Roger Dykehouse

[Ron Hill]

Don't have any history on this picture, but I like it...

[Tomtall]

Saw Rodger at a AOMCI meet this fall. He looks 20 somthing
Still tinkering in the shop. He has built up a few Zephyrs 5 hp engines and done some modes to them on the assumption they will pass technical inspection.

What are your thoughts.

[Tomtall]

Sorry Roger had to post some more pics. You friends keep passing them my way.


Rodger did something that I thought was very cool at Mark Sutters AOMC meet. He gave a seminar on the history and changes that the early KE,KF,KG Mercury motors went through. He talked of the different castings made over the years as well as different reed cages used in the motors. He talked about some myths that seem to follow these engines as well. All in all some great info for the restorer or Mercury buff. Here are some pictures of that talk.

[Tomtall]

Rog does take time to fish also. Here is a resent picture of his friend Rich after a afternoon of fishing.

[Allen J. Lang]

Yeh, Rog is in the greatest time of his life. As his wife says, he will never grow up. Always tinkering with some project in his shop be it racing restoring or doing a bang up job on fishing engines. He has a great knowledge on 2 cycle engines. The Swanson Hot Rod A was his baby. Says he still has a few more pistions to burn. Simply a great guy to know.
My two cents on Dykee.
Ye Olde Desert Geezer Al

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I was glad that Rog showed up at DePue so I could meet him in person. He was the first BRF member that I didn't know to give me a phone call. Then he sent the complete roster of the 1962 NOA World Championships at Midland, Michigan which I posted. Man what a powerhouse of boat racers. Rog met a very young Tim Butts there. I have some notes around somewhere from some of the things he told me about those days, but I hope he personally will lay some of it on us.

[Rog Dykehouse]

First, Thanks for the undeserved but kind words. Like many others, the memories of my boat racing days from 1959-1969 are my fondest and the friendships made back then were lasting as we still get together often. Just Last week a dozen 70+ year old ex racers and crew gathered in our basement to look over some restored racing motors, share pictures and tell lies of their racing experinences. Imagine stories of racing with standard lower units on molded plywood Wagemaker boats prior to the introduction of the Merc Quicky or being passed with your 20H powered Van Pelt by a Martin 200 ,etc etc. There was a figment of truth in some of the tales. LOL

The best part is that a couple times each summer we drag out some old hydros and run 20Hs, Hot Rods, 44 cu in and 650 Mercs and we all get a thrill ride. Some things never change as we still burning pistons and blowing LU gears. What a hoot!

Being active in the AOMCI give many of us old geezers a venue to share our boating passion and give us an excuse to build and run fun things such as the above pictured old Erude Zephyrs. Having an understanding wife who has tolerated all of this nonsense for 50 years a big plus for me.

Ron Hill:
Your picture is of Wally Snyder, Jack Gilbert and I setting up our Quincy Loopers for a NOA / Michigan Outboard Racing Assoc race at Montaque, MI in 1967. Wally and I are in Reeths Hydros and Jack is running a Marchetti .
My Engine # FA 27 was a very early looper which initally had a single conventional rectangular ring on each piston . It also had the original very short low tapered megaphones which I kept as when we switched pipes , the performance was unchanged.

To all of those who put so much effort, time and money into the DePue reunion last summer -- my sincere thanks. Rog Dykehouse