Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[willabee]

Received some photos from Jackie Wilson.....unfortunately, won't be able to use most of them due to his mug being the dominating feature of the photo . However, he did send this shot taken by Rodger Squire at the Havasu Outboard World Championships in 1970.

There he is, driving a 17' Molinari, proudly displaying those "Bloody Hoo-Ray" decals and using a 1350 Cowbell for power!!!!!

It's not the full side view of the cowbell that we have been looking for, but it's the best picture I"ve seen so far. You can see how the big log that goes half way down the driveshaft housing on the Twister and TI, stops just past the base of the bottom cowl, and then the bolt-on stacks (cowbells) taper in towards the front of the engine.

Definately a "Hot Single", but as I think about it, maybe too hot. I'm not sure, but I seem to recall that Jackie took flight with this machine.

[willabee]

I kind of figured that the picture of the Cowbell would excite those of you that have been asking about it, but never seen one. However, I had no idea that everyone would be overwhelmed into total silence .

[Bob V]

I think that because of their very limited production, most people are not familiar with them. If memory serves me correctly, they were only around for a little over a year and only a handful were built. I can remember several of them running down here in the Clearwater Sun 'n Fun Regatta. I think it was around 1970. I remember the stackers were being outlawed because of the "awesome" sound. Weren't the cowbells a bridge between the stacker and the first series of twisters? I remember that the cowbells were somewhat quieter than the stackers, but not much. The first series of Twisters (red stripe) almost seemed too quiet for a racing engine, but that is because I was used to the stackers and cowbells. Sure do miss that sound...

I hate to say this because it dates me, but I doubt that any member on this site under the age of 50+ has ever heard or seen a stacker or cowbell in person.

Willabee...how far off am I on my recollection?

[Mark75H]

I saw it, but like you said, the actual cow bell outlets don't show - even though the picture clearly shows the side connection to them

[mike farmer]

I hate to say this because it dates me, but I doubt that any member on this site under the age of 50+ has ever heard or seen a stacker or cowbell in person.

Willabee...how far off am I on my recollection? [/QUOTE]

I'm 47 but i feel lucky to have been around that stuff as a kid. i can remember dad having a good portion of the merc team over to play cards a few times. hell he probably got some of you guy's money i know he got some of garbrechts cause that's one of the first thing Gary said to me when he bought p.r.o.p. he said tell your dad i can afford to play gin with him now. i was eh 9 or 10. when we used to go to the races my dad would let my run where i wanted to but he would point over to the omc pit area & say don't let me catch your ass over there. there was us merc guys & there was the other team. that the way he saw it.

[jackie wilson]

Hiya Willa, yeah it's me again. If so few people remember the cowbell, i bet nobody can remember the model previous to it, "THE SILO" 3 came over to Europe, I had one, Renato another, and Arie De Boom the other. We were sworn to secrecy and if a picture of them was ever taken , we would be drummed out of the brownies and our toys taken away. Again a sound like no other, and no, i don't have any pictures.
Mr. Farmer is right on the button about them and us, if G.G even thought we were thinking O.M.C. he used to throw a s--t fit. Then he did a complete ass about face and went over. Still, that was the nature of the beast, one law for him and do what i tell you for the rest of us. That is why when Pruett fell off the O.M.C. truck it was such a darstardly crime. M.T.F.

[jackie wilson]

Dear Willa , You Certainly Know How To Hit Below The Belt When A Guy Is Old ,feak And Weable. Blew Over Twice In My Life, Once A Full 360 In Front Of Garbrecht And Ridgell. Carried On And Won The Heat, So That Don't Count. And The One You Keep Harping On About. Coming From "flipper" Welch I Think It's A Bit Rich !!!!!!!! Nqw I Will Tell You The Real Story Behind The Havasu Flip.
You Remember I Told You I Lent The Boat To Pruett For The Paris 6 Hours, Well He Decided To Do A Number Of Mods On The Hull. 1st He Put Dual Ride Guide Steering [ Thats When Everyone Was Getting Paranoid About Leg Injuries In An Accident ], Which Meant You Had Absolutely No Feedback Whatsoever From The Boat, And Second He Changed The Trim Buttons Around. Then He Made The Out Button Which Was Done By The Left Footpedal Into Another Foot Throttle So He Could Rest His Overworked Right Foot. This Configuration Could Have Fooled Anybody But Him. On Top Of That He Had Bust My Best Prop In Paris. So I Had Rolla Ship Me Another Direct To Oshkosh. This Was A 4 Blader That Rolla Was Developing And You Could Hang The Boat A Foot Above The Water With These. The Prop Went Missing And Gg, Didn't Give It To Me Till After The Race. I Would Love To Know Who Ran My Prop, 'cos It Wasn't Me And I Know Damn Well It Was In Oskosh In Plenty Of Time For The Race???????? Maybe Mercs Crew Chief Who We All Know And Love But Shall Remain Nameless Would Care To Comment ?????? Funny How Mercury Went From 2 Blade To 3 And Then Suddenly The Team Went To Four Blades.
So , Not Very Far Into The Race, I Got Really Cold And Lost A Lot Of Concentration And I Went To Back Off The Throttle With My Right Foot But Forgot About The Left, So The Boat Took Off For The Moon With The Pedal To The Metal. Leaving Havasu Far Below Me, I Reached For The Stars And The Molinari Tumbled Back To The Waters Of The Colarado, The Laws Of Gravity Then Took Over, And Sure As God Made Little Green Apples, What Goes Up Has To Come Down.!!!!! I Did The Most Perfect Dive, Head First Through The Deck Of The Boat, First Thought I Had Was Jeezus I Got A Terrible Bachache, Came Up And Saw The Rescue Boys Right There, Boy But This Damn River Has Cold Water, Stuck My Tongue Out And There ;s Something There That Didn't Oughta Be, Yeah It Was My Nose. I Thought ,that's Not Possible , So Did A Blow. And Two Gynormous Red Bubbles Burst Into My Eyes, Just For A Moment I Thought I Had Blown My Brains Out. Then I Saw The Funny Side Of Things And Started Laughing, The Rescue Team Thought I 'd Gone Mad And Refused To Lift Me Out Of The Water. I Threatened Them With Certan Death If They Didn't Pull Me Out Nowwwww! !!!! Took Me Straight To The Heli Pad And Got Air Lifted To Needles On The Bloody Outside Of The Chopper , It Was Freezing, Got To The Hospital And There's Joe Fielder In A Terrible State. Much Worse Than Me, After A While When They Checked That We Had The Neccessary Insurance [ Mercury Did Pay For The Tapestry Job ] The Doc Stitched It All Back Together And From The Handsome Lad I Was Then I Turned Into The Even Better Looking Chap I Am Today. What I Am Trying To Tell You Is---------there Were Mitigating Cicumstances To Me Wetting Your Dearly Beloved Cowbell, Keep Taking The Tablets Willa.!!!!!!

[willabee]

...how far off am I on my recollection?

Very good, only change I'd make is that the Cowbell was after the Twister. When the Oshkosh Plt.#6 2 cycle development guys gave us the Cowbell to start testing, the Fond du lac engineers had already given us the C6. Although the Cowbell was better than the Twister, the C6 was even better. Since money had already been spent for the Twister (silo) exhaust system, it was decided to build that engine and continue development of the C6.....unfortunately, the Cowbell was dropped.

Just had a flash back.....above my old office in the Oshkosh Racing engine shop were the remaining Cowbell systems. I put them up there after our post race tear-down because there wasn't a call to build any for the next race. I wonder if they just bulldozed that building and the exhaust systems were simply buried in the debris .

All of the great noisey stuff was pretty much over by 1972. That's 35 years ago, so if you had to be at least 12 years old to really understand what you were seeing and listening to.....ya, anyone under 47 would have missed the experience (I used that math for Mike )

[willabee]

i bet nobody can remember the model previous to it, "THE SILO" 3 came over to Europe, I had one, Renato another, and Arie De Boom the other.

Once again you have managed not to baffle me with your brillance, but to befuddle me with your bulls--t.....maybe you took a harder blow to the head at Havasu than was originally diagnosed. What made those three engines different than the regular Twisters.....and de Boom, running a Merc?

Here's the boat you and Renato ran in Paris in 1970, the first year we had the Twister/Silo and the Molinari that deBoom ran. His Twister/Silo looks a lot different than the one you are using to get lapped..... and lapped..... and, reportedly, lapped again by Sanders and Posey .

Your turn maestro.....

[jlf56]

Willabee & Jackie;
I posted this on the " Left Hand Ssm durliability" thread and got no response. Read it and give me your take, please !!!

Bruce & T2x;
Thanks for the Sherlock info. I only raced from 67 to 71 so I didn't meet a lot of the main pillars of racing at all. My racing career was shortened by the Havasu thing.
How well bid you two know Bill Cooper ?? Only met him a time or two and there was a story about him and Bob Hammond that I never got to confirm with him. Supposedly, Bob told him that the Glastron 17 ft V 177 (I think) would be the best inboard he ever drove. Glastron sent him one, he rigged it, raced it "ONCE", somewhere in CA. I have a wonderful hesd-on shot of him and if I can find it and scan it I will post it. Anyway, "supposedly" after the one race Bill took it back to the shop, de-rigged it, took it to his hone, dug a hole in his front yard, partially burried it, planted flowers in it then took a picture of it and sent it to Bob. Bill told Bob this was the only thing the boat was good for. It really sounds like something Bill would do, mabe someone can confirm, denie (sp) or add too this story !!!

Also, I remember Bill's account of blowing over the Expermrntal I/O tunnel mercrusier at parker (67 or 68) Said he was taking notes on his knee pad as the boat started to make it's move and he kept noting as it went airborn. His accident in Houston in 66 was really his demise I suppose. He never really recovered from that.
For years I was mad at Hammond for putting me on the bank but really he probably saved my life. Surely I would have done myself in in that twin sooner or later.

Fielder
P.S. I was going through that picture gallery and saw a picture of a glass 18 Glastron Molly at a boat ramp. It was # 71. Can someone tell me where that was and who was the driver. #71 was our Glastron Austin boat but I don't remember taking it to where-ever that was. It may have been Parker or Havasu in 67 with Tinker C. driving. HELP my aging memory !!!

Thanks.

[willabee]

Willabee & Jackie;
I posted this on the " Left Hand Ssm durliability" thread and got no response. Read it and give me your take, please !!!..... took it to his hone, dug a hole in his front yard, partially burried it, planted flowers in it then took a picture of it and sent it to Bob...... Also, I remember Bill's account of blowing over the Expermrntal I/O tunnel mercrusier at parker (67 or 68)
.....saw a picture of a glass 18 Glastron Molly at a boat ramp. It was #71. Can someone tell me where that was and who was the driver. #

I did not know Bill Cooper well, but well enough to know that when it comes to flamboyant, Jackie is in a fight for the title . He was quite wealthy, believe he owned a lumber company. I heard he built this huge house and floated the roof down the ocean to get it to location. I recall that he would show up for the races driving a black 4 door Lincoln Mark and generally had a former Playboy centerfold at his side. No matter what the temp, usually wore a long sleeve white shirt with the sleeves rolled all the way up.....this man was the King of Cool.

I don't know about the roof or about putting the Glastron in the ground, but he was the kind of guy that legends were built around, just like Mr. Kiekhaefer. You pretty much have to decide for yourself if some or any of that stuff really happened.

I was at Parker when he blew the Jones KT over, didn't see any pad attached to his leg when the safety boat brought him in. That was the only time I was disappointed with his cool. He directed the efforts to get the boat out of the water and back on the trailer and they just beat the living sh-t out of that rig.....totally unnecessary in my opinion, but not my place to say anything. I think that was the last one he drove for Mercury.

I think he received over 2000 stiches in the accident you are referring to, but it was cancer that took him.....way too early .

Sorry, #71 rings no chimes for me.

Here's a shot of Bill and one of him in what I believe to be the 1st KT boat, a 265 cu. in. IO Molinari at the Parker 9 Hour in 1968.....He had this painted on the Molinari - Driver: Bill Cooper / Co-Driver: "Fear"

[Mark Poole ModVP]

Well I am 45 and my dad took me to my first race in '69 and we went to a lot of local races over the years. I heard all sorts of motors...merc stackers, stranglers, chrysler stackers (twins on one particular rig). Even saw a big tunnel powered by twin V-4's with single stacks out the back. I will never forget the sound of that one! 4 stack, 4 cylinder quincys make a fine sound too. To me a twister 1 was still loud and sounded like it was running in a drum.

During this time in this part of the country a lot of v bottom racers put stackers, twisters and stranglers on allison crafts. Kinda funny to watch a well set up stock SJ boat outrun monster motors on v bottoms. Saw Harold Bateman do it more than once.

[jackie wilson]

Once again you have managed not to baffle me with your brillance, but to befuddle me with your bulls--t.....maybe you took a harder blow to the head at Havasu than was originally diagnosed. What made those three engines different than the regular Twisters.....and de Boom, running a Merc?

Here's the boat you and Renato ran in Paris in 1970, the first year we had the Twister/Silo and the Molinari that deBoom ran. His Twister/Silo looks a lot different than the one you are using to get lapped..... and lapped..... and, reportedly, lapped again by Sanders and Posey .

Your turn maestro.....

Hiya Willa, Now how the hell would i know what the difference was,? i was just an unpaid merc driver under threat of an early demise if so much of a hint of a difference was made to the press. maybe the 3rd motor went to Cees, i remember Pat Frewer [ SWMF.] telling me it was going to Holland. So, at 76 i'm allowed the occasional relapse. Damned if i can remember the year Velden defected.

As to the 70 Paris fiasco i thought the moving finger had done it's deed and moved on and we agreed to call time on it, but no you have to have another dig. In nearly 500 races i took part in, i only ever disputed the result twice. They were both concerning the Paris race. You got your views and i got mine. Best just to let it go eh willa ?

You know me William, if i don't think it's right, i have to let somebody know.
Maybe you can tell me this--------- How come all the loyal european merc drivers except me went over to OMC. Molinari, Velden, Spalding, Jenkins, Percy, Led of course by Garbrecht himself. Lambs to the slaughter? Yes, i was offered a seat, but declined in my usual polite and reserved way. Yes of course!!!!!! where the sun don't shine.!!!!!

[willabee]

.....When A Guy Is Old ,feak And Weable..... Blew Over Twice In My Life, !!!!!!!! Nqw I Will Tell You The Real Story Behind The Havasu Flip.....Pruett, He Changed The Trim Buttons Around. Then He Made The Out Button Which Was Done By The Left Footpedal Into Another Foot Throttle So He Could Rest His Overworked Right Foot..... The Prop Went Missing And Gg, Didn't Give It To Me Till After The Race. Maybe Mercs Crew Chief Who We All Know And Love But Shall Remain Nameless Would Care To Comment ?????? So , I Got Really Cold And Lost A Lot Of Concentration.... So The Boat Took Off For The Moon..... I Did The Most Perfect Dive, Head First Through The Deck Of The Boat,.... Stuck My Tongue Out And There ;s Something There That Didn't Oughta Be, Yeah It Was My Nose. ---------there Were Mitigating Cicumstances To Me Wetting Your Dearly Beloved Cowbell, Keep Taking The Tablets Willa.!!!!!!

Jackie, I have to tell you that your story of "mitigating circumstances" is, in my opinion, a treasure. I really enjoyed reading it and everyone I showed it to was laughing out loud . I remember the "out" switches being moved to the foot rest, I never liked it there either. I think that was Bob Hering's great idea. Ya know, come to think of it, he set a single engine record on Sunday..... bet I know where your prop was . Anyway, thanks for a very entertaining tale.....I bet all the folks reading this thread got a big kick out of it .

P.S. Bringing up the 1970 Paris race wasn't really a dig, I'd call it more of a tease. You know, one of those "the devil made me do it" things.

[jackie wilson]

Did ya'll see that, Willa said something nice, you have no idea what an honour that is.? Grandpa Seebold on a bad day was no match for Willa when he got into his holier than thou grouch mode. You won't be able to poke at me for a week or so, i'm off to see some of my grandkids back in England but i do hope some of you out there start talking to old Willabee. He's only human-----------I THINK !!!!!!!!