Ongoing Progress

http://apbavintage.com/hydros/#Hydro12 

We have just been listed on another vintage site. This one is for Region 10 (our region). It is a brand new site for the vintage boats.

 

Interesting factoid. The "Mr Bud" boat I was crew chief on in 1977 and the "Buccaneer" boat I crewed on last summer and his 7 liter boat in 1975. Also, the engine sitting in the current vintage "Mr Bud", a Chevy V-6, I built and it was in the boat we are restoring right now. As well, I built the engine that was in the original "Mr Bud", a Chevy 4 cyl engine.

 

Small world, but what a wonderful world it is.

 

What is racing without a little bling.... Last week I took my hydro ring down to Fred Meyer's to have it re-sized. I can't fit in the drivers seat anymore, I also couldn't get my ring on. Senior Spread.... LOL

 

What well dressed boat racer wouldn't be complete without a little bling.

 

The ring is of a hydro going through the water and the roostertail behind it. The boat actually is our first hydro.

 

The necklaces are: the small one is Kathy's and it is also a replica of our first boat, larger silver one is mine and a replica of our first boat. The larger gold one is a replica of our current boat, the one I'm currently restoring.

BTW, this is a pre 2008 note, not to be confused with the Last Note of 2007 note.... LOL

 

If you don't remember, this is Scott Harger's helmet he wore when driving our boat in  the 80's. He shipped his helmet and life jacket to us as a donation to the boat project. He also sweet talked his wife into giving our Kathy, his Kathy's "Bolam's Express" jacket. Then, as if that wasn't enough, he drove down and picked up a donated drivers seat - and shipped that to us. Thank you Scott, that was VERY, VERY special.

 

The job I did on Scottie's helmet falls within the 30,000 foot rule established since we retired (if it looks good from 30,000 feet, it good enough). You know what, it might even fall within the classic car 20' rule - but no closer. It looks much better in the photo's, so that might be all you ever get to see of the helmet.  (from Kathy, I think it looks great!)

 

Scottie is under orders to GO FAST, turn left HARD, you won't be able to see the flaws as he does his flyby's.

 

The spotted pictures are of the helmet just after sanding the chips down, then primer coat is added, the first coat of red color (even painted the visor snaps). Decided I didn't like the painted snaps - drilled them out and the last pictures are of the new visor snaps riveted on, rubber re-installed and one last picture of a possible visor idea. We may still decide to use goggles, but we can decide that down the road - just prior to the first heat.... LOL

 

Another piece of the project now finished.

 

This should be the last update for 2007 (okay, okay keep down the clapping).....

 

Today our new to us drivers seat arrived. Shawn Warren donated it to our restoration. Scott Harger drove down to Shawn's place and picked it up for us, then he shipped it to us (that was yesterday and we got it today.... WOW). The drivers seat was originally sewn by Annette Kelson, back in the 80's for another boat. It is exactly like the one we used.

 

As you can see in the pictures we have requisitioned a new driver - sure hope he knows what he is in for. And also you can see why we had to get a new driver.... either the seat has shrunk or the senior citizen spread has set in .....

 

The boat pictures (which you might not be able to tell are of an area that had some dry rot. Yesterday I cut out the bad spot by hand  with a carpet knife. I will cut a new piece of okoume wood and glue and screw it into the hole. It shouldn't show very much because other new wood is being added around that area and I might move the deck paint line just a little further around the edge. The last of the sponson battens are being glued. Once the glue dries, I can file them level. Both sponson will then be ready to be skinned with new okoume wood.

 

The other pictures are of the FINISH room. In that room is everything that is done and waiting to be installed. The lifting eyes, the skid fin, the rudder, the prop, gas tank, on board fire extinguisher, windshield, lifting slings, life jacket, helmet, shaft log, instrument gauges, drivers suit, team jackets. My APBA driver's license are the two cards laying inside the box along the new blue deck protector pads.

 

Thank you Scooter, Shawn for the seat. Don for the new propeller strut, foot pedals and drivers suit patch. Kathy for your support and sewing on all the patches.

 

Don't forget http://bolamfamily.0catch.com/BEP_Express_Progress.html for the all of the posted updates.

 

Merry Christmas and A Very Happy New Year.... Go Fast, Turn HARD left!!!!!!!!!!

 

The last patch that we wanted arrived today. Thank You Don, that is special. We have sewn it on, it sits next to the My Rose patch (in memory of my mother Rose and our first hydro).

 

Thx Kathy for sewing it on (I tried to hand sew it, but got in trouble early and gave up)

 

Here are a couple of pictures of our (Scottie and I) new driver's suit. All the patches (except one - Don Kelson Hydros patch) have been sewn on. 225 "N" shoes and red helmet.

 

New gloves and start watch, plus our new accelerator PEDAL.... go fast turn left..........

 

Christmas has arrived at our house (early). Today the Simpson Racing gloves I bought on E-bay arrived. They were signed by Rick Mears - 3 time Indy 500 winner.

 

Also today our NEW aluminum strut that Don Kelson custom made for us arrived. It is the gray strut (compared to the original WHITE fiberglass strut). I put the propeller shaft into the precise bearing hole Don machined for it. I couldn't resist it, I put the prop on the shaft just for GIGGLES. Don said I can polish the NEW aluminum strut to be just as shinny as the prop currently is.

 

Do not get confused between the White and Aluminum strut pictures. The white strut pictures are to show you what the original strut looked like. The aluminum strut is the current one. I still have half of the original strut and we just might get to use it yet to make a shaft log inside the boat (that is still under development in my head).

 

Also, Don made us two "Don Kelson Hydros" foot pedals. The left one is to help the driver push himself (or herself) into the seat. The right pedal is the gas pedal. They are brand new casting - Don and Jerry found the original molds.

 

Today, Scottie is going down to Shawn Warren's shop to pick up a Kelson drivers seat that he donated to our restoration.

 

With Santa Clause bringing these VERY necessary items - all the major pieces have now been acquired. All that needs to happen now is for me to be able to stay out in the shop and work on this dream come true.

 

Kathy sewed the patches on the drivers suit today (thank you Kathy). I hand sewed 4 patches on last night and she sewed 7 patches on today with the sewing machine. There will be a total of 16 patches (4 were already on). I have one more to hand sew on at a later time.

 

Thank you to all - you are very special in making this dream of a lifetime come true. 

 

If you can't see the pictures, check out on our webpage later after Kathy posts the pictures or try opening them with the little paperclip in the corner of the note.

 

Happy New Year and we'll see you on the water soon (very late 2008 or 2009).