Ted Jones Hydro

**Mark75H** · 02-13-2006

Steve that is pretty much the way I understood it to be. Evinrude's Starflite IV boat was described as built by McDonald collaboated on design between Hu and Wilbur (I think Jones was employed or on retainer with Kiekhaefer by the time they built the Starflite IV boat, so his name would be omitted on purpose by OMC press people)

**Mark75H** · 02-13-2006

Another detail:

As far as I can determine, Hu Entrop only built 5 cabovers. His original D and 4 more boats that he ran 6's and V-4's on

oldalkydriver · 02-13-2006

When Toprahanian and Glen Campbell and I went to Seattle's Green Lake for the Seafair Regatta in 1958, we spent lots of time with Entrop. Toprahanian was doing some work on an overdrive unit for Entrop. Hugh showed John how he worked the bugs out of the cab-over! He had an elaborate rack that went on top of an old station wagon. As I recall, it had all types of springs, gauges. He told us that the little rods on the front of the boat were adjustable weights. He would get up to speed on the freeway, take readings then stop the car. Make an adjustment and repeat. He told us "it was alot cheaper to pay speeding tickets then to rent a wind tunnel."
I don't know how true it is, but it sounded good at the time.

**Mark75H** · 02-13-2006

I don't know either. In the book about Kiekhaefer it says Entrop had an old Mercury Coupe that he transported his later boat from Seattle to Florida and back tied to the top. Maybe the station wagon wasn't up to that long of a trip.

The detail comes up in the book because Entrop's leave of absence from Boeing was up and Carl insisted he stay anyway. Carl threatened to fire any employee who helped Hu pack up and leave ... Hu eventually found someone hanging around Lake X who wasn't an employee to help (think it was Carl's son-in-law ... guess you can't fire your inlaws if they aren't employees)

**Ron Hill** · 03-01-2006

Jack told me he and Hu were wanting to go to the Alky Nationals, in McKeesport, PA, I think, and Carl wanted them to stay for the weather to get better for the press to see the run....Seems when they left Lake X they both knew they were fired...Brother-in-law?? Hmmm...Might have been Jack Leek's Brother-in-law, Burt Ross...Because, didn't Burt set the record???

I should call Jack Leek and ask him...Maybe, I will!

**smittythewelder** · 06-05-2006

Of Entrop's straightaway boats, I think Jones built the one that set the first FOH record of 107, Hu built the first two or three Starflites (plus the smaller R-12 that he used for racing), and McDonald built the Starflites 4 and 5. It's too bad Jim Hallum isn't web-connected, because he knows all of this stuff and a lot more.

Now, didn't Ron Jones build some of those cabover outboards from the early '60s on?

**Mark75H** · 06-05-2006

Entrop himself is credited over and over with actually building the first straightaway boat with credit on design theory going to Jones. I think Jones was on retainer with Kiekhaefer back then and was called to Lake X to give set up and prop advice. I have a letter Hu wrote to me some years back, in it I'm certain he says he built the 107 boat at his house.

Jones built the boat Burt Ross used to set the 115 mph record

**smittythewelder** · 06-07-2006

Thanks, Sam. But did Ted or Ron build the Burt Ross boat? I have an idea that Ron was building boats pretty early. I had an idea that Ron built the "Miss Burien" unlimited in 1959-60, for instance. I saw what I imagine was Ron's last alky boat, a gorgeous F Hydro for John Cowling, in 1973.

**Mark75H** · 06-07-2006

In Iron Fist Jeffery Rodengen says Ted Jones 'built' Ross's boat. Later it says Ron Jones was working with Kiekhaefer on a record run boat that never set a record around 1966 (I guess it was just secretly tested at Lake X).

I have been under the impression that by the late 1950's Ted was pretty much design and boats were built under his direction in his shop ... and that anything that came out of his shop was called a Ted Jones built boat regardless of whose hands did the work. With a shop building several Unlimiteds and scaling up to build prop riding three pointers for F alky and limited inboard hydros, I would be very surprized if Ted Jones' hands were solely responsible for any particular boat.

Chapter 29 is one of the best written chapters in Iron Fist ... concise but detailed

**Cameraboy** · 06-08-2006

Here is a D-Stock Hydro from Ron Jones, Jr. JR built this over the winter. All carbon fiber. I think this is Jeff Bernard driving. The guys involved with this project have commitments with the unlimiteds this summer, so I don't know if we'll see much of this beauty. I want to see the Tohatsu on it.