Tom Gouldstone

[Michele G]

I thought you might like this Ron...This is my daughter Samantha....

[Allen J. Lang]

Has your daughter been vaccinated against the racing bug yet?
Ye Olde Desert Geezer

[mercmack]

Its A Awsome Picture, Your Where Not To Much Older Than That When You Where Down At The Shop...well My Be A Few More Years!!!!!
But To Me Since I Have Not Seen You Since Say 1988 Or So..the Old Brain Still Thinks Your The Same And I Am Sure You Have Grown Into A Very Beautiful Woman By Now...
Be For You Know It, Your Daughter Will Be Ready For That Old "j" Jacket.. Just Like Rons Grandaught Is Wareing At The Racies This Weekend At Parker..

[Donziboats]

Michelle,
from reading this thread I am sure I would have enjoyed hanging out with your father and his racing crew! I recently found a 14 foot hydro in Woodstock, GA. My father rebuilds old wooden Chriscrafts and Lymans and I thought that this would be a fun project for him! Attached is a picture. I was hoping you could give me some information on the boat as well as some pictures of it running. I posted the picture on Hydroracer yesterday and have gotten some detailed information. From what I was told it is a laydown and was driven by Bill Rucker in 3 different classes and won nationals in one of them. I will also send you pictures of the finished product, althought it won't be for a year or so, my father lives in New York and unless I find a trailor to get it up there he won't have it until the fall. It is in great shape with no real damage, only a few heavy dings on the top right of the hull. The bottom is in great shape and I have moved it since the purchase inside of a barn where it won't get wet at all. Thanks for your time, I look forward to hearing from you.

Jason

[Doug Hall Y51]

I think the hotel was named the Riviera. It sat right off the highway at exit 70. Never stayed there but that is what I remember it being called.

[Michele G]

You would be right about a Rucker driving it, but I can't remember if it was Bill or Billy.....and you are correct it won a few Nationals....I can tell you who made it if you can tell me the wood used.....My dad favored one or two builders and they both use different technique and wood....If I knew the number on the boat I would be able to tell you more....

but I can tell you that I have touched every single one of the boats that were a part of TBM racing....I remember when my dad first got into lay down hydros.....PK had been racing with us for a few seasons, paul was running 20 runabout, or Novice 350, and was deck riding for my dad in 1100 runabout, my dad went through a lot of deck riders, until PK......I think he might have scared a few of them.....He liked it fast, he liked it challenging, and he did it till he mastered it.....I remember on a trip to Santa Rosa to see my godfather Ray he looked at me and asked if I wanted to have some fun, I just laughed and he told me to put on my seatbelt....The ride of my life.....You only have so many of those moments.....

I remember every laydown that came into the shop at biagios, at the office, I used to sit and watch him carefully sand them down.....until they were so smooth it felt like glass......I used to come with him from the shop and we would both be covered in the fine dust.....and then he would seal it......I remember how mad he got one day when a big gust of wind came along on a the hot and still day and blew up metal dust, dirt, leaves and landed them all over the still wet boat....I have never heard him cuss so much in his life....he was so mad because his boat had to be started all over again.....

I think that PK raced a few in it too, and if it's the one I am thinking about, Billy rolled it in the 1st turn at Shadow Cliffs, at the International event Region 11 hosted....

and Mr. Hill I will gladly call you this weekend if that is alright.....

off to hit the books!!

[Donziboats]

Michelle,
thanks for the reply, it has been very interesting finding out about the hull. I couldn't find any numbers on it but then I wasn't really looking for any. Is there anyplace in particular I should look? Also, the wood looks to me mahogany. Thanks again for the info!


J

[Ron Hill]

When I was a kid, I remember Tom's boats always having nice BLUE and White paint jobs...Tom, Too was one of his boats..I'm having some 8 MM films made into DVD's and on one film it said, John Drake, Tom G, rock rolling at Elsinore..

Tom would wear his helmet and life jacket and smoke a big cigar, and stick his head out the window of either John Drake's car or my brother's car and yell things like, "I'm a looking...or I'm a hiding and bag on the door and scare hell out of people, just for fun." Tom was always a barrel of laughs for me we I was a kid...Tom, my brother, Johnny Craven, John Drake and a few others had long red night shirts, and they'd wear them into restaurants...(In the day light...) They thought they were SO COOL...and they were!!!!

Here's Tom driving his 20 SS Runabout, a DeSilva with a "BUNKER HILL" 20 wheel....I never really had the heart to tell Tom that "BUNKER" never really got my good propellers....then, again, I never told Bunker either...

We were at Salton Sea one year...My dad asked Tom where his boats were... Tom said, "My dad rolled them out of the garage, but we forgot to hook them up...We left them in the driveway...." Sure enough, when they got home the boats were in the driveway...

Tom would call me a lot, actually...we'd talk about various boats and stuff...Then, one day, I got a call that Tom had died in the shower from a heart attack.. I had a hard time breathing when I heard the news, as I could only think that my brother and Tom were the same age....Tom was good for boat racing. AND Tom was the kind of person that made boat racing good!!!!

ADD:
Tom's Grandaughter: Sure can see she is related to TOM!!!!Looks just like TOM.....

[Michele G]

I am so sorry I didn't call this weekend Mr. Hill, my inlaws came into town and my house was overrun with screaming children and happy grandparents.....

[russhill]

Call me anytime--if you want to. And my name is NOT MR. HILL. That was my father and he's dead, or my brother or Chad when they are in school.

And I know more Gouldrocks stories than I ever told Ron.

Russ Hill