Hendrix was on the OMC payroll and all of his props were made at the Evinrude plant in Milwaukee. In fairness to Don, if Leek and the boys didn't go out to test, its kinda hard to develop something different in props.
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Hendrix was on the OMC payroll and all of his props were made at the Evinrude plant in Milwaukee. In fairness to Don, if Leek and the boys didn't go out to test, its kinda hard to develop something different in props.
!. The first lightweight "aircraft" batteries I remember were in 73 (TII era) or thereabouts.
2. I am having a hard time believing all of this "no testing, no props" on the OMC side. With folks like Jimbo, Ron Hill, Fred Hauenstein, John Shubert, Johnnie Saunders, Cesar Scotti, and Cees Van Der Velden running your stuff , how in the world was testing limited? The European guys had Rolla to lean on for props, no doubt, and the stock outboard guys were all about props and setup. Maybe they didn't test at Waukegan, but what about the "farm" in Sandusky, Alan Yaw's team in Abilene, and Scotti and Velden's shops in Europe? If the testing and props were as backward as you say, then the boats, powerheads and lower units must have been much better than Merc's to stay anywhere near them.
!It's probably the same one they brought out in 1964-----again in'72/77/83/89/92/95/99one l last desperate attempt to milk it one more time in 2006!
Mercury also had fuel saving motors-----as much as 40% in '68------only 25% in'71-----a massive '33% in '80-----by 2012 the outboards should have been PRODUCING gasoline------try convincing any Verado owner of that.
But then again, that was when Mercury had a P.R. Machine that really worked with guys like Joe Swift-----Ham Hamburger----David Parkinson and the likes. (Butler was a late starter)
Truth was not paramount----product was----NEVER LOSE SIGHT OF THE OBJECTIVE -------
That is the best single piece of advice you will ever get in your whole life----believe me.
Your about right in the time frame for lightweight batteries-----Hodges was involved with F1( safety cells ) and Nicholson/McLaren and was excited about the new energy cells-----so was I except for the price.
About that time it seemed everything in the world was "booming" not least the prices.
Was a bit of a hectic day yesterday Jim and this kinda slipped through almost unnoticed.Quote:
Originally Posted by OLEGATOR
I try to answer all my friends comments and don't like to miss anyone!
Mark and I were running through the X Files on FaceTime when he got all of a quiver and said. " Dad,----there's a bunch of stuff here with Jim Hunt testing a "CRITCHFIELD"
Pruett always rated you as one of the top racers in the USA and could never understand why you never were in the regular team----he reckoned you and GG must have had a set to at some time.
Anyway to cut to the chase Jim------you were mentioned in dispatches ------there is a bunch of data in there------maybe there's some Raveau testing too----it's a few days since we talked-------Marks up in Disney with the Mouse and grandson but will check with him Monday and get back on it.
Jackie: I swear you would argue with your mother about being born. My comments are limited to the period from 1973 to 1975. Veldon was driving for Merc, Alan Yaw was running U boats for Posey and Bobby Witt, Woods was an independent trying to get a turbo charged V-4 to last more than 5 min and Sanders was driving for McCune in Denver. My comments are related to testing of the rotary engine in preparation of racing. I'm sure Posey, Woods Sanders etc were doing their own thing with their own setups, BUT NOT WITH THE ROTARY ENGINE! You are correct in some ways. What Merc lacked in HP, gear cases, power lift etc they made up with better boats and better preparation. In addition, OMC did little else but the rotary during that period with the exception of Paris in '74 and the beginning of '75 when the rotaries were put on the shelf. You should remember also that the real purpose behind the rotary race engine was to "beat those black bastards" which it did admirably. Have a nice evening and tip a CC for me.
Who the hell rattled your cage this morning Johnno----- ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Rotary John
My SAINTED mother was too busy rattling me round the ear and chasing me down the street with a broom to ever stop and actually ARGUE ,! With me?
Have to confess you lost me when you started on the fictional achievements of your wellbeloved Wankels and testing of such------refresh me on what it was I said that lit the blue touch paper?
What Mercury lacked in H.P. Gear cases,power lift etc---they made up for in RESULTS-----WINS------1 st Places on the Podium.
Lets just take WINS FROM 1973---75---The Wankel years------how many was that you said you had Johnno. 6? S-----I. ------X. Was it? A whole six in three years ------Umpteen million $$$$$$____almost unlimited budget!! 4/6 of the worlds top drivers---the best boats money could buy and you managed a WHOLE big 6----well whoopy frickin whoopy ---doo!,,
They were six CLASSICS I hope------not some iddy biddy back yard puddle duck races I hope!,
Tell me you got a Paris or a Parker, Bristol Berlin or Barcelona, Amsterdam, Milan or even Miami, just so you can say " We Did It".
Johnno, I don't have the heart in me to tell you how many GP's those "Black Bastards" (your words not mine) won in those three years the Wankel WERE around.
I will have a CC7to your very good health Johnno and I hope we are still friends after this- but I have to remind you of the words of Winnie
NEVER. IN THE FIELD OF SPORTING CONFLICT
HAS SO LITTLE BEEN ACHIEVED
BY THE FEW
AFTER SO MUCH WAS SPENT TRYING TO EMULATE THEM. ROTARIES R.I.P
Time for my afternoon nap---talk later. J.
If you recall you were exclaiming about all the Merc testing at lake X you found in your latest procurement. I was reminding you of previously stated information that OMC didn't do the testing or preparation that Merc. did. It was at this point you tried to exclaim about all the OMC drivers and how they had to have tested to be successful; except none of them did any testing with the rotary. I believe it was you that said the OMC engines were so much better than Merc and CK was ****ting feathers. I was trying to explain the fact that preparation and testing gave Merc an advantage that made up for the so called engine difference. How many races Merc won is of no relevance to what I was trying to say about lack of OMC race testing but only further reinforces what I had said..
Have to take the fifth here Johnno-----I plead " Not Guilty" I did say C.K. Was spitting feathers----after testing------Did not mention testing or OMC drivers--------that was some other bugger(thread 1400). J.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rotary John
OK, still friends. Could use that fifth right now, but the dear wife has put me on the wagon. She says I get too argumentative and ornery when I drink liquor.I think the Merc guys must have thought OMC was out on the water every day trying new this and that. Fact was they weren't; I was there and part of it. It might have happened before I was involved or after I left, but not when I was there.
Johnno my friend, I believe you. Guess our wives would get on famously! Mine thinks tiddly or cold sober I am a cantankerous old curmudgeon who argues even before the hats dropped.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rotary John
I used to go visit Rolla----in my old camper van with all the kids and a boat strapped on the back, pick up a bunch of props and go to the camp site at Casale Monferrato , you could use the race circuit any time. Have lunch in Alberto' s ristorante, leave all the kids(5) and sneak over to Como with my ex-W D binoculars and spy on Scotti and Renato while they were testing.
Renato had to be the most " tested" boat driver of all time-----there weren't many days when he wasn't out on the lake. Don't suppose it was any different when he went to OMC.
Those early days were tremendously happy days, all the drivers were friends, we spent summers at each other's houses, we swopped kids for weeks on end-------had to read the riot act to my eldest daughter Sandy-----she had been staying in the mountains with the Rasini's for four weeks----looked like she was staying till the snows came----did not want to go to Portugal for the family two weeks get together.
Still friends to this day with a bunch of drivers from, Italy, Holland,Ireland, France, Belguim, Switzerland, Sweden,Norway, America, Canada, Germany and all points in between----it's a fellowship stronger than the masons or the mafia------it's simply BOATRACING.
Amen.....and the OMC guys did as much testing as anyone else... :PQuote:
Originally Posted by jackiewilson
It's Monday again and just a couple of weeks to Christmas ------seems to be a monthly affair these days -----,it comes around so quickly.
I well remember the wartime Christmas's of the early '40's----the first time dad brought home all the crew of his Lancaster bomber--------Lee Pitu was a 6'2" North American Indian and the pilot of
S for Sugar--------part of 406 Squadron, Bomber Command, he always seemed like a giant to me. All the kids in the street would gather by the house to catch a glimpse of these legendary figures, living, present day warriors---they must have stayed at the house a dozen times or more from 1942-- to ----1944. They were stationed at Linton-on-Ouse near York, only about forty miles from
Lightcliffe (where I lived) so on weekend furloughs, home and the pub was a good place to be.
Best of all they brought "Chicklets and Hershey bars-----Pall Mall and Lucky Strikes, Chesterfields and Camels (doctors recommend them) there was always enough chocolate to go round all the kids in the village. Five of the crew were Americans (Yanks), one Canadian, an Australian and the old man of the team at 27 was father.
How the hell can that possibly be seventy years ago----I remember all their names like it was yesterday----remember Pitu going to the palace to collect his " Gong", if only I could remember last week as clearly. Wow----that was a blast from the past------was just having a funny five minutes back there-----told you I rambled.
Well bugger me if the boiler (furnace) hasn't just upped and died yesterday, why does it always happen on a Sunday . It's a year ago this week at a cost of $5,000 we had an all singing and dancing state of the art heating system installed, can you remember when heating systems lasted for life and any problem could be cured with a swift kick at the boiler------nowadays the plumber dials a dozen digits into his iPhone from a beach in Barbados ------job done (I hope). Anyway we'll see. It's 9:15am, will it get fixed this morning----or even today----know soon enough when he arrives in his 2014 Mercedes Crew Cab Alloy wheeled V8 twin turbo'd Diesel F-ck Truck to peruse the problem, That's the other gripe I have, the muppets don't come to FIX the problem----the idiot comes to tell me what the problem is. I KNOW what the problem is!!! For crying out loud------it's dead!! Kaput!!! Morte! Lifeless, non functional, and on top of that it's useless----so why should I have to pay this Ox/Cam educated truck driver with a PHD in quantum Physics $100 to tell me what I already know------The Friggin boiler is broken.
Jilly tells me to quiet down-----be tranquil -----sit down, have a cup of tea------I ask you in all honesty would you-----in your overcoat , gloves and a wooly hat----in England , in December waiting for a "Tradesman" (that's a laugh) ----------Be Tranquil , whilst waiting to be relieved of a wallet load of loot.
For those of you who are still interested---speech is back to normal---no side effects -----apparently it's not unusual (Tom Jones) to have a second hit. They won't even consider giving me back my licence for another month, I suppose they have a point. It ain't half going to be a long month for you lot out there having to listen to an old farts ramblings for a month.
Suppose I should try and talk about boat racing history and leave out the war and the personal stuff. trouble is, it kinda gets interwoven with itself, only boats I remember were MTB's with four Packards two torpedoes and JFK as the hero somewhere in the South Pacific. -----Didn't they do a musical about that-----Guys and Molls with James Cagney and Jean Harlow?----here I go rambling on again while I wait for the plumber. Ok, I'll give it a rest and catch you later.
Well Jim, I have to be honest-----that brought a bit of dampness to the corner of my peeper for some unknown and un fathomable reason, try not to do softness and sentiment anymore, but I guess it's ok amongst old friends once in a while. Why the hell would you ever want to leave home Jim except to come back from wherever you went just to appreciate what you already got!!
Friends are the icing on a damn near perfect cake. (More Wilson ramblings)
That trip through Flagstaff over 40 years ago was one of life's precious happenings, to be remembered and savoured now again when I need a little lift.m Love you too James Hunt ( Wheel man of the sunshine syndicate) .