FourFather Eddie Hill's Heritage GT


Fast Freddy

GPS'D 225 MPH
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 5, 2005
2,684
Avondale, Arizona
Eddie here are a few more pix of my jet boat that i sold last year to a young fella who lives in Lubbock, Texas. with all that yellow on the boat it kinda reminds me of a penzoil boat :cool anyway, i see that you live in Wichita. maybe someday you just might see this boat on a lake near you. it has a pretty fast hole shot but after the 1/8 mile your V-drive would smoke it. :cheers
 

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FourFather

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 24, 2007
460
Wichita Falls, Texas 76306
Eddie here are a few more pix of my jet boat that i sold last year to a young fella who lives in Lubbock, Texas. with all that yellow on the boat it kinda reminds me of a penzoil boat :cool anyway, i see that you live in Wichita. maybe someday you just might see this boat on a lake near you. it has a pretty fast hole shot but after the 1/8 mile your V-drive would smoke it. :cheers


It's really sitting up nice and free in that bottom pic---not much water drag on the hull there!!:thumbsup

Thanks for the Pics!

Eddie:biggrin
 

FourFather

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 24, 2007
460
Wichita Falls, Texas 76306
Playboat pics

I took some shots of my playboat yesterday after an outing at Lake Arrowhead by Wichita Falls. I'll see if I can post them- as a slideshow--

Click on the pic-:wink-



Thanks for looking!

Eddie:biggrin
 

Fast Freddy

GPS'D 225 MPH
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 5, 2005
2,684
Avondale, Arizona
i would luv to pull the trigger on that sleek craft you own there eddie :biggrin

you can drive any vehicle i own.......

my turbo kawi drag bike gives me that rush of speed like my old jet boat used too :cool but there is just something about the water that me and every girl i have ever known have been attracted to :cheers:club
 

FourFather

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 24, 2007
460
Wichita Falls, Texas 76306
i would luv to pull the trigger on that sleek craft you own there eddie :biggrin

you can drive any vehicle i own.......

my turbo kawi drag bike gives me that rush of speed like my old jet boat used too :cool but there is just something about the water that me and every girl i have ever known have been attracted to :cheers:club



I know what you mean there--you're sorta preaching to the choir!:wink Out of all the toys I've owned and sold, the one I miss the most, the one I wish I'd kept-- was a Sanger Runner bottom V-drive/big block Chev. The lake had to be almost flat to really enjoy it, and that doesn't happen all that often here in North Texas, too windy a lot of the time-- but when the water's calm enough-- WOW! whatta rush!!:cheers:banana

And they ARE babe magnets!

But I like 'em anyway!:wink :lol

I may wind up with another one, some day---(sigh)


Eddie:biggrin
 

KJRGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 4, 2006
2,840
SoCal
Eddie, beautiful boat you have there.:thumbsup
How does that tunnel bottom work at speed? Does it want to rock left to right at all?
My dad had numerous flatbottoms in the late 50's to early 70's, but got out before the first runner bottoms came along. Let's see, he had an R&R Holiday, a Tiger, Mandellas, etc. Loads of fun here in SoCal.
 

FourFather

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 24, 2007
460
Wichita Falls, Texas 76306
Eddie, beautiful boat you have there.:thumbsup
How does that tunnel bottom work at speed? Does it want to rock left to right at all?
My dad had numerous flatbottoms in the late 50's to early 70's, but got out before the first runner bottoms came along. Let's see, he had an R&R Holiday, a Tiger, Mandellas, etc. Loads of fun here in SoCal.


Thanks, KJRGT!

This one has never done the rocking left and right. I don't think the outboard runners ever get completely clear of the water, it sits pretty stable at speed. And it corners really hard- no sideways slip to speak of. It is useable in fairly rough water, unlike a flat or runnerbottom. It's a better hot "family" boat (four seats-lights, three forward speeds and neutral and even reverse to back off the trailer, etc.) than a flat/runnerbottom-- just not as light or quick. :wink

On those rare days when the water is flat and it's not crowded at the lake-- there's nothing like a good runnerbottom!!:biggrin I'd like to have another one!!:biggrin

Eddie:biggrin
 

Fast Freddy

GPS'D 225 MPH
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 5, 2005
2,684
Avondale, Arizona
Eddie - here are a few pix of a runner bottom that i found on the net. i think this boat is a kurtis 500? it looks to be a 10 second 1/4 mile boat as a ME (modified eliminator) sticker is on the engine scoop. anyway, i have looked for pix of a sanger runner bottom on the net and can't find them. if you have any pix of what a sanger runner bottom looks like please do post them up for us. it looks to me like the bottom on this here boat makes for a good mix of straight line speed, cornering ability and stability in choppy water conditions. is a runner bottom similar to the tri hulled gullwing type bottom on a california performance?
 

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FourFather

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 24, 2007
460
Wichita Falls, Texas 76306
Eddie - here are a few pix of a runner bottom that i found on the net. i think this boat is a kurtis 500? it looks to be a 10 second 1/4 mile boat as a ME (modified eliminator) sticker is on the engine scoop. anyway, i have looked for pix of a sanger runner bottom on the net and can't find them. if you have any pix of what a sanger runner bottom looks like please do post them up for us. it looks to me like the bottom on this here boat makes for a good mix of straight line speed, cornering ability and stability in choppy water conditions. is a runner bottom similar to the tri hulled gullwing type bottom on a california performance?


Fast Freddy-

What you posted is a runner bottom. The Sanger, Cole, Hondo, etc., are all very similar. At speed, it runs primarily on the center section, but just outboard of the two outer cavitation plates is a narrow section of hull(see the boat drains in it?) that just skims the water and stabilizes the boat to keep it from rocking side-to-side. As you said, good speed, cornering, and stability. What it does NOT have, is a good ride in rough water-it won't "cut through" any rollers or wakes, just bounces over them.

I'm not familiar with the California Performance you mentioned-- but the hull I have on my SleekCraft will give a good ride in fairly rough water, and it is still pretty fast. But since it is made to carry four folks and run through fairly rough water, it is made strong enough (heavy enough) to take it without cracking. I've run it through chop that would break the hull on a runner bottom.

So the 300-400-500 pound lighter two-seat runner bottom (race) boat accelerates a bunch better-:thumbsup- and that's what I miss!!:frown Even though the water is only calm enough three or four times a year where I go, to use it!:frown

Life's just full of compromises!:lol

Eddie:biggrin
 

B O N Y

MODERATOR & FGT OWNER
Mark IV Lifetime
Sep 5, 2005
12,110
Fresno, Ca.
gotta find my box of pics and get them scanned.
fresno was one of the boat racing capitals... sanger, kindsfather, belmont etc.
rex hutchinson used to build my motors
great times where had on the lakes and delta water ways
 

KJRGT

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 4, 2006
2,840
SoCal
Hey Bony, did you ever meet Mike Brendell, whose dad started Hondo (I believe). Mike drove the Shockwave blown fuel hydro, or maybe he drove the Aftershock drag boat. Nonetheless, those were great times, eh?:banana
 

B O N Y

MODERATOR & FGT OWNER
Mark IV Lifetime
Sep 5, 2005
12,110
Fresno, Ca.
Hello,
I remember the boat, but not Mike. Larry Swabenland aka as The Shoe drove Climax, he worked for Sangar Jack and then VM Trailers and was my idle. Moved out of California in '73 and lost touch with most of the guys in the hot boat hobby.
Cheers,
daniel
 

isaakgt

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 20, 2005
691
Wilder, Idaho
Hey Bony, did you ever meet Mike Brendell, whose dad started Hondo (I believe). Mike drove the Shockwave blown fuel hydro, or maybe he drove the Aftershock drag boat. Nonetheless, those were great times, eh?:banana

I remember Irv Brendell who owned "Smoke On Water" blown fuel hydro with driver Sam Kurtovich. They held the record of 203mph. That was back in the 70's.
 
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FourFather

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 24, 2007
460
Wichita Falls, Texas 76306
:biggrin

EddiesLastBoatRace.jpg


My last boat ride!!

Eddie:biggrin
 

SteveA

GT Owner/B.O.D
Mark IV Lifetime
Dec 13, 2005
3,694
Sandpoint Id
That looks like a 501?
 

isaakgt

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 20, 2005
691
Wilder, Idaho
Eddie, what year did you take your last ride in a fuel boat. Also, I would love to see all your memorbilia and photo albums but that would take years. :thumbsup
 

Fast Freddy

GPS'D 225 MPH
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 5, 2005
2,684
Avondale, Arizona
:biggrin

EddiesLastBoatRace.jpg


My last boat ride!!

Eddie:biggrin

how fast were you goin when you crashed? that water looks like glass :cool i assume you must have had a mechanical failure?
 

FourFather

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 24, 2007
460
Wichita Falls, Texas 76306
That looks like a 501?

Mine was/is (still have it) the large hydro, that I think was designated 500. Seems like Arlen Kurtis used the 500 name to honor his dad Frank Kurtis and Frank's winning Indy 500 cars.

I don't remember for sure, but I think the 501 was the little bit smaller hydro, for blown alky and blown gas--


Eddie:biggrin
 

FourFather

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
May 24, 2007
460
Wichita Falls, Texas 76306
Eddie, what year did you take your last ride in a fuel boat. Also, I would love to see all your memorbilia and photo albums but that would take years. :thumbsup

I will share one of, if not my favorite, boat racing photos--circa 1983,or 1984.
That's my boat builder Arlen Kurtis, with the 500 T-shirt on, showing over wife Ercie's right shoulder. Pretty sure this is Irvine in Cal.

eehill_01_ico1.jpg



The last boat ride/crash was 1984 at Firebird Lake in Phoenix. I won the round, against the late Billy Todd, and with that round win, clinched the World Series Championship (again). I believe I'm the only one to have won Top Fuel on both sides of Firebird- water on the left, and asphalt/concrete on the right. Winning was GREAT!!:thumbsup :banana

CRASHING SUCKS!!!:eek:eek:ack

I'm blessed to still be here--and doubly blessed to be able to enjoy my GT during my "Golden Years"-- or is that "Olden Years?":lol

Eddie:biggrin
 

Fast Freddy

GPS'D 225 MPH
Mark II Lifetime
Aug 5, 2005
2,684
Avondale, Arizona
you and ercie make the best team ever eddie :thumbsup