Evinrude X-115 and Johnson Golden Meteor GT-115's

[Skoontz]

Having been raised in an OMC family and Evinrude dealership, dad and grandpa did me well by brainwashing me never to sit behind the wheel of anything with a Merc on it. I have many vivid memories of the shop and repairs with OMC single, twin, tripple and V-4 engines and little to none of Merc products. Fact the only real thing about Mercs is just like the Johnson 90, the Merc 110 was the biggest POS ever made. Both are were viable anchor solutions. Anyhow, for the life of me, I never knew the real reason why the two motors in the subject line had elastic cords Xed over the hoods and can only speculate that they had issues with covers falling off. So, why was that not corrected? I know the later V-4's (99.6 cubic inch) had 3 couplers on each corner of the hood and the early v-4's, (89 cubic inch) only had a metal hook and a bayonet lock at the front.

If anyone has an answer you will help me sleep better at night as it has been near 40 years and cannot figure this one out.

Anyone???

[Michael J Gwaltney]

Skoontz
Problems with covers coming loose developed in offshore racing. Rock and roll OPC v-bottoms in enduro racing also had the problem. Tunnel boats with a smoother ride were less of a problem but many still used them as insurance. Many fun stories about motor covers that were built with a foam sound blanket installed. Many OPC racers removed foam and disabled cover door latches so they would fall open for speed increase.
Ohio OPC events were very strict on covers being stock. Paul Kalb had me get 20 foam liners off the production line and take them to Ohio prior to Divisionals. That's a lot of foam! Had my old '56 Ford stacked to the headliner and trunk full for the late night trip.
So why didn't they fix it? KC-13 was in developement that eliminated issue. So tape the front latch with racer tape and enjoy. Sleep tight! Michael J

[brichter]

Thats correct, the hold down system wasn't very secure and guys that dumped their rigs often lost their covers.
I remember my dad doing the same thing as you can see in the picture.
I am looking for a race cover for my GT115 because the original one was replaced with a service piece.

[brichter]

Thats correct, the hold down system wasn't very secure and guys that dumped their rigs often lost their covers.
I remember my dad doing the same thing as you can see in the picture.
I am looking for a race cover for my GT115 because the original one was replaced with a service piece.

[Skoontz]

Here is one for Brichter. I see you had a Hustler Tunnel. Did you ever bang chines with a guy named Charlie Rullman out of St. Charles? His Hustler boat was the puke school bus yellow, and at first he ran a 135 Chrysler stacker, then a 125 Merc Stacker, then a 135 Merc. He took his class in the nationals, 1971 or two, in Ohio, I thought. If you can't remember the name, he blew 4 fingers off his right hand making a mercury fulminate bomb one 4th of July when he was a kid. Later, he started a boat company, St. Charles Boat Company, and manufactured the Chinook, basically a rougher than heck, wobbly sided 23' fishing boat. He went under around '79 or so when the peanut farmer had his 23% inflation thing going on.


That Hustler boat could be placed in the catagory of squirrelier than 3 pecker billy goat, along with a Rocholt, and Switzer Hugger, and maybe my 10' GW invader with a 2 cylinder Evinrude 50 hung on back.....

[MN1]

Another bungy corded X - 115 on the right. A Baja Sport J moving down to the ramp. A 1973 photo but don't know what race site.
Mark Nelson

[brichter]

This guy has an X-115, not the correct gearcase, however. Looks like the correct hood emblems, too bad he decided to repaint the hood red.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SISr0Vo33o