Here's my ride! Its a 1970 E & T Tunnel built by E & T MArine of Lexington PArk, MD. :D
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Here's my ride! Its a 1970 E & T Tunnel built by E & T MArine of Lexington PArk, MD. :D
I have one too, but mine is older.
Beale Tilton ("T" of E & T) is a member here on BRF
(The boat pictured below is not my E&T)
Mark 75H,
Mr T responded to my post. Ive been talking to him. He reffered me to Mr Edwards (the E in E & T), who still lives in St Mary's County. Ill be giving him a call tonight about restoring my hull. He is supposed to still be in the marine industry.
Where are you located? Im in Baltimore.
My hull is resting under wraps down in St Marys county on a trailer. Im getting more excited about getting it back on the water. The 35 year old transom finally gave up and I lost the Merc - the one in the picture. Im looking for a 90 hp short shaft Merc with power trim to install once I get the boat restored. :D
I took the boat to Loffer Marine (still in Lexington Park, MD) once to get the Merc carbs rebuilt. They showed me a picture of a larger boat that was a picke fork - said it was easier to drive. The pickle fork relieved the execess air pressure at the nose of the boat, making it less likey to blow over. THey said the driver had passed away in a car accident. They coulndt tell me much more and really didnt seem interested. :rolleyes:
Here are a couple more pics...
Id like to see some of your E & T! :cool:
Since I can never find the pics on my hard drive:
Link to my thread on SnF
That's what I think is so great about this site, older tunnel hulls. Bajarick, how long is that boat? It'll make a nice restoration.
Mark 75,
I checked the pics @ SnF. That has to be the E & T pickle fork boat that was built after mine! I know you said you found some gold paint under the white...but Im sure if you dig (sand) a little more that you will find red gel coat - my boat still shows the original gel coat color - red. I saw an old photo of your boat when it was new (at Loffer Marine -they did not have a photo of my boat-Dam)...... It had the same paint scheme as mine (shown in my pics). The number of your boat was not visible in the photo. The paint colors are Mercury colors!....black engine with red stipes and white letters. I dont think that was the original engine on your boat. But it still looks like one hell of a racing piece. I wouldn't touch that!
Your boat has the exact same lines as mine. If you look at the transom (standing behind the boat)...... You will notice its shaped exactly like mine :D The cowling is also exactly the same (I cut mine when I first bought it - right at the side of the cockpit - the little forward extension was broken off on the drivers side - so I cut the left side extension off - gave me more elbow room) :D Loffer told me the pickle fork boat was bigger - you say yours measures 14ft (exactly?). Mine is actually 13.5 ft.
Let me ask - on the top of the deck on either side of the cockpit are there two humps on your hull? They arent really humps but more like a "step". Its like the deck is stepped down. I think this feature relieves the air pressure flowing over the rear of the deck which would actually provide lift (low air pressure) at the rear of the hull.
Dam - weve got two pieces of some great racing history. I didnt get to talk to Bill Edwards ("E" of E & T) this eveing...but I bet he will set us straight! Wonder if he would be interested in helping with the restoration!
Here's a more direct shot of my transom....and a closer shot of the cowling.
Wrong shot for cowling...try these....
I think Beale told me mine was one of the very first tunnels they built (based on the sponson and tunnel shape) and that it was originally round nose; someone cut it back to picklefork later.
On mine the deck is higher at the transom and my tunnel is narrower and more square.
My hull came first. My nose is square or flat accross the front. They were not round nosed boats. Like I said, they added the pickle fork front end to the later boat to releive the air pressure at the nose of the boat to make it easier to drive. It also made that boat faster than mine. It does seem like it was a rough attempt to change the design. I want to change mine to a pickle fork too (but Ill probably just leave it alone).
Your deck may be higher at the transom. Do you have what looks like a "step" in the deck (on either side of the cockpit)? My deck steps down right at the cockpit. I beleive that creates a low pressure (air pressure - and thus lift) situation on top of the hull from the driver back. Your boat may not have this feature. Also, I cant tell from your photos, but my transom has some "set back" built in. Just below the sides of the tunnel (the chine area), my transom angles forward at about 45 degrees (in the drain hole location). In otherwords, the back of the sponsons tilts in towards the front of the boat. Your entire transom looks totally flat (across the back). Hard to tell from your pics. I guess they figured they didnt need any set back - cause that would make the front of the boat run high - and cause a blowover.
I believe the changes made to your boat were made to help keep the boat right side up :D
My tunnel is square too. There are fillets at the top corners that make it "look" somewhat rounded. The fillets stop stress cracks from propogating where the top of the tunnel meets the insides of the sponsons. Not sure how wide the tunnel is, but like yours, it is about 8-1/4" deep at the transom.
Ill post some more pics later tonight. :eek:
Rick,
Your hull is the only one built with the "humps" in the deck. They were hand crafted.
Not all tunnels were red, we also built white, blue, black and Super Pickle green.
The pictures you saw at Loffler's were most likely those of Bob Roberts U boat.
Sam, I'm not sure about yours. I am postive the front cowling is not E & T.
Since you know Bill it should be no problem to verify if it is or is not E & T.
T
Super Pickle Green??????? Is that like Sky Blue Pink?
There is not doubt in my mind that you remember Super Pickle green, as in "What's Green and Flys". The answer is not a garbage truck. Wonder if it's still alive somewere. Last I heard the E & T Express was in Ga. owned, get this, by Kenny Kitson. Don't know if that is true or not.
Rick
The boat you have I think was built for Bob Roberts. Bob died in a car wreck some years ago. I have a picture or 2 when the boat was new. Bob was heavy guy and ran a Merciry Twister ! in U class. I also raced a E&T boat. Best race boat I ever had and I had many including Seabold. Mine was the last model they made. It was 15 foot pickle fork with rounded deck. Fast and handled great. I ran UI class with Merc 100 super BP. Later they us modifi that engine. Class called Mod 90. Boat was great up to 100 mph after that you were on your own. I blew it over in Dayton at 107 at the Nationals.
Ray,
Rick has Joe Hill's hump deck 13 ft E boat.
In regard to your Dayton blow over. He who is posing for pictures at the one minute gun should not try to catch the entire field in the first lap.
I was sitting on the grass with Ted March as you came down the front straight. I stood up and Ted asked where I was going . My reply was to get your trailer. That was before you appeared on the airports radar screen.
There was no doubt you were too high for the speeds you were running. I've always wished you hadn't been sleeping at the start because that Mod 90 engine was really humming. Yeah, one other thing, it bothered me to see your helmet was in a different location on the water than your body. I was afraid I might be looking at that real bad accident we often joked about.
Your boat was first owned by Jim Caldwell. It was '73 National Champ, '73 US1, '73 closed course record holder. This was in the UI class running against some factory rigs. Not bad for a four day construction job.
If you find one and put it together I want a ride, not a race, just a ride.
Rick
I raced tunnel boats for 15 years and I can say that my 15 foot E&T was the best boat I ever had.. I had the last design they made. It was 15 foot pickle fork round deck sit down style. I ran UI class with a Merc 100 Super BP and later Mod 90 class with that engine modified. The boat was great up to about 100 MPH after that you were on you own. I ran it 3 years and blew it over in Dayton, Ohio at the Nationals at over 100MPH. I have serveral pictures of Bob Roberts E&T U class boat with a Merc Twister 1 and of course my boat with Mod 90 engine. I would be happy to make copies of my pictures if any one wants one.
Ray
Post them on BRF.
Thanks,
Ted
Beale,
Yep...the pics they showed me at Loffer were of a red pickle fork boat that belonged to a guy named Bob (they said). Sam said that after some sanding he found red gel coat with gold stripes. The picture at Loffer was also a red boat - no argument here - you are the expert! :eek: Im just trying to get it right :D
To everyone -LETS SEE SOME PICS!
I dont know how to post pictures from my old pictures. I will have copies made and mail them to anyone who wants them. Just give me your mailing address.
Ray
Ray,
Sounds like you had a blast racing! I love my boat too! It is definetly a sturdy little boat. If you have some pics of your boat I would love to see them. In fact post all of the pics! :D
I would love to see the pics of Bob's Twister powered U boat.
I have the Sport "E" boat that belonged to the late Joe Hill. If you have any pics of my boat I would love to see them too :D
Does anyone remember if my boat held any records or won any races??
Sams boat had an inline six with stakers on it. He said someone put the 100 cu incher power head on a Mark40H mid section with a Hubble lower unit. He didnt buy the motor - just the hull. Per Beale - not sure if its an E & T.
Rick
Ray,
If you have a digital camera just take a shot of the photos. Then you can download them to your computer and attach them to the threads. When you reply to a thread, scroll down and you will see a box for "attachments". Just click "browse", locate the file of the pic and hit "upload".
If no camera then email me @ rick_cole@hotmail.com. Ill give you my home address to send the photos.
GREAT! :D
The pics I am posting are actually from a video that I made of my boat back in 1999. I played the video on my VCR, paused it when I came to a shot I wanted, and then took a digital picture of the TV screen. The pics are a little bit fuzzy but for the most part it worked. :D
OK I have a camera. I will give it a try today.
Ray
Beale,
Are the molds for these hulls still around?? I would like a new deck to be made. How did you seal the deck to the hull? You did a great job - cause that hull was water tight! I was reluctant to cut it off to replace it for fear of creating a leak.
OK Here are some pictures. The red E&T is Bob Roberts at Pintey point, Md. around 1971. It has Mercury Twister 1. Also picture Bob in the water with white E&T with Chrysler stacker this is Bill Edwards at Winsor N. C. race. Blue E&T is a flat deck pickle ford driven bt Henry Day. White E&T #701 is me. This was a 15 foot round deck style. The last style. Pictures at the Dayton crash and after at home.
Wow!
I think the red boat is the boat I saw at Loffer Marine. That was 6 + years ago - and the shot was a frontal shot.
Your boat looks cool! Im sure the pickle forks came out after my "non" pickle fornt end. I wish I had on of those!
All of these hulls look a little bit different. I guess there was a whole lot of research and development going on at E & T.
I like the blue flat deck too. It looks sweet.
Gotta go right now. Ill be back after lunch.
Rick,
The hull and deck are glassed together. The aluminum trim captured deck and hull lip and then pop rivited together.
Ray,
Bob's boat pictured was his first one. It was a flat deck kneel down. Bill's boat pictured was actually the plug for the last model. If I remember correctly that was US-1.
Henery's boat looks good blue. It was my E & T Express. The flat deck pickle that we hand fabbed the front cowling to make our first sit down. This was my first experience sitting and first power trim experience. We finished rigging Saturday, drove to Hyco Lake, N.C. for a four hour marathon Sunday. That was it's first time in the water. It was a pretty successful test. Finished first in SJ, six laps in front of second. As strong as that boat was it must still be around somewhere.
Beale
I forgot Bobs boat was neal down. And Bills plug ran very good too. I told him the other day when I remembered him finish 6th in Miami at the Nationals with factory team boats. I think I have a picture when the E&T express was white and black color. I been out cutting grass and remember something about a one piece cowling I saw at the E&T factory. I think i was for Bob Roberts. Did ever get built?
Ray
Bob's first boat was a kneel down. We tried our best to get him in the Gulf 100MPH Club with a Twister I at the kilos trials at Toano, Va. He kept running 99+mph, but we just couldn't get that little extra. The next year he had a sit down like yours with a C6. The cowling you asked about must have been the one for the Molly copy Bob bought in Miami and wanted us to pull a mold from. It was so twisted and out of shape we refused. Hurt Bob's feelings.
Beale,
That deck is sealed real good...it never leaked. I dont want to cut it up either. I will just repair what is there and smooth it out as best I can. Its in pretty good shape considering its age.
Can you recommend a way to fix my transom? I was planning to glass together two or three pieces of marine grade plywood (to make it about 2 inches thick and cover it completely with glass to prevent rot)....cut it to fit the shape of the existing transom (extend it a foot and a half wider than the cockpit - not all the way out to the sponson tips)....bolt that to the whats left of the existing transom (which is still in good shape)....add knee braces inside the cockpit to help hold the upper half of the new transom...then glass over all seams to seal it. Does that sound ok?
I dont have the skill to remove the whole transom and put it all back.
Rick
I looked and dont have any pictures of your boat. I do remember it very well. Joe was a quiet and easy going guy. He ran SE class with 65 OMC motor. I do have a southern Maryland boat club program with a very small picture of the boat on the cover. Only shows half of the boat and very small. Its on newpaper paper and I don think a copy of the picture would turn out at all.
Ray
Ray,
Thanks for taking the time to look. I guess all the glory goes to the bigger boats this time :) It was exciting to see all of the boat pics you provided.
E & T built some GREAT looking boats. They look way cooler than ALL the others - especially the round and flat deck pickles. I think these boats look a LOT better than the closed cockpit boats you see in SST and F-1 today.
I noticed you live in the VA area. I live in Baltimore and I visit the St Marys, MD area regularly. My hull is down there now - waiting for me to start fixing it up. I plan to pull the boat out here to Baltimore over the winter to get started. Do you have any of your old boat stuff laying around (like a Twister, XS Merc, or OMC)...props...racing lower units...etc? :D
Rick
St Marys!! I did most of my racing and had the most fun in southern, Maryland. Raced in the big cities of Hollywood, Bushwood, Tall Timbers, Ables Whartf, Piney Point, Lexington Park and others. I live in Whitestone, Va. about 4 hours from Baltimore. Raced 15 years and hated to quit. I have been sick and I quess I am retaired. I have what I call a small outbord museum here with all my racing stuff. I collect old outboards. Sadley I always had to sell a race boat to get the next one. Ended up with no boats but I am looking for 15 foot E&T like I raced. I am restoring a Merc T1 and have a SST120 engine. I have speedmaster unit, super speedmaster, and the latest V1 SST120 gear case. Your welcome to come down anytime to look just let me know ahead of time.
Ray
Ray,
I was never a racer (but love to go fast - heck Id even get into a race if I knew where / how), but my folks have a summer home in Abell, MD. Not sure how well you remember the area, but if you are entering St Patrick's creek (off St Clemets Bay), the house is still on the right side (opposite Colton's Point). St Clemets Island is out to the RIGHT of the house when standing in the front door - facing the water. Ive been to Leonardtown, Lexington Park, Piney Point, Tall Timbers,....heck, I STILL fish at Bushwood and all those places. Bushwood is around the corner in the Wycomico River.
My current rig is a Baja 186 Sport with a 200Evinrude XP, foot throttle, nose cone, hydraulic jack plate, and a 14 x 26 Turbo prop. Fast - but I miss riding my E& T with the Merc!
I taught the kids how to waterski this past summer, went fishing and tubing, and crawled around on St Clemets Island!
My folks were teachers in DC, therefore, I spent all my summers in Abell until I was about 13. Im 43 now and I remember people talking about races in the area but my dad wasnt into boat racing and I didnt get to see any of it.
In 1982 I had a chance to buy the E & T from a guy named Andy that worked at Kather Marina (still there) in St Patrick's Creek for $200. I rigged and old Evinrude 4 cylinder to it and rode it around a bit - had no idea what I was doing - but it was a blast. The controls of that old motor rusted out and the boat sat for years - I mean like 17 yrs! Then one day I got an itch to get it running again. It was in remarkably good condition...just a little weathering of the deck - as you can see from the pics it still has the same colors it had when it was raced. I fixed it up and got it running in '98 - I got it to hit 70mph with the 115 Merc - before the transom let go. Just a few days ago I had a thought to post some pics of the old E & T to see if anyone recognized the boat. Well what do you know - looks like I started a riot!
Id like to get all the old E & T boats (that still exist) together some day.
Hopefully, others will read these threads and respond.
I would love to get to your place and check out your museum! Sounds like a gold mine! Id love to talk about set up and driving tips, etc.. Im looking for a short shaft 90/100 hp Merc with power trim. A racing lower and prop to bolt to it would really add to my restoration. The Merc in the pics was a long shaft with a nose cone - but that was totally wrong! It was taking too long to find a short shaft so I bought a long shaft from a guy right down the road from me and jacked it up with a jack plate.....threw the center of gravity way off and stressed the transom.
Email me at rick_cole@hotmail.com and we'll exchange addresses and stuff.
I plan on calling Bill Edwards for help too. He is still in the MD area according to Beale. He is supposed to still be in the business. :cool: :D
Rick,
Bolts and knees don't sound right. Take the boat to Bill, let him advise.
Rick
Oh I forgot Leonardtown! I ran my first race at Abells in 1971. You need a short shaft engine for that boat. Thats why you broke the transom. To much motor up in the air, bad strain on the old transom. That boat was built for 3 cly OMC 65,70,75hp or 4 cly Merc 80, 85hp all short shaft. you dont need big 6 clyinder power to make it go fast. I would be happy to talk racing any time. e mail nwlumpkin@yahoo.com.
Remember the older I get the faster I was
Ray
In this case short shaft equals 15".
I agree with Ray on "the older I get, the faster I was".
Thanks Guys.
I knew I needed a short shaft, but I was too impatient to find one. There just werent any to be found locally at the time. I bought the Land and Sea "Step-N-Jack". It raises the motor up by 5-7 inches. That put the prop at about the right height - but added stress to the transom - and screwed up the center of gravity. Wish I knew you guys back then! I would probably still be running right now.
I love this site! :D
Sweet pic Beale ! :D
Is that an E & T hull? What mota is on the back? Looks kinda' like a Twister or sumpthin' ??
Its a hot lookin' boat man! Tell us about it a lil' bit! Is that a first place finish? :)
ive got some more pics. they are not that great i took pics of pic with dig camera. somebody post an email address and I'll send you what I have