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I bought this '71 Rogers Cyclone recently and I am trying to dig up the history on it. Old Rigger took a look at it and suspected it might be Jeff Paines old boat because of the markings on the bow said 'Jeff', but the last name was unreadable.
After sanding down most of the area, it turns out the previous owner is Jeff Millet. I coulda told myself that if I just looked at the registration (duh).
The only info I have is that its got 3 names on it.
Owner: Jeff Millet
Captain: D.J. Millet
Crew: K___ Millet
...and I have the registration from '74.
The boat's tag shows '84 and the trailer is '71.
Mainly I am trying to find the previous owner to see if they have any pictures of it when it was in its prime. It would help me in the resto process.
Heres some pics:
http://www.socaljetboats.com/cpg/alb...2/IMG_1323.JPG
http://www.socaljetboats.com/cpg/alb...2/IMG_1326.JPG
http://www.socaljetboats.com/cpg/alb...2/IMG_1332.JPG
http://www.socaljetboats.com/cpg/alb...2/IMG_1333.JPG
http://www.socaljetboats.com/cpg/alb...2/IMG_1334.JPG
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Though I've never spoken to him myself.......The name Craig Millet is on my boat (ex Kilo record holding Liberty). He said (in a thread from a very long time ago on another message board) that he used to race circle boats.
These are exerpts from the thread..............
I raced for Roger's Custom Boats for several years in the 70's and had both a ski boat and a bubbledeck that I raced in Comp Jet under the name Excalibur. The boats are great and very strong; handlaid fiberglass and full stringers. The pump is an old "b" pump, as that is what was then available.
Because of the strakes on the bottom, Roger Wieman's boats were very fast.
Jack McClure and Jeff Bennett know a lot about these boats.
Good luck
.................
My 18' Roger's bubble set the CJ Kilo record at 93.139 mph in the kilo time trials in 1974 (average over a full 5/8 mile over 2 runs.) This was a heavy circle boat remember. My Hondo set the closed course record in 1976 at 88+ mph (average speed over 3 laps of 1 2/3 mile course in actual circle competiton.) We broke those records while I was at Liberty Boats. They, of course, have all been broken since.
Might help. :D
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That boat appears to be the former "Wild Rasberry" which was raced by Craig Millet at NJBA and COBRA circle races in the mid 70's. Jeff Bennett or Jack McClure could put you in touch with Craig.
Cs
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hey guys, thank you VERY much for this info....it just makes it that much 'more funner' to restore :)
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hey guys, thank you VERY much for this info....it just makes it that much 'more funner' to restore :)
Quite the find huh.
-beerjet-
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Quite the find huh.
-beerjet-
yup...the hidden treasure :)
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That boat appears to be the former "Wild Rasberry" which was raced by Craig Millet at NJBA and COBRA circle races in the mid 70's. Jeff Bennett or Jack McClure could put you in touch with Craig.
Cs
Can anyone verify if Craig Millet ran a Bubble deck or not? This boat is not a bubble deck.
Thanks!
-Brad
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Yes, that is the original Rootin' Tootin' Raspberry---the original 712. It began its life as a respberry metal flake ski boat that I tried racing in 1972 along with Steve King and his family's ski boat. We took the seats out, slapped on headers and it ran 79 mph first pass at Ming---in 1972. We bolted in a scoop (you guys call them loaders) that Steve made in high school metal shop and it ran 84 next pass.
The Raspberry was fast, but it was not a fair match for dedicated race boats then run by Jack McClure, Jeff Paine, Roger Finney, the Barons, etc. It returned to its life as a fast ski boat when we got more serious and built a true race boat which was the Rogers bubbledeck you referred to (Excalibur.) After that I raced a Hondo (Spirit) and then an Eliminator (Spirit II). I finished my racing career with Liberty boats before law school took all time away.
Man, there are a lot of stories in that fiberglass. My family used the boat for several more years as ski boat and finally sold it in the early 80's (I think.) And I do have pictures and even an old 8 mm movie of it in the quarter mile. I would be more than happy to provide any info I can. Craig. cmillet@gibsondunn.com
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Craig,
I am floored that I actually found the original owner of this boat...thank you for posting on here!
I picked up this boat from a guy in El Cajon who bought it from a guy on Ebay in Corona. The boat was loaded with loads of goodies when he got it off ebay....stripped it, and sold me the hull and trailer as it sits.
This is what the guy in El Cajon said was on the boat:
All was very old school, probably assembled in/from the 70's. A rectangular port big block Chevy, tunnel ram, huge (unknown actual size) double pump carb, ss "B" impellor (high RPM's), ancient looking loader grate, a wedge on the pump to tune it's plane, ? 10 quarts of race oil in the bow, a really old school race scoop (which I have), and I don't know what else. It just seems that's a lot of high end parts when you consider when they were (probably) put on the boat.
More info here: http://www.socaljetboats.com/index.php?topic=381.0
I bet the loader he referred to is the one Steve made in metal shop haha!
I had briefly talked to Jim Brock this past weekend at the Long Beach Swap Meet about the boat and he said he only remembered you running a bubble deck...but now to find out you had run both.
The boat is located in Foothill Ranch (Irvine/Lake Forest/Mission Viejo area). I would love for you to swing by sometime to see the boat and share some stories. They would be priceless to me.
-Brad