Justaddwata

My Feedback: (3)

Hi Guys,

Found this pic yesterday while sifting through some papers. It is by no means the first pic of me with a boat but it is my first gasser. I was 14 in the pic - so around 25 years ago. (Yeah - I dont normally post pics of myself in forums)

To look at her now it is quite laughable. A flat bottom hardwood boat (later evolved to being a hydro). Gearbox from a sacrificed fishing reel. Solid steel drive shaft. Home made prop. Solid mounted motor. No radio box. The list goes on and on. But this boat taught me more than any other. Nothing on the boat I did not make myself. I had to get creative to source things and do all my own problem solving. Welded my own rudder. Looking back I wish at times my father had taken an interest in what I was doing - but at the same time I learned so much more by doing it all myself and scrimping and saving for everything in it. I did get the motor for my 13th birthday. My parents still scratch their heads that all I wanted for my birthday was a weedwacker power head. Took me months to figure out there was such a thing as a resistor plug to resolve the radio interference issues that plagued her. Back then - there was no one to ask. I got that answer by talking to a friend who installed CB radios and said that some cars have CB issues that are fixed with different plugs. I spent countless hours messing with that boat - and testing her against the edge of the pool. Oh those were the days!!



So lets see your first gasser!! Anything as ugly as mine??

dicko

Not my first RC boat, but my first Gasser I built myself from scaling down plans for a boat I found on the net. It's a 50's era sport boat called the Rocket Hydroplane as it has a stepped hull (I built this before the ZipKit Rocket was on the Market too, so the name wasn't taken from them).

Here's the link to the plans I used,

http://www.svensons.com/boat/?p=HydroPlanes/Rocket

Funny that when I typed it into google, a whole heap of websites came up where people are trying to sell all these plans on a CD when you can download them for free!

scooter666

My first Gasser was a complete dissapiontment......15-20mph...The EBAY add said it was good for 40+mph......come in sucker!!!!!!!$500 hard saved mullah down the drain.......

I now own a beaut falcon cat which is getting very close to 60mph..

My advice to newbies is DO YOUR HOME WORK, Dont buy cheap jap crap, save up and buy good quality equipment....

"If you buy cheap, you buy twice"

Cheers Scoot

Ultimate48

My Feedback: (1)

Matt that's very cool


This is from a thread I started a few years ago .

My first gas boat

I started to build this boat in 1980. I finished 1982, money was the time factor.

The hull is Performance models Warhawk 56" Deep Vee
Powered by a water cooled 22cc Echo weedy. I made the water cooling sleeve.
Drive unit was originally International Hobby.
I changed it to a Funcraft Flex cable outdrive unit.
Radio was a MRC 6 ch. 4 stock servos for steering. Nothing like we have today.
Exhaust system was home made to fit the stock muffler.
At that time tuned pipes were not available for gas. Well I could not find one!
Speed was around 33 to 35 MPH after tuning and prop changes. Hit 35.3 MPH in a time trap.
The average speed was 34.8 MPH on 3 runs through time trap.
Pic's are not very good at all . Scanned in from 35mm film. Best I could do.

To see pic's ( http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_50...tm.htm#5022905

Raylon

Here is my first gasser. Big thanks to Matt for the help with it. Now just waitin for a good day to run it!

cheesewizz69

Here is my first Gas boat. I began the build in 1990 and took about three months to finish up.

The hull is Performance models 60" Apache.

It was the prototype hull Bill Woods used to test fit and rig the new 60" Apache he (Perfomance Models) produced at the time. When I got it she had been thru several engine configurations during the testing stages and did not have any stringers. He sold me the bare hull with two hatches for $100.

I had a friend shoot the base coat and then clear it with pearl after I painted all the graphics minus a few decals under the clear. The Shindawa engine was given to me by my boss at the time. He salvaged a pair of them from a storage shed fire. My dad and I worked on it together, trimming down the blades on flywheel and cooling fins. We added a home made cooling cap and custom made a true wet dual exhaust system for it. I also used a FunCraft outdrive.

I would take it with me when we headed out to the sand bar at the Haulover cut in Miami and would run her from my 17' Chris Craft. It performend great in the big swells and always drew a crowd. Thinking back it was probably not the best idea in the world to run it so close to people and other boats.

After running her for about two years she sat on the shelf until 2007 when my son and I headed over to see the local boat club run at local lake. I started talking to a few guys about her and one of them bet me she would not work after all this time on the shelf. To his surprise I returned a few minutes later with the boat, after cleaning out the gas tank and carb and dropped her in the water. Not bad after she sat on a laundry room shelf for almost 15 years.

Since then I have upgraded the engine to a 260PUM and replaced the FunCraft drive with a WHH setup.

BTW a great friend just hooked me up with another one of these hulls and he has Performance models Warhawk 56" that he may be willing to sell.

PEERPSI

So you were using a CB for radio? I especially like the aerodynamic touches! She ain't pretty but neither was Henry Ford's first product!

Paul M

Here's mine. Scratch built drag hydro with a Mathe Casa. Matt, you are so right about what you learn on the first one.

Justaddwata

My Feedback: (3)

No - she was a 2 channel stick radio - the CB guy was where I got my clue about chasing my interference issues to the spark plug and not trying to shield the flywheel like I had been.

You think those aero touches are impressive - wait till you see her as a hydro - draped in vinyl fabric to form the deck!! What a sight that was. (I know those pics are around here somewhere). The sponsons were solid pine - took me days to plane them to shape. They were angle adjustable thanks to some angle brackets taken from an old bed. Talk about your Frankenboats!!

I was hoping you guys would have had some more ugly (or at least slightly ugly) boats to show off - Some impressive boats is all I am seeing. Clearly I had a lot to learn

rcguy1411

hears my first gas boas i have had countless nitros over the years 65" ballintine griffen still getting parts and pices together should be a great big wave boat [sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

maverick pro

first gas boat for me...love this hull.

aeromarine avenger 44 stock bonzi 260

BMAD01

This was mine. It had a Bonzi BZX-4 in it at the start. What a mistake![:'(] I spent 8mo every weekend trying to get that motor to rev over 14,000rpm. I finally bolted in an M+D full/mod 260. Instant 60mph boat! I ran it for 4 years then sold it to a friend. He blew the motor and then moved away. Brian

http://image2-6.rcuniverse.com/e1/ga...0/lg-56485.jpg

http://image2-6.rcuniverse.com/e1/ga...0/lg-56484.jpg

http://image2-6.rcuniverse.com/e1/ga...0/lg-56483.jpg

cheesewizz69

No better way then doing it yourself, look where you are now. Here is one more of my first boat with my son sitting inside. He was about two months old at the time.

BTW he is 18 now don't think he fits inside anymore.

PEERPSI

So whats that white stick then?

Looks like you were one of the few that scratch built his first boat. The only boat I ever scratch built was a elastic powered paddle wheel boat. I beleive it was a cub scouts thing.

That reminds me I need to look into cub scouts for my boy. He is pictured here putting the canopy back on my first gas boat.

magnum57

Thanks to all you guys who paved the way for all of us to enjoy this great hobby. My first one was a fleaBay WHH Magnum57. Thanks to Tony and this forum we managed not to distroy it. We now enjoy lots of time on the water and have had many different boats.

nieto1124

My Feedback: (14)

cheeze , thats a great shot! very cool indeed.

benckie

first gas boat a bonzi 50 inch rtr with a bzx2 g260pum






































after pulling down the motor to have a close look the bzx2 engine mods are very very very mild for the 200 usd price difrence over the stock g260pum, but she dont mind reving

Tidnab

My Feedback: (51)

Big ole 55"banana boat,with stock 260.Wasn't fast but you could definatly see it on the water.

PEERPSI

Not my first boat but obviously someones.

Matt how close is this to your first boat?

http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rd...482575290.html

chief3452

Peerpsi, that one looks like the handywork of Red Green.

PEERPSI

Didn't realize you'd know who Red Green is down there!

I have to disagree though simply because there is not enough duct tape!

goodson

i see no duct tape. not red green's.

Dartman1074

This is my first gasser. Also my first build.. Was very fun to build. And its a blast to run..

lewisdf4

My first gasser, scratch built with dougs plans. I built everything from the engine and pipe to the hull. Only forked out for a radio and the hardware on the transom. Had a ball and has taught me heaps
Cheers, Chris

Justaddwata

My Feedback: (3)

Ahh - Finally some worthy competition!!! [sm=spinnyeyes.gif] I think she would have given me a run for my money. I think I had the concepts a little more thought out than that one though