1954 Racing Runabout

Tightline5 · Post by **Tightline5** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:49 pm

Hope someone can help me out. I recently purchased a 1954 Racing Runabout Hull # 496, and am puzzled by the dash instruments. I have talked to Pat Powell and he said they are correct, but would like further comfirmation. They appear to all be of the same age. On the port side I have a 4" Oil/Amp gauge, in the middle is a 2" Temp gauge, and to starboard is a 4"RPM gauge. The RPM gauge has Stuart SW Warner printed on it and is a clockwise rotation. This is the only gauge with any writing on it. Is this gauge correct?
Bumfuzzaled in Va.
Phil[/img]

Tightline5 · Post by **Tightline5** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:02 pm

Sorry had to resize photos of the dash instruments.

Phil

Al Benton · Post by **Al Benton** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:08 pm

I'm thinking '54 was the transition year for the tach's. The counter clockwise one was used from '49 to '53 (maybe '54???).

drrot · Post by **drrot** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:12 am

Actually the Amp/Oil is a Chris-Craft gauge. The other two are not. Did the boat have a V-8 at one time? That is usually the reason for a higher reading tach. Clockwise tachs were used with Chrysler engines and CCW with Chris-Craft flatheads.
This is the what they look like.

Al Benton · Post by **Al Benton** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:57 am

Phil, keep an eye on eBay. They often have these CC gauges listed. There may be a Temp, gauge as we speak and a Tach. like the one Jim is showing here was sold a couple of days ago (maybe the very same one).

The '54 Racing Runabouts were shipped with big flathead 6's, ML or MLB so the original tach would be like the one Jim shows. I'm slowly catching on.

Al

evansjw44 · Post by **evansjw44** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 11:12 am

I would wonder it that boat was built with (or had a transplanted) Chrysler Six Hemi (331) or maybe a Cadillac Crusader. They all used closck wise tachs. If it had a Grey 6 in it the clockwise rotation would have been corret too. The 8000 RPM full scale is something that makes me wonder. If it had a V8 (Chrysler or Cadillac) it would probably have a 6000 full scale.

Maybe it has a transplant engine? One writer here has a Herc that he says will run at 6000 RPM. That's a lot for a flat head. they don;t breath all that well. Another possibility would have been a flat head Ford. I don;t thin k Ford Y Blocks appeared in marine conversions as Interceptors until 1955 or so.

Brian Robinson · Post by **Brian Robinson** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 11:22 am

Phil,

Your dash has been hacked up a bit, and likely is not the original piece. The last 12 Racers (492-503) had just the two large gauges, the combo gauge on the left is correct, your tach is not the correct one. The gauge in the middle (fuel?) should not be there at all. I believe the two large gauges should be closer together. Looking at the hull card data for #496, this is a basically stock MBL powered late-'54 boat. More info to follow.

Tightline5 · Post by **Tightline5** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 7:38 pm

Thanks for the info, it appears a V8 transplant did occur, original equipment was MBL. Does anyone have a good clear picture of a 54 dash they could post.
Thanks
Phil

Al Benton · Post by **Al Benton** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 11:33 pm

Here's some 54's. One may be a '53.

These all show one large (CCW tach) and two small (separate oil & amp).
Al

Brian Robinson · Post by **Brian Robinson** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 11:43 pm

Like I said, the last 12 1954 Racers used a different gauge setup (2 large gauges). If I come across a photo I will post.

Tightline5 · Post by **Tightline5** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 5:43 pm

Al Thanks for the photo's, but Jim and Brian agree that there are only two gauge's, 4" OIL/AMP and 4" Tach.??? Should I be confussed. Roger Smith has a 52and his looks like your last photo.
Thanks
Phil

Brian Robinson · Post by **Brian Robinson** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 5:47 pm

Two gauges - you got it. Get hold of a tach like in Jim's picture, make a new dash, and your in business.

Brian Robinson · Post by **Brian Robinson** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 6:27 pm

This is hull# 493. Take away the two small outside gauges and you have the look.

Tightline5 · Post by **Tightline5** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:16 pm

Brian:
The last twelve did not have a Temp gauge??
Phil

Al Benton · Post by **Al Benton** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:38 pm

Phil, the photos I posted are older versions than yours (obviously pre #492). You can trust Brian's research on this. He is one of very few folks that has dedicated many hours in researching things like this and is a trusted source for information.

Al

Brian Robinson · Post by **Brian Robinson** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 1:14 am

Tightline5 wrote:Brian:
The last twelve did not have a Temp gauge??
Phil

Right, and the first 491 did not have a temp gauge either. (Well, okay, 8 Racers were special ordered with one). It's a Racer, no need for a cumbersome temp gauge!

And Phil, PM me with your contact info, I may be consulting on #498. Maybe we can swap some photos.

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