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Thread: LoveCraft half Transformed into Miss KTdoodle. A story by KT

  1. #71
    - Skoontz's Avatar
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    Default May the games begin

    OK, so I thought I had it handled. Found a motor, foot, bolt it on and race...Turns out, the motor has evolved from a complete unit, to one that has no gear foot...Well, it had the original, then that was going to be replaced with a brand new one, because I was told it was old, now, the motor is footless....

    So, who here can tell me why the OEM gear foots have 2MPH on the new replacments? If that is true, that might explain why this motor was original,, thena new foot was going to be added because the old foot was worn out, then evolved into a footless engine.... Who that sells used engines would add a brand new part because the old one was not good? The gears are turning....

    In the mean time, we have a motor, not new by any stretch, and are once again, looking for a gear foot... I'll call Ed Runne tomorrrow and get some money off to make this happen.......

    This episode has ticked me off beyond belief....So, I got to thinking, after I called Ron who is on the road...We want kids to enter the sport right? By the time you get done mousing around with antiquated parts, dealing with sharks who want ridicluous amounts of money for start up ventures to get into J/AXS/A, it is enough to steer many people away, assuming of course this is to be the starter class......So, herezz what I am thinking, comming from a person who has never raced APBA ....

    Scratch the hydro. They are too freeken temperamental, and blow over after a starfish farts.... And the 20 year old expensive gear foot...A competitive A motor can cost $3,000 plus, but I'm preaching to the choir.... Hell dad paid $1,700 for my Stinger GP in 1978 before he died.... 4 cylinders vs 2??? WTF is that????? We got twice that in a glorified freeken fishing motor....

    And we got an unstable boat, which, when a kid gets wet, you ain't gunna get them back in for a while... And, what kid would kneel before they could sit??

    So, we build a runabout, modeled after an old Speedliner or Yellow Jacket. With an open deck and back seat steering. And, a seat, so the kid does not have to kneel...With a gas pedal, not a Carpal Tunnel forming squeeze grip... And we make it easy, a strap of metal on a common 5/16 bolt as the pivot, returned by a bungy cord....And we give it a double wide seat for a 2 kid class, because I know of pleanty of kids who would ride, with their friends on weekends to get interested and cannot afford a boat........

    And, legal motors will be any engine you find on E-bay, 15 cubic inch limit, 15 horsepower. Merc, Johnson, Rude Yickifigion variety....Hell gimme an old sod-a- water....Cavitation plate allowed 2" above the bottom. No measurement from the prop shaft, we use the cav plate....And engines with definite advantages will be restricted by prop pitch, cup or any one of a number of things, not some idiocy where you restrict the flow of fuel....That way the motor will have the power it needs when it needs it....
    Motors must be OEM stock. Aluminum and stainless props can run the same class, but score differently in case someone does not have the money for a stainless prop....A center fin can bolt through the bottom of the boat, from inside out, and you use caulk to seal it so you can trailer the boat easily.... Boats must be made of 3/8"-1/2" outdoor plywood with one good side so the cost of marine wood is not an issue...Target entry cost, $2,500.00, boat, motor, trailer, plus safety gear. The boat will be 12' long, have a step bottom for rough water (thank you Ron) 52" wide gunnel to gunnel with a 46" bottom width. Top targeted speed, 45. This run around crap of trying to find parts to get Miss KTDoodle running is really ticking me off beyond belief, and it takes alot to do that....

    So, here once again, we sit, 30 days til race day, not much further than we were before.... Sorry guys, I'm stressed and venting....Any thoughts????

  2. #72
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    Yeah,
    sit back, have a real cold beer and don't worry.
    It really doesn't matter if you go to the region 11 race next month or a region 10 race anytime this year WE will make sure KT has a ride.

    This is just the way west coast racers work, you might think about staying home but believe me they will start calling on Wed. to make damn sure you will be there that weekend.

    Carl

  3. #73
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    Carl:

    Thanks, I had 4 Fat tires last night....Kids beer that is very good! The problem is not a ride. The problem is an engine and or gear foot.... There simply has to be an easier way that this. There has to be a way to bolt somethign together and go. Which, is why Ientioned the runabout boat....That is looking more and more attractive, because we could run that in the bay after the big boats come out to play...So meanwhile, back to the hunt.

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    Hey Kt
    If You Are Still Looking For An A Motor With Lower Unit.
    Call Me.
    Dale

  5. #75
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    Dale:

    Yes we are. Long story that I thought I had handled. I'll tell KT to call you this evening, I'm not sure how late I will be. Thanks once again, Dale, don't know what we would do without you and all the other fine folks on this forum!

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    Kt
    I Will Be Home Anytime After 7pm
    Dale

  7. #77
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    Default Frustration

    You are not alone in this frustration, I assure you. It is sad when I can race the fastest hydro class in Mod, and have less into the rig than a J class....

    In NBRA they are pretty cheap. Last years Nat. Champ, Tara Cook has about $500.00 into the whole rig. That is what her dad said. He found and old Y80 on Ebay, bought it, found an old boat for next to nothing, and went racing. Ends up the girl won the Nat's. The motors are restricted, however, the HP they put out to begin with helps override the restrictor. No hard time planing off, they start a TON easier than the oMC restriced down to a dime size hole. I know with the J's around here, testing is pointless. You have to run APBA props and to test with even a test prop, it is dramtically different come race day. At a race, I have set Ashley's rig up, we bolted on the prop she drew at drivers meeting, she went out and ran decent. We left the rig set up all night, never touched a thing except to put a tarp over it. Next day she drew her prop and could not plane off. I took all the shims out and basically buried the engine. Still would not plane off...... talk about a turn off for a kid.

    Can I suggest something ? Skip all the J, AXSH crap and go to something better. If she is ready for the speed, save yourself a TON of money and stress.

    The NBRA Novice class runs about the same speed as the current APBA AXS. Only problem you have, there are no NBRA races in your area. You could work on that possibly.

  8. #78
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    David:

    Frustrated is putting it mildly. We have not given up at this point, Dale Bishop and numerous others have been incredible sources of support and viable resources obtaining the pieces to make this work. And, when it is right, I'm sure it will. And on that note, being in the business I am, Design-Buld landscape contracting and engineering of sorts, I beleive necessity is the mother of all invention, so, here is what I am going to walk point on, and I beleive after talking alot with Ron and others, this will fly.

    We build as I stated, a runabout, not a hydro, approximately 12' long. Details should really be left to a guy like but not limited to Ernie Dawe who is a guy with more wood working experience than any 10 people in a row.

    I feel the boat should look like an F runabout, with a more flat nose, sort of like a Rockholt 14' footer....It should have side by side bucket seating, and you can buy a molded seat from any garden supply for under $20.00. It should be a near transom mounted steering wheel, with regular cables to steer it. We don't need no funky hunks of aluminum called steering bars to attempt to find or drop $100.00 for.

    The gunnels should be 54" wide, and the front deck should be closed using 1/4" marine plywood. The bottom should be 45" wide, give or take, so we can make full use out of a $78.00 sheet of 1/2" plywood, and it should be stepped for rougher water. That way when big boats come out, the kids won't need to pull out of the water. I also feel it should have a simple foot throttle, like back in the day, a 1/* hunk of steel on a pivot bolt, sprung back using a bungy cord mounted on the tip. The rules for racing, steps will need to be a certain spec, and the motor can only be cantilevered a safe distance. Engine hieght will be measured by cav plate to bottom, not prop shaft to bottom. Engines used, will be any 15HP/15cubic inch motor with an OEM FNR case, with a minimum diameter and club foot front so some genious at a factory does not decide to screw the class up by making a race case.

    Engine advantages, once enough boats get into it, and we see a pattern of what engines may have an advantage, we restrict prop pitches, cuping, diamter or a combination of both, or engine hieghts. S fin, centered in the appropriate place, will be screwed into the keel, sealed with caulk the day of launch so you can trailer easily. There should be an aluminum and stainless division, and those should be allowed to run on the same water at the same time, that way a family on a budget can hit E-bay or penny saver, and after building the boat or buying a spec boat, go racing competively without getting doinked by the sharks.

    I sketched such a boat yesterday while waiting to get loaded at Dixieline Lumber, and asked for wood pricing. This boat could be built, painted and running using marine plywood for under $600.00. Steering wheel, cables, and goodies could be had used, or one should be able to find them for under $250.00. Motors can be had all day long for under $800.00 that run well.

    We could call this class an APBA junior stock runabout division.

    There are numerous features about this model, and feel free to add and comment as you who know better see fit to do....

    One, cost. For under 2K, a kid is racing. Add for saftey gear. Two, a stable boat, which can handle larger boat waves that would put a hydro on it's deck. This allows the ability to not only test, but use their boat as a fun toy rather than a speed tool on a multitude of water bodies. Three, what kid would not rather sit with a gas pedal than kneel with a squeeze grip? Two hands on the wheel....Four, any engine can be used, and dialed in competitively using full power.

    I'm with Dale Earnhart speed, referring to restrictor plates, as he was quoted, "Why don't NASCAR build the tracks safer and let us worry about driving the race cars?"

    The next step up from a junior boat could be an outboard powered Jersey Speed Skiff, and, the same restrictions would apply using more power and larger boat. We would have in essence, a 36 class recreated...

    Though I have not given up on making an A/AXS/J boat work for KT, this experience has ticked me off to the point of near no return. Once that happenes, I'll connect with all the right folks who have an interest in doing something similar to what I suggest here, and make it happen....

  9. #79
    rossdbos
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    Default I have spoken to Ernie about this very issue.

    I have spoken to Ernie Dawe about this very issue. I'm not sure what can be done except open the rules on allowable motors, in the future, since Mercury and OMC aren't building new ones, I don't see why not. APBA is being short sighted on the future of it's sport when it comes to the J Class. Let's get them on the water, SAFELY! $2,500 for a motor is ludicris for a 9- 12 year old, but that's my opinion.

    BTW, we finished the bottom on Jared's J Boat and are going to prime the top deck and figure out a paint scheme.
    If anyone has a used small (Junior) cut suit that they wouldn't mind selling, I am very interested and still looking for a J/A motor.
    Please let me know rossdbos26@yahoo.com
    I have the lifejacket thanks to Joe Johnson.
    Ross Wallach, SCSC/RPM RACING ENT.

  10. #80
    Team Member Joe J's Avatar
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    Skoontz:

    If you and KT want to come up to Minden in May, you are welcome to use the gearcase off the 2nd motor in my trailer.

    Joe Johnson

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