Ron Hill
06-29-2007, 06:17 PM
Over the years, I worked on many props. Usually, I never hear anything, unless they are real "DOGS"....If they are REAL GOOD, I never hear anything, except maybe they are using "BRAND X" props, not mine...that is until they WRECK their good prop, then we are my best friend, again....
Henry Wagner, god rest his soul, was a very tough old bird, and even though my brother was ten years older than I am, Russ didn't give Henry any "BACK TALK" when Henry was Refereeing a race... We always just walked on eggs with Henry...
I was up somewhere, had my Winnebago, and it was hot, races were over and I was having a beer or two...Henry comes over with about three props in a DIRTY RAG and says can I work on them?? Seems it might have been a Stock Divisionals, about 1973.... I tell Henry, "Hell there ain't nothing I can't do to a prop to make a prop go faster..." ). Of course, I'm buttering him up as I sure as hell don't want to jump the gun tomorrow....I want to head for Dayton, for the Nationals, qualified....
Henry tells me what he needs...and I listen...He wants to pay me....Hell, I'm seeing a major conflick of interests here...I tell him $30.00. He leaves. About 15 minutes later, he's back with a check. Ten bucks each was cheap, even in those days, but my biggest fear was, I had never worked on a Service "C" prop, and they had odd curves and bumps in them....and the way Henry talked, he a John Laird, I think it was John, were FAST in Service "C" Runabout...
I figure, damn Ron.....when you screw these props up...how you ever going to up north and race again???
Well, I went home and forgot about the props....In fact, I went to Dayton with them in the motorhome side compartment...I got home and Henry called saying where in the hell was his props. I explained, I'd been busy, been to the Nationals, and just won DU....and I'd do the props this week...
They were thin little Cary props, every Service "C" prop I'd ever seen before was BRASS... I cleaned them up, added cup...thinned and sharpened them....and not being a PRAYER...I still PRAYED I had'nt SCREWED HENRY's props up....
Well, Henry never mentioned the props. I assumed he got them. But we never talked about them. Henry was friendly, in a professional way...a little distant. I thought well, maybe they weren't too bad...maybe I charged him too much....Maybe he's mad at me...
Years passed and Henry became the motor inspector at the Havasu Classic, Thanksgiving weekend... Seems, Vera, Henry's wife liked having big Thanksgiving dinners, so at Havasu, she'd invite everyone to go out to dinner...My dad and mom were always there...I think we paid our own way, in fact, I'm sure we did...But it became tradition to eat with the Wagner's and at time 30 or more ate with them..
About 1987, my dad was 80, we went to Havasu, and Henry started safety inspecting my Mod VP's...(I had two)...Henry asked where the OLD MAN was (My DAD), I told him he wasn't coming...Henry almost went into shock...He said, "Is your dad OK?? He ain't coming??? Well, you will go to dinner with US tonight? Right?"
With my dad not there, Henry and I talked more than usual....He said, "Ron I guess I never got a chance to tell you...but those props you did for me have been our best props ever since you did them..." It took 14 years to find out I hadn't screwed Henry's props up...
After that I heard rumors of several people having Henry Wagner's GOOD wheel...I laughed to myself....
A couple of years back, Ralph DeSilva gives me a prop to copy....He says, "It was Henry Wagner's BEST wheel"...I say hmm..seems there was only three "BEST" ones.....but maybe Ralph had one...
Anyway I made a mold and made some wheels...Not sure how good they really were, may take 14 years to find oput... But I do know that Tim Weber, Bill Luetner's grandson, has been working with Ralph in Service "C" Runabout and they think the old 8 1/4 diameters are too small. They think they need 8 3/4 diameter.......
So, me, Ron Hill the Prop guy, who sometimes feels like Tim the Tool Guy....Says, "Hell I can split those mothers and make them 8 3/4....
Top Picture: Copy of Original Henry Wagner Cary
Next three pictures: Three props...Split the hubs, welding back together, with a diameter of 8 3/4.....Will it work??? As I told Henry Wagner, in 1973, "Henry, there ain't nothing I can't do to a prop to make it go faster???" LOL We'll see....I'm like Grover on Sesame Street..."THIS IS NEAR and that is far..." A simple man.
ADD: First of three props is ORIGNAL CARY with Ron Hill on the side...
Henry Wagner, god rest his soul, was a very tough old bird, and even though my brother was ten years older than I am, Russ didn't give Henry any "BACK TALK" when Henry was Refereeing a race... We always just walked on eggs with Henry...
I was up somewhere, had my Winnebago, and it was hot, races were over and I was having a beer or two...Henry comes over with about three props in a DIRTY RAG and says can I work on them?? Seems it might have been a Stock Divisionals, about 1973.... I tell Henry, "Hell there ain't nothing I can't do to a prop to make a prop go faster..." ). Of course, I'm buttering him up as I sure as hell don't want to jump the gun tomorrow....I want to head for Dayton, for the Nationals, qualified....
Henry tells me what he needs...and I listen...He wants to pay me....Hell, I'm seeing a major conflick of interests here...I tell him $30.00. He leaves. About 15 minutes later, he's back with a check. Ten bucks each was cheap, even in those days, but my biggest fear was, I had never worked on a Service "C" prop, and they had odd curves and bumps in them....and the way Henry talked, he a John Laird, I think it was John, were FAST in Service "C" Runabout...
I figure, damn Ron.....when you screw these props up...how you ever going to up north and race again???
Well, I went home and forgot about the props....In fact, I went to Dayton with them in the motorhome side compartment...I got home and Henry called saying where in the hell was his props. I explained, I'd been busy, been to the Nationals, and just won DU....and I'd do the props this week...
They were thin little Cary props, every Service "C" prop I'd ever seen before was BRASS... I cleaned them up, added cup...thinned and sharpened them....and not being a PRAYER...I still PRAYED I had'nt SCREWED HENRY's props up....
Well, Henry never mentioned the props. I assumed he got them. But we never talked about them. Henry was friendly, in a professional way...a little distant. I thought well, maybe they weren't too bad...maybe I charged him too much....Maybe he's mad at me...
Years passed and Henry became the motor inspector at the Havasu Classic, Thanksgiving weekend... Seems, Vera, Henry's wife liked having big Thanksgiving dinners, so at Havasu, she'd invite everyone to go out to dinner...My dad and mom were always there...I think we paid our own way, in fact, I'm sure we did...But it became tradition to eat with the Wagner's and at time 30 or more ate with them..
About 1987, my dad was 80, we went to Havasu, and Henry started safety inspecting my Mod VP's...(I had two)...Henry asked where the OLD MAN was (My DAD), I told him he wasn't coming...Henry almost went into shock...He said, "Is your dad OK?? He ain't coming??? Well, you will go to dinner with US tonight? Right?"
With my dad not there, Henry and I talked more than usual....He said, "Ron I guess I never got a chance to tell you...but those props you did for me have been our best props ever since you did them..." It took 14 years to find out I hadn't screwed Henry's props up...
After that I heard rumors of several people having Henry Wagner's GOOD wheel...I laughed to myself....
A couple of years back, Ralph DeSilva gives me a prop to copy....He says, "It was Henry Wagner's BEST wheel"...I say hmm..seems there was only three "BEST" ones.....but maybe Ralph had one...
Anyway I made a mold and made some wheels...Not sure how good they really were, may take 14 years to find oput... But I do know that Tim Weber, Bill Luetner's grandson, has been working with Ralph in Service "C" Runabout and they think the old 8 1/4 diameters are too small. They think they need 8 3/4 diameter.......
So, me, Ron Hill the Prop guy, who sometimes feels like Tim the Tool Guy....Says, "Hell I can split those mothers and make them 8 3/4....
Top Picture: Copy of Original Henry Wagner Cary
Next three pictures: Three props...Split the hubs, welding back together, with a diameter of 8 3/4.....Will it work??? As I told Henry Wagner, in 1973, "Henry, there ain't nothing I can't do to a prop to make it go faster???" LOL We'll see....I'm like Grover on Sesame Street..."THIS IS NEAR and that is far..." A simple man.
ADD: First of three props is ORIGNAL CARY with Ron Hill on the side...