Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

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Originally Posted by Rotary John

Mouse (Harold Wade) worked with Ziggy for Jack Leek in the race group for years. I'll see if I can find a picture and post it.

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As did Ward, the gear case guy, Ken Soller who spent the night before the 1970 Paris race in the streets somewhere in Paris, came to the pits late which infuriated Leek & Wagner, then repaired Sanders motor when others couldn't ( Sanders won) and saved his job, Mike Gwaltney & another Mike whose name escapes me & maybe a couple of more.

Ziggy was a great practical jokester as well especially when hew was inspecting a motor you had built. Had me nervous many times. RIP my friend.

Many thanks to ALL the contributors for keeping this thread up and running.
Youngsters who only heard of these "Legends" by reading the old comics or talking to the old farts who attend the OFF meetings will maybe get an insight into the characters, boats and motors of an age gone by.
We should make it clear that all people, young and old alike are welcome. Just imagine at the end of this century being able to say to the grandchildren ----I once met Odell Lewis, Johnny Bakos and Bill Seebold------wouldn't that BE "A KICK IN THE HEAD".!

The old " tricks "thread really came to life this week, with sad news, good news, useful and useless information------fact and fiction,.
I like it much better when there are lots of other folk involved with many different names coming up with their four pennorth.
Many a time I think to myself-------I'm flogging a dead donkey here--------who wants to look at the ramblings of an old fool boat racer who goes on about yesterday. Not even my kids or grandkids read the column !
Always have had a disagreeable nature, snarl loud enough and most back off, point taken, who argues with "him", I was never like that, but most would disagree just because I called a spade a bloody shovel and the turn bouy was"MINE".

When you got five kids and a mortgage and a boating "HABIT" you don't go out with a begging bowl, you take the Winchester and some attitude. It usually worked.

Steve my neighbour is off on a carribean cruise, but before he left he asked if I could repair five fork handles and two shovels. Would I sandblast eight chairs and two tables all aluminium-----then give em a quick coat of Blue Hamerite. Anything for a friend and neighbour .

The "project " is proving more difficult than I thought, not coming together well, got carried away with the wing, tried to make it like a cross between a Ferrari and a Mercedes front wing but failed miserably because I made it far too complicated and the capsule is proving Difficult .

Had lunch in "THE STAG" at Balls Cross, eight out of ten, too much vein in the steak.
Jilly off to the festival theatre in Chichester tomorrow so I should get a full day in.
watched the England Wales rugby match tonight, there will be some bloody miserable "Red Dragons" in Cardiff tonight.

Thats it for today good night and God bless you all MYGGWY.J.

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Originally Posted by John Schubert

As did Ward, the gear case guy, Ken Soller who spent the night before the 1970 Paris race in the streets somewhere in Paris, came to the pits late which infuriated Leek & Wagner, then repaired Sanders motor when others couldn't ( Sanders won) and saved his job, Mike Gwaltney & another Mike whose name escapes me & maybe a couple of more.

Ziggy was a great practical jokester as well especially when hew was inspecting a motor you had built. Had me nervous many times. RIP my friend.

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Ward Cox was the gearcase man. He took apart and inspected every gearcase after every race. Mike Kukla was the other Mike. He died in 1975 or 6 of Leukemia. Ted Wright was also on the race team for awhile and he also died in '75. Mike Gualtney, married Mike Kuala's wife a couple of years after he died and is still married to her as far as I know. Ziggy and Mouse were both practical jokers. What one didn't think of the other did. Many a tale could be told of some of their adventures.

If you wanted to know who the " clown prince" of racing was, look no further than Billy Don PRUETT , still not certain after all these years whether he was an uncertified fruit and nut case or simply had a bolt loose------he was one hell of a practical joker.

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Originally Posted by jackiewilson

If you wanted to know who the " clown prince" of racing was, look no further than Billy Don PRUETT , still not certain after all these years whether he was an uncertified fruit and nut case or simply had a bolt loose------he was one hell of a practical joker.

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I have found an old story about Ziggy and Mouse. While at a boat race in Memphis Jack Leek head of boat racing and his wife had retired early to their hotel room, while the rest of the crew partied in the parking lot. Mouse and Ziggy got bored and tipsy and noticed a Bobcat where the hotel were building a swimming pool.They decided to hot wire it and use it for giving people a ride to the second floor but after a while this got old too so they decided to move the swimming pool sand and pile it against Leeks hotel door (which just happened to open inwards) then piled all the empty beer cans on top of the sand.After frantic pounding on Leeks door he arose to see what the hell all the commotion was and opened his door. Needless to say it took hours to dig Jack out and clean up all the mess.

Was with PRUETT in Havasu when he decided he could fly the twin engine Molinari-----think it was the one Sirois had used the previous year-------Up and Away. He was ok with a fixed wing and Gyrocopters but a piss poor pilot in that particular craft. he tore his hip out and was airlifted back to Florida.
Jim Hunt drove the wreck back to Florida with me as passenger as far as Texas, tried to tell him Molinaris do not fly well or for long distances.
We left Orlando (was before he moved to Sarasota) some two weeks before Havasu. Picked the boat up in Oshkosh and did Route 66 clear across the USA .
He got into a fight in Tocumcari with a real life cowboy after showing off his dancing skills to this poor mans Dolly Parton, he left the guy with a broken nose and no hard feelings. By the time we got to Flagstaff he'd spent all the gas money and took my last $100 bill to fill the tank up.
Merton gave him a real hard time over that, so PRUETT just threw a skunk in his room, I never did get the $100 back.

Night Folks! MYGGWY.J.

Can't stop laughin!!! Great stuff!:cheers: Gary:thumbsup:

...Jackie, if there is one thread on this site I always look forward to reading it's this one! I am a newcomer here but have to say this is certainly an entertaining as well as informative read with every post that is made by you guys.
Was thinking about your woodworking skills this afternoon as the younger brother and I pulled over 50 Black Walnut trees out of the ground at the Pecan orchard we have. They were planted by my Dad who knows when and were all bunched together in a space about 30 by fifteen. Darn things thank goodness had crap for a root system so I loaded them up on the trailer and used the Kubota to move them over by my big compost pile. Laid them out side by side like corpses and covered up the roots with the compost so that they trees stay alive until I can figure out what to do with them. Some of them were pretty good size and we had to grab a John Deer 6530 and use the front end lift to pull them out. Saved some of the wood that I wanted and hope to let it dry in the barn and make something out of it in the future.

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Originally Posted by Galveston340

...Jackie, if there is one thread on this site I always look forward to reading it's this one! I am a newcomer here but have to say this is certainly an entertaining as well as informative read with every post that is made by you guys.
Was thinking about your woodworking skills this afternoon as the younger brother and I pulled over 50 Black Walnut trees out of the ground at the Pecan orchard we have. They were planted by my Dad who knows when and were all bunched together in a space about 30 by fifteen. Darn things thank goodness had crap for a root system so I loaded them up on the trailer and used the Kubota to move them over by my big compost pile. Laid them out side by side like corpses and covered up the roots with the compost so that they trees stay alive until I can figure out what to do with them. Some of them were pretty good size and we had to grab a John Deer 6530 and use the front end lift to pull them out. Saved some of the wood that I wanted and hope to let it dry in the barn and make something out of it in the future.

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A goldmine has no value whatsoever if you can't sell it or use it-------same thing with walnut trees?
Get it planked and sticked, one of my favourite woods of all time, also one of the most expensive and for durability and beauty, it's right up there with the best. your Dad did a good job planting the orchard.
You may get a visit from a guy with a truck and a TRAILOR with a beautiful accent.

The Six Nations is a rugby competition held annually to decide which country is on form, it used to be the Five nations 'till Italy joined the fray. It's a gentler form of America football except it don't stop for adverts every play which consists of two forty minute halves with usually very little stoppage time. This goes on for the next six weeks as from this weekend. I prefer it to soccer as you don't get the hooligans involved.
Another of those beautiful God given days with wall to wall sunshine and no Arctic winds, just needs to be twenty degrees warmer!

Managed to repair Steve's gardening utensils and strip the garden chair ready for "Hameriteing".

C'mon Wilson, move yourself. Time to hit the trail, it's nearly eight, but it is sunday!

Managed to get the first coat of paint on the garden chair, had to take the arms and legs off'n it before I was able to get all the old flaking paint cleared. 'Orrible job painting an ornamental garden chair with " Hamerite ". I used a one inch ROUND brush with a long point on it, to get any sort of finish you have to kinda use a stabbing. Motion.
Had a leg of lamb for lunch, roast potatoes and parsnips, carrots, sprouts and beans and broccoli with Yorkshire pudding, and a bottle of Merlot, desert was treacle pud and custard-------you wouldn't have liked it WILLA?
Used the SLR Sony I bought on e bay for the first time, found out it needed a memory card or it stored zilch. Hundreds of em on Ebay for under $5 for 8gb and free postage.



paddy books a flight on easy jet.
girl at the desk asks " how many people are flying with you?
Paddy replies " how the hell would I know, it's your feckin plane"

stewardess ss asks paddy, "would you like a drink sir?"
paddy asks for a large Bushmills
she then asked the Muslim in the next seat if he would like a drink?
muslim yells at her. "I would never ever let a drop of the evil liquid pass my lips, I would sooner be raped by a hundred virgins"
paddy says to the stewardess ""I never realised there was a choice!!!"

not or much happened today so I just threw those in to fill in.

night night all MYGGWY.J.

Well into the second week of February and the temperature is getting on towards double figures with no sign of the dreaded white stuff.
Spoke with Mark on FaceTime----his boat is coming together well-----getting ready for the Miami boat show on Thursday, he usually spends four days down there drumming up. Business.
He keeps asking why I don't go live in Florida? Just play golf with Seebold and he will build me a shop to do my stuff. Not as easy as that, I have the most marvellous neighbours, a cat called "MURPHY" and a wife with a pregnant daughter------two very poorly sons and a mind of her own.
I try to explain to him that you don't take decisions like that lightly, I already have a wonderful life here, sunshine is not the only thing in life, though summer is my favourite season.
Workshop beckons, should get a full day in today, will try and take a couple of piccies with me all singing and dancing SLR SONY.

Jackie: My nephew is on a business trip to Cotswold and is staying at Bowden Hall. Any where near you?

About 100/120 miles Johno, but I'm home all week`---------tell him to just head south towards Portsmouth-----then on the 27 to Chichester------then ten minutes to Walberton. I'll even post my address if you want.

Jackie: Thanks, but he is just there for a few days on business. No time for sight seeing, so he says. Plenty of time to taste the local brew though , so he says.

Got enough worries of my own at the minute, Kim , one of my daughters has been rushed into hospital with a gall bladder problem, where they found she has an irregular heart beat and are making "pacemaker noises".
Forgive the lack of posts but ill post a bad joke if need be, sorry if i seem to ignore you Johno, been a bit tied up. may have to do a mercy mission up to Suffolk