Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[jackiewilson]

Just a slight niggle bothering me which I know you can answer immediately --------just up the page apiece is the Mercury V6 thread which states that the V6 was tested at the lake as early as 1971-----question begs? -----was it really first shown on a Magnum in 1975 ?
The Torriggia and Molinari's of that shape were around as early as 1965/6------pretty sure Aranow was producing a tunnel around that time?
Just asking Dave ! Humour me, I forget things.

[jackiewilson]

Blasted predicted text altered ARONOW-------ARANOW. Damned thing don't know it's arse from its elbow------could spell better than that from when I was five years old.

[lilabner]

Attachment 351136

Piccy that I'm on about was similar to this one--------except for the fact, the boat is yellow, and the Merc 500 had twin pipes!
These looked to be expensive, quality built boats.
Were they as good a design as the "Hal Kelly's"------not unlike each other to look at, I think the Kelly was more "Racelike" while the Raveau was more "Rivalike"--------- Just a personal ope ------what do I know ?

Quality they were. We raced against a lot of Madcaps, never beat us. Raveaus were the best single engine race boats in the 50's and 60's in a marathon. The most fun I ever had was racing against another one. Jim Hunt, Richie Baiz, Herb Reeves and Treasure were the best.

Jackie, check Post 3908 by Fujimo

[jackiewilson]

Quality they were. We raced against a lot of Madcaps, never beat us. Raveaus were the best single engine race boats in the 50's and 60's in a marathon. The most fun I ever had was racing against another one. Jim Hunt, Richie Baiz, Herb Reeves and Treasure were the best.

Jackie, check Post 3908 by Fujimo

Thats the one AB?----shoulda known it would have come from the book of Dave------that's a four pot, before the 500/s--------maybe a 450H --? I think Lee Davies has one very similar in his collection.
Heard of all of them, knew some of them, but have to confess, TREASURE ?-----keeps cropping up and intrigues me-----there's been a couple of great girl racers in colonial boat racing -----Molly Ballou being one of them, got to know her and Kenny through Mercury.
Whenever Oligator waxes lyrical about Raveau's, there's deep affection for the marque, you can hear it in his voice and see it on his face. Wasn't there one at Jupiter a few years back, at one of the Old Farts meetings------that's when Jim was telling me about them. Finish on them would match the Riva!

Pair of wooden boats I did trying for a Raveau shape are coming along-------have a full day on them ( (after the car boot sale) ------if they turn out "middling", I'll take a piccie or two------if they don't, they'll make some good kindling.

Here 'Tis, Bloody Thursday again already------on the helter skelter of life once more, hurtling through life at a ridiculous rate of knots------glad I got off it for a few hours yesterday to smell the roses and taste the wine------sometimes forget, that's part of life too!

[lilabner]

I never knew that Raveau built a cat...

Attachment 351141

Attachment 351142

And it was fast too. But it hurt Gus so bad he had to quit racing when it blew over. Charlie (Velox) also hasn't yet healed from his caper. I think he only built one or two..Bob Walwork is the answer man on that, as he helped build them.

[willabee]

..... Saw a piccy of Seebold, Sutter and "Willabee" somewhere on Facebook, anyone else see it? Welch lost that hairy growth of 'n his top lip.

Au contraire mon ami, twas my little brother Rick with Sutter & Seebold at some alky races. I still have the "stash", here's a pic taken just yesterday .....

[FUJIMO]

[FUJIMO]

...Just another South Florida race...

[John Schubert]

Au contraire mon ami, twas my little brother Rick with Sutter & Seebold at some alky races. I still have the "stash", here's a pic taken just yesterday .....

Hi Bill,
The picture was taken at the USTS National Pro Championships in Depue, IL where we had a Boat Racers Reunion, co-chaired by me. I was sitting at dinner next to Lee & your brother was across from us. Unfortunately for me I knew his name but didn't recognize that he was your brother even after Lee introduced us.
Lots of previous Alky/stock guys in attendance. Hedlunds, Phil & Karen Wagner & 2 of of Phil's brothers that were Jerry Waldman's pit crew, DR. Stu Wilson, Billy, Lee, Paul Bogosian (former alky runabout driver from St. Louis & Billy's friend) & of course me. I guess that only 3 of us also were tunnel guys, Billy, Lee & myself.
Trust all is well with you.

[willabee]

Hi Bill,
The picture was taken at the USTS National Pro Championships in Depue, IL where we had a Boat Racers Reunion, co-chaired by me. I was sitting at dinner next to Lee & your brother was across from us. Unfortunately for me I knew his name but didn't recognize that he was your brother even after Lee introduced us. ......

Thanks for the update, bummer that you didn't know he was my brother .... lots of fun BS stories would have been started to flow for sure.

Rick worked at Merc' Hi Performance products division building speedmasters when it began operations in 1973/74. He went to a lot of OPC races crewing for Sutter , they became good friends. He later transferred to the Race Team when they were running just the four boat team.

[FUJIMO]

Mr. Wilson... "Treasure"...is lilabner's wife. She was a very competitive boat racer in her day...and well...Abner couldn't beat her racing, so...he married her. Soon after, he then became the winner. With regards to the young woman in the photo with the Merc 175. That would be Parker Rabe's(on this board) mother. The year was 1976, the first model year of Mercury producing the "production/consumer" V-6, and it was also the first "V-6" outboard to come to market. Yes, they were raced for a couple years prior, as you know. And we now know that they were in prototype & development for more than two years prior to that. The "Magnum" tunnel in the photo, is actually a "Rabco" 16, that Parkers dad Randy Rabe, bought the Magnum Missile molds for, from Don Aronow, who didn't want to build them any more. Hope this helps, lol.

[GENE LANHAM]

PiccyI'll post a progress to me like there were a fair few Raveau's racing at that time------it's a very apt adage----"racing -- success"_____it still holds today.
Whenever I get to talking to Oligator, he starts to tell me of his times in a Raveau. There's a deep affection for that particular marque, if you got time you should take time out and listen to some of his Raveau stories.
.

Bob has built a few beauties in the past years--

[FUJIMO]

One of only of about eight "Classic Series" 200 Mercury outboards produced. Reason? They were basically a regular 200, with a different cowl, and approximately a $2,000.00 retail price upgrade. So...only about 8 went out, and mostly sat for a year or two on dealers floors. I arranged that particular one's purchase for Steve Koenke's Raveau. Steve owns a successful roofing company, as well as a real estate investor. Steve, his brothers, and his dad, are good people. Steve hails from Stuart, Florida. His dad Don & step-mom, have a beautiful waterfront home there in Mt. Dora.

[jackiewilson]

Mr. Wilson... "Treasure"...is lilabner's wife. She was a very competitive boat racer in her day...and well...Abner couldn't beat her racing, so...he married her. Soon after, he then became the winner. With regards to the young woman in the photo with the Merc 175. That would be Parker Rabe's(on this board) mother. The year was 1976, the first model year of Mercury producing the "production/consumer" V-6, and it was also the first "V-6" outboard to come to market. Yes, they were raced for a couple years prior, as you know. And we now know that they were in prototype & MISTER for more than two years prior to that. The "Magnum" tunnel in the photo, is actually a "Rabco" 16, that Parkers dad Randy Rabe, bought the Magnum Missile molds for, from Don Aronow, who didn't want to build them any more. Hope this helps, lol.

Mr, Wilson was once The Prime Minister of England --------believe there was another Mr. Wilson in a US sitcom------neighbour of Dennis the Menace.
Me myself have only been called Mr. Wilson once---------that was in my early years of racing when I came in to the pits a bit on the quick side and beached the boat at the top of the slip! Commandatorie at that time was the formidable Cyril Benstead--------all 300 lbs of him! ------he walked straight up to me still sitting in the boat and yelled at the top of his voice-------MR WILSON-----KINDLY PARK YOUR CRAFT IN THE PITS, NOT ON THE SLIPWAY.
One of the reasons I don't like being called Mr, Wilson.
I can understand Abner taking the easy way out-------did the same thing myself, haircuts were so damned expensive that it was cheaper to marry the hairdresser------so I did.
Rabco 16'-----Magnum------Molinari-----Daddy of them all was the Torriggia produced by Jeremiah Cetti some ten years earlier.

[FUJIMO]

...Steve's ride...