Leonard Keller 1937

[Steve de Souza]

Came across a few old pictures. Leonard Keller - Keller Hardware

[Ron Hill]

When Keller sent you a speedometer, he always typed a whole letter on a samll (4 X 5) piece of paper. Usually told a story or two about someone. I loved it when my dad bought things, because the stories were so good. He always signed them KELLER.

I only met Leonard Keller once, and that was at Prineville, Oregon 1966.

I sold many speedomter to jet boat racers in the 1960-70. What I didn't know until I took one of his speedometers aprt, that he typed the purchaser's name on a piece of masking tape and taped it inside the speedo...and th date.

I'll bet there are over 100 Keller speedometers with my name in the inside...

Keller would have loved the internet...

No one's speedometers were better, "Kellers" as they were called, were the GPS/computers of the era!!!

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I loved those little letter Ron. I still have a couple. I will try to find them. They were usually funny. I wish I still had at least one Keller to hang on the wall. When we were running runabouts we had four or five to get within the proper speed range. As you say, in those days when someone talked about their Keller, it meant speedometer. Most mounted a bracket for the head right below the cowling behind the steering wheel although I had seen a couple of mounts on the floor. Then at some point Keller made a steering wheel that you could buy a mount that would screw into the hub of the steering wheel. That was important because on some of our larger rigs we had to mount the head sideways to look at the needle easier when the hydro was aired out.

[NERSTROM]

We always tested with a KELLER. Each driver had his own and it was always kept in a safe secure place. When I completed my Invader Tunnel I asked Jack Leek if he had a KELLER I could borrow. He pulled one out of his desk drawer and said "here, keep it". I still have it and still keep it in a safe secure place. My KELLER is special, to me, as it has "LEEK" stamped into the face. I never opened it up, but would guess inside is a piece of masking tape that says Jack Leek. Thanks Jack.

[Ron Hill]

Jim, you've got to open it up....It would be interesting...

It is kind fo like when Jimbo and I were at Jack Leek's memorial....I asked Burt Ross's daughters if their dad like to "Fly Fish" and they said, "Yes..."

Do you happen to recall, march 1978. We were at Blue Water marina...(You, me and Freddy Hauenstein).

First run out with the Crazyhorse, we loaded the plugs (I thought we'd blown the motor). I had my brother's 125 MPH Keller.

Next run out (I'd never seen over 108 on that Keller with a V-4 Super Strangler)....I started to "Screw that V-6, CCC Evinrude on, and th the Keller went to 125 MPH)....

I came in and said, "I pegged my brother's Keller, I need the 150 MPH Keller). We out the 150 MPH Keller in the boat and I wemt out an ran a 122 MPH.

Freddy told me everything looked good, and if his ride "Broke Down" he'd drive with me...

I remember driving up to Havasu, with my two kids,wife and Molinari boat...We checked into the hotel, the boiat had muddy feet print on the deck,but there was that 150 MPG Keller duct taped in...

I remember going to sleep that night (Friday) thinking..Hmm Freddy and I had finished third the year before going 108 and I saw 122 on a NEW KELLER....I could win this Parker 9 Hour....if I had Ted may or Freddy Hauenstein as a co driver as I could not drive all day at those speeds...

I told Brad Miller, the next day, we would not embarrass Crazyhorse campgrounds...

[Smokey]

We always called them the "lie detectors". When I got my 1st 1 it was like getting a piece of art. Loaned it out and never saw it again.
I had one more that I put in an Allison JP I restored as few years back for a friend, because the boat deserved it. Sent it off to Nordskog for calibration. THey ran a set of numbers but would not adjust it. THey did offer me any new speedo they produced if I wanted to let it go. No deal.
They may not have been as accurate as GPS but were very consistant, which was great for testing.