corp serv office (right outside mine) used to walk passed it 10 times a day. Don't know if it's still there. Supposidly there were rumors of a couple still together in the archives but I never saw them. The best write up I saw on them was in the 1973 Popular Mechanics. I'll look I had some good pics of them but I don't know where they are......

Rickracer
10-23-2002, 08:01 AM
Would it be possible (or practical) to hunt one of these down and actually use it?:cool:

crazy horse
10-23-2002, 09:16 AM
Rick , A couple of years ago my cousin thought he saw one in germany, He has lived there sence he got out of the service right after he got out of Nam. From what I've read there were some in Europe years ago. Here a couple of shots from The Antique Outboarder.

crazy horse
10-23-2002, 09:19 AM
One more shot with Charlie Strang.