Hey Dave, is it still sitting on that pile of dirt behind the shop??, last time I talked to him he was thinking of cutting the deck off and putting a wood deck on it!..
NO...It's actually on WOOD SAWHORSES now! He did cut the deck off and has reattached the stringers and put in a balsa floor. The "stock" deck has been re-installed and she's ready to go!!!! That thing is so dainty and cute, it's unbelievable!
Mr. Stevens,,,,,,DON'T YOU LISTEN TO ANYONE ELSE? At 450 posts, you sure have a lot to say but what have you learned???? BAD BOY!
Pay attention this time, OK? From memory, cant find my notes......L-Boat brief history lesson #1:
Model C started as Bud or Pat Murphy's WOOD E-boat which was FAST and would have set records until something penetrated its bow and the damage was so severe that it was retired from racing (something others should do but dont get the message) and turned into the plug to make the GLASS Model C ,trunk style, fastest circle boat for its day! It's Still, the fastest chute speed circle boat period. The actual date of production is still a mystery, but who cares! It's children were hatched in 1971 or early 72 the firstborn being Pat Murphy's replacement being 'Go For Broke'. The second child, possibly a girl was 'Gone Broke' driven masterfully by the 'God of Circular Speed' Paul Grichar!
Still listening? OK, when this Grichar Super Stock killing machine finally hit the water in 1972 at St Pete, it started in the BACK (no disrespect here but gee Gritch come ON) and flew by all 13 competitors in 4 laps at a pace estimated to be 10 mph faster than any Ss boat there or anywhere! However, he and the boats owner Ron Cuellar were protested and torn down. Nothing illegal was found! Still they were DQed! That means you lost MR. S! The inspector said,"I know you have something illegal cause NO boat is that fast"!
At Dayton Ohio in 1973, with the same nameless inspector present, three boats pushed Paul to the beach, WITH NO FOUL CALLED! Then, more tear downs and NO legal wins. Multiple races later, at the 1974 Nationals, a certain Seattle official required the inspection to follow the rule book and the team won its first race and many, many more followed. Sponsored by the Justis Brothers and still running the famous (GN#305) power of Grich, the C model Lavey is a boat racing legend just like its driver. I hear the boat was destroyed in a speed ski race and someone has what's left of the most famous Lavey SS26.
Now, dont be sad cause there were many to follow from the Pico Boat Shop and it sounds like you found one. The who's who of racers lined up to order this new L-boat: Mike Conti & Carl Grossman, Jack Kiley, Winn Phillips, Truitt Beal, George Nordling, Gordon Jennings Sr, Don Smelling, Ken Dorn, Robert Clune, Brent Berge, Mario Squallis, and on and on. You might think that by the number that have surfaced on this and other forums might indicate that lots were built. How wrong you are Toto, they are only the easiest to identify by their unusual trunk lid and long graceful deck. That's my own interpretation, I do have access to the actual factory record books if you care to argue the point.
One last tid bit of fact or folklore: Certain 'Kings' (not Gorgy, he was a polisher then) of the sport not only pushed the little (narrowest transom of all) L boats to the beach, or rammed them as their only way to pass! Whether this cruel act was on purpose or by accident still remains a mystery to me but very very interesting pit talk no?! And I'll admit, L-boat drivers finally did the same in retaliation ! Boy, did I miss some excitement while the jErK was drag racing.........Just remember Mr. Stevens, it takes an experienced expert Lavey driver to NOT have a Lavey Limp, (this is the result of flipping one) but boy what a rush if you are Man enough!
PS: I have one of the fastest survivors for sale. Maybe its last race will be Burley 2007.
How did I do Jerr, Mikie, Gorgy and Benford?I just called out to Connor so he could bring me my pillow. :rollside:
There are child labor laws, you know. What's the matter, cat got your tongue?
Hey Dave, is it still sitting on that pile of dirt behind the shop??, last time I talked to him he was thinking of cutting the deck off and putting a wood deck on it!..
That's Don Snellings former racer from Phoenix and he has another L-boat for sale. I have talked to him about George but failed to mention Harlans L. And Dave, that is exactly what happened to my SS83, its now #E9.
NO...It's actually on WOOD SAWHORSES now! He did cut the deck off and has reattached the stringers and put in a balsa floor. The "stock" deck has been re-installed and she's ready to go!!!! That thing is so dainty and cute, it's unbelievable!
Glad he changed his mind and kept it original, when I saw it the floors had delam but wasn't all that bad, I almost bought it that time it would make a cool Nostalgia boat!..
hello my name is jeff and i had a custom 1973 lavey craft flat bottom. my father and i bought it from a gentleman we met a bear lake... it was blue and silver and had E-5-R in big letters on the side. named the equalizer too.. i have many pictures up to the time it was stolen from me during a brief visit to the clink..i have been lost without it for years now but i have to find it even if its at the bottom of a lake... my number is 3072140632. i live in wy but the boat was stolen in phoenix az... i can prove ownership beyond any doubt.. flatfiredup@gmail.com is my e mail and i cannot stess how greatful i would be for even a reply.. my father and i restored the boat but dad died shortly and i mean days after the boat was stolen, my lavey was my heart and soul please help me find it ..
Last edited by flatfiredup; 12-20-2011 at 04:50 AM.
the above mentioned boat held a land speed record for some time but i thought it was a k boat..... it had a kevlar bottom with teflon coating and the damn trunklid was something i got rather good at making in the metal shop.... oh god please help me find my boat....307-214-0632
I would really really like to find the records or build sheets these both of it all possible I really want to find out if I'm still around
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