1975 Sanger Pickle Fork Hydro, drag boat, hot boat

Description

This boat is a completely refurbished former competition hydro. It has been completely sanded, prepared and painted with the engine removed. The trailer was also redone with new axles, classic Cragar wheels, new tiger paw tires, lights, etc. The dash was fabricated of aluminum as was the splash shield and all the gauges are new. New battery. The speedometer is a GPS speedo that retains info, does tricks and has the boat's name on it's face. The boat is completely Midnight Blue in color. It has vinyl contrasting colors and name in brushed stainless and sunflower yellow that are guaranteed for five years but can be removed with a heat gun if you prefer a different paint scheme. This is a light layup fiberglass Sanger hydro with aluminum bracing for lightness and speed. It has outboard steering and a removable rudder for transport. It used to run in excess of 150 mph and might still do so but I don't intend to find out. It looks sensational and turns heads everywhere. It makes quite a bit of noise and I wouldn't doubt it could piss off neighbors blocks away. There are no other boats like it. The engine is a 468 Chevy with Carrillo rods, stud girdles, a vertex magneto, (just rebuilt for $500), and Chrome Zoomie pipes. The heads were pulled and the cylinders are clean, oiled and not scored. The pan was also pulled and the bearings are like new and the block was apparently cleaned of all rough edges and dipped. The compression taken today, (7/10/17) is excellent and consistent. It has a 671 Blower with less than 10 hours on it with a Kuhl adapter, two huge rebuilt Dominator carburetors which are so large it was difficult to find a scoop to fit them. The oil pan is almost 11 quarts. The new water pump is electric and separate from the engine. The fuel pump is also new, separate and pumps 140 gph through two new fuel pressure regulators and gauges. The fuel tank is a six gallon beer keg type with petcock shut off. The bilge pump is new and the propeller and rudder have just been powder coated yellow. The transmission is a Lenco 2 speed dragster transmission that is operated by an air tank actuated by the left foot pedal button. The single seat has been replaced with a custom bench seat and upholstery so it will hold 2-3 people. The floor is clean and nice. The engine has a full nitrous set-up running from a tank to solenoids and injectors and actuated by a button on the steering wheel. My friend used to race this boat and he said two things about it: 1) When you hit the second gear and nitrous simultaneously it's like Star Wars Warp Speed and 2) He never raced it unless he was high on coke. The last two photos show the boat sitting in the water at Punta Gorda waiting for the trailer to be weighed. The engine is huge and hangs over your head while you run it. A ferocious machine. Trailer tires just painted.

This boat could run as a strictly recreational hydro if saddle tanks were installed as I did in mymuch slower stock hydro or it could go race again. If you drive one of these hydros you learn several things. They are very smooth riding on the tips of the sponsons and the prop. They don't bounce like a Flattie. They are much faster than a Flat Bottom with the same engine. They are incredible fun.

I'm selling this boat because I'm 71 years old and want to pay off my credit card. The boat is worth close to $40,000 but I'm selling it for $17,000 because that's what I owe. Not $16,999. There's a lot more info on the boat so ask if you have questions. It has been under construction for over a year and only in the water a couple of times since, never at full speed because the Caloosahatchee River, (fresh water), has too many curves and the boat is designed to go straight. It has always been a fresh water boat unless you want to spend months shining aluminum. Clear title, no liens, registration current. Come see it in Port Charlotte, FL. 941 624-0178 Richard. I have had boats shipped before and know people who do this reasonably.