Hondo Runnerbottom Question....

[V-DRIVE VIDEO]

I get a call from a friend tonight to go check out his new boat....
It seems this was Big Proppas runnerbottom project and he sold it to mouzer who sold it to my buddy "The Wiz".
I have a Hondo circle boat and the back of my strut (strut base) is roughly 20 inches from the transom. That is with a 9 degree strut. Wiz's new boat has the strut I'm guessin 3 or 4 inches further back :confused: The old v-drive mounts look to have the v-drive around the 96" mark and the hole in the floor looks right for the v-drive position.
If you crawl under the boat there is a recess cut in the floor that looks original and a hump in the floor looking from the inside. It looks like it came that way.
It seems to me that the strut is farther back than it should be. I hope I'm wrong. Anybody know where it should be to line up with a 10 degree v-drive at 96"?
Also, this boat looks like it only had 6 turnbuckles? Anyone ever seen that in a runner?
Thanks,
---Jerry
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/3870bow.JPG
http://www.v-drivevideo.com/jerrysgallery/albums/userpics/10001/Hondo%20XH%20511T.jpg

[superdave013]

I just looked at a pic of my old hondo runner. It had 8 turbuckles and 4 trasom bearings. It should have had 5 transom bearings as the shaft bent between the 2 center bearings.
I can't help with the strut location as those notes are stashed away in who knows where land. lol
Here's a link so you can see my old hondos ass.
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/showphoto.php?photo=1178&size=big&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500

[EXTREMEBOATS]

I'm sure if you spoke with Bobby Hewitt he could give you the answers you need. He was very much in the know back in the day when it comes to that stuff.
602-463-1895.
Kristina :D

[V-DRIVE VIDEO]

I'm sure if you spoke with Bobby Hewitt he could give you the answers you need. He was very much in the know back in the day when it comes to that stuff.
602-463-1895.
Kristina :D
Thanks, I gave him a call he was very helpful :cool:
---Jerry

[Carnivalride]

Jerry,
For what its worth on my 78 Hondo runner bottom the end of the strut barrel is 17" off the transom. My favorite prop is 12" (back tip of blade) to the transom, my plates are 9" past the transom. Strut angle is between 7.5 & 8 degrees.
My cavitation hardware (http://www.v-driveboat.com/gallery.php?s=&action=viewphoto&photoid=1185)

[V-DRIVE VIDEO]

Jerry,
For what its worth on my 78 Hondo runner bottom the end of the strut barrel is 17" off the transom. My favorite prop is 12" (back tip of blade) to the transom, my plates are 9" past the transom. Strut angle is between 7.5 & 8 degrees.
My cavitation hardware (http://www.v-driveboat.com/gallery.php?s=&action=viewphoto&photoid=1185)
Hey, thanks a lot!

[EXTREMEBOATS]

If you guys didnt know , the the XH-511-T was the begining of the runner bottoms we have today.... Each individual or company tried to make a hull as fast as Hondo had. Its kinda crazy but even today the similarities are so hard to recognize. Hondo boats was the true leader in the day thanks to Ray Casselli, a true pioneer ,Bobby Hewitt Sr. and Jim Lange Among others... that helped develope the still bad to the bone boats that still hold many records today. We are proud to help carry on the legends hard work and determination by providing the same hulls today from original molds. No sales pitch just a love of this life style. :hammerhea
Mike & KRISTINA

[Carnivalride]

Hey, thanks a lot!
Anytime, hope you guys get it worked out & going soon.
Loren

[bigkatboat]

Isn't "XH 511 T" the deck and not the bottom? If you went to the races back then, you would know that Ray displayed his hardware with Finish Line Hardware in the same place/ booth. All of his cavitation (transom) hardware was Finish Line, way before he ran Hondos. Also, ("among others") without taking anything away from Hewitt and Lange, you have forgotten Mike Brendell, Irv Brendell, Wayne Mettler, Jamie did some work too. I think you could have purchased a "XH 511T" in; circle (flat with chines) hull, 5/8" runner, and 7/8" runner, am I wrong? "Just cann't remember back that long ago". Built many of them, "a great boat".

[V-DRIVE VIDEO]

Isn't "XH 511 T" the deck and not the bottom? If you went to the races back then, you would know that Ray displayed his hardware with Finish Line Hardware in the same place/ booth. All of his cavitation (transom) hardware was Finish Line, way before he ran Hondos. Also, ("among others") without taking anything away from Hewitt and Lange, you have forgotten Mike Brendell, Irv Brendell, Wayne Mettler, Jamie did some work too. I think you could have purchased a "XH 511T" in; circle (flat with chines) hull, 5/8" runner, and 7/8" runner, am I wrong? "Just cann't remember back that long ago".
If you referrence the old Hondo brochures (pic above), the XH511 was a runnerbottom dragboat. The circle boat was labeled "sprint" either could be built with the Trick deck, straight deck or GT (AKA Bubble T deck).

[wsuwrhr]

If you referrence the old Hondo brochures (pic above), the XH511 was a runnerbottom dragboat. The circle boat was labeled "sprint" either could be built with the Trick deck, straight deck or GT (AKA Bubble T deck).
I like REALLY like the sprint bottom Trick(T)-deck.
V-rrroooommmmm, V-rrooommmmm....
Brian
Ima go throw the light on and sit in the seat right now.

[haulina29]

Bigkatboat the XH511T was the drag boat the sprint was the circle boat if Ray displayed his hardware before he drove for Hondo what year was this 63 or 64 ?

[EXTREMEBOATS]

Does anyone know how Ray's dog played a part in this history? :cool: :D
Kristina

[superdave013]

Does anyone know how Ray's dog played a part in this history? :cool: :D
Kristina
no but Irv Brendell had a dog named HONDO. ;)

[Roman 1]

Does anyone know how Ray's dog played a part in this history? :cool: :D
Kristina
Do mean Ray Caselli? Please tell us I'd like to know. :cool:
SuperDave, Didn't Irv name the drog from the John Wayne movie of whom he was a big fan, then subsequently the boat business? I can't remember? I can look it up in my old rags but don't have the time.
Kristina,
What was the time frame Hondos rigged with finishline gear as opposed to Caselli rigging or was it a combination of the 2? Also, what role did Ron Ehde play in design at Hondo boats?
Thanks in advance,
The roman one. :)

[haulina29]

I had a seventies Hondo that all the under water gear was marked 007 and the override pedal said Caselli . I have no idea what the time frames were for the change to another brand .

[MandDPerformance]

'79 Hondo XH511T.....AKA Lookie Lu..Jerry if you have any more questions go ahead and get in touch with me. The boats in the shop and I think I might be able to find a measuring tape. :idea:

[bigkatboat]

THE FIRST "XH511T" boat was a FLAT BOTTOM, not a runner, I have a flyer from Hondo and the boat is a FLAT. Yes they used different names for the different bottoms, but the 'deck' was the "XH511T", not the bottom. My flyer from Hondo shows the boat turn key with a 327" Chevy motor, then 'stages' that it could be ordered in. Back then, Leonard would make the hardware for Hondo while I worked (days) at GM Engineering, then at night I would go in and finish up whatever needed to be done. The boats were called "XH511T sprint", or "straight deck sprint", just like the "Pantera jet bottom", "T" deck or "straight deck". Later the flats were called, "XH511T, 5/8's", and "XH511T, 7/8's". Then 'us lazy guys' just shortened the name to "T" deck. If we are going to go into this with "arms and legs flying", what about the BIG race boat they built? Did they have straight decks or "T" decks, or both?

[bigkatboat]

"Lookie Lu" = great guy Jeff Blosdale!

[superdave013]

I had a seventies Hondo that all the under water gear was marked 007 and the override pedal said Caselli . I have no idea what the time frames were for the change to another brand .
my '74 HX511 t deck had the 007 strut but I'm pretty sure it had finishline pedal assy. But it was over 20 years old when I got it so who knows.

[Jake W2]

They told him his boats were going to run like a dog (so he named them HONDO) kinda funny.This story has been told a few years back you guys can put the names where they belong.
Jake

[V-DRIVE VIDEO]

THE FIRST "XH511T" boat was a FLAT BOTTOM, not a runner, I have a flyer from Hondo and the boat is a FLAT. Yes they used different names for the different bottoms, but the 'deck' was the "XH511T", not the bottom. My flyer from Hondo shows the boat turn key with a 327" Chevy motor, then 'stages' that it could be ordered in. Back then, Leonard would make the hardware for Hondo while I worked (days) at GM Engineering, then at night I would go in and finish up whatever needed to be done. The boats were called "XH511T sprint", or "straight deck sprint", just like the "Pantera jet bottom", "T" deck or "straight deck". Later the flats were called, "XH511T, 5/8's", and "XH511T, 7/8's". Then 'us lazy guys' just shortened the name to "T" deck. If we are going to go into this with "arms and legs flying", what about the BIG race boat they built? Did they have straight decks or "T" decks, or both?
So you're saying this advertisement is just for the deck? Sorry George I think your wrong. Also, the first runnerbottoms were virtually flat across the plates but still had runners under the boat. SS mike has one.
http://www.v-drivevideo.com/jerrysgallery/albums/userpics/10001/XH511T.jpg
Here is the Sprint brochure, it doesnt say XH511 anywhere :confused:
http://www.v-drivevideo.com/jerrysgallery/albums/userpics/10001/XH511T%20001.jpg

[V-DRIVE VIDEO]

When Howard copied this boat in retaliation for the hydro Hondo splashed off of them Howard named it the XH512 T just to rub it in. They were also referring to the entire boat not just the deck.

[haulina29]

Bigkatboat you are not correct The 511 was the sprint converted to a runner bottom thats the boat that was a runner with straight plates on the rear and no droped chines you could get a t deck or a gt deck , the XH511T you could get either deck also . XH511T the T stands for tunnel bottm and has nothing do do with the deck . It was called a tunnel because it had droped chines were as the XH511 did not . H29

[haulina29]

Some of the early attempts at driver safety were center steer flatbottoms with the deck cut out making a T pattern so the driver could move forward and still have a clear exit of the boat I dont think trick deck was shortened to T I think it was slang because the T was first , and other manufactures called it a cutaway deck not a T . H29