The Vintage Hydroplanes

Can’t imagine going 108+ mph in that lil’ boat running a blown motor. And didn’t even know Cragar built blowers.

The official top speed record holder in Sweden with about 130 mph average speed. (111 knots) The boats name is “The Snail”…….
Nitro set up Chevy 327, Hilborn fuel injektion, Shiefer fly wheel, Mickey Thomson forged pistons and con rods. A true nostalgic engine.

This month’s WANTED poster on Phil Kunz’s website.

Hello.
I am with the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame | Montco Cahpter. We have recently voted Walt Struzek to be an inductee into our 2020 Class being inducted this May 14th.
If anyone has any past pictures, articles of short blurbs on Walt, please email me. Any info or guidance is greatly appreciated.
Regards, Joe Brophy 610-805-7610

Kathy writes in: “I was hoping you may have information about the boat/driver in this photo.  As far as I’ve been told it’s my father, Ken Bishop of Vancouver driving. The year was 1962/63 and the photo has been written on the back that the boat was called Nutcracker.
Any info drop Kathy an email.

Randy Wold, who owns Stardust 21-E, sent me an email after someone emailed him a pic of a model they acquired of this record setting boat. Randy’s webpage on his Stardust boat is here. Here is the email Randy received:
“I came across information on Stardust and your contact information while doing research after having purchased a model of the boat (photo below).  Being a Jaguar enthusiast, what first drew me to the model was the original Jaguar engine used by Wes Knudsen.  I was amazed to read the storied history of the boat both during and after it was Jaguar powered.  I was delighted to hear that the 1977 World Record was set not far from where I grew up and on a lake I have spent a lot of time on.  I never knew speed records were set there.  I assume you still own the boat and congratulations on owning and preserving an important piece of boating history!  Nice also to know it lives in the Northwest! The model is made by a company in Italy called Racer Wake, who primarily make hand built 1950s and 60s Italian 3-point hydroplane models in 1/43 scale (5-7″ long). 
Not sure why they chose Stardust, but I’m glad they did.  You can still get them, but it takes several months.  They are expensive, but definitely very limited in production”.

Jerry Liudahl
Old Irish Racing

NFBRA is proud to celebrate our 80th year in existence Click here to read more.

I’m not sure if I posted this before (and my apologies to whoever sent me this article from 2010 Super Chevy magazine), but did you know famed hydro builder Charlie Lloyd built a fiberglass Funny Car body?
This was before Ford pressured NHRA into making the fiberglass car body into a one-piece tilt-up style we are all accustomed to seeing. Below is the magazine article and some pics of the 1966 Chevelle he built out of fiberglass. It looks like a slightly altered steel body, but it’s not. The whole thing is fiberglass. The Pennsylvania Chevy Dealer parts department ordered all the body parts of the 1966 Chevelle, including the turret top. Charlie & Mike Lloyd’s body shop made the fiberglass molds of the steel parts, and from those molds made replicas of the original pieces, but in fiberglass.