Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[lars strom]

Just to steer up a bit more from the OMC Chicago Trade Show 1985..!!..
Kathy Johnson a.k.a "Billy" the Cobra girl again between the 15A and the 45SS racing Johnson outboard.
Have fun.

[Bob V]

Just over 57 years ago...

[lars strom]

time for a morning coffee............

[keith scotton]

45 ss came out in 1986 with a rope start 1988 was the first year it came in the box with electric start and trim. Installed electric start on
the few we sold.
Enjoy L:ife

[lars strom]

time for a morning coffee............

FB response from my Norwegian friend..

[lars strom]

45 ss came out in 1986 with a rope start 1988 was the first year it came in the box with electric start and trim. Installed electric start on
the few we sold.
Enjoy L:ife

The info I got..

"The 45ss was originally designed/produced/sold as a recoil-rope start engine. Its target market was to drivers in the APBA Stock Outboard category, for use on hydroplanes and runabouts. As the engine evolved to tunnel boats, electric start became a standard feature, as well as other changes that made the engine more suitable to tunnel boats"

[WaterZebra]

The 45SS & SST45 engines were the same. APBA Stock category ran the 45SS class which for all practical purposes was the OPC SST45 class. Sam rules including only 3 blade props. The west coast put both classes on their sanctions. The rest of the regions deferred to OPC SST45 only. Eventually SO bounced the class. The Merc 44XS was only a runabout & hydro class motor in stock. In mod they had a 45 runabout & hydro class with the stock 45 motor for several years then dissolved the class due to limited registered drivers. Some modified the motor & ran it in what is 850 today but weren’t competitive either the 3cylinder 49 c. I. Looper

Was there any point in history with these engines where the hydros or runabouts ran together with the tunnels?

[2us70]

Was Walin also one of the drivers of the DeSilva wing boat? I cant imagine what the jump from A runabout to this boat was like for him. As I recall he was selected because of his very small size to fit in the boat. The final outcome for him was tragic.

Just over 57 years ago...

[John Schubert]

The info I got..

"The 45ss was originally designed/produced/sold as a recoil-rope start engine. Its target market was to drivers in the APBA Stock Outboard category, for use on hydroplanes and runabouts. As the engine evolved to tunnel boats, electric start became a standard feature, as well as other changes that made the engine more suitable to tunnel boats"

That may be as written, but did not happen. SO group didn’t approve the motor for kneel downs claiming “too fast”. The very first real introduction was at Dayton on 4 tunnels built by Leigh Furnal, Bunky Bowerman, Sam Hemp (who also did much if not all of the prototype testing) & Tim Butts of Aerowing fame.

[John Schubert]

Was Walin also one of the drivers of the DeSilva wing boat? I cant imagine what the jump from A runabout to this boat was like for him. As I recall he was selected because winning at the Parker enduroof his very small size to fit in the boat. The final outcome for him was tragic.

He was. Winning at the Parker enduro

[lars strom]

…

[John Schubert]

I stand corrected but note no rope pull. But, I’m still not convinced there were actually more hydros in the 45ss other than Jerry. My personal belief is that the others in the class ran tunnels. Prove me wrong. I lived through the beginning years with the class having a memo engine from Jack Leek. We won the nationals 3 times , twice with Chuck Zolkoske and once with Gordie Miller driving

[lars strom]

Dayton, Ohio.

[lars strom]

Rope pull red circle.

[vintage v4]

I guarantee there was the factory in Kenosha. I can’t recall the address but I actually visited the facility. The

John, You got me wondering .....Was that facility you visited a former car dealership that the race group was using? Was Whitey a supervisor there at the time?