Newbie Question re. old 3 point outboard Hydro

[John S.]

Steve,

Wow! You sure do remember Lakewood! Thanks for the trip down memory lane and sharing some of your past there.
I lived in Lakewood on Chautauqua Lake during my high school years and remember all those old haunts too—Holiday Harbor, Surf Club, Casino, Hogan’s Hut, The Big Tree and the Triangle with its great Cuban Sandwiches, Friday night fish frys….water skiing behind a Whirlwind wooden boat with its “huge” 45 HP Merc….when the ferry was the only way across the lake without driving all the way around….when there was still an old steam paddle wheeler scuttled and half sunk at the Lakes outlet. Winters when the temps were so low that the lake froze to the point that we played motorcycle polo out on the lake, and ran snowmobiles everywhere until it got too cold and we drove my ’58 VW out on the ice, got it up to about 50, locked the parking brake and spun ‘round and ‘round and…and sure I remember the huge Indian with the arrows in him--and the view from one side when his thumb made it look like an X-rated sculpture! (was it Iroquois beer??).
Good old days, for sure. But then I don’t REALLY miss shoveling the snowy driveway two times a day, the high taxes, the overcast weather…..But when it was nice it sure was nice. Good place to grow up, lots of great memories. And my high school sweetheart even became my wife of 41 years now!
John

[STEVE FRENCH]

Another distant early memory flash is Mid-Way Park where at around six years old I would crank one of those self powered rail cars for what seems like 100 laps around the course in the entrance section of the park......slep well in the cruiser bow that was anchored off Long Point State Park many times afterwards!!......Best sleep ever in the front of that old wood cruiser!

I remember Dad say'n NY. "Is the land of high tax's" !!

Dad would never pay the extra $.05-$.10 cents for gas at the marina docks when it was $0.28 to $0.30Gal. in Corry, so I remember me and my brother sleep'n on boat cushions in the back of Mom's 61 Ford "woody" wagon with about 6 old, metal, Amalie 5 gallon oil cans of "Ethel" on the way to the lake from Corry, Pa., past Panama Rocks Park, to Maple Bay.........Might explain my manic flairs those teen years street racing in Jamestown and today at Bristol's "Thunder Valley" in my T-Bird Super Coupe!!

Would hit "The Big Tree" after the races at Stateline till it was torn down a few years ago.
Snuck home from there to Clymer, Ny. many a night on back roads with a dirt cover'd race car in tow, through Sherman, Ny. after closing the Sherman Hotel, dodging the Chautauqua County "Barnie's"

Did git busted one time cruise'n past the Denny's near Chautauqua Mall for 50 in a 35 by a Busti Barnie on way to the dounut shop on 3rd ave .
Speedo was un-hooked in my 302-Z power'd, 55 Chevy and the tach was over 3k rpm with the 4.10 gears...DOH!!......Guess I was just dig'n the turbo mufflers and "Grank-Funk Railroad" too much on the old 8-track !!

Went to the 2001 Disco one night(Hate'd that place) in my 65 Caddy convertible with a smoke'n hot blonde (Hi Vonnie )....She got lost on the dance floor and by close I was smoke'n hot. Left there in the Cad towards home and some jokers in a Nova kept run'n up on my tail and past'd me turn'n at the "Red Coach Inn" and the side road past the Mall.
I mash'd the go-pedal throw'n the Caddy sideways past them block'n the road, reached in the glove box in front of a dash grab'n blonde, and grab'd Dad's old .38 Colt Police Special and step'd out like Clint Eastwood.
All I saw was headlights in reverse............adrenalin overload!!....."Make my day"..........What a night.

There was/is(?) a Hot-Rod club with a club garage in the Jamestown industrial section. Drewl'd over many of their slam'd to the ground "lead sleds" and street rods!!
I think they call themselves "The De-Cobbler's" ?
Many a car show at the old Jamestown armory.

Did like cruise'n the lake with my 1971 634 Hirth and 760 JLO power'd Artic Cats after me and a buddie pull'd the silencer baffles in the end of the chrome wrap around "Montana" chambers, install'd the optional stingers, and drag raced them at the Mayville snowmobile club house drags, and later with my 1991 700 Wild Cat!!
Came to a tri-pod once set up next to a compression fracture in the ice that had open'd up and the Sheriff's scuba team were retrieving an old Polaris snowmobile that some kids could not save when their skis drop'd in and they could not pull it out.

Was sad that time the sleds went in the lake between Mayville and that popular tavern/fish joint "Davy's" across and could not pull themselves back out.
Several helmets were found on the ice near the hole where they tried to climb out'a the ice.
I think it was Super Bowl Sunday 1991 and I was with a group of sleds at the Mayville Hotel across from the old train station, watching the pre-game.
We were going to go to the same joint fallowing near their path but my buddies wife would not go on the lake cause there was some warm weather that week.

The Kelly's Tavern, Lou's Inn, The Pecock Lounge (to hear the "Raider's"), and a joint (Now Z-Bros) at Barcelona Harbor on Lake Erie near Westfield, Ny. were also favorite chick factorys back in the high school days.

Yep 16-20 year old drink'n days when 18 was legal in NY., and 21 in Pa., were some wild times for sure!!.....lucky I survived!!