Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[Lake X Kid]

From this photo angle, the engine does not look like it is center-lined with the boat cowling & transom.
Should not the right-side (starboard) be showing more, then the engine's opposite side, at this photo angle?
If I factor in the driver's steering to compensate for the engine torque, then does that solve the offset look?

Questions from a rookie driver, whom might be in need of eye glasses.

[2us70]

If that is an SJ boat there would be some pretty strong steering torque. When Mercury changed the lower unit gearing on the 500s I had to add more tension to my steering compensation bungees to be able to drive one handed in my kneel down boat. All of the stock lower unit motors had this issue. Big propellers with low gearing with a lot of pull to the right.

[moparbarn]

From this photo angle, the engine does not look like it is center-lined with the boat cowling & transom.
Should not the right-side (starboard) be showing more, then the engine's opposite side, at this photo angle?
If I factor in the driver's steering to compensate for the engine torque, then does that solve the offset look?

Questions from a rookie driver, whom might be in need of eye glasses.

That also appears to have only a right side rear cowl section. Sure mess's with your (& my) perspective......... Prolly looks like more than what the angles actually are. From my viewpoint, the engine also doesn't appear straight up & down. Almoat looks like it's canted top to the left. Still think the one sided rear cowl is doing it. No doubt, a.good bit of countersteering there.

[2us70]

Anyway you slice it that is a great picture. Flat water, boat just about completely aired out. Kind of looks like a kilo run?

[moparbarn]

Oh yeah, he's got it skint back. Really trimmed pretty, nice & flat for tunnels back then....Anyone know who it is?

[2us70]

I don't know but it looks like it could be an SJ rig from the later70s. My last season was 76 and I never saw that one in my travels.

[willabee]

..... AIN'T THIS YOUR HOT SINGLES THREAD???

After some chatter on 'Hot Multi's' about some boats I got to drive while working for Mercury, with Gene's permission, I'll move that conversation back to 'Hot Singles' so we can talk about some of them. While still working out of the engineering department, before the Race Team was officially started, our test work was promarily done on Switzer Shooting Stars, Checkmates and an occasional Hustler or Tahiti. I remember that the Molinari had arrived, but I hadn't been given the opportunity to get behind the wheel yet so I was doing the V bottom and Star tests.

One day Dick Snyder approached me and said that he had heard that I wanted to drive a Molinari. I told him that was correct. He said that he needed a driver to gather some info that day, so I was elected and told to get the boat ready. The boat was one of the early rocker 18's with the low flat rear cowl. It looked similar to this .....
Attachment 460944

It was sitting in the boathouse with a 1250 stacker mounted on the transom. I replaced that powerhead with a stock unit and went out to our test course. I did not want to add my name to that growing list of people that blew a Molinari over on their maiden voyage. I wanted to carefully learn how to get this boat up to speed. A couple of hours later the stacker was put back on and the tests that Dick needed were completed. If memory serves, those were only about 70 mph boats. It was a thrill to drive, but slower than what I had been driving. However, it got over sloppy water without backing off and the way it turned was just amazing!

Shortly after that a newer style of the 18' rocker arrived. They drove in a similar fashion, but were faster. Merc entered four of them in the 68 Havasu OWC powered by the 'experimental' direct charge 1250 (1350). Those boats ran really well. Tom Stickle had his in 1st place overall around the 2 hour mark and Art Kennedy brought his home 3rd single .....

The next evolution from Molinari was the 18' rocker that everyone loved. It was the design that Glastron used to produce their popular single Glastron/Molinari. These boats got over even more water than the earlier models, still turned on a dime and brought the speed up into the mid 80's. When they were driven right, they looked like this .....

When they were driven wrong, they looked like this .....

To be continued .....

[GENE LANHAM]

After some chatter on 'Hot Multi's' about some boats I got to drive while working for Mercury, with Gene's permission, I'll move that conversation back to 'Hot Singles' so we can talk about some of them. While still working out of the engineering department, before the Race Team was officially started, our test work was promarily done on Switzer Shooting Stars, Checkmates and an occasional Hustler or Tahiti. I remember that the Molinari had arrived, but I hadn't been given the opportunity to get behind the wheel yet so I was doing the V bottom and Star tests.

One day Dick Snyder approached me and said that he had heard that I wanted to drive a Molinari. I told him that was correct. He said that he needed a driver to gather some info that day, so I was elected and told to get the boat ready. The boat was one of the early rocker 18's with the low flat rear cowl. It looked similar to this .....
Attachment 460944

OKAY!! Now we are back where we belong!!

Remember those guys we were talking about?--- TODD---DONAHUE. SIROIS. BIER??

This is Lonnie Todd--This boat ran at Parker 68 --a month or so later--I got a call from Odell to pick up this boat at the Lake ----for Lonnie!!

Lonnie ran it at a few races in S Florida with a stock 1250---first time many people in S Florida had seen a 'Molinari' since Roy Ridgell ran one in the GCM--



(to be continued}

[bernie]

Just two shots from this past weekend at Tavares Florida - my '69 Star/ Merc1250 Speedmaster gettin' it on. Water was rough because they didn't shut down the boat traffic.

[willabee]

Just two shots from this past weekend at Tavares Florida - my '69 Star/ Merc1250 Speedmaster gettin' it on. Water was rough because they didn't shut down the boat traffic.

Very nice, I love those boats. Guessing it runs low 80's?

[bernie]

Very nice, I love those boats. Guessing it runs low 80's?

Seeing how I only had it on the water for 5 minutes before running the vintage event, I don't know what top end is yet. I think this boat is a light layup, being left hand steer, it definitely is flightier than the red one I had, which was right hand steer. Some day when I have a saftety boat handy I will stretch it out - yes, I believe it will go low 80's.

[willabee]

.... This is Lonnie Todd--This boat ran at Parker 68 --a month or so later--I got a call from Odell to pick up this boat at the Lake ----for Lonnie!!

Lonnie ran it at a few races in S Florida with a stock 1250---first time many people in S Florida had seen a 'Molinari' since Roy Ridgell ran one in the GCM--

(to be continued}

A month or so after Parker 68, that would put O.L. Steele in charge. Any idea what the connection between him and Todd might have been? Never did understand why it was sent there and then pulled back. ( Hope this isn't one of those "after you tell me you have to eliminate me" offshore brotherhood kind of things )

[GENE LANHAM]

A month or so after Parker 68, that would put O.L. Steele in charge. Any idea what the connection between him and Todd might have been? Never did understand why it was sent there and then pulled back. ( Hope this isn't one of those "after you tell me you have to eliminate me" offshore brotherhood kind of things )

Oh crap Willabee!!! You have let the cat out of the bag!--You've blown my cover!!!


Over sixty years ago--Billy and I worked for the largest Mercury dealer in Florida---

[willabee]

..... Over sixty years ago--Billy and I worked for the largest Mercury dealer in Florida---

How bout that, learn something new every day!

Drivin' boats ..... 1970 was the beginning of the end for my time driving these machines. I don't remember exact dates, but we were hiring talented weekend warriors to be professional race drivers. Obviously, with these drivers on site, it didn't make much sense to take me from my normal daily duties to conduct a test driving a race boat.
In the picture below (incorrectly labeled 1971) you can see what I'm talking about. This is from the 1970 Miami 225, Downard #251, Stickle #254, Hering #457 and Merten #187 were all working full time at Merc Racing.

Short story I've told before ..... At the drivers meeting Downard was told he was ineligible to race because he was not yet 21 years of age. Mert came out of the meeting and told me what had happened and that he had suggested to Garbrecht that I run the boat. Gary reportedly said it made sense, he knew I had a ton of time in that style Molinari. Didn't happen, Dewey Berghauer showed up to watch the race and Gary offered the ride to him. Another opportunity lost .... .

Merten won that race and on Monday we took the boat to Lake X to run some fresh water through it. His ears were still ringing, so I said I'd clean it out. Naturally I wanted to air it out and that became a challenge. I remember I went through most of a six gallon gas tank before I got it to lay down and run. After putting it on the trailer, Mert mentioned that he heard it beeping. He said during his setup testing it did that at 98, top speed for the little 16'er running a 1350 stacker.

Not sure, but that may have been the last of my 'flat out' runs ......

[GENE LANHAM]

How bout that, learn something new every day!

More TRIVIA---