Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[Mark75H]

If I'm not mistaken, these were sold in the US as the Homelight Bearcat outboard. Different variation also used the Crosley powerhead.

It sold reasoably well in the US for an "off brand" I guess a lot of folks didn't want to mix oil with their gas. Many are still around; they are uncommon, but not really rare these days.

[lilabner]

Also sold as a Fageol. Crosley was a pretty unique engine. Raced in many inboard classes as well as SCCA.

[GENE LANHAM]

Also sold as a Fageol. Crosley was a pretty unique engine. Raced in many inboard classes as well as SCCA.

I'm not going to let you forget the TQ's, Butch---

[jackie wilson]

If I'm not mistaken, these were sold in the US as the Homelight Bearcat outboard. Different variation also used the Crosley powerhead.

It sold reasoably well in the US for an "off brand" I guess a lot of folks didn't want to mix oil with their gas. Many are still around; they are uncommon, but not really rare these days.

Reason i went for the Climax was , i had heard the likes of John Cooper and Syd Allard talking about the possibility of attaining 100 HP per litre from one of these motors---------a most ridiculous statement to my mind, but if there was even a smell of anything like that being possible, i was interested !!!!!!
The British Royal Navy had bought a bunch of them for trials in the Med. but due to the mix of metals in their construction, ie; alloy , bronze, steel and tin in the leg and foot department-------after a few weeks, and the gearcases dropping off, they rapidly sold them on at bargain prices.
I was running in freshwater, so i couldn't see a problem. The main problem was the weight , and power output-----it was claimed to be 50HP from a 1200cc motor, so that should have been possible.
The reality was , it couldn't hold a candle to the 50 Merc i was running at the time.
The Climax was rapidly despatched.

[lilabner]

I'm not going to let you forget the TQ's, Butch---

thanks Gene..by the way, you're older than I am, how did you remember them too?
When I think of the Crosleys, I always think of Doc Moore, Bascom Grooms, Stan Irwin, and the buzzing sound they made.

[GENE LANHAM]

thanks Gene..by the way, you're older than I am, how did you remember them too?.

I'm not going to let you forget the TQ's, Butch---

Butch---I am finding the only thing that improves with age is--long term memory, in fact, I may be the only person alive that remembers what a TQ is--

[lilabner]

I'm not going to let you forget the TQ's, Butch---

Butch---I am finding the only thing that improves with age is--long term memory, in fact, I may be the only person alive that remembers what a TQ is--

Then there's four of us now...

[velox]

thanks Gene..by the way, you're older than I am, how did you remember them too?
When I think of the Crosleys, I always think of Doc Moore, Bascom Grooms, Stan Irwin, and the buzzing sound they made.

Butch
Are you getting so old you forgot about our buddy Tommy Davis?

[lilabner]

Butch
Are you getting so old you forgot about our buddy Tommy Davis?

I didn't forget him, I just never saw him race one..you want his number?

[2us70]

Gene.I remember going down to that little track in Florida City to watch TQs. Al Reed took me down there to watch Earle Hatch run a car that Al had helped put a 44in merc 50 conversion into it. And there you were. You were running a red car and Hatch ran a light blue one.

[GENE LANHAM]

Gene.I remember going down to that little track in Florida City to watch TQs. Al Reed took ma down there to watch Earle Hatch run a car that Al had helped put a 44in merc 50 conversion into it. And there you were. You were running a red car and Hatch ran a light blue one.

Excelent long term memory, Jim!!! Looked like this----?

[willabee]

Excelent long term memory, Jim!!! Looked like this----?

Man, look at the stagger in those front tires! It appears from the background that if one of those machines went off track, they would either pick up a few "kill decals" or become a hood ornament on a 1959 Impala.

I guess waaaay back in 1959, go karting had not become popular yet ..... at least, not in Florida.

[2us70]

That's it. I would have liked to try driving those cars. But then again I loved racing just about anything.

[lilabner]

I guess waaaay back in 1959, go karting had not become popular yet ..... at least, not in Florida.[/QUOTE]
Go Karts were getting big in 58..At Dade Marine, we put a M20 powerhead in a kart and the Fla 1/4 Champ raced it..Had a Jaguar heater core for a radiator. Was brutally fast for it's time. We beat the Rathmann Exterminators easily. They outlawed water cooled karts after 4 races. Then we cut up a M15 block and tried to run it with no water jackets..Didn't work..

[jackie wilson]

Now those are PROPER race cars---------where you can actually SEE who the driver is. You could put a monkey in todays cars and nobody would know------[they probably do, come to think about it].
So that's where MASERATI got their shape from !!!!!!!!!! and a lot of the continentals . Were they ever F.U.N.
Bet those guys didn't get $20,000,000 a year and still bitch about the "dangers involved".