Got $950,000 Sitting Around?
MAN OH MANACHEVITZ! 1930 GAR WOOD RACEBOAT
If your like me and only have $95.00 sitting around. Then this may not be your dream boat. BUT if you have the $950,000 money lets say just sitting in your wallet. bad for your back by the way…., this could be one of the coolest boats on the planet to own.
Its got metal its god wood, its got a fin, its got a killer engine, it’s got it all.
The combination of metal and wood is breath taking. The history of course is priceless. It’s right here FOR SALE on the Sierra Boat works website. You might want to go look in your sofa for another $300,000 or so cause there is some niiiice stuff there to find a good use for the $500,000 ya have in tucked away in the coffee can in the kitchen. Here is the home page for Sierra Boat Co.
I am headed to the cookie jar to see how much I can dig up.
That’s beautiful!
We could all chip in? Each of us could own it like a time share… Lets see, i can afford about 3 minutes of it.. Unless i have to pay for gas..
You can jury rig a sail.
What engine (if any) is included for that price?
Sierra’s site indicates “per customer preference.” Someone could ask for a Liberty, Packard, or maybe the Curtiss Conquerer based on that statement? Or ask for a VW conversion to save on gas?
I doubt they have one of each sitting around, but I would go for the Curtis Conquerer if it is included in the price. By comparison the Libertys must be a dime a dozen!
Like the dude below, this boat has a little bit too much Bling and little else going for it.
I would rather have a Riva….
I would in no way call this “bling”. I consider bling to be non-functional accoutrements; in place purely for cosmetic reasons and frequently of dubious aesthetic merit (how is that for diplomacy!). This boat was built for speed right from the start (obvious given the step), and modified by one of the wealthiest men in the US for one reason only – to get more speed. He used materials and design which at the time were on the cutting edge and indicative of contemporary practice – streamling, lightweight and aerodynamic aluminum decking and the fin (which CC adhered to the Cobra 20 years later). I highly doubt aesthetics were behind any of his modifications – he had a fleet of boats for every whim. So, unless your definition of bling is different than mine, I fail to see how this is in any way blinged-out. I think this boat is a wonderful restoration to what it was while in the hands of one of the most prominent racer boaters’ in Tahoe and extremely well done.
paul, you must have eaten your Wheaties this morning, but I agree with you. It is a great looking boat, and practically leaps out of the water when you look at it in person. It reflected the latest thinking in adapting technology to boat racing in the pre war years. Compare it to racing hydroplanes of the same era. I doubt anyone will find it worth $950,000, (who knows) but it is definitely one of a kind.
When I saw the boat debut after restoration at Tahoe in 2011, I believe it had a Rolls Royce Meteor or Merlin in it – can’t quite recall. I don’t think it was a Packard and I know it was not a Curtiss. I believe the boat had many engines in it during its’ racing career.
This craft is pure elegance. Just the right amount of ‘Over the Top’ without being too much. The perfect amount of beauty, wood, metal, curve and testosterone, all brought together in design and craftsmanship. Herb and his team of talented boatwrights would make Garwood and Hughes proud with her restoration. This craft must be seen in person!!! David Black
That boat is SO COOL, you gotta wear shades!
Paul, your words were very diplomatic but I would disagree a bit.
For an example – take a look at those side exhaust pipes on that boat. That is bling baby – regardless of any definition. Running the exhaust directly to the side of the boat and then using a small difuser on the outside is far more aerodynamic than six feet of fancy pipe work hanging off of the sides.
Since CC’s Cobra was brought up – let’s stick with another Cobra as below – Shelby ran those pipes along the sides for a reason, and it sure as heck was not to make sure the car was aerodynamic. Yo. Bling man, look at me bling. Word.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a beautiful boat.
I think you are barking WAY up the wrong tree with your side pipes argument. The short stacks out the top were obviously abandoned in favor of the sleek streamlined upper surface. The length of the pipes was probably tuned to the engine and not an aesthetic decision.
Actually, Shelby needed to get the pipes for the big block engines to exit out the sides for ground clearance issues (primarily for racing). You can come down pretty hard when flying off a slight rise in the track.
They do look nice, though.
The side pipe set-up on the Cobra had nothing to do with ground clearance but rather was the best choice in getting rid of the excessive heat problem in the cockpit which was plaguing the cars. Standard rear exit or side exit exhaust set-ups were both available in the Shelby spec reworked 427 spec cars.
m-fine – The necessary length of pipe could have easily been located inside the boat and then made to exit where needed on the side of the boat as opposed to having the length located outside where it would have added additional drag – even with the bullet shape. Also, since various engines were used and are also available, the length of pipe needed per engine for tuning would not be uniform and thus would vary with each set-up. Since those side pipes are not adjustable in length, your argument for tuning would thus only work for a single engine. The Sierra literature states that perhaps three different engines were used at some point. In other words, those same side pipes were used for the various engines she had installed at various times. That leaves heat, noise level and beauty as being the factors remaining. I’d bet those three factors dictated the direction of the final design.
where do you get god wood from?
“Its got metal its god wood,”
Duh, a god tree of course. God a few growing in my backyard, got darn it.
I think I would take the Van Damm boat Gonzo. That is INCREDIBLE. Can you imagine pulling up to a dock bar in that craft? Love the hidden swim platform.
A bit more of the real story…..
http://www.homewoodboatworks.com/page13.html
Bling or not I would LOVE to show up at one of our Cobbossee rendezvous in that thing,
I am still pissed that I was not in a position to buy a Hacker with a Scripp’s 302 for 125K so I guess 950K is way, Way, WAY out of the question.
I just went out to the shop and checked the coffee can. I actually found an extra $52. If that doesn’t cover it, I can throw in that crusty Model B engine that’s been taking up space. And then… there’s that 6 pack of O’Doul’s that somebody left in my fridge 6 years ago. Who the hell was that?
Am I getting close?
Jim Staib at Fine Wood Boats is now the “Mr. B” engine guy and has much of the Model B engines and parts inventory from Mr. B in Texas.
Thanks TEXX! I’ll drop the engine in Jim’s yard this week.
Chad,
I haven’t unloaded them yet. Speak quick and I can deliver another 5 engines so you have an even 6-pack! About as useful as that O’doul’s