Availability of new dsh motor

[hotrodsss]

Is their going to be a new dsh motor available?

[hshawwpba]

hshawwpba

There is a new D stock motor complete, that was on probation in 2004 ready to be approved. It depends on if the stock commission has the b _ _ _ s to approve anything except a Mercury! ?????

[Brian 13-V]

wanna race D or talk

You can order a newly rebuilt Merc 44XS now for $1200 less if you call dave at 613-836-2365. Then you don't have to worry about what the idiots on the commission do.

[csh2z]

During the past 4 or 5 years the SORC has made a significant investment in the 44XS redevelopment as well as a strong commitment to Dave Scott. At the time this was our best opportunity to revitalize the D class, and still may be. Our sport is fragile. When an issue like this comes along, it is important to be well informed, and not think with your b___s like an idiot. We are responsible for growing this sport. No matter what decision we make, we will not be able to please everyone. We only hope to do what we think is best for the sport, its present, and future members. On behalf of the 2005 SORC I appreciate your appreciation! Thanks, John Runne

[Merc1]

Exactly

Well said Brian! And I still can't understand why people who do not race this particular class would even argue about what is legal and what is not.

[sbartlett]

I agree that the D-stock class is fragile and would love to see more boats on the water! Have you ever thought of that if we had more options that we might bring more participation? Why not make both motors legal and let the racer make the choice?

[sam]

I think the probation idea is to prove that the new motor is equal but not superior. Allowing a motor that is superior discourages all owners of current equipment from continuing to race.

No one, not even Bass, wants to make one motor dominate, nor cause all current D drivers to buy new or get out.

[pro350hydro]

I think the probation idea is to prove that the new motor is equal but not superior. Allowing a motor that is superior discourages all owners of current equipment from continuing to race.

The Bass brothers ran this probationary motor all last year with several different drivers on several different boats in several differant classes (d stock, d-mod, and FE all hydro classes). This motor always ran good, and was somewhat competitive, however it was never dominate. I personally saw this motor run several times, so I know first hand. Did I run this motor? NO. I am just going off what I saw, heard from my freinds that drove/raced it, and discussions with Sid Bass.

I would hate to see our small world of boat racing membership numbers shrink even more over something like this. Like Steve said above, let the racer decide what they want to buy.

As far as parts availability, parts are available for the tohatsu, where as I see/know racers that are having a hard time finding Merc recoils, clamp brackets, swivel pins, etc. If you got to custom build, or hunt and pay top notch for everything why not run pro?

Just my 2 cents

[crankbearing]

Parts for Mercury

As far as parts availability, parts are available for the tohatsu, where as I see/know racers that are having a hard time finding Merc recoils, clamp brackets, swivel pins, etc. If you got to custom build, or hunt and pay top notch for everything why not run pro?

I agree with you. You say parts are hard to find for Mercury, Yet I get no e-mails for anything. I have new recoil housings cast I will post some pics next week. I hope that by March I will have everything in stock to assemble a lower unit including new 44XS gearcases. I will have delivered 4 - 5 44XS motors in one year coming up on this years winter nationals. That is 5 new DSH drivers to the class in one year.

I do not charge top dollar for anything. I get my money back and something for my time. Case in point my projected cost on the new 44XS, 55H gearsets I am making will be est. 280-300$ which is on par with what they were in 1995.

I agree that things are expensive to make when you talk the quantity we are looking for from Machine Shops, Foundries etc...

Foundries are not as common anymore and they are dropping like flies with the influx of overseas products. I talked to a ex-foundry owner last week who was passing 10 Tons of iron through his foundry a year with 5 guys and could not make ends meet. So this stuff is getting harder and harder to produce.

With the cost of machinery (CNC) etc... the hourly costs at the machine shops around here are huge. 80 - 125 / hr and they laugh at you when you ask for a quantity of 10 - 25.

then we talk about die-cast or Sand-cast parts, Core-boxes. The tooling for a D-gearboot would touch the 5-6K$ and you want to be sure that the guy doing the tooling is not a fly by night amateur or your shafts are going to be no-where near 90 degrees, which means premature wear if not destruction of your lower unit (grenade)

All the legwork is laid out and now really it is just picking up the pieces and start assembling the motor. Parts are not a problem and I have now found a foundry and machine shop that I can get good turn around with fair pricing so as more parts become obsolete from Mercury - I have a source for reproducing them.

There were something like 2Million 50 hp mercs shipped over their production cycle around the world for the years we have specs for in the rule book. Which means until that is depleted we have available donor motors from any marina. I have talked to several rebuild shops and they have not sold a 50 HP rebuild in a long time so to me these are everywhere for the picking.

The 44's are available and really nobody is breaking down my door for a motor even before the Bass/Tohatsu was talked about.

Regards,

[ryan_4z]

It would be irresponsible of the SORC to approve this motor. We know hardly anything about it. It has yet to be raced outside of Washington. Only a small handful of guys have actually seen this thing. Get the motor to a major race(winter nationals in March would be perfect). Let some impartial people do some testing with it.

Secondly, what makes some of you so sure that this motor is going to be the miracle cure for the D class. If people wanted to run D the could go buy a motor. All it takes is a phone call and to put a check in the mail. As I've said before, the reason the D class is not thriving is because of C and B mod. For about half the price of a D motor you can put together a mod motor and go about the same speed. The Tohatsu is not going to change that.

[nbass]

Just the Beginning of Change

The Bass-Tohatsu D-stock is just the begining of what could be a new future for stock racing. We are providing the powerhead for no profit, we do make a meager profit on the Tower and Lower Unit. We see D-stock as the failing class of 2005. If the SORC wants to move forward with the D-stock, we can work with Tohatsu America to bring other lowcost powerheads to the racing market.

Secondly, Dave Scott is right about the cost of manufacturing something state side, yet all of our tower and lower units are manufactured from parts cast in the USA, machined in the USA, and for the most part machined by Sid. One exception is some of the bearings are imported. All the casting molds and design work is done by Bass Machines. I presume Dave Scott is sending work out to be cast and machined. That adds to his cost. I have no doubt that Dave is making almost nothing on his products.

The SORC can and without my vote will control the class so that there is parity between the Tohatsu and the 44xs. Let there be choices and everyone will be thrive.

Lastly, the 2004 APBA racing season points list shows 33 D-stock hydros and 13 D-stock runabouts received point for the racing season. That is a poor showing for the stock division’s premier racing class. Let there be change.

[ryan_4z]

Change for the sake of change is rarely, if ever, a good thing. It would be foolish to approve this motor just because a small group of people think that it is a good idea. What makes you so sure, Mr. Bass, that your motor will fix the D class.

[jsilvestri]

I do not race the D stock class but I am glad there is enthusiasm from individuals, such as Mr. Bass, Mr. Scott and Mr. Selawach, who are trying new things to keep our sport alive. Its all about available equipment.

[Matt Dagostino]

D...lightful Stock Hydro

As Harold Barnes always referred to our 'premier' class as, has been a target for foreign motors wanting to condemplate moving into over the years.No doubt because the 50 hp motor is so popular worldwide.

If history has taught us anything it should be that our sport has been a one motor/one class sport and this formula seems to work. The Commission has to be the ones to initiate the effort to seek out a replacement motor when it feels the time is right and the current motor is 'obsolete'. This was done in the 80's with the OMC A(with some resistance) and was ultimatly the right choice and again in 1989 when the Commission banned the Merc 30h in C class and replaced it with the Yamato 102.It was evident that two C class motors could not survive together particularlly when myself and Hemp would come out a couple times a year and show the Yamato clan how a real 30hp motor should run(ok, enough rubbing it in). The point is the Commission correctly ruled in the majority favor and booted the good ol Merc out to allow a wonderful product to take it's place that met all the criteria for a replacement motor and ultimatly became the biggest class in our division.

It's unfair to have 2 motors in one class on a 'national ' level because one will always be faster than the other somehow. Maybe this Bass Motor is the greatest thing since the 102 but this is the Commissions call..........Not the drivers. If the drivers had there way,Andy Hanson, Carl Holt,Max McPeek etc. etc. would still be out there dominating A Class with KG4's !!

Hopefully the ever wise Commission has the pulse of the D Class and will at the proper time replace or keep the MERC 44 as the motor for D Class. Whatever the Commission does should be made clear to it's members and not allow itself be bullied into a bad desicion..............

Later

A "D" Fan.............

[dholt]

Where's the Communication?

I've never, and will never, race 'D'. So I'm not about to tell people how to spend their money.

God Bless Dave Scott and the Bass Bros. for all their work in the 'D' class. We need more people like them.

The most troubling issue to me, other than the apparent lack of interest in 'D' in general, is the TOTAL LACK OF COMMUNICATON FROM THE STOCK VP OR COMMISSION regarding the availability of Merc 44XS motors.

How does the country know Dave Scott can build/sell motors and parts??? Word of mouth? Random message boards? A little birdie?

Why hasn't an ad been placed in Propeller, paid for by the Stock budget, touting Dave Scott and the availability of the Merc 44xs? **** near every other message on this board asks..."hey where can I buy this or what motors are available for that?"

Maybe Dave could sell some stuff if the ENTIRE country knew about it and had his contact info!

Instead of the monthy space filler copy we read in Propeller about the Stock category, how about some useful information?

We better see some info regarding the new Hot Rod in the coming months...as well as info about OMC gearcase availability.


Dana