F-4?

[BmJuby]

I acquired an F Class Sid-Son Hydroplane 2 years ago and have pictures of the original condition of it. Racing numbers F-4 on it. As the boat is mostly finished (just needs the front painted in the Spring) I thought I would start to try and find some data on the boat.

The boat was purchased in Alabama. The man was not the original owner, but bought it down south somewhere, I don't remember.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks,
Brandon

[Danny Pigott]

F 4

F 4 was David Westbrook's # back in the 70's and 80's . He ran Pro and was from Atlanta Ga. He still lives there or just north of there now. He did have a F Konig ,also an A,B,C, and D Konig. Good luck.

[BmJuby]

Are the Konig engines shorter than mercury engines? As in, do they require a shorter transom? It might piece together why the transom was cut as short as it was when I acquired it.

[bill van steenwyk]

Short answer is yes, although the earlier model Konig tower housings were not as short as they eventually became. Many different racers fabricated tower housings that were shorter than the standard Konig housing, primarily for lowering the powerhead to get wgt down so the boat would corner better, especially as the speeds got higher. Some boats were made for a specific housing when the boat was built, and some were cut at a later date as housings got shorter.

Some of these were cast, and some were fabricated by welding together components. It was (and is) important to get the mounting plate for the power head and lower unit exactly square and in the same plane so as to not place undue wear on the bearings in each.

[David Weaver]

Over at BRF

Wayne Baldwin posted a ton of photo's from back in the day and there is shot or two of a F-4 with a white deck. This may not be the same boat, but could be the same owner.

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...p?t=753&page=7

The thread is Where the Action Is under Outboard History and the first photo of F-4 is on page 7 of this thread. I believe there are more within this thread. Happy searching.

[BmJuby]

Thanks a lot to both of you.

The thread you sent me to has some amazing pictures. I found the pictures of the F-4 boat you mentioned and unfortunately that is not a Sid-Son. There is a Sid-Son badge on both sides in the rear on my boat that are not present in the pictures. Aren't Marchetti hydros similar looking? Just typing out load. I LOVE those long runabouts for what, 1100cc?

Thanks again, this is more already than I had hoped for!

[Danny Pigott]

F 4

I'am pretty sure the white F 4 in the pic. is Westbrook, the boat is a Dubinski, It looks like it has a soft deck. I think the F 9 is a hard deck Marchetti. As far as I know all Sidson's were soft deck.

[BmJuby]

Yes my Sid-Son is a soft deck.

[BmJuby]

Is that picture of Westbrook a D or F? I can't tell. If it's a D then it could stand to reason he could have had an F Sid Son for F class. All I know is that there weren't many F Sid Sons made, and not many people could afford them.

[bh/]

This pic has been in my files for some time. It is labeled a SidSon,
and judging by the low coamings, I would think it is. Obviously an 'F'.
No idea who this is, possibly an AOMC member?

[BmJuby]

That's my boat and the gentleman I bought it from. He goes by JW from Dixie on the AOMC board. He is from Alabama and is not the original owner, we he got it the soft deck was ripped, but had F-4 numbers on it, which he had to replace.

[T Chance]

It seems to me that the Sid Craft and then the Sidson had a higher and rounded cowl and more rounded bow while the Marchetti had a flatter cowl and more pointed bow.

The boat in the photo looks more like a Marchetti to me. Could it be a Marchetti that someone added Sidson decals? I think David had a big Marchetti.

[BmJuby]

We have a B and D Sid Son as well. While the D is missing the front the design is identical between the D and F, only the length. The cowl is also the same. Both and B and F have a nose that comes to a point, in fact the B is more pointed than the F by a little. I would never say anything is impossible, but the F being a Marchetti is as close to impossible as it can get IMHO.

[David_L6]

This pic has been in my files for some time. It is labeled a SidSon,
and judging by the low coamings, I would think it is. Obviously an 'F'.
No idea who this is, possibly an AOMC member?

That is Warren Jones from Huntsville, AL. He said the boat is a 1961 Sid Son "F".

https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1345131778

[Heliarc]

It seems to me that the Sid Craft and then the Sidson had a higher and rounded cowl and more rounded bow while the Marchetti had a flatter cowl and more pointed bow.

The boat in the photo looks more like a Marchetti to me. Could it be a Marchetti that someone added Sidson decals? I think David had a big Marchetti.

That's definitely not a Marchetti in that picture.