I just read from Popular Mechanics Spico was in Bakersfield California and had a record of 98 MPH unblown and said could deliver luxury and speed near 100 MPH unmodified and unblown it comes up on Google search
RL Smith is Buck Smith who apparently is phenomenal as he was A racer in the 50-60s and played a big part in Drag Boat racing and is apparently still active in reunions today. Don’t ya just love the pioneers and Engineers of American Ingenuity etc. I’m running for President to fight to drive gas back to 1.25 a gallon where it belongs and I love this stuff and want to restore all American Manufacturing as much as possible with Presidential Signing statement that take effect immediately if necessary. Anyway I love drag boats from everything from the huge engine displacements killer candy paint jobs to being basically a motorized Dyno test bed. I just love it all and really enjoyed finding some info on the old Spico Boat company as I still have my 1966 Spico Flat bottom that had a 409 Chevy in it. I modified the bottom with a stringer similar to newer Hondo boats and will add a Blown Enderle Injected Gas 427 Chevy with my own designed blower Pistons with the pin hole raised from Venolia and Venolia Blown Fuel aluminum rods with H-11 bolts etc. I expect to be running around 12-1500 H.P. when I’m done with the nitrous of course and plan on turning right under 9000 RPM. Anyway what I found on Spico or what was Spico The company originated by RL (Buck) Smith in partnership with Sill Properties, employs 14 skilled workmen. It specialized in the manufacture of inboard motorboats, fiberglass, powered typically by V8 Chevrolet motors. Capable of 50 mph, (and others to 100 mph) used chiefly for water skiers. Planning on expansion, a new building of corrugated steel being moved into place to accommodate increased production needs.
Spico for sale:
I read the popular mechanics article on Spico says Spico boats of Bakersfield( California) same type of boat as Raysoncraft they held the record in unblown gas of 98.63 It says both Raysoncraft and Spico would give you near 100 MPH in unblown unmodified engine Spico was using Chevy Engines. I heard 427 held the record. I would say that was 1966 as I was told my boat was the same as the one that held the record I thought was 107. Spico says built by RL Smith is nicknamed Buck as Buck Smith was apparently a boat designer racer raced a Hydro named Miss Spico and I heard designed or copied a design possibly from Raysoncraft for the Spico Flat bottom and everyone copied it. Ted Jones designed Miss Spico Hydroplane owned by Buck Smith can be seen scroll down page
http://www.vintagehydroplanes.com/foley2.html here
buck Smith flat bottom Mr. T owned by Bob Thomas probably became Spico is above it looks just like mine. Mine would be a ski boat with full bench seat in front and two small rear facing seats for the dead men in the back LOL! I had the skull and bones sewn into the cover over the Cassel In and out box overdrive. Boats already doing about 20 at a fast idle I think overdrive may be 20 percent. I know first night we started it were surprised how fast that prop really spins.
Bob Foley’s Excellent photo album of old drag boats is here and shows a twin engine Chevy flat bottom
http://www.vintagehydroplanes.com/foley3.html
I would buy another Spico in a heartbeat about 1980 I paid $2900.00 with the 409 which was messed up with 12-1 JE Pistons broken from detonation when I got it. I put Jahns 12-1 slugs with pin buttons right back in it and ran aviation fuel most of the time or 107 octane booster I’d say I was pushing around 700 hp with a big Isky roller cam 560 326 /560 326 /108 deg lobe centers and blueprinted balanced engine with dual carter Afbs the boat ran around 100 MPH had no hesitation at all and smoked everything out of the hole with that little 3.5 inch stroke on the 409 and slalom skied like a dream, small wake steered like a Cadillac etc. Boat was well known in Houghton Lake Mi as the fastest boat on the lake and wore the Skull and Bones which is sort of a joke trademark of mine on the side.
The new racing boats Cole, Sanger Hondo etc are king when it comes to sleekness and drag racing. But for a lake racer ski boat I would take a older larger heavier Spico or similar boat any day. My boat could fit 4 or five people, in front with two in back facing backwards. I wouldn’t put the hammer down loaded like that but to take some friends for a nice ride and show them the large lake 8 miles x 5 miles it’s the perfect alternative to a new jet boat. I never liked the jets as they didn’t have the speed as v drives. They seem like driving a street rod with a high stall converter to me. They came a long way with Blueprinted jets but you have to have the engine to pull that big pump too and I just think v drives will always be king. I wish the boats had shifter trannys though like the fuely hydro’s run. It would just be cool and for skiing maybe you could lock it in a pulling gear. I may even try to hitch my Cassel drive up to a turbo 400 or something. I know it would be nice to leave the drive locked in gear. I always warmed up my engines because of clearances on forged pistons and then shut off and put it in gear while I was restarting it. That way it didn’t just slam into gear. There’s a lot of stress on an overdrive in a v drive. That thing is basically like a clayborn Dyno taking some serious load. I used to work at Perkins Diesel. I almost took home a free clayborn Dyno they threw out cause it leaked bad. Sure wish I would have now. Someday I’ll have a test cell but for now the Spico will get an onboard computer and be the test cell. Just like the drag boats of today. Sure would be nice if that gas was 1.25 a gallon now wouldn’t it. Nobody else is going to try to do it I’ll guarantee ya. You would be shocked at the engine we built at perkins that got covered up by a certain political family. 105 MPG Hiway, 84 MPG city. It was et to go in all the mail jeeps in 1980.
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