Tricks that old racers get up to after retirement

[FUJIMO]

No Fuji, I meant the floppy bit that connects the motor to the drive shaft, has a UJ. EVERY CAR IN THE WORLD HAS ONE. OVER HERE WE CALL EM PROP SHAFTS.

...gotcha...language barrier, lol. MerCruiser has always simply called them an input shaft. they have been available in many different lengths since then.

[jackiewilson]

...gotcha...language barrier, lol. MerCruiser has always simply called them an input shaft. they have been available in many different lengths since then.

That maybe so Fuji, but i bet mercury never made an indestructible “ Quill shaFt “as Duckworth used to call it , or “ a very desirable piece of kit”. This particular shaft never let me down once , together with the centrifugal clutch. tickover was 3000, hit the pedal , at 4000 the drive came in, 400 hp went through that quill shaft. Twisted like a corkscrew before unwinding And sending the power gently down the leg without breaking spines or anything like that. Bit like a soft start on today’s power tools.
How am I doing so far?

[jackiewilson]

Think Alfie got to jockeyone of these Molinari’s.

[jackiewilson]

Renato and Billy were the two top contenders for the Best ever circuit driver !

[jackiewilson]

bollocks !!!! Ive had better days than this/. Not one of jenks better days.!

[GENE LANHAM]

That maybe so Fuji, but i bet mercury never made an indestructible “ Quill shaFt “as Duckworth used to call it , or “ a very desirable piece of kit”. This particular shaft never let me down once , together with the centrifugal clutch. tickover was 3000, hit the pedal , at 4000 the drive came in, 400 hp went through that quill shaft. Twisted like a corkscrew before unwinding And sending the power gently down the leg without breaking spines or anything like that. Bit like a soft start on today’s power tools.
How am I doing so far?

NOT the only time a Cosworth has connected to a Mercruiser---

[jackiewilson]

NOT the only time a Cosworth has connected to a Mercruiser---

Think that was the one GG , Ian Hawkins and Malcolm put together in the USA.
Bill Petty was instrumental in putting together the KT that BENTZ drove at the Miami marine stadium.
Then there was the offshore multi motor effort that never made headlines????
Dont know if Welch was still there at that time, 1979/80 .?? But he would still know all the details!

yup, looks like the one.

[FUJIMO]

[FUJIMO]

[powerabout]

yup, looks like the one.

I remember an offshore boat that had them, everyone said it wont work and it didnt I seem to remember.
I guess the owner had a lesson in torque

[jackiewilson]

I remember an offshore boat that had them, everyone said it wont work and it didnt I seem to remember.
I guess the owner had a lesson in torque

Think the owners were Mercury, COSWORTH sent the two engineers that put my boat together stateside to supervise the effort.
Believe me when I tell you , that pair know more about TORQUE than anyone else in the world !
Part of the team that made the motor part of the chassis in the first monocoque ever !

[jackiewilson]

Had an altercation with the polisher, took a chunk out of my palm, damn but thats tender right now.

[powerabout]

Think the owners were Mercury, COSWORTH sent the two engineers that put my boat together stateside to supervise the effort.
Believe me when I tell you , that pair know more about TORQUE than anyone else in the world !
Part of the team that made the motor part of the chassis in the first monocoque ever !

if they knew about torque they would have known they needed 4 of them to get 2 x 700lbsft or so at any rpm to shift a Class 1 boat
would have been a good engine in an outboard class...

[Lake X Kid]

Renato and Billy were the two top contenders for the Best ever circuit driver !

Renato Molinari racer: by Christopher Wright in the Embassy program.

Some would say he had to win. And that definitely does not make him the most popular man in Bristol.
Molinari has no great love for the Gentlemen of the Press.
“Non Comprende” when he does not want to talk to you in English
Arrogant, he does appear a little bit that way to some jaundiced journalists, and a few other powerboat drivers.
Molinari is a loner; he has a job to do. He wants to get on to it.

8 times World Champion.
10 times European Champion.
4 times Paris 6 Hour winner.
2 times Havasu winner.
2 times Parker winner.
(Article’s 1978 stats).

~~~
I (the lakeside kid) remind myself, that personalities sell books.
Statistical wins wow us; engine specifications draw our attention and are worthy to be told.
But humans connect more with humans, and therefore sell more books, than books about machines. Men and their machines … and more so the men, and women too.

[Lake X Kid]

Renato Molinari and his scafo (hull), on the cover.