Banshee by Glass Magic

**Backfire** · 02-15-2009, 12:33 PM

That black and white picture of 69L I posted years ago. The boat was rigged and run by Paul Hastings of Little Rock, Arkansas. He put the scoop on the deck-to force air out of the holes in the hull. He has looked for this boat for a long time, running pictures in papers, etc. The attached picture I took in 1963 at our launching ramp.
Backfire

**mercboat** · 02-16-2009, 03:30 PM

The Banshee in this picture, how did it run with the 100HP Mercury on it? How fast?

**Backfire** · 02-17-2009, 12:26 PM

Don't have a clue as to performance. Looking at the low pitch prop, I would quess more testing was in order. Also motor height has been raised (plugged holes). I do not think I ever saw this boat again-may have a few other pictures of this boat taken at the same time.
Backfire

**mercboat** · 02-17-2009, 01:03 PM

Oh, I thought it belonged to you, or a friend. If you can find the rest of the pictures, please post them!!
Yeah It looks like one of those 3 blade, smaller diameter props, probalbly a 19" pitch. I have one of these on the 85HP 6 Cly Merc on the Stardust. Doesn't move that great. I need to put a 2 blade 19" on it, or go to a 2 blade 21. I think these 2 blade ones are at least 1" bigger in diameter. Make's a big difference.

**gemini** · 02-17-2009, 03:21 PM

My first race 1964 in Austin was in a Glass Magic 15' with a 100 Mercury. I also had a 14' Glass Magic but the big 15' cornered better. The factory was just south of Ft Worth and I was there several times. The Banshee had a bad rap for turning and was expensive so I never drove one. Here are a few photos of a Banshee laying in a field near me. No one around to ask the price. I did win the race, those Commando U-2's never could turn either.

**mercboat** · 02-18-2009, 01:59 PM

Yeah, there are 2 fins under the front of the boat that stick down about 2-3", separated by about a foot. That is all it has for a type of keel for turning. Probably not enough. After looking at the pictures of mine at speed (Page 1) it looks like those 2 fins are hardly in the water. I am thinking about putting 1 new adjustable fin in right between the 2 front seats that you can move up and down, kinda like a sailboat keel fin. Make the bottom of the boat surrounding the fin come up several inches in the air so water does not come in when the boat is not moving. This is far enough behind the step in the hull that it would not interfer with the water ballast system. I am also thinking about using a nosecone on a shorty 6 cyl. Merc. because the back of the bottom is a tunnel design. I wonder how the nosecone would affect the steering.
The U2 is a 3 point hydro, and needs some kind of fin to help it steer.
It does like to slide sideways, rather than turn.
It will be interesting to see how these 2 old boats handling can be improved with some more R+D, 50 years later!!!

**bentquarterpanel** · 03-18-2009, 07:44 PM

My dad Charlie Smith worked for Cook Auto in Little Rock for Charlie Cook. They sold boats and jeeps. They raced a Banshee with dual 80 hp mercs. The driver was a midget named Jerry Holland. It was red and white. They wrecked it and broke it in half. They built another one and it just would not run as fast as first one. They also built a tunnel through the front deck and even put 100 hp mercs on them. I still have a couple black and white pics of busted boat and replacement boat. I think they broke it in half at Lake Tenkiller. I also have some printed pieces out of newspaper.

**mercboat** · 03-19-2009, 06:59 PM

Let's see the pictures!!
I would like to see where it broke in half so I can strengthen mine in that area.
How did it do when it was raced?
Thanks.

**bentquarterpanel** · 03-19-2009, 09:05 PM

The boat was mainly used to run marathons. The day it got broke in half there was a cruiser out on the lake and he hit the wake and did a nose dive and it broke in half right at steering wheel. If I remember at one time they set speed record at about 65 mph with 2 engines for approx 1 week and then somebody else took it over. I don't know what class it was but I'll dig the clipping out and see if I can put it on here. I do remember they had speedmasters on it and to take off that little midget would climb up on nose to help break over.

**gratiot** · 08-12-2009, 08:23 PM

Saw your photos of the Banshee in Johnson City. It is sitting on my property and I am trying to get title the hull so I can get it off the property. The guy who "Owns" it hasn't paid any rent in many months and refuses to move it. If you know of anyone with an interest in it give them my email address

**texassix** · 10-08-2009, 01:42 PM

This may help http://www.its-titles.com/
looks like you need to start web site boats in fields like the cars in barns!
http://www.carsinbarns.com/index.html
Texas boy's need to help each other out.

**ironlake2** · 10-08-2009, 04:30 PM

In reference to carls barbacues ;after it was over he would start a fire under an omc motor hanging upside down from a homemade tower and burn the entire motor up to get everybody excited about selling mercs. this i remember as the funniest thing that was in the book the ironfist. if you are a merc fan and have not read this it is almost required reading. carl was quite a charcter. how many of you know about firing the coke man in the plant. that was funny too.