It took me a while but I have just finished reading this thread from start to finish - what a great readDrewfus wrote:Have previously posted the following on the HAMB, but felt that it would be applicable here as well.....or at least I think so, please tell me otherwise if I'm wrong...
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Dare to dream it, then go and build it...
Limits…. Boundaries…. Rules and regularity…the timeless curse of rodders & customizer’s, which, ironically enough have proved to be the catalyst for Hot Rodding through the decades. The pursuit of speed and rebellious attitude toward accepting what we are told, has effectively forced us to challenged ourselves, our understanding, and dared to ‘walk the road less traveled’, continually redefining and developing everything, always striving to stretch that boundary just a little bit further.
Quite often, as history has shown, sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don’t, with old ideas frequently being applied in new ways, the results either being successful, or if nothing else, awkwardly interesting and somehow appealing, no matter how far fetched.
Similarly, hot rodding was not just limited to playing with cars, but effectively pushing the limits in everything they touched.
Here in Oz, back in late 1964, Andy Ellis was one such rodder who was redefining his destiny, with speed boats and water skiing being a favorite summer distraction. Over a period of 12 months, he and Ray Jones transformed a humble family Klinker into a torque monster, as the opportunity to grab surplus war machinery mixed with creative minds resulted in one very wild looking ride, which still had a refreshing appeal to it. The detail of the build was impressive, with pride of workmanship clearly evident, I can’t even begin to imagine trying to synchronize all those 97’s, let alone try to pilot it across the water at flight revs….just imagine what the non-mechanically minded onlookers would be thinking….and this was in 1964..…
Limits, hot rodding has no limits.
Boat : ‘Merlin’ – 16’ Klinker/Lewis
Owner/Builder/Driver: Andy Ellis & Ray Jones
Where: St George Boat Club, Sydney, Australia
When: 1964
Details: Only used for a short period of time, with the boat being hitting a submerged log at Lake Narrabeen in 1965, with the engine then being fitted into a hydroplane boat called ‘Spitfire’, which ‘torqued over’ at speed, sinking to the harbor floor, killing the driver.
Dare to dream, and then make it happen. What have you created lately….?
Cheers,
Drewfus
I drive past Narrabeen Lake (end of my street) at least twice a day on my daily commute and I always gaze at it on my way past in the car. It is incredible to think that the above speedboat has run in there..........I look at the lake differently now (I looked at the Lake different after my first shark sighting in there too )
After meeting Ray Ellis at the Lone Star Open Day compounds the spectacle of it all
Great post Drewfus and you are right......there are no limits
cheer sTurns