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The Bartlett show to this day is still huge in Wisconsin Dells, I saw the Wisconsin registration numbers on the flivvers which kinda gave me the clue. Back in the mid 60s I was about 8or9 and I thought the coolest job in the world was a driver for the show. They came down wearing the shiny black satin Mercury jackets climbing into the hydrodynes with TWIN in lines! Even today...... it’s still pretty cool.Quote:
Originally Posted by moparbarn
Damn I forgot the Dells/Bartlett! Lived Northen Ill, Chain. Many times me north. Ex In Laws summer crib (ha! 8 car garage, nice boat house)on Lake Minocqua, ex BIL lives Eagle River. Myna friends still up there as the UP. Been gone 26 years west coast, but still miss the damn FOOD AS PEOPLE!Quote:
Originally Posted by SS170
1976 850.. I was 4 years old when my father bought one on a 17 foot saf t mate tri hull. I've been working on it for the past couple months for something cool. I learned to fish..slalom ski and proberly got laid the first time with that rig.
76 was the best cowl decals merc ever had.
Shortly after I started at Merc in April '65, for training I was sent with one of our lab techs to the Bartlett show to rig up some M500's on the jump boats. Supposedly the motors were already on the boats and all we had to do was throttle/shift/and water test. Got there and there are 4 motors in boxes sitting on the beach! Found out they needed two for that night's show, and the Hydrodyne tow boat was acting up so we worked on that first. I got to test drive it - dual 1000's and low pitch props, that thing would leap! Then we hung the 500's and when one was finished I took it out for break-in. Several of the Bartlett drivers said go over the ramp! I lined up but chickened out, thinking if I screw this up they don't have two boats for tonight's opening show. To this day I wish I had gone over that ramp! By the way, those 500's had steel swivel brackets - our foundry cast them and we had machined them - no way they were ever going to fail.Quote:
Originally Posted by SS170