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Thread: An aluminum outboard hydro?

  1. #1
    Team Member smittythewelder's Avatar
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    Default An aluminum outboard hydro?

    There's a new fellow on the HR site, I don't think he has ever raced, who wants to weld himself up a 10' 6" aluminum outboard hydro to put a B Anzani on to get a fast ride around the lake and have something unusual. Best of luck to him on that project, but that's not what I'm asking about here.

    It seems to me that someone said that there was a hydro that was all or mostly aluminum, whether a production boat or a one-off, that was raced in the early Fifties. In my hazy, mix-everything-up memory, the further part of this story was that this aluminum hydro served as the design for a plastic model outboard hydro (can you imagine such a thing?!!) that Monogram or somebody sold a lot of in hobby shops in the Fifties. I had one; the maker called it the "Dipsy Doodle," very nicely done, with its plastic KG4 or KG7 on the back. Wish I still had it.

    Anybody know anything about any of that?

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    I believe there were Blue Star aluminum Hydros and racing utilities back in the fifties.
    If you go through the old Boat Sports you can find some info on them. I have a photo of one of their runabouts

    Cooper

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    My memory is in the stage where it goes in "fits & starts' these days, but if I am not mistaken I seem to remember a French driver at one of the UIM races at Dayton in the 80's that used an aluminum hydro. Don't know whether it was his and he brought it over, or borrowed from someone here although if that were the case I would think we would have seen it other places and races in that time frame.

    Will send Wayne Baldwin an e-mail and see if he remembers it and whether he might have a photo.

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    Team Member jon66w's Avatar
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    Blue Star Made a BU in the fifties and had a factory team that raced them with some success in Kansas. The boat was named of coarse "Rivets". If I remember the Driver was a Black Gentleman.

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    Team Member ProHydroRacer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bill Van Steenwyk View Post
    My memory is in the stage where it goes in "fits & starts' these days, but if I am not mistaken I seem to remember a French driver at one of the UIM races at Dayton in the 80's that used an aluminum hydro. Don't know whether it was his and he brought it over, or borrowed from someone here although if that were the case I would think we would have seen it other places and races in that time frame.

    Will send Wayne Baldwin an e-mail and see if he remembers it and whether he might have a photo.
    It was at Dayton for a Worlds race that Baldy put on. The hydro was from France as I remembered and it had been run some over there. The boat already had some dings to it. It didn't fare so well as I remember.
    Bill

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    Team Member jrome's Avatar
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    Bill the hydro was from France . I have aphoto or two if I can find them.

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    Team Member Gene East's Avatar
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    I know a guy in Florida who has an aluminum hydro.
    He knows someone who has some Anzani contacts.
    Don't know if this is the same guy or not.
    I won't mention any names here, but the person I'm thinking of does more talking than doing.
    I'm sure if this is the guy, he'll let me know what a worthless bastard I am.
    That's alright, he knows I know he's a bull-****ter. Just took me a while longer than it should have to figure him out!
    If there is a legitimate attempt to do this, I wish him luck!

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    Team Member seacow's Avatar
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    Up in the Canadian Prairie Provinces in the 50s and 60s there were a few custom built all aluminum class D runabouts. Fenton Malley was one driver of a metal DU in competition and I think his son still has it. My recollection is that these folks worked for a Canadian Airline and that's how they were built. They were ultra-cool and did well in competition.

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    Team Member Master Oil Racing Team's Avatar
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    Pierre Deisertenne had an all aluminum hydro at the UIM World Championships at Dayton, Ohio in 1978. Bill Kurps is correct in what he says. I have photos of Pierre working on the bottom before the races, and other photos, just haven't had time to scan and post them yet. Pierre had some success racing in Europe, but I don't know if it was with the Aluminum hydro. Had one pic in my computer until it crashed last year. It is someplace here already on BRF. Probably in Random Shots of the Pits, but I will post it again and maybe others when I get a chance.



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    BoatRacingFacts VIP John Schubert T*A*R*T's Avatar
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    Default Bull S______

    Quote Originally Posted by Gene East View Post
    I know a guy in Florida who has an aluminum hydro.
    He knows someone who has some Anzani contacts.
    Don't know if this is the same guy or not.
    I won't mention any names here, but the person I'm thinking of does more talking than doing.
    I'm sure if this is the guy, he'll let me know what a worthless bastard I am.
    That's alright, he knows I know he's a bull-****ter. Just took me a while longer than it should have to figure him out!
    If there is a legitimate attempt to do this, I wish him luck!
    Gene,
    You are way too kind!!!!

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