1,200 HP Drag Hydro with two seats by Eddie Hill and Ron Braaksma FOR SALE

FourFather

New member
FOR SALE:  Eddie “The Texan” Hill / Ron Braaksma,  Deaver hydroplane with 1,200 HP, two seats, and twin rudders.

SOLD!  THANK YOU, COLE!  ENJOY IT IN GOOD HEALTH!


Here is a slideshow of the River Madness-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsLTDjfaf7o


The engine for my Deaver hydroplane is an all aluminum 540 inch big block Chevy with a World Merlin lite aluminum block, #082100, Holley aluminum heads #300-565, Lunati Pro Rods, JE pistons, Lunati billet blower crankshaft, polished Weiand 6-71 supercharger, Mallory Sprint Mag 2 (magneto, no 12 volt battery required for ignition), Enderle birdcatcher mechanical injection, etc., all the good stuff.  It dyno’ed at 1200 HP, with over 1000 HP from 5750 RPM to over 7000 RPM. It has over 1000 foot pounds of torque from 5875 RPM through 6220 RPM.  I have installed the engine in the hydro, but have not started it since the dyno run.

I had Keeter Performance Engineering here in Wichita Falls set it up for methanol, since since it makes hundreds more HP than gasoline.  Methanol is much cheaper than race gas, MUCH safer engine operation, and with methanol it is relatively insensitive  to altitude/atmospheric changes. You don’t have to keep fiddling with the tuneup to get it to run right and safely.  It is almost impossible with a proper methanol engine to get into detonation that destroys so many high horsepower gasoline engines.  Ask me how I know this -

I spent a lot of money and time on this engine, thinking it would be my ultimate and final playboat engine.  But the only place I like to play with my boats dried up years ago, with the worst drought ever recorded here, and it stayed dry for years. So for fun, I started road racing cars, and found out I really enjoy road racing.  So much so that I just bought a new (to me) Pro Formula Mazda road racer.  And that is one reason why I’m offering my Deaver hydroplane and my Hondo runnerbottom for sale.  Another reason is that I have been selected for purchase of one of the new Ford GT's, and I am offering to sell a lot of my lifetime collection of cars and boats to raise money for that possible purchase.

Here is some history about this  hydro and its owners:

I ran top fuel hydros for years and was blessed with a lot of race wins, yearly championships, and setting speed records in all the sanctioning organizations, ultimately running 229 MPH, which was in the Guinness book of World Records for 10 years as the world’s fastest propeller driven boat. (Even though we never ran it past the 1/4 mile to see what the top speed would be on a longer run). I had several serious crashes in the hydros, and after a particularly bad crash at Firebird in Phoenix (while winning the World Series Dragboat Championship again), Ercie and I decided we needed a safer way to get our gees.  We got back into top fuel dragsters.

So after I had held the record for 10 years, Ron Braaksma was building and driving Deaver top fuel hydroplanes, and broke my 229 record.  He paid me a personal visit while we were racing our top fuel dragster at Pomona, and gently and almost apologetically told me he had broken my record. I congratulated him and told him that is what records are for, to be broken when you are able.  We became friends due to our mutual interests and respect for each other’s accomplishments.  Ron and I both liked fast, good looking playboats/river boats, and he built what I consider the ultimate.  He built one of his Deaver hydroplanes with two seats and with twin rudders, so it will actually turn. None of the hydros I had ever had before this one would ever turn, except gradually, and over too much distance. This one turns better than a flatbottom!  Ron offered this beautiful hydro for sale, and I jumped on it.

So, the  current owner is me, Eddie The Texan Hill, and so far I am the only person to have won the top fuel championship on land AND water, hold the speed records in all four sanctioning organizations, and the only person to hold the drag racing speed records on land and water simultaneously.  I know, I know, that doesn’t make the boat worth more money, but if you do wind up owning it, that fact might be a conversation starter.

I am offering this 1 of 1 River Madness for $35,980.00.

It is housed in my race shop in Wichita Falls,Texas, NOT at my downtown  EddieHill'sFunCycles.com dealership.

I will be glad to show it to a qualified and serious buyer, by appointment only.

Please Google "Eddie FourFather Hill" for info on me, and see youtube for videos, and flickr  and Photobucket for more photos.  Or contact me directly for questions, or if you have trouble finding the videos or photos.



Thanks for looking,

Eddie The Texan Hill
aka Eddie FourFather Hill  (First in the Fours, or Father of the fours)
 

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FourFather

New member
More pictures-
Thanks for looking,

Eddie FourFather Hill
 

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FourFather

New member
More pictures of my River Madness, now for sale.

Thanks for looking,

Eddie The Texan Hill 
 

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FourFather

New member
Here are the horsepower printouts as it is set up now, on methanol.

This sale also includes the pistons and injector parts for gasoline, and this engine made just a tad over 1,000 HP on pump gas.

Cheers,

Eddie FourFather Hill
 

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FourFather

New member
Thanks, Billy,

Ercie and I and Mary Rife really enjoyed the Hot Boat event that y'all were kind enough to have at my dealership here in Wichita Falls.  That is one of my all-time good memories.

You may have heard that our little play cove that we went to while y'all were here dried up completely, right after y'all were here, and it stayed bone dry for years.  It was the worst and longest lasting drought ever recorded here.  And sadly, I had my Deaver out on the lake only one time before that happened.  So I have used the hydro only one time, and for less than one tank of fuel.  That doesn't seem fair, but I am so blessed in so many ways that I am absolutely not going to complain about that.

So we started road racing for fun, and now we are hooked big time on it, and that is why we are selling so many of our other toys.

Here is my latest ride, a Pro Formula Mazda road racer, and I saw 2.15 gee in a corner, last time I drove it. 

Cheers,

Eddie The Texan Hill
 

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73 Sanger Flat

Active member
looks like fun . Can't blame you on the boats .. it sucks not having water close that you can go play on .. Good luck with the new toys ..Keep the rubber side down PLEASE ..

 

FourFather

New member
.Keep the rubber side down PLEASE ..

That is always my preference, when I can manage it-- upside down and on fire at 300 mph -been there, done that, not real high on my list of fun things to do-

Cheers,

Eddie
 

FourFather

New member
Lower price-  now $35,980

Thanks for looking,

Eddie The Texan Hill  :smiley:
 

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FourFather

New member
Thanks Crusader.  :smile27:


The trailer is the nicest one I've ever had, too.

Cheers,

Eddie FourFather Hill
 

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FourFather

New member
My River Madness hydro sale comes with three extra blower pullies and an extra blower belt, the 8 1/5 to 1 compression pistons (should you want to go back to gas from the methanol current set up), and the injector parts to convert back to gas.

Each rudder has its own custom leather carrying/protective case, included. One of the carrying cases is the one I used with my 229 mph top fuel hydro, and it is lettered "World's Fastest Rudder", which it was, at the time.

The RBR prop and the two rudders have the same moly disulfide anti-friction coating that I used on my 229 mph blown fuel hydro..

The water pump for engine cooling is a Ron Braaksma unit- it looks like it should last a long long time, unlike the pumps that use a rubber impeller. The water pickup tube is made into the RH rudder, and hooks up with an AN quick disconnect.

The buyer gets his choice of the Jet-Hot coated zoomies that have the eight mufflers as shown , or a new set of chrome un-muffled zoomies.

I'll try to get pictures of these items taken in the next few days, and post them here.

I might take a motorcycle in on trade- something I could expect to make a reasonable profit on, reselling through my www.eddiehillsfuncycles.com dealership.

I'll be happy to include a lot of Eddie and Ercie Hill racing memorabilia, (or not, your choice) at no charge.  Autographed and personalized, if you like.

Thanks for looking,

Eddie The Texan Hill

 

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FourFather

New member
More pictures-
 

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FourFather

New member
As a thank you to the buyer, I will be pleased to offer at no charge our blown fuel hydro and top fuel dragster racing memorabilia.  I have been blessed with being the only person to have ever won the yearly drag racing championship on land and water.  I know and agree that that does make my River Madness worth any more money, but if you should buy it, that fact miight do for a conversation starter sometime.



Thanks for looking,

Eddie The Texan Hill  :smile27:
 

FourFather

New member
New lower price-  now $34,980.

Thanks for looking,

Eddie

 

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FourFather

New member
Fresh and lake or river ready- :smile27:

 

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I have seen this boat in person when I had to opportunity to meet Eddie and Arcie at an event that was put on in Wichita Falls. This boat is for real. It is beautiful. There is not another one like it. If I were able to purchase it, it would be in my garage without question.
You are buying a piece of history from a true gentleman and great racer.

 

FourFather

New member
Thanks for the plugs, Neil, and Billy.

What a great day that was!  Not all that many days that much fun in a whole lifetime.

Thanks again, all of y'all that made that so special and memorable.

Sincerely,

Eddie and Ercie

 

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