APBA SE class

[Jerkizoid]

Dear, Ronnie, I wasnt going to remind you so bluntly and I'm glad you remembered an offer so generous for Nostalgia,,,,,to most, its a bad word! I probably have some of yours now. That 3 blade looks very close to the one on Charley now, did you sell to Al Lapoint? Just wondered, its an 8 1/2 diameter with NO markings. Is that your trademark or just racer secrets?

[Jerkizoid]

Al's prop from the 80s

This one:

[Ron Hill]

Speedmaster Props

I never made any props for Al LaPoint but I feel I made this one. Around the time this prop was made, I was buying Mercury Speedmaster propellers that were splined and boring a one inch taper. I made about four total. I have a mold for them now, if they'd work I could make a few...

[Jerkizoid]

Did I understand you correctly, the one I pictured you did make? Should be my first one to test in a few weeks, if all goes as planned. Those are some impressive looking props you have! One of our fastest Fords is running one you made for George Nordling.

[Ron Hill]

Mercury Speedmaster Propeller

The ROUND EAR prop in the picture was made by Mercury Marine. They came with a splined hole. I would bore them to a one inch taper, add the keyway and add cup, thin them and roll the leading edge. They worked well on outboards and figured, because I had been modifying two bale outboard props, for inboards, that these NEW FAST three blades would be faster on inboards also.

I did not cast this style prop in the old days. Later, Mercury made the low rke cleaver....first picture. This the high rake. The high rake took over in outboards but were a bust on flat bottoms.

Tony Scarlatta figured out the problem with the high rakers and I think that would be what I'd try to use on an E-Boat. Some mods to the plates are necessary.

Who cares anyway??? Right.....???? I much enjoyed working with George over the years. Awfully good to me. He'd come and have me measure all his props. He'd have great notes......We'd talk what we should do.....and he'd had me a hundred or two for my time.......and then pay me more to work on them....Truth is, wasn't the money as much as it was his desire to "GET IT RIGHT".......Gritch has always been that way too....but since his accident, it is easier to beat stuff in his head!!!!

ADD:

[Ron Hill]

Found Some of Those Props

I thought I had some, somewhere...Found four or five in a drawer...Too bad these all have 14 splines.....

[E-MOTION]

Send the prop to Gretch he will own it and I'll have a splined shaft in by Friday.

[raceright]

Why in heavens name would anyone want to?? Are you saying that our slower Nostalgia classes would be safer with capsuled boats? Boy that opens a can of worms, doesnt it?

Lets' see, we just spent 15Gs on a capsule Flat to run a class with speed limits and maybe not even get on plane or through the 'WILD TIME' transition?.....Why would anyone even entertain this idea? When class boat count drops under 2?????
For safety, or.......?
I for one dont think this will ever happen, but boat count is diminishing I hear. Are you selling less props to Flat racers? Is it a dying class? Spill you guts Ron, you have my attention.
As for running beside a capsule on the race course, I would never do it, can you guess why? Anyone?? I'm patiently awaiting your answer.............

capsule boat can't see yaaaaaaaaaa

[Ron Hill]

Inboards Do It Already...

Flat Bottoms run capsules and non-Capsuled together right now in APBA.

My questions wasn't about outboard hydros and tunnels mixing it up....it was about Nostalgia Racing as we have quite a few capsuled and non-capsules MOD VP type boats and I was wondering if AOF allowed the mix...

[Jerkizoid]

capsule boat can't see yaaaaaaaaaa

That's one, the other is the capsule driver drives wilder in his seemingly safe cocoon and would not be able to see anyone unless they were a boat length ahead! No periferal vision. But then that safe feeling could deminish with each new mishap. The only safe situation for me is to slow the field down. Lets keep limiting things: size of the course, horsepower, speed limits, etc.

[Jerkizoid]

Flat Bottoms run capsules and non-Capsuled together right now in APBA.

My questions wasn't about outboard hydros and tunnels mixing it up....it was about Nostalgia Racing as we have quite a few capsuled and non-capsules MOD VP type boats and I was wondering if AOF allowed the mix...

Dont see that being answered by AOF leadership...especially with the disinterest there seems to be for inboards racing among hydros. No disrespect intended, just my observations over 7 years and its getting worse. Unless you havent noticed in your area, we feel more than ever like the red headed illegitament step child.
But then, I have been a bystander the last 2 years without a running race boat so dont give my blabber any credibility. Thank you Ron for those pictures.