Hydros in 1965 to 1980 - Ogier Hydros and Mercs

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

For many it is at times hard to visualize what technology was like back in the early to middle 1960s. It sure did run the extremes and the numbers of makers then far surpass the numbers of today but there were more racing and active racers back then too. It was those heady days when the Mercury H series of engines took it all and they were sure looking at controlling the next decade too. Out in western Canada we had a few Ogiers that were copies of those used in Eastern Canada. They were a nice raceboat with a great ride. Once here they were made the targets of racers with their measuring tapes that seen them built as modified copies from 10 ft 3 inches to an even 11 feet in length. They were the last great conventional hydros in this neck of the woods when Bill Giles of the USA changed all that and everything here would soon look to the pickelfork hydro to set the standards for not only performance but also safety as blow overs real common before that nearly entirely disappeared. The following are pictures of a 1965 Ogier with a Merc KG9-H on it that got me from being pitman to racer for the grand sume of $350.00 complete and ready to run. The second picture is going racing early spring in 1979 and yup its a all aluminum stepvan with a hopped up turbocharged International slant 4 powering it and a trailer full of raceboats and engines. The third picture is a real cold September weekend day in 1980 for the last race of the season south of Edmonton, AB. Yes, we wore winter jackets! Brrrrrr! 144CP was the last and newest modified Ogeir hydro built strictly for DSH in our neck of trhe woods. Pickelforks from there on in became the hydros of choice. :)

[smittythewelder]

John, did you mid-Canada racers have any dealings with the B.C. guys? A few I knew were Phil Shaffer, Tom Stanley, and Kerry Ballantine. There were a couple of others, who ran BSH & BOH, but their names have escaped me.

[mercguy]

For many it is at times hard to visualize what technology was like back in the early to middle 1960s. It sure did run the extremes and the numbers of makers then far surpass the numbers of today but there were more racing and active racers back then too. It was those heady days when the Mercury H series of engines took it all and they were sure looking at controlling the next decade too. Out in western Canada we had a few Ogiers that were copies of those used in Eastern Canada. They were a nice raceboat with a great ride. Once here they were made the targets of racers with their measuring tapes that seen them built as modified copies from 10 ft 3 inches to an even 11 feet in length. They were the last great conventional hydros in this neck of the woods when Bill Giles of the USA changed all that and everything here would soon look to the pickelfork hydro to set the standards for not only performance but also safety as blow overs real common before that nearly entirely disappeared. The following are pictures of a 1965 Ogier with a Merc KG9-H on it that got me from being pitman to racer for the grand sume of $350.00 complete and ready to run. The second picture is going racing early spring in 1979 and yup its a all aluminum stepvan with a hopped up turbocharged International slant 4 powering it and a trailer full of raceboats and engines. The third picture is a real cold September weekend day in 1980 for the last race of the season south of Edmonton, AB. Yes, we wore winter jackets! Brrrrrr! 144CP was the last and newest modified Ogeir hydro built strictly for DSH in our neck of trhe woods. Pickelforks from there on in became the hydros of choice. :)

nice van there John! I bet you could have sold ice cream out of it also at the races!! :p

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

That van sure looked funny from the outside alright! Got lots of laughs outa people until they got in it and saw it's sights. Under the hood was that AirResearch turbocharged 199 cube 4 banger that (the turbo) would glow in the dark as you went towing down the highway. It also sported a completely digital dash, 200 watt stereo system, could sleep 4 people bunked and had a sink, flush toilet, 3 way fridge, foldaway table to seat 4 people and propane oven/stove. Would you believe she actually got about 18 to 20 miles to the imperial gallon of gas while towing the raceboat trailer fully loaded down the highway at about 55 to 60 mph! I had to sound blanket the engine doghouse to kill some of the turbo whine.

Like all good things that come to an end, we got more kids so we got a Dodge Empress 25 foot motorhome and a friend of mine still has and uses the van which like all Internationals never die, they just look that way!! LOL! :)

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

I forgot to mention that on the passenger side of the van was its big chrome exhaust pipe/muffler combo kinda like you see on some earlier Covettes but this one was for the truck! Even though I had heat shielding for it I still burned my leg on it twice by forgetting to keep clear of it while it was idling and got 2 real nastly burns that required skin grafts. Still had a lot of fun, I haven't said anyuthing about a cross the street neighbour who got in his car with his kids, backed down his driveway, across the street, backed up my driveway and backed right into the Van'x diamond plate steel bumber and hithc with its 2 inch hitch ball! He and his Mustang lost and this happened while I was in the Van about to leave so I saw it all happened. When the Mustang hit, the Van just kinda shivered! LOL! :)

[John (Taylor) Gabrowski]

John, did you mid-Canada racers have any dealings with the B.C. guys? A few I knew were Phil Shaffer, Tom Stanley, and Kerry Ballantine. There were a couple of others, who ran BSH & BOH, but their names have escaped me.

I quite remember Tom Stanley but I thought he was a local Albertan? Some other names ring some bells with me. One thing was all those guys in Alberta, B.C., Montana and Washington State were first class racers and then some. Some real characters kinda off the wall with a warped sense of humour like me, they were all a pleasure to be with. That locals here would travel some 900 miles west to race on ocassion was testament to the fun it all was doing it. These days races are at times a days drive or more no matter where you go making things sure more costly now than they were then. :)