Rudy Ramos

[Wildchild80]

The boat racing world has lost a leader, mentor, competitor, inovator but most of all just an all around "good guy" . We lost Rudy Ramos today, I will try and post some of the accomplishments of this remarkable man. There probably isn't a V Drive boat today that does not have some sort of input from this man in it. I will miss you greatly
GODSPEED MY DEAR FREIND

[obnoxious001]

Sorry to hear that, he was getting around pretty good at Long Beach a couple of weeks ago. I am glad I had a chance to know him a bit in recent years, since I had been able to watch him race when I was still pretty young.

[superdave013]

wow, sorry to hear that. He was an all around good guy. Always seemed to have a smile for everyone.

[GofastRacer]

OMG what a shame, a true legend indeed just talked to him at LB!.. Thoughts and prayers go out to all involved!..

[Sleek-Jet]

Never had the pleasure of meeting him... but always have been fascinated by his creations... God speed...

[dmontzsta]

No way, that is definately a loss. When I saw his name as the title of a thread, I thought "NO" then had to open it to find this. I never had the opportunity to get to know him, but you have to respect what he did for this sport. I always heard how he was willing to help with any input people had regarding their old RaysonCrafts. R.I.P.

[BILLY.B]

You know Dave I meant to call you today after John Avery told me that he was ill. I called Paul Fitzgerald to let him know but Rudy's daughter had talked to him yesterday and had filled him in on everything. What a shame. Great guy who always took the time to BS with me and always willing to help anyone out. Major loss for a sport that can't afford to lose any. Prayers go out to his family and to you Dave as I know you two were very close.

[Moneypitt]

The boating world has lost another true Icon. He will be missed by those that knew him, and those that would have in the future. It was always a pleasure to talk to him. He was a very happy man after the GN9 won at Long Beach and was looking forward to the next race. Thanks to Dave Rankin for making his last race such a tremendous, exciting, come from behind victory. Condolences to the family and friends. Ray

[gottaminute?]

Sad news indeed. The Hoban family and the rest of the GN30 crew extends our condolences.
pat

[Prop Rod]

i had the oppertunity to sit in the truck with him while i was launching Ted's GN race boat, what a great guy!! I only got to spend about twenty mins talking with him but i will remeber that forever. Godspeed, and my prayers are with the family.

[ss19crew]

This is truly a great loss and from all of the Fitzgerald family our thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.
Mike Fitzgerald

[Beautiful Noise]

This is very Sad news indeed,I've stopped by and Talked with Rudy a few time's and I drive by Rudy's House every morning on my way to work and look over as I pass by.
Rest in Peace Rudy..................Our Prayers go out to His Family.

[gnRacer98]

Dave, Thank You for allowing him to go out with a victory.
The future seems "unimaginable" without "Famous Ramos", but I'll always remember his input, encouragement and wry humor when I returned from a race broken, battered or bruised, the first phone call the next morning was Rudy encouraging me to pick up the pieces and be ready for the next round.

[DaveA]

I shuddered when I saw the title of this post here and on AzDon's site just a while ago....
I spent over an hour on the phone today with Fitz, mostly about Rudy's condition- and we were discussing the dread of the next phone call from Torrance Memorial. It all happened so fast, and so unexpectedly, too. He had just lost his mother a few months ago. I can only imagine what his two daughters are dealing with now....after their own mom's recent passing.
My sincerest sympathies to the Ramos girls and all of Rudy's friends and associates that will have to live without this great guy. I'm glad I got to spend time with him.
Please post any public information that comes available.
Thank you.
DaveA

[MikeF]

Godspeed.
I'd imagine him running around up there w/ "more boost"! :)

[Life's Rough]

Rudy will be missed by all, I wish everybody could enjoy and accomplish what he did. His love and dedication for family,people,boating,and racing provided an incredible life.
I will always miss you Rudy.

[Rexone]

Godspeed Rudy, you will truly be missed by many many people. My condolences to his family. :frown:

[V-Drive Tom]

A True Pioneer and Legend of V-Drive boats and racing. I only talked with him a couple of times. I loved being at the real 9 hour enduro in the sixties, watching he and other pioneers race. Good man....Good-bye RUDY...

[DUCKY]

It's sad to lose yet another legend in the sport. He will be missed by all.

[ColeTR2]

The boating world has lost another true Icon.
Well said RIP Rudy

[Roaddogg 4040]

What a huge loss to the boating community. Rudy will be sorely missed. God speed...
Steve

[djunkie]

RIP Rudy. I had the chance to talk to him a few years back. A legend indeed.

[racincraft440]

Sorry to hear of this too.
I have a 68 Rayson Craft 18' flatbottom. Have always planned to keep it as a retro/classic. Would have been nice to have talked with him about it and never had the chance. He did appear to have lived a very exciting fulfilling life/career.

[RUSHIN ROULETTE]

Rest in peace Rudy. You will be missed.

[lucky]

aww MAN THAT IS SAD - see you on the Next lap Rudy- plates up buddy

[VD CRUISER]

I too had a bad feeling when I saw his name at the beginning of this thread. A man of many accomplishments. RIP Rudy.

[old rigger]

That sucks big time.
He almost single handedly spearheaded what we now enjoy today.

[Itsahobby]

Very sad news, indeed.
Jerry

[Number 9]

Memorial service for Rudy Ramos will be held Saturday 9/9/06 at
Roosevelt Mortuary 18255 S. Vermont Ave ,Gardena Calif. (across from Ascot) 11:00am.

[D Ginny]

One of the first v-drives I was ever in was a Rayson Craft and I always thought they were the coolest.He will surely be missed R.I.P. Rudy.

[GN747]

Dave were so glad that you won in Rudy's GN9, that is one of the greatest feelings, for him, he was so happy when you won, I'm sure he is resting in peace and very happy from his last memory. We will always miss him.
Lightfoot Family.

[V-DRIVE VIDEO]

Rudy will be missed...
He was one of those guys that allways had time for you. A generous and kind person. RIP Rudy...

[VDRIVERACING]

Rudy literally lived the sport. He was an inspiration to myself and countless others. I always enjoyed hanging out with Rudy, learning from him, replaying the last race. I'll miss you buddy.
Dave - Thank you for driving so brilliantly and making Rudy's last race a winner. He was so proud of that flag draped across his couch.

[Mad Midget Racing]

Met Rudy a long time ago when the Parker 9 hr. Enduro was a real 9 and learned from him how to feel the motor thru the wheel in your hands. You will be missed but never forgotten and will see you at the races in the sky, where it is always sunny blue skies and the water is smooth.

[V-DRIVE VIDEO]

There probably isn't a V Drive boat today that does not have some sort of input from this man in it. I will miss you greatly
GODSPEED MY DEAR FREIND
Dave,
In an interview I shot back at the first boat racer reunion, Rudy said he built his first boat in 1952 and his father Ray actually built the v-drive cases for Andy Casale. Rudy also says he built the very first v-drive flatbottom. Hows that for v-drive input! :cool:

[Moneypitt]

This was posted by Ron Hill over at BRF.com. I don't think he'll mind if I bring it over here........Ray
Where Do You Start With Rudy???
I don't know when I "Officially" met Rudy, but I hadn't known who he was long before that....
I'll need to check some facts, and hopefully many will add facts... But let me start by saying Rudy was a Boat Racer 24-7 all his life.
Some Quick Facts About Rudy:
1. Rayson Craft boats got thier name from Raymos and Son... Rudy's dad owned a large foundry in Gardena, Rudy worked in and around the business most of his life, but he didn't like the foundry business, he liked Boat Racing...
2. Rudy either started Boat Drags or was the first to ever go over 100 MPH, or both... I'm not sure who would know for sure...
3. Rudy won the Salton Sea 500 three times, I think in a row... He was using an Allison Engine for one or two of the wins, so the rules got changed to car motors only...
4. At the 1967 Parker 9 Hour, Rudy and Ed Olsen drove together in a twin Ford Cobra Powered Rayson Craft...They didn't win, but led for hours...I can still recall those two Corbra's with 16 straight pipes stick up behind the driver... Rudy and Ed ran that mother FLAT FOOTED til she broke...At the time and I still feel this way, I could not have imagine myself driving that boat....I didn't have the hair then, and for sure wouldn't have it now....God they gave that big inboard a ride.....When Rudy had the wheel his muscles would be bulging hanging on... Coming by the pits, roaring, shaking the ground.....
5. 1966, Havasu Classic was won by Don Harper and Dutch Blazer in a 21 foot Rayson Craft with three Mercs... 118 boats, all outboards, no factory support...except for four Evinrude/Johnson Boats...Til that race, everyone thought of Rayson Crafts as INBOARD BOATS...
6. Rudy always "PROMOTED" BOAT RACING, I personally never felt he was trying to promote Rudy Raymos, it was Boat Racing, that Rudy liked to promote...At the 1967 Havasu Classic, Rudy Teamed with Bill Cooper and a young driver named Mike Reagan....(The son of California's governor.) Rudy had some help from Mercury...Bill Cooper drove two hours Saturday and Rudy drove two hours...and without covering old news was in second at the end of the first day....Mike Reagan was at the wheel when the BIG RAYSON CRAFT crossed the finish line first triple and first overall.. Rudy was talking to my brother, at Long Beach, just last month....Rudy said to Russ, "Do you remember when your brother won Twin Engine at Havasu?" Russ said, "YES."... Rudy then added who won OVERALL???? Russ thought and then said Mike Reagan, Bill Cooper and Rudy Raymos...Rudy later had a Twin Engine Jones, that Ron Larson got badly hurt in when he blew it over...Then Rudy ran a triple Jones for years, before he changed it to a KT....
Rudy's boats will always be considered V-Drive boats, but don't forget their OUTBOARD HISTORY...
7. I'm pretty sure that the Super Stock Class was started by Rudy.
8. Rudy donated time and money to promoting GN...He donated $500 to prize money for the 2006 Long Beach Sprint Nationals...Where his GN NUMBER 9 won....Dave Rankin did a great job driving...the Bouncey built engine ran like a song....
9. Rudy made an Anti Bucketing Helmet with under arms straps, I posted pictures here, but can't seem to find them... http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...ht=Rudy+Raymos Link about Rudy's helmet.
10. Rudy raced Offshore and even announced on live radio, many Offshore races. He'd fly over the course in KLAC 570 Radio and tall what was going on. I'd listen to the race, then as it was ending, jump in my car and hurry down to see the boats coming if after the race... Rudy had a 30 Chris Cat called Coors Light...
11. Rudy probably started every Catalina Ski Race...he pulled his daughter, Ronni, with a triple Engine Evinrude powered Scarrab..Ronnie and Stan Leader latter team to win mixed doubles..several times...
12. Rudy's only wife was Frankie Raymos...I think she and Rudy started the Long Beach Boat and Ski Club. The club that still promotes the Catalina Ski Race.
13. Rudy may have been the first to ever put velcrom on his life jacket and the seat, so the driver wouldn't fly out as easy...Bill Cooper and Mike Wallace may have done this first...
I'm sure I've left out tons of stuff from Rudy LONG LIFE, hope some of you can add to my post...
Rudy called me often the last few years....I'd stop and see him whenever I was near...Rudy never had a son, but he had many drivers over the years that were like sons to him... My dad always did his propeller work on his outboards...The GN prop that they used at Long Beach was worked by Chad Hill...Rudy always likd to let me know that they USED MY KID'S PROP.
In the spring of 1998, we bought Rudy's 30' cat..Chad worked on that thing for about six months straight RUdy sold it to us at a cheap price knowing it was going to be Chad's job to rig it....
When Rudy sold his medium sized building last year, and moved to where he was, he called me and said I want to to sell this Ships Throttle Thing on E-BAY.....sO, i GO UP TO rUDY'S, HE'S GOT THIS BRASS ANTIQUE HELM THING THAT WEIGHS ABOUT 500 POUNDS. I tell him nobody will buy that thing on E-Bay and how would we ship it anyway??? And how much did he think it was worth??? Rudys says, it should be worth $1,500... I say, Rudy, I can get $1,000 for scrap brass....He says, well try and sell it...
So, I take a bunch of pictures, and list it for $1,500 first bid....Christ, the things sells for $2,200...I sold in Mexico, and I HAD TO SHIP IT TO TEXAS...I spend a whole day making a crate and boxing this "HELM THING"...Cussing myself for getting in the middle of it...I get the helm loaded on my truck, I pull out the $2,200 and start to give it to Rudy...He say, just give me $1,500....He say, I didn't think you'd sell it and I didn't know how to get it out of the house...He says, "Thanks.".....I say, "THANKS......." Then, he says why don't you take those magazines....? Four boxes of old magazines that 1970 Hot Boat was one..I think he just read them, tossed them in the boxes, as the newer ones were at the top, olded at the bottom....
Rudy would call me sometimes 5-6 six times a day...But he never had a recorder on his phone, so half the time I called him back, I couldn't get a hold of him....Many people that bought props from Rudy always asked me were they supposed to pay Rudy or Me??? I'd always joke and say who do you want to et the money, me or RUDY??? Rudy and I have dealt on props for fourty years.....honestly, I don't think any money ever changed hands...Rudy sold me lots of props....I always felt I was OK with his deals, and I think Rudy always felt OK with them too!!!!
I went by to see him, after Long Beach, to tell him how proud I was of his WIN....Even though, I told him, I was rooting for Plan B...(Because they had MY prop, not Chad's...) He was in great spirits, told me how much he enjoyed talking to my brother at Long Beach....I told him I really wanted to driveTHE TUBE of FOOLS in nostalgia....he said maybe.....Maybe is right Rudy, when I see you again, I being ready to drive her...
Rudy always ran NUMBER 9...My outboard number was 9, Chad still uses it....Rudy, I'll keep my promise I'll get a good prop for Lance...

[bocco]

One of the first v-drives I was ever in was a Rayson Craft and I always thought they were the coolest.He will surely be missed R.I.P. Rudy.
Yup, my first ride in a V-drive was Rayson built for one of the owners of Marine World in Redwood City, California. Around 1967 I think. It was on Clear Lake. Back then Raysons were the hot boat to have on Clearlake. Along with Maha skis of course.

[Mr. V-Driver]

Dave,
In an interview I shot back at the first boat racer reunion, Rudy said he built his first boat in 1952 and his father Ray actually built the v-drive cases for Andy Casale. Rudy also says he built the very first v-drive flatbottom. Hows that for v-drive input! :cool:
True story!!!! Was for the Allison powered V-Drive, called
"The Hot Rod Special".
An 8" Center to Center, twice the size of our current v-drives. And it was a parallel unit.
Casale sends out our Prayers to the family and the next time you hear Thunder at a Boat Race, I'd like to thinkThatz Rudy's boat running up there!!!
God Bless!!! Long live the Rayson Craft!!!
We will Miss You!!! :cry: :cry: :cry:

[rossdbos]

On Behalf of the entire Grand National Racing Association, SCSC, RPM Racing Ent. we wish to extend our condolences to Rudy's daughters in this time of grief.
Rudy was a true living legend during our time, for those of us that were fortunate enough to know him realize what an icon within the sport he was, one whose impression has left in indellible mark on all those that he knew and were affected by him.
I can say for myself, it was at Rudy's behest and prodding that I took on the task of working to rebuild the GN (GNRA)class after the two tragedies that almost ended the class not so very many years ago. We may not have always agreed on the method but in the end we still had great respect for each other.
The entire boat racing and boating community owes him a debt of gratitude for all of his innovations, accomplishments and committment to the sport he loved so much!
I take comfort knowing that even though the last few months since his mother's passing were difficult ones, he, through his driver, Dave Rankin, in the Yellow #9 took home the APBA GN National Championship for 2006! For that alone brought a tremendous smile and sense of satisfaction to the man who made boat racing his life. Another Championship to add to a very vast and extensive list of accomplishments from a long and successful career! Rudy went out on top, right where he wanted to be!
Rest in peace my friend!
Godspeed!
Ross Wallach, President GNRA, SCSC, RPM Racing Ent.

[Mr. V-Driver]

...

[Rexone]

This is Rudy's thread.
Further off topic or spammish posts by anyone will be removed.

[FlatStupid]

Amen brother! Rudy have a great ride, where the boat's never break!

[Mr. V-Driver]

..

[InKahntrol]

First time I met Rudy I was a kid with my dad at the races... walking around the pits at Long Beach. He was all smiles and shook my hand. Made me feel like I was a raceboat driver and not just some kid wandering around with my head in the clouds. That really meant something. He was a true gentleman. My condolences to his family.
-Dan
PS
The Casale stuff is in poor taste, please show some respect.

[Mr. V-Driver]

..

[Rattle Can Lou]

Mitch, I don't know you and someday we will probably meet. My Dad sold lots of v-drives for your gramps and Dad. He also sold lots of Rayson Craft boats. I have read your posts on both sites and I gotta tell you that you are very self serving. I can appreciate your enthusiasm for the product, but your posts are like one big billboard for your company. I don't think you want to be annoying, but you are. Rudy was a giant in our sport and this thread is about that, it's not about his relationship with your product. I don't know any other way to put it.
Mike Minegar

[Mr. V-Driver]

..

[Rexone]

I'm not warning again. Stick to the topic and knock the Casale promotion off in this thread or you're gone. There won't be a third request.

[74_schiada_flat]

Rudy Ramos Will Definatly Be Missed By Many!
The man was a legend and a walking V-Drive encyclopedia that remembered every last hull he ever laid up from the first to the last.
His hulls to this day are the best out there and my favorite boat is the
21 RaysonCraft V-drive!

[Mrs. GoFast]

I met Rudy a few times at the races with Art, and once or twice I had the pleasure of going over to his Shop in Gardena many Moons ago. But what really impressed me about him was the fact that he took the time out of his busy day to talk to the average Joe, or Jill.
You didn’t have to be rich and ready to drop a bundle in his lap, if you wanted to talk about a boat; he had time to talk to you, or made time.
When we bought our Rayson from Ted Kolby, I wasn’t sure we were doing the right thing. So Ted told me to call Rudy. I called him and we talked for over an hour.
He told me all about the boat, how it was made and that he personally had overseen the finishing of the bottom. He asked me if I had seen his #9, and I said sure, I’ve drooled over it many times. He said well this one is done exactly the same. I told him the asking price, and he said you’re stealing it. Those were very convincing selling points. Plus the fact that Art & I had always wanted one.
I don’t think there will ever be another like him. RIP Rudy, you will be missed by many

[VDRIVERACING]

I have read many who have recalled Rudy's photographic memory of his boats. Even though some hulls were laid up by others, Rudy proudly proclaimed "same father, different mother!"...
Rudy just loved what he did. It was easy to spend time with someone who lived life on his own terms.
During a recent bench racing session talking about some of his triumphs, he muttered, "I guess I was lucky." No, Rudy, we were lucky...

[V-DRIVE VIDEO]

Powerboat magazine ad Fall 1959
http://www.v-drivevideo.com/jerrysgallery/albums/userpics/10001/Old%20trailer%20pics%20001.jpg

[V-DRIVE VIDEO]

http://www.v-drivevideo.com/jerrysgallery/albums/userpics/10001/Rudy%20001.jpg

[V-DRIVE VIDEO]

This is one of my favorites. Its out of the 64 salton sea race program.
http://www.v-drivevideo.com/jerrysgallery/albums/userpics/10001/Rudy.jpg

[burtandnancy]

Thanks for everything Rudy, never had so much fun in a boat as I did in my Rayson GN's. You'll be missed...
Burt & Nancy Court

[V-DRIVE VIDEO]

Rudy in Parker a fews years back, helping out a new driver who raced an old rayson. :cool:
http://www.v-drivevideo.com/jerrysgallery/albums/userpics/10001/Rudy%20002.jpg
http://www.v-drivevideo.com/jerrysgallery/albums/userpics/10001/Rudy%20003.jpg

[Riverkid]

This is one of my favorites. Its out of the 64 salton sea race program.
http://www.v-drivevideo.com/jerrysgallery/albums/userpics/10001/Rudy.jpg
Have you ever thought about publishing a book with all these older ads/photos you have? That would be the "coffee table book" to end all. I bet you have miles of this stuff, and I love seeing all the old ads/pics you post up. Gotta be lots of others that feel the same way...
Just a thought. As you were... :)

[SCR INC]

I Only New Rudy For A Few Years, But He Always Talked To Me As If we we were friends. Me and sneed would tell him my 21' rayson i bought because it was sitting in his shop did 120mph before i rolled it. Rudy never could believe one of his tall 21' would roll... it was a inside joke!!
RIP : Mr. Ramos

[dirty old man]

Never got so beat up, never got so scared, never had so much fun.
Thanks Rudy

[gn7]

Dave,
In an interview I shot back at the first boat racer reunion, Rudy said he built his first boat in 1952 and his father Ray actually built the v-drive cases for Andy Casale. Rudy also says he built the very first v-drive flatbottom. Hows that for v-drive input! :cool:
if you could go to www.glen-l.com/weblettr/webletters-6/webletter53.html and drag the part starting In the early fifties down to (copy cats) over here everyone can see how it all started from somebody who was there. Glen Witt was the founder of Glen L and co-founder of glenwood marine. P.S. I would do it but I'm too computer stupid.

[old rigger]

gn7, here you go...
http://www.glen-l.com/weblettr/webletters-6/images6/wl53-missile-notebook1.jpg
Designer's Notebook: The V-Drive evolution..circa 1953 to ?
The MISSILE, featured in this WebLetter, was created as part of an evolution in fast small boat design. The following facts are, as we remember them. Documented information (at least to our knowledge) is not available.
In the early fifties, WWII was behind us and with the availability of higher horsepower motors, the interest in fast boats heightened. In Southern California, going fast meant being able to go faster than the next guy. This phenomenon was similar to the interest in street "hot rod" cars of the era. Develop something that will "wup" the competition was the word; cars or boats.
However, the typical fast inboard runabout of that era was an in-line inboard motor, centrally located in a finely finished mahogany planked hull. Top speed was in the 40-50 MPH bracket. The faster these boats were pushed, the more the bow dropped and, combined with the deep forefoot common to runabouts of the era, became dangerous.
The more powerful motors were being reworked to put out even more horses. Obviously, something had to be done to the hulls. It was learned that shifting the major weight (motor) aft, eliminating the deep forefoot, and making the aft sections virtually flat, made the hulls capable of more speed without the dangerous handling caused by the deep forefoot. Who developed this change? It's virtually impossible to know for sure. The old boating adage "nothing is new in boating" applies here. In our area, and to our knowledge, the boat type was primarily popular in the So Cal area first and the credit goes to Joe Mandella, a builder of finely crafted mahogany runabouts.
Joe had a young client who was a real speed nut (name omitted to protect the guilty), who had graduated from the street rod group. His father evidently felt that fast boating was safer than street dragging. Probably the speeding tickets incurred from street racing also helped to get his monetary support.
Anyway, Pop bankrolled several boats built by Joe, each that would hopefully be faster than the last. Joe, the fine craftsman, was up to the task and produced quite a few hulls that were powered with inboard stern mounted motors, connected to a v-drive; the stern drive was not commonly available. He switched from planked hulls to sheet plywood planking both for lightweight and structural integrity. The boats sold, after all, the competition "rodders" wanted to go faster too. And of course, this spawned other innovative boatbuilders (copy cats?).
GLEN-L had a history of messing around with fast runabouts, so using the new innovations and incorporating some of our own, we designed the 16' 6" HOT ROD inboard with stern mounted motor connected to a v-drive. Plans had not previously been available for this type of craft so the response was instantaneous. The HOT ROD also started many individuals in the boatbuilding business; copies of the HOT ROD appeared under several company names. Some had subtle modifications; most were blatant copies, "designed" by the builder. GLEN-L has probably designed more of these craft than any other designer. TORNADO, 18'6", THUNDERBOLT, 17'3", DRAGSTER, 18' 4", RAMPAGE 18', and RENEGADE, 20'8" are all of this type.
As an amusing aside: we heard of a builder who was producing a boat that looked very much like our HOT ROD design. Visiting the shop (our company affiliation not known to the builder) we were surprised to see our HOT ROD plan displayed on the wall with all identifying information cut away. When told that it looked like a GLEN-L design, the builder explained they were his drawings and that GLEN-L had copied the HOT ROD from him. Again name omitted to protect the guilty.
We were also told that Joe Mandella felt that we had duplicated his boat and that he "was going to club us over the head with a 2" x 4" if he ever saw us". However, a visit with Joe, showing him our plans assured him our design, although of the same type, was not a copy.
As this type of boat progressed, the terminology of SK or flat bottom was used. The initial boat hulls were plywood with similar features, flat or almost flat bottom at the transom, minimal vee forward, and tumblehome at the transom. The decks and cowl became the crowning feature. Plywood with exotic veneers such as all types of mahogany, walnut, monkey pod, zebra wood, or anything else that no other builder used, were common. All was fiberglassed, most by professionals that did only decks for the builders. And the upholstery; not just plain old flat cushions, but beautiful tuck and roll with heavily padded cockpit perimeters. Top this off with a polished, finned, accessory equipped, exposed motor (it would be sacrilege to try to conceal it), add a custom trailer with chrome accessories and you had a package everyone could appreciate. Fiberglass hulls eventually replaced those production hulls built of plywood, but for several years the fine crafted wood deck was still used.
The MISSILE followed the HOT ROD and was specifically designed to accommodate the popular small block Chevy V8 motor. The 265-283 cu. in. motor has since grown in cubic inches and horsepower. The MISSILE at a 16' length was shorter than was typical. People always seem to want small go-fast boats and the MISSILE filled the bill. The original was clocked at just under 70 mph powered with a small block that had been hopped up a little, ignition, cam, carburetors etc. At top speed the boat, in our opinion, was a little too loose and we felt keeping it well under that figure would be desirable. However, the public paid no heed and large motors pushed the boat even faster. The MISSILE was a popular boat, featured on the cover of our current catalog of that era and reviewed in several national magazines. But, speeds in excess of what we had planned, led us to discontinue it. We had neither reports of structural failures nor high speed accidents, BUT, we felt there was a high potential.
After we went on the Internet, we received many reports of builders and owners of the MISSILE. All highly complimentary, some being rebuilt, most quite old. And, most complaining that it was no longer listed in our Internet catalog. So, by popular demand, back it came. Yes we still feel the same; keep the speed reasonable and it's a fine boat.
But then, what do we know?

[gn7]

man that was fast. so lets get to the part about the young client and his dad. Rudy was a dirt tracker at Ascot and a notorious street racing before getting into boats. this young client and his dad are Rudy and his dad Ray. Believe it.

[old rigger]

man that was fast. so let get to the part about the you client and his dad. Rudy was a dirt tracker at Ascot and a notorious street racing before getting into boats. this young client and his dad are Rudy and his dad Ray. Believe it.
I kinda guessed that part.
Somewhere in my hot rod books I have a picture of Rudys car. In another Bob Nordskogs 32 roadster. In another Irv Brendels dry lakes car.
These guys all came form the same place!

[obnoxious001]

I found this photo last week when I first heard the news:
http://www.hotrodhotline.com/pr/05trackroadsters/assets/images/RudyRamosTR.jpg

[FlatStupid]

My dad was a classmate of Rudys. We were talking today and he was talkin about Rudy's Raysoncrafts and the first Schiadas being built in a garage. We both had a good laugh about how many guys were building boats in garages and who was splashin who. Next thing otta his mouth was " You know that Rudy was one smart son of a bitch". I said yeah Dad I know that! The man touched a lotta lives and left most better than when he met them. God Bless ya Chief you are the MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cry: :cry:

[steve d]

I found this photo last week when I first heard the news:
http://www.hotrodhotline.com/pr/05trackroadsters/assets/images/RudyRamosTR.jpg
Great photo...........There's nothing like DIRT. This man has lived "LIFE".
4 years ago looking for a k- boat and Met Rudy at Rankin's shop......Told me exactly what I needed. God bless Rudy

[meaniam]

wow this sucks. i was really looking forward to the day i could have had a conversation with this man agian. as i had spoken to him as a kid in 1996 when he was looking over our family boat. which at then he seemed to have alot of knowlwdge about. he had told us to switch props to get out of the hole better. at the time i dont really know that i paid much attention to him, i mean i listened and it made me proud. but i really didnt know who the old guy was. and what he really did for the sport. and upon coming to ***boat a few years ago. i finally understood and always wanted to have that oppertunity to hear him speak. as he was good at doing that. and i am sure he had alot more stories the the one i had heard. it was great and sad watching the tribute that v drive video had done and i truely do feel the music was very appropriate.
i have a little sadness in my heart now becuase of this, i feel as thou i lost my grandfather agian