vintage drag boats

Here's my two rides:
The flattie is currently "Cole Survivor", was raced as a blown alcohol flat, prior to that it was "Zinger's Express" Blown Fuel Flat in the late '70s.






2nd boat is a Deaver hydro with a blown 540, first splash is next weekend!

 

"The Mist" is alive and well, sitting in a garage in Walled Lake Michigan.
DJ

 

That's one of my favorite boats!!! A flattie next on the agenda after I finish the Sleek Craft and SWTD.

 

Here's some of my crap.

 

Not sure how I missed this thread!!! Here's the current project.

 

Back in the 60's my father-in-law (Junior - Jr's House of Color) used to paint a lot of the boats for the boat shows. He did a few for Leonard Shiada, Bob Leach, Bruce Nescher, and a few other.
My cousin's father-in-law owned Southwind back in the 70's and early 80's. He raced for them in the mid 70's. Had the unblown gas jet record for a little bit.

 

So much fun to be had here on the HAMB. My '66 Howard in the early nineties. And in its current state. It's in pieces right now. Again. Doing the floor. Again.

 

Raderschwein,
Really diggin' that Howard of yours. I wouldn't mind having that Howard, especially with that H/M 427 Ford, which is likely the pinnacle of FE engines, and so "right' for the year of your boat, not that it matters, it's just cool.
You have the advantage of, no matter where you take your boat to use, or show, you're always going to have a package that, today, isn't exactly like the other hundred guys next to you, and is no slouch in the performance or looks department.
Hope you "keep on keepin' on" for many years to come.

 

Here's a few pictures of the "Climax II" which became the " Miss British Columbia. World Record holder in 1969 at 192 MPH. They use to race at the Deas Island slough. My Step Dad was partners on the boat for a short time. He gave my Brother the Jacket that has a Huge Keith Black engine on the back and the Boat record time on the front. This is a thick Cardboard print that he has had hanging in his garage for 40+ years!

 

I didn't read the whole thread, so somebody may have mentioned it, but do any northwesterners remember racing at Green Lake in Seattle? Every memorial day weekend from the 1920's up to the 80's Green Lake had some of the fastest boat racing in the world. Everything raced there from kneeler outboards to 7-liters to fuel drag boats.
If you're not familiar with Seattle, GreenLake is right in the middle of one the nicest residential neighborhoods. It's hard to believe nowadays they ran 200 mph boats there for 3 days every year.
I remember some pretty spectacular blown engines in the drags. One time a 671 blower narrowly missed people standing on the shore after popping off about 50 feet in the air. No straps or blankets in those days.
I sometimes ask people if they knew that speed records were set at Green Lake and they don't believe it, now that it's yuppie central in Seattle. Another piece of America gone.

 

Is that the rim of the steering wheel flying along with him

 

Got too see Chuck test the parachute life jacket in Long Beach . He had pull cord through the two handles . He just let go, and zip out of the ski and up in the air for a much softer landing. Also saw him run 126mph there

 

Stu, that looks just like a hydro I built in the early sixties and ran on Lake Berryessa when I lived in Vacaville (CA), and later ran it on Shasta Lake when I was living in Red Bluff. It was a fast little boat, ran it up and down the narrow side bays in Berryessa where the water was always pretty flat, out on the main body of the lake it could get rough and that boat did not like rough water.

Have really enjoyed this thread. Never owned a boat like these fast flatties, but have always enjoyed watching them!
Willy

 

Just acquired Miss BC (previously Climax) to restore. Great history on this boat. Looking for as much info and color pictures as possible.

 

Awesome. !! My Stepdad was partners in it for a short while. Thats all I know with his dealings with it. Too bad my Brother wore the jacket out that was part of the history of this boat. Do you have any current pictures? I'd love to see them and forward them to my Stepdad. It's funny how what the current people involved in such history just threw stuff away like it wasn't important or just had no meaning and now it's soooo fricking cool!!!! I love current history (The last 100 years) !!!!!

 

i dont if you have a clue at the awesome history you have in your garage!!! zingers express was an amazing boat!!

the deaver is one of 3 made with that deck and chute pod on the back!! after those three Gene changed the deck again for capsule boats. Hillbilly was the first boat in 1985 Fred Fardin in the foss and fardon special was second and the 3rd was never rigged yours is the third!!
we ran nothing but deavers from 81 to 93.

 

http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad159/dgaya/869FB5DF-orig_zps3628fab0.jpg

This one is for sale!

 

Here are a few pictures of how Miss BC (Climax) looks today. Any vintage colour pictures would be helpful in her restoration project.

 

I finally got one of my own! Here's my '63 Mandella with a BBC for Go Go! Bitchin Boat for sure...

~RM

 

I was sitting in that boat when you were born bro

 

Rapid Whippett, in case you are interested, I was standing next to this boat last Sunday, in the shop of new members "Quick Temper" and "Miss BC", where it is about to begin the total restoration, as the "Miss British Columbia". It's sharing space with a couple of vintage Top Fuel cars, one with extensive history and one modern FED..

 

That's an awesome piece . You need to bring it out to the Parker strip.

 

Cool thread just ran across it, some real neat pics hits home. I read some posts on Cole, I am actually the one who emptied out Cole on Canoga and moved it to Havasu then Jimmy had a change of heart I guess, in the end nobody won it just all whent away bad deal for the both of us and a sad end to a friendship.

 

A few pix from Parker.