SHOCKWAVE Blown Fuel Hydro Restoration

[Sharp Shooter]

I’m not his favorite guy after I did the Panic Mouse.
Not gonna happen sadly.

Because he wasn't included?

 

[Clank123]

Because he wasn't included?

I tried.
We were not compatible.
Please, let’s just leave it there.

 

[Clank123]

Been waiting for this day today.
Got the 426 in and properly aligned.
Got a few things to make then it comes out and gotta send the parts to polish, anodize and chrome.
Pretty happy with the look.
I can see the finish line!

 

[white tortilla]

Does it have a trailer coming or some type of permanent dolly/stand for the exhibit?

 

[Clank123]

If I had a dollar for every Child or Grandchild that has set in a project boat!

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Looks awesome Dave!

 

[jetboatperformance]

Beautiful Resto Congratulations !

 

[timstoy]

Time capsule! Looks great Dave! We used to ride our dirt bikes next to Marine Stadium in the late sixties and we would hop the chain link fence and watch the races. No idea who the drivers and boats were but a Top Fuel Hydro is something you never forget especially at the Stadium being so close to the boats!

 

[Clank123]

Does it have a trailer coming or some type of permanent dolly/stand for the exhibit?

We have a trailer, but we built a rolling stand for it for the Museum.
Most of the boats will be on them for accessibility and viewing.

 

[Clank123]

Time capsule! Looks great Dave! We used to ride our dirt bikes next to Marine Stadium in the late sixties and we would hop the chain link fence and watch the races. No idea who the drivers and boats were but a Top Fuel Hydro is something you never forget especially at the Stadium being so close to the boats!

Great stuff!
Amazing how many fences we used to jump!

 

[Sharp Shooter]

We have a trailer, but we built a rolling stand for it for the Museum.
Most of the boats will be on them for accessibility and viewing.

I hope the stand is as trick as the boat.

 

[timstoy]

Great stuff!
Amazing how many fences we used to jump!

Is the Carlsbad lagoon still open for boating? Always looked like a neat place from the freeway.

 

[warpt71]

Will this cackle before it goes to the museum?

Reading this thread makes me think about restoring my boat back to how it was raced. Not sure I really want to try and recreate a 500" DL Hemi though!!! I tracked down the original painter too, really gets me thinking.........

 

[Vamodsquad]

Reading this thread makes me think about restoring my boat back to how it was raced. Not sure I really want to try and recreate a 500" DL Hemi though!!! I tracked down the original painter too, really gets me thinking.........

That's a good idea, I thought the same thing. I'd like to have an injected Arias like they used to run in mine...
But I bet that 's a pricey piece !

 

[Clank123]

I hope the stand is as trick as the boat.

At least as trick as Billy’s dolly that’s under it now!!

 

[Clank123]

Is the Carlsbad lagoon still open for boating? Always looked like a neat place from the freeway.

Still open, but very limited boating.
Half the lagoon is for jet ski rentals and the back half you can still ski on.
I spent most of my childhood there from 1968 till 1980 or so.
In those days there would be 40-60 boats on it every summer weekend! Crazy!
My first ever job was working there on weekends when I was 12 emptying trash cans, raking the beach and backing trailers down the ramp.
Bummed plenty of ski rides, saw alot of pretty girls and because my dad let me pull skiers and make passes at that age in our 80mph ski boat…I’m still hooked!

 

[Clank123]

Will this cackle before it goes to the museum?

Reading this thread makes me think about restoring my boat back to how it was raced. Not sure I really want to try and recreate a 500" DL Hemi though!!! I tracked down the original painter too, really gets me thinking.........

There are no plans to cackle it at this time. But I’m sure the day will come!

Be cool to bring your boat back to original!
I ran the valves and changed the gears in this boat that my Dad drove with a DLI Dodge in it when I was 15!

 

[The REAL Prop Duster 281]

Boat looks awesome Dave! GREAT Job!

 

[Clank123]

Time capsule! Looks great Dave! We used to ride our dirt bikes next to Marine Stadium in the late sixties and we would hop the chain link fence and watch the races. No idea who the drivers and boats were but a Top Fuel Hydro is something you never forget especially at the Stadium being so close to the boats!

Got thinkin about your post.
It’s hard to explain to people that never attended the races in the 60’s and 70’s just how incredible the dragboat races were.
Most all the classes had high teens in terms of boats trying to make an 8 boat field.
The Blown Fuel Hydro class was no exception.
I remember in 1976 at the Nationals there were 23 boats trying to make the field!
They had to send two separate flights to the hold rope.
Great memories!

The boat idling out above is the sister boat to this Shockwave…Aftershock

 

[got wood]

Got thinkin about your post.
It’s hard to explain to people that never attended the races in the 60’s and 70’s just how incredible the dragboat races were.
Most all the classes had high teens in terms of boats trying to make an 8 boat field.
The Blown Fuel Hydro class was no exception.
I remember in 1976 at the Nationals there were 23 boats trying to make the field!
They had to send two separate flights to the hold rope.
Great memories! View attachment 1274990

View attachment 1274991 View attachment 1274992 View attachment 1274993 View attachment 1274994
The boat idling out above is the sister boat to this Shockwave…Aftershock

 

[got wood]

I hope this conversation of history will get the younger guys involved spent alot of time around vintage car racing the interest is amazing

 

[shan]

Got thinkin about your post.
It’s hard to explain to people that never attended the races in the 60’s and 70’s just how incredible the dragboat races were.
Most all the classes had high teens in terms of boats trying to make an 8 boat field.
The Blown Fuel Hydro class was no exception.
I remember in 1976 at the Nationals there were 23 boats trying to make the field!
They had to send two separate flights to the hold rope.
Great memories! View attachment 1274990

View attachment 1274991 View attachment 1274992 View attachment 1274993 View attachment 1274994
The boat idling out above is the sister boat to this Shockwave…Aftershock

The glory days!

 

[rrrr]

Those are great photos. I wish I had been there to see it.

 

[Hydroman55]

Those are great photos. I wish I had been there to see it.

I was and even then I knew it was something special. What the hell has happen to our society.

 

[Joe mama]

Outstanding project!!!!! Those are the days when men actually had balls, can’t even imagine doing 200mph in this.

 

[Clank123]

Those are great photos. I wish I had been there to see it.

Here’s a few more from “the rope”
You really can’t compare any other era of boat racing(circle or drag) to the late 60’s through the late 70’s.
The boat count in each class, the attendance at the races, even the monthly papers and magazines that came out with full coverage.
I was so lucky to be a part of it!
Was a great time to be at the races!

 

[Clank123]

Boat looks awesome Dave! GREAT Job!

Thank you Sir!
Tough to have to pull a bunch of parts and the engine back out of it for polishing and plating, but you know that drill for sure.
Saw the wood deck with the crossram that you did in Parker this weekend from the beach. Looks great on the water!

 

[flat540]

Dave, I have the total running gear from the SS53 from the early 90's. DCucci super stock. Let me know if it's something that you are interested in or know someone who might be......snout drive sprint car driveshaft Casale box, steering, and cav gear ...on and on.....

 

[Clank123]

Dave, I have the total running gear from the SS53 from the early 90's. DCucci super stock. Let me know if it's something that you are interested in or know someone who might be......snout drive sprint car driveshaft Casale box, steering, and cav gear ...on and on.....

Hey, thanks for the offer!
I’m good on parts as of right now.
It’s good to know there’s some quality stuff available though.
Let me know if you “need” to sell it and we’ll see about putting a deal together.

I’ve got 2 circle boats coming up on the todo list.
One is a Longdeck Biesemeyer that is the original Cold Fire green that we will be building to emulate the original Cold Fire Injected K boat, so we will try to use as many of the period correct parts as possible.

The second is the K69 Freedom Hondo.
It just got new floors and stringers along with getting the graphics touched up and re-cleared.
It also will be getting a K motor back in it.
It will be a complete re-rig but I will use a fair amount of the OG parts.

 

[Vamodsquad]

Thank you Sir!
Tough to have to pull a bunch of parts and the engine back out of it for polishing and plating, but you know that drill for sure.
Saw the wood deck with the crossram that you did in Parker this weekend from the beach. Looks great on the water!

Somebody say crossram ?
I've been playing with this for the last few days. It's been sitting on my shelf for over 30 years.
I used to run it on a 427, in a black '69 Chevelle SS, 4-speed car back in the 80's. Ran great. Was alot of fun !
If I didn't have the particular Boat I have now, I'd stick it on there and run it again !

I had posted this in another Forum a couple of days ago...

"Couldn't leave it alone. Robbed Peter to pay Paul today. Took the carburetors and fuel lines off of one of my tunnel-rams.
Mocked it up with an old Weiand linkage set I had bought for this crossram. Dig vintage parts !"

 

[shan]

Somebody say crossram ?
I've been playing with this for the last few days. It's been sitting on my shelf for over 30 years.
I used to run it on a 427, in a black '69 Chevelle SS, 4-speed car back in the 80's. Ran great. Was alot of fun !
If I didn't have the particular Boat I have now, I'd stick it on there and run it again !

I had posted this in another Forum a couple of days ago...

"Couldn't leave it alone. Robbed Peter to pay Paul today. Took the carburetors and fuel lines off of one of my tunnel-rams.
Mocked it up with an old Weiand linkage set I had bought for this crossram. Dig vintage parts !"

Bitchen!

 

[Terminal Velocity]

I’ve got 2 circle boats coming up on the todo list.
One is a Longdeck Biesemeyer that is the original Cold Fire green that we will be building to emulate the original Cold Fire Injected K boat, so we will try to use as many of the period correct parts as possible.
View attachment 1275383

Dave, This one? Are you looking for Injectors also? I know of these for sale.
Comes with Pump, Timing Cover(Hilborn), Hilborn Filter, and stack cover. Was on a PS engine built by Bud Gilbert.

 

[rrrr]

Somebody say crossram ?
I've been playing with this for the last few days. It's been sitting on my shelf for over 30 years.
I used to run it on a 427, in a black '69 Chevelle SS, 4-speed car back in the 80's. Ran great. Was alot of fun !
If I didn't have the particular Boat I have now, I'd stick it on there and run it again !

I had posted this in another Forum a couple of days ago...

"Couldn't leave it alone. Robbed Peter to pay Paul today. Took the carburetors and fuel lines off of one of my tunnel-rams.
Mocked it up with an old Weiand linkage set I had bought for this crossram. Dig vintage parts !"

That's pure sexual excitement!

 

[Clank123]

Somebody say crossram ?
I've been playing with this for the last few days. It's been sitting on my shelf for over 30 years.
I used to run it on a 427, in a black '69 Chevelle SS, 4-speed car back in the 80's. Ran great. Was alot of fun !
If I didn't have the particular Boat I have now, I'd stick it on there and run it again !

I had posted this in another Forum a couple of days ago...

"Couldn't leave it alone. Robbed Peter to pay Paul today. Took the carburetors and fuel lines off of one of my tunnel-rams.
Mocked it up with an old Weiand linkage set I had bought for this crossram. Dig vintage parts !"

Dig it.
When I built this Lavey they brought a Long Block with no bolt on parts and a stock crossram and beat up carbs in a box with no linkage or fuel lines.
Came out fairly good.
I love all the vintage stuff!

 

[Clank123]

Dave, This one? Are you looking for Injectors also? I know of these for sale.
Comes with Pump, Timing Cover(Hilborn), Hilborn Filter, and stack cover. Was on a PS engine built by Bud Gilbert.

Yup that’s the one!
I found a nice Hilborn with everything you have and snapped it up for the project.
It would be proper to run the Enderles like Julian ran but it’s not going to be a clone by any means and I’ve always preferred Hilborn. We’re just gonna build like it would have been built in the early 70’s(with a few upgrades in the rigging).
I appreciate the offer on your stack tank, but it looks like we found an original set of Moon stack tanks just like were in the pictures you posted. Which would be cool.
Be cool if we could get them!

 

[Vamodsquad]

Dig it.
When I built this Lavey they brought a Long Block with no bolt on parts and a stock crossram and beat up carbs in a box with no linkage or fuel lines.
Came out fairly good.
I love all the vintage stuff!


View attachment 1275477 View attachment 1275478 View attachment 1275479

Love the Wedge. My Uncle had one in a '64 Plymouth Belvedere.

You did a great job, man...That thing is beautiful !

 

[Willie B]

Somebody say crossram ?
I've been playing with this for the last few days. It's been sitting on my shelf for over 30 years.
I used to run it on a 427, in a black '69 Chevelle SS, 4-speed car back in the 80's. Ran great. Was alot of fun !
If I didn't have the particular Boat I have now, I'd stick it on there and run it again !

I had posted this in another Forum a couple of days ago...

"Couldn't leave it alone. Robbed Peter to pay Paul today. Took the carburetors and fuel lines off of one of my tunnel-rams.
Mocked it up with an old Weiand linkage set I had bought for this crossram. Dig vintage parts !"

… I wonder if that would look odd on my ‘75 Sanger Runner… With an LS7 big block in it???…
…

 

[Clank123]

… I wonder if that would look odd on my ‘75 Sanger Runner… With an LS7 big block in it???…
… View attachment 1275561

Tough to beat a teardrop scoop on a flatbottom. They’re just sexy!

 

[Clank123]

A restoration project we did from a few years back.
Holy Crossram Batman!

 

[Clank123]

Long Beach, Climax and Linda…don’t get much better!

 

[Tooned Up]

This has to be one the best threads going on RDP right now!!

 

[rivermobster]

Been waiting for this day today.
Got the 426 in and properly aligned.
Got a few things to make then it comes out and gotta send the parts to polish, anodize and chrome.
Pretty happy with the look.
I can see the finish line!

View attachment 1274164 View attachment 1274165 View attachment 1274167 View attachment 1274166

That is amazing.

:bowdown:

 

[Willie B]

Tough to beat a teardrop scoop on a flatbottom. They’re just sexy!

… Yeah…I agree… but two of them might be a bit of overkill???… But I have always been a big fan of cross rams

 

[Clank123]

Pulled the engine so I could get motor plates, seat and tank brackets along with a few other parts polished and plated.
Hoping to get everything back in a couple weeks for final assembly.
Was reflecting on how far this project had come.
Can’t say enough for the talent that my friend Billy has.
Just amazing work!

I think The Rocket Man would be pleased!

 

[timstoy]

Got thinkin about your post.
It’s hard to explain to people that never attended the races in the 60’s and 70’s just how incredible the dragboat races were.
Most all the classes had high teens in terms of boats trying to make an 8 boat field.
The Blown Fuel Hydro class was no exception.
I remember in 1976 at the Nationals there were 23 boats trying to make the field!
They had to send two separate flights to the hold rope.
Great memories! View attachment 1274990

View attachment 1274991 View attachment 1274992 View attachment 1274993 View attachment 1274994
The boat idling out above is the sister boat to this Shockwave…Aftershock

The K boats used to run between rounds when the NDBA ran at Lake Ming in Bakersfield in the eighties and there was always full classes of race boats. The races at Ming used to draw thousands of spectators, many spending the night on the hill in vans and tents! All night party! We raced after the NDBA folded at Ming but the circle boats never drew the big crowds that the drag boats did. Years later when my Nephew and son raced circle boats at Ming I told them about the huge crowds the drag boats used to bring and they looked at me like I was crazy. I’m glad I got to see the glory days of drag boats at Ski Land, Lake Ming and Marine Stadium and later be part of the show with the K boats. Some of the drag boat drivers used to come over to the K boat pits and said we were crazy! It was a good show while it lasted!

 

[Clank123]

This poster from back then is interesting.
It shows all the top BFHs of the day but for the Shockwave it has Gabelich’s name in bold print but none of the other drivers.
I suppose, to the world, he had more name recognition than the others because he had set the land speed record but in BFHs he was not at the top of the power rankings for sure.
I would say it was….
Dennis Pollacia in Out A Sight
Dave Harris in Down and Out
Gary Scow in The Beast
With Climax and the Hemi Engineering Special and Shockwave all in about the same spot and very competitive.
It really was a toss up who would win the class on any given weekend.

 

[Clank123]

The K boats used to run between rounds when the NDBA ran at Lake Ming in Bakersfield in the eighties and there was always full classes of race boats. The races at Ming used to draw thousands of spectators, many spending the night on the hill in vans and tents! All night party! We raced after the NDBA folded at Ming but the circle boats never drew the big crowds that the drag boats did. Years later when my Nephew and son raced circle boats at Ming I told them about the huge crowds the drag boats used to bring and they looked at me like I was crazy. I’m glad I got to see the glory days of drag boats at Ski Land, Lake Ming and Marine Stadium and later be part of the show with the K boats. Some of the drag boat drivers used to come over to the K boat pits and said we were crazy! It was a good show while it lasted!

Got thinking about your post.
Lake Ming and Bakersfield have been a huge part of my racing life.
Went there for the first time in 1970. Until he passed in 1977 my Dad was always driving something up there and then I was pitting for our friend Rich Thompson who ran an Unblown gas flat in 74 and 75.
In 1975, my dad was driving the Magic Dragon UGF and he brought our family ski boat up for me to drive. I was 15.
I’ve posted this picture before but here it is just for reference…

Part of the deal was I was supposed to pull skiers and barefooters during the course of the weekend.
Something that was very popular back then.
Pulled a barefooter Saturday morning and got the boat qualified in the 90-95 class at 94 and change.
Sunday morning they always did the exhibition stuff first.
I was the first one out of the Marina to go to the hold rope.
As described in the other post, the beach was packed the entire quarter mile.
As I squared up the boat with the beach the fans were waving and giving thumbs up so I plated it and did a full pass 75 feet off the beach. I’ll never forget it.
So I win first round and then broke out so I thought my day was done.
About 3:30 we get the call to go to the ramp to pull a skier to take up a little time.
I went to the hold rope with Al Bush, Tom Black, Dwight Warner and Robert Jordan.
As a 15 year old kid this was like a dream!

So I’m on the outside of the hold rope and we’re all talking and Bush was right next to me. I knew him from the Pfaff and Sowins shop and he just thought it was cool that I was out there at my age.
So Jordan and Warner go off. Jordan was in his own boat “Tasmanian Devil”well it sure was! He crashed it on the big end!

So we get the call red light on the racecourse.
They tell us we can take our helmets off. Bush takes his helmet and jacket off.
We sit there for half hour or so and the wind comes up. We’re now on a hold for wind. After 20 minutes the starter tells us to put our gear back on and IDLE back to the pits. Tells us three times!
Well you probably can guess what happens.
Bush and Black leave first, both bury the plate and do a burnout. So what was I supposed to do. Yup. Same thing
What a first weekend of racin huh!!

 

[dryhoze1]

Got thinking about your post.
Lake Ming and Bakersfield have been a huge part of my racing life.
Went there for the first time in 1970. Until he passed in 1977 my Dad was always driving something up there and then I was pitting for our friend Rich Thompson who ran an Unblown gas flat in 74 and 75.
In 1975, my dad was driving the Magic Dragon UGF and he brought our family ski boat up for me to drive. I was 15.
I’ve posted this picture before but here it is just for reference…
View attachment 1278168
Part of the deal was I was supposed to pull skiers and barefooters during the course of the weekend.
Something that was very popular back then.
Pulled a barefooter Saturday morning and got the boat qualified in the 90-95 class at 94 and change.
Sunday morning they always did the exhibition stuff first.
I was the first one out of the Marina to go to the hold rope.
As described in the other post, the beach was packed the entire quarter mile.
As I squared up the boat with the beach the fans were waving and giving thumbs up so I plated it and did a full pass 75 feet off the beach. I’ll never forget it.
So I win first round and then broke out so I thought my day was done.
About 3:30 we get the call to go to the ramp to pull a skier to take up a little time.
I went to the hold rope with Al Bush, Tom Black, Dwight Warner and Robert Jordan.
As a 15 year old kid this was like a dream!
View attachment 1278171 View attachment 1278172
View attachment 1278173
So I’m on the outside of the hold rope and we’re all talking and Bush was right next to me. I knew him from the Pfaff and Sowins shop and he just thought it was cool that I was out there at my age.
So Jordan and Warner go off. Jordan was in his own boat “Extremely Dangerous” well it sure was! He crashed it on the big end! View attachment 1278174
So we get the call red light on the racecourse.
They tell us we can take our helmets off. Bush takes his helmet and jacket off.
We sit there for half hour or so and the wind comes up. We’re now on a hold for wind. After 20 minutes the starter tells us to put our gear back on and IDLE back to the pits. Tells us three times!
Well you probably can guess what happens.
Bush and Black leave first, both bury the plate and do a burnout. So what was I supposed to do. Yup. Same thing
What a first weekend of racin huh!!

That’s Good stuff Dave

 

[Hydroman55]

Great nostalgia stories here love it.
Always thought Al Bush was one bad hombre…Crash while testing during the week then show up and win on the weekend. Before capsules and Flatbottoms ran nitro a different world.

 

[coolchange]

I feel fortunate to have made one pass at LB at the Endo’s ski deal.
Because of that I’ve often wondered what the TFHs would run there now. It was sure different in my Sanger!