Originally Posted by 1965 thunderbird

That is a awesome video, thanks! It gives me more incentive to get this boat going again. I have been working on it for the last three days and have the engines removed and the interior floor is removed also. I can see where the original floor should go and where the original decking around the engine compartment should be. I am thinking that it will be pretty easy to reinstall the original decking around the engine compartment since I still have the original exhaust stacks for the turbines and the mounting holes are still there. I have a lot of wiring to remove plus the instrument panel has to be redone. I am going to keep busy on it for a while and see how far I get. I have been taking pictures but I don't remember how to put them on here. My son showed me but he is in college now, next time he is home I will try to get him to help.
thanks!

Originally Posted by 7xchamp

Congratulations on your historical find: I have some personal history I will share with you re: the Turbine boat.
I am a former member of the Mercury factory Offshore team, out of Lake X, I was 19 yrs old when I was assigned my first boat to race by Mr. K.
The story is that Mr. K. used to invite the race team up to Fond du lac for a barbeque from time to time, and he would parade us through the factory as his boys, including Odell Lewis, Mel Riggs etc. When at the barbeque at his house we would ride his motorcycles around his property, on rare occasions he would fire up the famous Chrysler 300 stock car that he kept in his garage, and tell us all the stories of his adventures in life. To say the least I was aw struck just to be in his presence, as I am sure everyone was, He eventually became like a step dad to me, and I am beholding to him for evrything he gave to me.
As part of this barbecue we went to the boathouse and rode a few boats that were there at the time, one was a four engine houseboat without the house, the other was the turbine boat which was Mona Lou at the time. About 8 of us piled in the open cockpit, and with the old man driving chewing on a cigar we were off on the ride of my life, naturally Odell was beside him to help.
The startup was very cool. I remember it had two sets of throttles, and two brake peddles on the bulkhead, as well as two automobile shift levers. I was told the shift levers were for two Lasalle transmissions, and that they used high gear forward and reverse for reversing. The brake peddles were for Braking the first stage of the turbine to enable shifting. The whole procdure was exciting to say the least, docking was pretty tricky with both motors running, brakeing shifting etc. while the turbines are screaming away.
When we went on plane mr. K. used one set of throttles, then when up he left the first set wide open and then opened up the second set. I think we topped out at around 75 mph. which in the late sixties was pretty respectable. WHAT A RIDE!!!!!! I will always remember it as one of my most treasured.
The motors were Pratt and Witney I think around 600 or 650hp. I remember at one of the Calif. races evryone protested the boat, so Mr. K. called in the engineers from Pratt which was close by and said detune the motors to 450hp, they did and were allowed to race, where she then kicked their butts again and won. I think it was one of the last races she did, as she was eventually outlawed on the circuit. I wish someone would step-up and help you restore her to original, I will be more than happy to help on the engineering side, and Odell Lewis is still around, and I`m sure could still give her a run.
Enjoy her and good luck with her, she is a proud old girl. I don`t know if you knew but Jim Wynn built her and raced her then Mr. K bought her. Mr. K loved turbines and special types of motors, I drove one of the first Wankel powered Mazdas from Calif. to Fondulac for him when they first came to america, I think he bought the first five cars, He tore the motors apart, and was figuring how to adapt them for marine use, that`s another story. 7XCHAMP Richie