Ron Hill Has Not Left The Building 2005-2017

[Ron Hill]

Do you really tell people you got drunk and fell down? Truth is, it was 90 plus degrees and I with the help of a helper moved about 2,000 pounds of books out of my condo and had put them up overhead in storage, at the shop.

When I got home from that little job, I was told the dryer wasn't drying properly, so I opened the dryer door and grabbed the dryer to pull it away from the wall and I heard a RIFLE SHOT and felt pain in my forearm. I grabbed my arm and could feel the tendon crawl up my arm.

After consulting with my doctor, he told me he'd never fixed a tendon on anyone over 60, but he added most people over 60 don't think they are "KING KONG" and they don't "SCREW" themselves up. I told the doctor I was 65 but had a mental age of 14, so, I wanted my arm fixed.

The doctor has been very pleased with my progress. He was please with his job, too. As he drilled a hole in my arm, a la Tommy John (Dodger pitcher)..I seem to have all my movement back.

The one problem I have had is my arm going to sleep when I'm asleep and I wake up about 10 times a night. But, this week, I have slept well and feel I might live.

My condo closed escrow and Laurie's is in escrow.

Have not had much time for BRF AS WE SEEM TO BE MAKING PROPS...Check out some of our castings...

[Ron Hill]

I got these powerheads, 3 102 mid sections, 3 102 gearcases.

Anyone tell me which 202 I've got?

Think I will put them on E-Bay..

[Ron Hill]

It had been 14 years since we last went to the Miami Boat Show. 14 years ago, John Castelli called meat 8 A.M. Florida time, 5 A.M. California time to tell me Jeff Wilson had been killed in an auto accident in Arizona. Jeff was on his way to pick up a 45 boat at Vic Brinkman's in Grass Lake.

Jeff had worked for me for about six years, but had been on his own for probably six years. Jeff was a great young man and like a son to me.

Flying to Miami brought back memories of Jeff. I make Bondo blade copies all the time. When I first hired Jeff, he didn't know how to make Bondo. He mixed it and then kept stering it until it got hard.

Anyway, Chad and I went first, then Corey and Laurie came later. The show is amazing, and very much INTERNATIONAL. Parking was $25 a day, and you had to walk four blocks, it cost $30 a head to get in, first day, after that it was $16.00. A HUNDRED THOUSAND people go to this show.

I felt that maybe only 10% spoke English, that is how INTERNATIONAL it was. We worked our booth and worked our asses off. Miami is a great place. I always seem to feel so good there, I think it is the clear air.

Laurie and I visited the Miami Marine Stadium, it was hard not to cry visiting the place. The last time I raced there was 1971. Fred Hauenstein and I teamed to finish 3rd in the Miami 225. The race course is still WONDERFUL, the stadium is pretty rough. I stood in the stands and remembered racing with Don Pruitt, Bill Seebold, Renato Molinari, Mike Wallace, Jimbo McConnell, Cesar Scotti, Gary Peacock and wondered what had happened to those "WONDER YEARS".

They still have coconuts in Miami, they have great food, there were more OUTBOARD boats stored at the Marine Stadium than there are in California.

I hear the city is doing something for the stadium....Why don't they sponsor a BOAT RACE????

#35 is the Molinari Freddy and I drove in 1971! We finished second in the 9 Hour in the spring of 1971 with this same boat. This picture was taken at Parker.

[Ron Hill]

Chad had done pretty well in J Runabout and J Hydro, we never went to the to the Nationals because he played Junior All American Football.I never like Hydros but drove them at times because there we people to race with.

We were at the Winter Nationals and Chad was just getting into "A" and Frank Zorkan asked me if Chad could drive his new boat in ASH? I said, "No, he can hardly drive and runabout."

I went down and paid the entry fee for A Runabout and came back to the pit area. Chad was tying down his number two motor on the new Zorkan hydro. I told him I told Frank I didn't want you driving a hydro. I finally agreed, but told Chad I only had one A Hydro pro and it was abig one and a two blade. I said stay on the outside and stay out of trouble. Well, as it turned out he won straight heat going away. His only A Stock Hydro race was the Winter Nationals and he won.

He didn't do well in A runabout. Two weeks later we are in Phoenix racing and Chad crashes his A runabout for maybe the third time. I convince Dick Rautenberg to sell me a prop that he doesn't want to sell but finally I talk him into it.

By Bakerfield, Ernie Dawe has given Chad a new boat becasue I think Chad crashed again at Long Beach and this crashing **** was getting old.

So off to Bakerfield we go, I've reworked this Dick Rautenberg prop and Chad is running this new Dawe boat. At Bakerfiled there is like 12 A Runabouts. Chad runs 12th the first heat. I say, "Well, what do you want to change for the second heat?" He says, "Nothing, I'm the fastest boat out there..." He runs last again.

Sunday morning rolls around and I say, "Well what are we going to change?" He says, "Nothing." Those who know me know I have a short fuse sometimes....Anyway, after I come down from the trees I say, OK"...

Anyway, Chad wins both heats going awy, clean win. He never raced A Stock again we sold the boat,s motors and props to the Loves. Loves sold this stuff to Hannon, I heard...

Chad went into 45 after that, then Formula One Prop Tour where he was Rookie of the Year 1997 at 19.

I saw this picture today when I was looking for some Berghauer stories....

By

[Ron Hill]

I get in trouble for taking "BOAT RACE", but when Foster comes around....When Chad' and Greg get together, they start "THINKING"... Of course, I document things with my camera...

The 15 A is for Kenny Knudson and his two daughters, Nicole and Emily....

Getting ready for the 2011 season.

[Ron Hill]

Jeff,

My sister never taught, my daughter, son Chad and nephew Bunker and my niece George all taught at one time or another...

Got any old pictures to post???

[Ron Hill]

Georgie Gould. Bunker's sister!

[jeffj]

Georgie Gould. Bunker's sister!

This would be around 1971. I guess she is a sister-in-law? She went by "Mrs. Hill" and I feel like I would have remembered if her name was Georgie, but it wouldn't be the first time I "misremembered" something from back then.

I hate it when I realize my memory may not be intact ;~)

She used to get tickets to the taping of TV shows and take us on field trips to shows like The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game and Hollywood Squares. We got to meet Sammy Davis Jr., Larry from The Three Stooges and others. No wonder I loved english class.

I have to to head out for a bit, but will see what pics I can dig up from back then.

Regards,
Jeff

[Ron Hill]

Sometimes I think all I do is work........Then, I stop and think maybe all I do is PLAY.

I work on something until I get bored or side tracked. Then, I work on something else.

Here is a pile of prop ready for casting...First wax, then shell, then metal...

The two blade have a hex shaft and are for Mud Buddy Hyper Drive and Bearvertail Mud Motors...

[jeffj]

Georgie's mother taught in Norwald until she passed away...I would have been my sister-in-law...Bunker and Georgie's mom...You must be OLD, Jeff.

Norwalk? It was the Norwalk / La Mirada Unified School District

I am sorry to hear that she has passed away. She made english class fun for a LOT of students. Easily one of the most popular teachers in the school.

She used to show movies once a week on Tuesdays, so in between classes, a friend and I would run over to the drive-thru dairy across the street and buy some packages of Hostess chocolate donuts (6 little ones in a pack) and some Coca-Cola in bottles and sell them for double what we paid to the other kids to eat while we watched the movie