Is this one of Shorty Fillinger's Hydros?

[QuickNick]

I was browsing the local for sale ads, came across this 8'7" hydro as shown in the pics.
Can anyone tell me if this appears to be a genuine 'Shorty Fillinger' hydro or not?
Any ideas as to it's year?
It did not come with the motor shown. I just put that on the back for pictures.
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thank, All. Nick

[QuickNick]

Additional photo....

[QuickNick]

A couple more photo's to help the discussion.

[DeanFHobart]

Looks to be in excellent condition....... Cool, great find. Probably ran with a "C Service" motor on it. Or, a KG4 for A Stock Hydro or a KG7 for B Stock Hydro. Not sure of the year....... 40's or 50's most likely.

[dwhitford]

The 'E-43' number suggests that the boat was registered for Alky racing by a driver in VA, MD, or WV. For Stock, the E would follow the 43.

[QuickNick]

Hi Dean,

Thanks for the reply..... With 367 views and just your reply I appreciate it!

So do you think it looks like an original Fillinger? I went to see the guy about a Schiada vintage jet boat , then saw this little hydro. I thought I had better grab it before it go destroyed,his shop was a mess.

I'll need to source a suitable motor, any recommendations on that ?

Is the front hatch for a battery ?

Thanks
Nick

[T Chance]

I had a Fillinger Hydro back about 1960 andI think it wa10-12 years old at the time. It was a single-step not a 3-point. So maybe if a single-step was a 1948, then the 3-point like yours would have been built in the early 1950's. As far as your boat being original, I can't think of any other reason it would have a Fillinger decal. I would suspect your boat was raced with a Johnson KR, SR or PR; or maybe a KG-4 or KG-7; maybe a Martin Silver Streak, Scott Atwater Green Hornet, Chris Craft Commander, or a Champion Hot Rod (12.5 c.i., not the 20 c.i. ancestor of the Swidewinder). Anyhow, cool boat, wish I still had mine. By the way mine had an alcohol burning Quincy Merc for power.

[R. C. Hawie]

I have tried to look for pictures to compare. It has many details to other Fillinger's except this one has those box extentions on each side of the transom and he changed the way the coamings are cut to meet them as comparied to those without.
Based on the marks made by the transom clamps, it had a Mercury. Based on the length, it was probably a KG-4-H. That is not to rule out a KG-7-H or 20-H.
The reason for the trap door up front is they may have tried to use a 20-H and put the gas tank there. Most likely needed because the boat is just too short for that power. Those box extentions help to make the boat longer. You should measure from them to the front and from the end of the sponson to the box. These dimensions will help ID the class better.

[QuickNick]

Hi all,

Thanks very much for all the info. The "Fillinger" logo copy on the back has been hand painted on. The "KC" meaning Kansas City, what does the " 22 M0" mean ? Because the logo is painted on I was suspicious of it not being a original Fillinger. There doesn't seem to be much info on these small Hydo boats on the net that I can find.

R C, sorry for being a newbie !....can you explain to me please what you are calling the box extensions and the sponson box...sorry for my lack of knowledge, I'd like to measure it for you and find out the class.

It's cool to learn these things and learn what I have. I pictures where taken in our garden after I gave it a good clean, I haven't done anything to it.

I bought it cause I wanted to save it, coat me $400 though!

Thanks for the info all, much appreciated.

[ZUL8TR]

$400 is a deal for a vintage race boat in that good condition. Post some pics of the bottom.

Here is what RC means. Box extensions are at the rear of the bottom on each side of the motor board in the right pic of your 3rd post. Just lay your tape from the rear bottom near the center line just to the side of the circular cut out to the front bow (La in drawing) . Then measure from the box extension to the rear of the sponson back (Lb in drawing).

[modhydro]

It looks identical to one that I had years ago. They are very close to the Neal hydros. I was told that Fillinger used to work for Dick, but then split off on his own. One difference is that on the Neal boats, the cockpit sides had a little "wedge" thing right at the front. that made the front coaming wider at the bottom than at the top where the Fillingers I have seen (all three of them!) went straight forward like yours. My Fillinger three point had the same sponson back that was a square notch when viewed from above where the Neals had a curved transition.

If I had to bet on it, someone repainted the decal to match what was on it when they worked on it some time in the past.

Steve

[bill van steenwyk]

The person who built the Fillinger was Shorty Fillinger. Have no idea what his real first name was. Another man who I assume used to work for him took over the shop when he stopped or died or whatever happened to him. I don't remember his name right now but If I do will add it to this comment.

He (the guy who took over for Fillinger) had a shop in Kansas City Missouri. The "22 Mo" on your boat I have no idea other than Mo is the initials for Missouri. I also understood he used to work for Dick Neal. He had this shop as late as the early 70's and maybe later, although the early 70's is the latest I was ever in the shop. I had a Hydro repaired several times by him and he was an excellent workman with wood. I also never saw a new boat being built in this time frame in his shop although very well could have been when I was not there.

I also think Tim Chance is correct that he (Fillinger) built both single step and three point boats, but in the different time periods as Tim mentions.


ADD: The persons name that was running the shop at the time I was there was Homer Branson. He was strictly a one man operation as he had a rope and pulley arrangement to turn the boats over when working on them. I was told by someone else he worked for both Shorty Fillinger and Dick Neal.

[QuickNick]

Thanks, ZUL8TR, Steve and Bill for the information. I'll print off that diagram and measure it.

If it was originally raced in the US it's still a mystery how it got to Canada. Maybe someone will recognize the name. It is missing the grab handle at the front that I'll need to find and the fin underneath is missing, I think a reproduction fin is available.

[Jack Stotts]

That plugged hole in the center of the transom, I believe, was for a tilt adjustment device. In the very early 50s a hydraulic jack was authorized in stock outboard to make kick out adjustments while underway. The pump (master) was mounted up by the steering wheel with the slave mounted on the inside of the transom and protruded through that hole and contacted the front of the downhousing. The rule didn't last long. Jack

[ZUL8TR]

Good rule change. Awful busy and distracted in the cockpit in a kneel down race boat to be fooling with something adjustable besides the throttle.

[DeanFHobart]

Hi Dean,

Thanks for the reply..... With 367 views and just your reply I appreciate it!

So do you think it looks like an original Fillinger? I went to see the guy about a Schiada vintage jet boat , then saw this little hydro. I thought I had better grab it before it go destroyed,his shop was a mess.

I'll need to source a suitable motor, any recommendations on that ?

Is the front hatch for a battery ?

Thanks
Nick

The front hatch was most likely for the gas tank..... Would not have been used for a KG 4 or 7 or a C Service since they had Gravity Feed Gas Tanks on top of the motor..

[rumleyfips]

About 1964, I saw an ad on a corkboard at a grocery store. I bought a hydro for $100 equipped. The number was Z58; so another hydro made it up to Canada. I don't know how, I would never have changed the numbers and brought a Racecraft across the border.

[QuickNick]

Searching the web tonight I found these pics ....