Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[powerabout]

They are still making a flop of the 166 glastron for the class and omc made a million v4's, ( wish they still did)

[jackiewilson]

They are still making a flop of the 166 glastron for the class and omc made a million v4's, ( wish they still did)

Cant imagine Glastron are making boats for the Texas Tri Series If they can be bought for $2500, complete with a V4 Rude ——— So OMC made a million V4/s ? Makes me wonder just how many in line sixes Mercury made? There always seemed to be at least five Mercs to every OMC V4
So just how much does a new Glastron 166 cost these days———- if the going price for a complete rig, is @$2500 , maybe the best way to acquire one is simply on the “Claimer” system !

[jackiewilson]

Daughter Sam just sent me this———

[WaterZebra]

Boat racing has never been cheap, it’s simply a case of a 50hp Merc and a 15’ V bottom will always be cheaper than a VERADO on anything——- tunnel—— v bottom or one of yesterday’s boats!
Vintage boating (you don’t race a vintage craft) is one of the more expensive hobbies.
Thought you said engines were hard to find
Hasnt killed anyone ??? Maybe you should add “YET” to that caption!
Sorry, but if I worked hard to get my rig quicker than anyone else——— last thing in the world I want,is for someone with big bucks claiming it.
Niether you nor I know the exact reason for the decline in boat racing. You have your theory—— I have mine, but the days of 100 boats lining up for the start In places like Havasu—— Parker and Paris are long gone.
I understand on a poker run race——— there can be as many-as 200 applicants———— SHOW ME A .”CHEAP” poker.run rig ?

Texas Tri-Hulls are the only way to go. Cheap to acquire, trade paint on the race course and low tech motors. Boats are not fragile custom-built one-of-a-kinds. They are everywhere in the USA gathering moss under trees or lean-to sheds and usually with a V4 on the transom. Prices range from "free take-aways to about $2500. Roll cages are easy to build and install, not like these hyper-complicated F1 safety cells today. The whole idea behind the claimer concept (USA) was to keep somebody from investing a lot of $$$ to "buy" first place in every race. Chances are that if Texas Tri-Hulls really caught on, there still would be Havasu and Parker. Kinda like Mod VP but way cheaper. I noticed that the NGK series started for 2018 and they had a total of SIX boats for one of the heat qualifiers. I'm still betting my $$$ on Mercury stopping any production of S3000 powerheads, mids, gearcases and props for OPC altogether by 2019 (next year).

[FUJIMO]

[FUJIMO]

If that’s a Texas tri Hull——— then my dicks a bloater!——— Boston Whaler——— Dell Quay Dory—— A Boat by any other name, and all that jazz!

...Its the Glastron "hull" that the Texas Tri Hull race class, was taken from Jackie.

[jackiewilson]

...Its the Glastron "hull" that the Texas Tri Hull race class, was taken from Jackie.

I gather that several boatbuilders used the same drawings to produce a “Tri Hull”——- Same over here, one for all and all for one———- once you got a mould——- it’s like .shelling peas l
Boats made in a day—— popped , and another one the next day. A bucket full of resin ——- an armful of glass and bingo you got a Tri Hull or a dory or a 166 depending on mitigating circumstances.
Im a great believer in the “RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG”system———— handicap racing where everyone can join in the fun.
I love all Powerboat racing——— don’t always agree with the way it’s going——— one of the reasons I regularly fall out with drivers—— authorities—— format——- afraid my mouth gets me into trouble regularly.

[jackiewilson]

I think we all agree that boat racing needs a steroid injection————- the whole scene is becoming a joke. At the top of Offshore Racing there’s two contenders at the moment withprobably half a dozen at Key West———— with a bit of luck, calm conditions , there could be three finishers———- big FECKIN deal !
P1 was struggling to make its presence felt————- ten boats in all————- one on the trailer because they couldn’t find a driver———— just had the worst possible scenario with a rookie fatality —— that’s not going to help the cause!
Tim Seebold seems to be keeping the NGK series on a fairly even keel, but even the most ardent followers of F1 will admit to a shortage of numbers.
Really thought Caldwell could fill a gap——— turned out to be all smoke and mirrors——- huge horsepower numbers from beautiful pieces of kit that never materialised———— but the price tag puts it out of reach,
Anyway, if they ever did produce a couple of working motors,either Mercury or the ruling body would block it under some obscure law or other——— Mercury pulling the plug on the competition motors.
Yup, I’d have to say Powerboat Racing as we knew it——— is up sh-t creek without a paddle!
Maybe we should wipe the slate clean and start again———- Find a stretch of water——- Lake——river—- sea or ocean——— bring what you got——— run it till it stops. Miami Nassau——— Parker—— Havasu——- ozarks——- might be fun!
Cost is killing the sport, or at best, it’s not helping. When an F1 with a cell comes out at €100,000 and a top running Superboat comes out at a tad over a million———— not a lot of folk are coming out to play.

[jackiewilson]

Just a little humour to end the day——— night - night all.

[Rotary John]

I gather that several boatbuilders used the same drawings to produce a “Tri Hull”——- Same over here, one for all and all for one———- once you got a mould——- it’s like .shelling peas l
Boats made in a day—— popped , and another one the next day. A bucket full of resin ——- an armful of glass and bingo you got a Tri Hull or a dory or a 166 depending on mitigating circumstances.
Im a great believer in the “RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG”system———— handicap racing where everyone can join in the fun.
I love all Powerboat racing——— don’t always agree with the way it’s going——— one of the reasons I regularly fall out with drivers—— authorities—— format——- afraid my mouth gets me into trouble regularly.

For you to say you support run what you brung is about the biggest fanciest I've every heard from you.

[powerabout]

Cant imagine Glastron are making boats for the Texas Tri Series If they can be bought for $2500, complete with a V4 Rude ——— So OMC made a million V4/s ? Makes me wonder just how many in line sixes Mercury made? There always seemed to be at least five Mercs to every OMC V4
So just how much does a new Glastron 166 cost these days———- if the going price for a complete rig, is @$2500 , maybe the best way to acquire one is simply on the “Claimer” system !

The $2500 claim is just for the engine. but an original boat with a v4 is going to be very cheap

[jackiewilson]

For you to say you support run what you brung is about the biggest fanciest I've every heard from you.

Just goes to show you don’t take a lot of notice of what I say Pilgrim———- I started racing at club level and we raced everything that that turned up——— inboards, outboards from 18hpRudes to 70hp Mercs, Albatross——- Delta——- Fenn and Woods. If you hauled a boat up to Iver at the weekend—— you got to race it three times. Laps were just over a minute for a really quick boat, and they were twelve laps in a heat.
Had some of the best times of my life club racing. Would take the five kids and chuck em in the back of the van on a Friday after work——-hook up the boat and away.
Friends I made there sixty years ago, are still friends today.
Valleyfield and Parker were run on those lines——- just turn up and they would fit you in.
I never altered my mind on that view——-

[jackiewilson]

The $2500 claim is just for the engine. but an original boat with a v4 is going to be very cheap

No such thing as a free meal or cheap racing Pilgrim——— equipment may have a lower price tag, but if you have the desire to be a front runner, then you have to put TIME AND EFFORT into it.——- both of those commodities are costly.
Can see no sense in caring for a motor, nurturing, tuning,balancing——- spending time and effort and knowledge, go out and win the race, only for some joker with a fistful of dollars to come along and say “lIll take that”!
In the sixties, we used to run events with “Claimer” rules, but they were never popular with the drivers.

[powerabout]

No such thing as a free meal or cheap racing Pilgrim——— equipment may have a lower price tag, but if you have the desire to be a front runner, then you have to put TIME AND EFFORT into it.——- both of those commodities are costly.
Can see no sense in caring for a motor, nurturing, tuning,balancing——- spending time and effort and knowledge, go out and win the race, only for some joker with a fistful of dollars to come along and say “lIll take that”!
In the sixties, we used to run events with “Claimer” rules, but they were never popular with the drivers.

it all about the price, if I could find an old engine, rebuild for 1500 and be a front runner, I make a 1000 everytime a punter wants my engine

[jackiewilson]

it all about the price, if I could find an old engine, rebuild for 1500 and be a front runner, I make a 1000 everytime a punter wants my engine

Thats if you got the motor for free in the first place !, and had another in the shop that also cost you “NIXYPLONK”——- Sounds good in fiction——-but the reality is, in real life, everyone’s an Antiques Dealer and greedy! Nobody gives anything away these days———- even crap has a hefty price tag these days——- its a wicked old world out there Pilgrim! You should come with me on a Thursday or a Saturday morning to the car boot sale, most of the dealers imagine they have a stall in the west end of London inside Harrods.
There maybe thousands of tri hulls with a 140 Rude on its bum hidden away in barns - cellars and back yards, but when it comes to finding them, it’s a bit like searching for a Ferrari Dino or a Duesenburg—— rare as rocking horse sh-t.!