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Where Are They.

Posted: 06 Mar 2014, 11:58
by Bob Vic
I just added a couple of 100 cu in class skiff pics to the Oz Boat racers BB. I've attached here FYI. It seems that Fox-E may have re-surfaced in Ballarat with a green coat of paint... I tracked down Mick Bakoff a few years ago regarding Dyn-A-Mite and if I recall correctly the boat wound up at his mothers place and then disappeared, probably to the tip. These photos are from 1979, Fox-e at Albert Park lake and Dyn-A-Mite at the kilos at Eppalock.

Bob

Re: Where Are They.

Posted: 06 Mar 2014, 18:19
by Reklaw
Great pics Bob. Used to enjoy those classes years ago. We raced in 75 and 95. Was 100 a Victorian size or did it migrate to 100 after 95? What engines were in Fox-E and Dyn-A-Mite?
Bob (maybe I should start saying Bob W)

Re: Where Are They.

Posted: 07 Mar 2014, 11:10
by Bob Vic
I definitely remember the 75 cu in and 95 cu in classes too. (I think there may have once been a 50 cu in class too.) The 100 cu in class evolved from 95 cu in. I think the 100 cu in class evolved when the 1600 cc engines appeared as that is a tad over 97 cu in. The Ford Lotus twin cam engine was the really hot, reasonably difficult to get, hard to tune and expensive engine of the day. All the quick 95 cu in boats had these twin cam engines.... Then the Fiat arrived on the scene. I don't know very much about these except they were like the Ford - a 4 cylinder & twin cam head. I have no idea what was in Fox-e but from the photos it looks like Dyn-A-Mite has the Fiat.

Bob

Re: Where Are They.

Posted: 18 Feb 2016, 16:08
by Will
An old post and I cant add much but an observation - did these boats run the drive from the flywheel end? because if they did Fox E is a Fiat and the other a Ford because for some reason Fiat had the exhaust on the right hand side ( looking from the flywheel end ) and all the ford twin cams right up to the BDA (maybe beyond) had the Carbs on the right side. If the engines were run in either location then my observation is out the window!!
These must have been great little race boats

Re: Where Are They.

Posted: 19 Feb 2016, 10:08
by Bob Vic
Interesting observation Will - I can't speak about the boats above, however, in those days there wa s a small Z drive gearbox built by Ron Leaney which was common with these smaller engines. I had one in my little skiff which had a 1600 cc cross flow Ford. The drive was taken off the flywheel end, through the Z drive gearbox and then out the prop shaft. Just looked at the photos and with this set up the exhaust was on the port side of the boat. Hope this helps.

Re: Where Are They.

Posted: 19 Feb 2016, 12:02
by Will
Bob - yes it looks like anything was possible ( and so it should be!) If you look at Old Flame (readers boats) it has a 1600 Kent cross flow with engine reversed and I guess a V drive of some sort with the exhaust out the starboard side.
Re the Z drive they used in the day - was it a specially designed box or an adaption of an auto box of some kind? maybe a modified small transfer case or similar.
Just being inquisitive

Re: Where Are They.

Posted: 19 Feb 2016, 14:41
by Bob Vic
I think Old Flame drives off the nose of ther timing case Will. Here is a photo of the gerarbox that I used both in my little skiff and the hydro. It was a purpose designed Z drive, very compact, sturdy and durable. No idea of how much horsepower it could handle.

Bob

Re: Where Are They.

Posted: 19 Feb 2016, 15:36
by Will
Thanks for the info Bob that set up is just sweet. I guess there must have been a reasonable market for these small boxes at the time. Its hard to imagine anybody setting up to make patterns and cast gearboxes like this today.
Does the Z drive even have a water jacket? or are those oil lube lines to a heat exchanger ? or engine oil / heat exchanger?

Re: Where Are They.

Posted: 20 Feb 2016, 20:55
by bootlegger
Ive got Niad here. Cortina powered

Re: Where Are They.

Posted: 20 Feb 2016, 22:09
by rayza1
Hey Dave, will Niad ever be restored? It's a nice looking thing.