Howdy from central Texas!

[Mike Mulligan]

Hi y'all!

My name is Mike and I'm in Temple Texas, which is about an hour's drive North of Austin and around two hours south of Dallas/Fort Worth. About square in the middle of the state. I really appreciate you having me here!

I guess my story is somewhat typical after looking around here a bit. I was into boats years ago, then life happened; businesses that needed attention, moves, other hobbies, stuff got in the way. Now I'm living near several lakes and it's time to get back into some fast boats. I got rid of most of my stuff from back then ('80s era) but kept a few projects that had been started but never finished. I figured I would get to them eventually, and now is the time. I'll post pics when I can, but suffice it to say that I'll be working on three VINTAGE boats!

So thanks again for letting me hang around. I have a ton of questions about FEs but will try to post in the appropriate areas.

Glad to be here...

Mike

 

[Sonny Cook]

Welcome, Hello From Mid south Texas coast, near Victoria I was in same boat, played years ago, my marine shop took over life. Retired and now Got boats out closet and working on them bulding new ones now

 

[MikeWettengal]

Welcome from Henderson!

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Welcome to the forum and back to the insanity
You found a place where there's a lot of knowledge and experience in the members so don't be afraid to ask questions.
You said you have three vintage boats. What boats are they as maybe we can help with them by giving advice on improvements and such.

 

[Mike Mulligan]

Well, the three boats I'm planning to finish up were all left in various states of unfinish when they were put away.

Two are old Dumas kits, a Drag n' Fly 40 hydro that is still in bare wood, and a 36" 1971 Atlas Van Lines which has been sealed and needs sanding and color. The third is my old 7.5 rigger. I would like to finish out the two Dumas boats as fast electrics (LOTS to learn on that front!), but the rigger is going back to just the way it was and will run nitro.

I think the rigger is a Spider hull, but I'm not sure at all about that. I bought the hull unfinished from a gent who wasn't sure what it was either! It has had several paint jobs and cowlings over the years and was in the process of being stripped and refinished when it was put away. It ran with a modified K&B 7.5 and old Futaba two-stick radios. I still have all of my original hardware and plan to re-use that as well as the K&B, though the engine may require a new piston and liner (If I can find them). It will have a newer radio, however!

To be honest, the Dumas boats were obsolete long before I got the kits, but when I was a kid I would slobber over the Dumas ad in the model magazines, so it was somewhat inevitable that I would end up getting 'em at some point! They became my sanity projects while I was recovering from an illness. Time to get 'em in the water!

The Drag n' Fly is the first on the list. I have been sanding and doing a bit of filling in prep for sealing. It has the strut and rudder (Speedmaster) installed, but I want to mount the motor before cutting the hole for the stuffing tube. I'll also need to make a turn fin. The boat was built straight off the plans, so the sponsons in particular look pretty archaic. That was one of the things I was planning to ask about here. For power I am thinking a 4092 on 6s with appropriate ESC, but that is based on my limited research, and I'll be interested in what you guys have to offer on that front.

The AVL is a bit farther along, being sealed and with all hardware mounted. There is going to have to be a little bit of thinking involved when it comes to setting it up as an FE since it is already set up for nitro with a radio box and mounting blocks (remember those?) rather securely epoxied into the hull! This may get some remedial hull work as well; the sponsons have more deadrise than an offshore cat! I'm thinking similar power to the DnF. More questions for the forum!

At this point, I'm just going to run them for sport, since the closest racing club seems to be two hours away, but that doesn't mean I won't compete in the future. I would most likely build something new and a bit more competitive for that!

I really appreciate having you guys as a resource! I feel like the whole world has changed since my nitro days (it has) and though I have kept a toe wet over the last several years there is still so much to learn it really is like starting over.

Looking forward to re-joining the insanity!

Thanks again Mark!

Mike

 

[Sonny Cook]

Mark Im redoing a Dumas Drag n Fly20 never been in the water, but going to power with k-b 3.5 nitro outboard.
Painting the Dumas Hot Shot 3.5 now to rig with kb lower, 2050 36 mm electric, on 3 s to start, then made room in bulkhead and has 4 s for later once i learn how to drive it straight and turn right.

 

[Mike Mulligan]

Mark Im redoing a Dumas Drag n Fly20 never been in the water, but going to power with k-b 3.5 nitro outboard.
Painting the Dumas Hot Shot 3.5 now to rig with kb lower, 2050 36 mm electric, on 3 s to start, then made room in bulkhead and has 4 s for later once i learn how to drive it straight and turn right.

I'd love to see some pic of that f you have any.

 

[Sonny Cook]

the right one in White primer, i built it on the 80's finnished it buy never ran it. On left is the Hotshot im building, other pictures after i striped it and repaired back of hull from getting knocked off dresser. middle is a old kosho wave blaster. Have a Aeromarine 3.5 tunnel out board electric also, i bought and re did.

 

[Wasted wages]

Mike, can you post up a picture of the spider? What size is it ?

I still have a .67 Cobra with a CMB greenhead.

( basically the same rigger- just a newer version - built out of better materials)

 

[Mike Mulligan]

Mike, can you post up a picture of the spider? What size is it ?

I still have a .67 Cobra with a CMB greenhead.

( basically the same rigger- just a newer version - built out of better materials)

You bet Frank. I'll try to get some pics this evening when I get home.

Like I said, I think it's a Spider, based only on appearance. You may be able to help me with a proper I.D. Stripping off the three or so old paint jobs might also help!

 

[jevmax]

Hi y'all!

My name is Mike and I'm in Temple Texas, which is about an hour's drive North of Austin and around two hours south of Dallas/Fort Worth. About square in the middle of the state. I really appreciate you having me here!

I guess my story is somewhat typical after looking around here a bit. I was into boats years ago, then life happened; businesses that needed attention, moves, other hobbies, stuff got in the way. Now I'm living near several lakes and it's time to get back into some fast boats. I got rid of most of my stuff from back then ('80s era) but kept a few projects that had been started but never finished. I figured I would get to them eventually, and now is the time. I'll post pics when I can, but suffice it to say that I'll be working on three VINTAGE boats!

So thanks again for letting me hang around. I have a ton of questions about FEs but will try to post in the appropriate areas.

Glad to be here...

Mike

Welcome back! Whenever you get a boat ready, or just want to come hang out with a bunch of FE boat racing enthusiasts, come over and visit the HOTMBC. Every first and third Saturday every month at Lake-X in Katy, Texas.

 

[Mike Mulligan]

Mike, can you post up a picture of the spider? What size is it ?

I still have a .67 Cobra with a CMB greenhead.

( basically the same rigger- just a newer version - built out of better materials)

Howdy Frank,

Managed to get a few pics of my old rigger. Doesn't look it now, but it was a real screamer back in the day!

It is in the process of being sanded down to bare wood for a complete refinish, so it kind of looks like it has the mange.

Like I said, I believe it to be a Spider, but I wasn't ever certain about that. I bought the bare hull from a guy who didn't know what it was either. I went looking through magazines looking for pics of similar hulls and the Spiders seemed to be the best match. I'm hoping you might be able to help me ID the thing once and for all!

Here are the pics (Motor and pipe just set in there for appearance purposes):






You can see the remains of at least three paint jobs in this shot! Red, white and yellow with LOTS of primer in between...


Rear sponsons are huge...


Side...


The scuffs just ahead of the transom are where I had an Unlimited-type rear wing bolted up. It actually seemed to stabilize the boat on the straights and doubled as a launching handle! The holes just ahead of the forward booms were for the canard wings that were all the rage on riggers back then. Most folks just bolted them to the booms.


A couple of the old K&B, just for fun. Remember the Prather exhaust throttles? Nice and snappy...



Again, thanks for having a look at the old girl! I'll be very interested in any comments you may have!

Mike

 

[Mike Mulligan]

the right one in White primer, i built it on the 80's finnished it buy never ran it. On left is the Hotshot im building, other pictures after i striped it and repaired back of hull from getting knocked off dresser. middle is a old kosho wave blaster. Have a Aeromarine 3.5 tunnel out board electric also, i bought and re did.

Nice boats! I thought about going with an outboard set up on my DnF 40 too, to make it look like this:



I would still like to do an outboard version, but I think I will build a lighter version of the DnF for that.

Please keep us posted on your progress!

Mike

 

[Wasted wages]

Yup... Avenger spider.

Dead giveaway is the thick cedar sides of the tub...The Cobra is the advanced version of the spider, when they downsized the rear sponsons and built the tubs out of plywood.

Your hull will make a nice retro boat, but they are kinda heavy, and lots of drag with all of that surface area of the rear sponsons.

I would try to lighten it up any way possible,
Removing all the paint would be a good start. Skip the primer, I never prime my boats... maybe carbon boom tubes, and widen up the front stance...and use a lifting prop.. gotta cut down on that drag!!!

 

[Wasted wages]

Replacing the motor mount with rubber buttons will save a bunch of weight, and cut down on vibration in the hull....

Cut out all of those hardwood blocks under the aluminum mount, reinforce the inside of the tub sides with some thin plywood and use rubber button mounts with nylon bolts..

The cedar tubs can split if the boat flips hard, so if it starts to get light on the water, just be aware of that.. I had a twin .80 spider that split the side from front to back on a blowover..

 

[Wasted wages]

That hull would do really good with an old OPS. 67 or a .67 CMB greenhead in it..

Good luck on restoring it !!