15' 4" Hustler Tunnel 1971-72

[PIP]

Anyone know anything about these? I heard a guy named Jim Bergendall was involved with them out of Illinois.

Good boats or not? A lot of them left?

Thanks

[TBuck2003]

My Dad used to race one with a 1250bp Stacker in "S" class way back when. Not the greatest boat construction wise, and had a very shallow tunnel for a lot of lift. Jim Umbarger was the guy's name that built them out of McHenry Illinois.

[TBuck2003]

Here are some photos of the boat mentioned. The one with the V-4 OMC is Jim Umbarger himself. The stacker is my Dad , and the black V-bottom is also a Hustler, which was what was used for the tunnel boat. Same Boat just tunneled out. The purple one is a 15 Checkmate with a GT 115 that just happened to be with these group of pics. Hope this helps. They were ultra fast in a straight line, but DANGEROUS.http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx283/TBuck2003/Oldies%20Boats/Oldies3.jpg

[TBuck2003]

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx283/TBuck2003/Oldies%20Boats/Oldies4.jpg

[TBuck2003]

This one is reversed but is my Dad and Kenny Stevenson at the start, then the Hustler pulling far away from Kenny in his Kitson Stacker.http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx283/TBuck2003/Oldies%20Boats/Oldies2.jpg

[brichter]

........to the list of Hustler alum.
Tunnel was shallow originally but I think was modified in the molds later. the tunnel was also quite narrow, I think 30"-35" range. Harold Nauss built wooden sponsons on this one for the previous owner Duane Timm. Like most of the stuff dad ran, the hull was obsolete by the time he got it but ran consistently well enough to achieve US#2 in points, and 3rd at the nats.
I remember watching him run it for the first time (GT10s no trim, just the thrust jack)......stood it up vertical on the back of the sponsons....came down right side up.

Not too many of these around anymore, would be a nice collectors piece if one turned up.

[PIP]

Anybody know if the coastguard will let a boat like this operate as a pleasure machine today?

About how fast with a stock 140 crossflow and a 200 pound driver? And what prop?

Thanks

[TBuck2003]

V-4 OMC cleaver ONLY that boat needs a cleaver, NOTHING with bow lift or it will be flighty.

TBuck

[Skoontz]

Charley Rullman ran 76 with a Ralph Kozan BPed 140 Merc. Dan Leahy ran a 135 OMC that my dad BPed and ran 76. Both boths ran clevers and yup, the nose loved seeing the clouds.....A 140 had a better gearcase than the 135 so who knows it should be good for a couple MPH. Out of curiousity, what color is the boat?