1978 Custom ch1 picklefork hydro drag boat

Description

gorgeous 1978 cole ch-1 vintage drag hydro with trailer and engine turnkey, ready to drive! update: for latest info on extras, read the "finally:" section below. background the 18'-6" long hull was originally built by the late jim cole for the late drag boat racer sunny jones, in 1978. he later sold it (sans engine) to an individual in 1981-82 from whom i bought it in '83 and who informed me that it once belonged to sunny. i spoke with sunny about it before my purchase and he said it was a good boat and he had intended to race it in the blown alcohol hydro class but (for reasons i can't recall) he scrapped the idea and decided to pursue racing cole flats instead. so i bought it and installed the (freshly-built) ford engine. i used it as a recreational lake boat for about 3 seasons, then raced it in one race and then had to (unexpectedly) relocate to indiana. after moving it from reno, nevada, i only had it out to the lake 3-4 times. it has been in storage virtually from that point on and it is (sadly) now time for someone else to have the opportunity to enjoy it as i have. performance (with current engine) at lake lahontan, nv (4300' elevation) in 1984, it ran 11.29 at 97.07 mph on a timed, quarter-mile drag course with 92 octane pump gas. it's now tuned for sea level (~700'). et's and mph at this elevation are unknown but will surely be better due to the substantial hp increase at lower elevation. this boat is a bit heavier and more solidly constructed than those designed for class racing. as such, it makes a durable lake or bracket racing boat. the hull is designed to handle lots of horsepower without stress cracking. about the pictures the paint on this boat is gorgeous and highly reflective. this made it difficult to photograph. unless the lighting is just right, reflections may look like scratches. also, unless the lighting angle is just right, the paint may look dull in some shots. there may be some minor dulling in a few areas, but that can be (and has been on occasion) rubbed out. if you're concerned about what appears to be a paint defect, try viewing the same area from different photo angles if supplied. please contact me about specific concerns. i have added captions to some pictures to highlight where there is paint damage, in the spirit of full disclosure. please message me if you have any questions or concerns about something you see in one of the pictures. chrome all external rudder and bracket mountings on rear of boat were recently re-chromed. they are a bit dirty in the picture but not pitted, except for cavitation plate bracket issue listed below. also, the white flecks on the backs of the seats are dust from a towel, not pitting. the photos were taken in the winter, so thorough cleaning prior to shooting was not possible. disclosure as you can see from the detail included with this auction, our intent is to disclose any known defects or issues. however it is possible that we may have missed some. so, if you have any particular concerns, study the pictures then ask for details in order to ensure your satisfaction. hull description model: 1978 cole ch-1 drag hydro with outboard steering hull: premium, sealed mahogany floor and stringers, built to withstand the stress of racing a supercharged alcohol motor (at the time of hull construction, in 1978) steering: deaver outboard with removable rudder, all fully chromed where possible seating: two seats, steering offset to left fuel system: left and right-side, spun aluminum tanks, approximately 10 gallons each; one holley "blue" gph110 electric fuel pump with external regulator; dual fram hpg1 fuel filters (one on each tank), russell high volume fuel log on carburetors gauges: jones mechanical tachometer driven from v-drive, stewart-warner oil pressure, voltmeter and water temperature gauges with electrical sending units where applicable v-drive: casale 10 degree, gear ratio probably 1:12 or 1:15 (unconfirmed but optimized for current engine and prop); casale service documentation provided propellers: two (2) props supplied. precision propeller 3-blade cleaver (currently used) and a 2-blade std. non-cleaver style (mfr. unknown) mounting hardware: trimetric anodized in most areas additional tools supplied: v-drive bearing puller, propeller puller, casale v-drive documentation accessories: tether ignition kill switch, high volume electric bilge pump, short ~36" oar with retaining clip on stringer, water engine coolant intake and exhaust lines; battery mounting hardware, 12v battery, lexan splash guard, leatherette bra for sponson towing protection, anchor, hold-down straps trailer description custom made tandem wheel trailer. has vintage crager "ss" look-alike wheels with good chrome chrome fenders and black imron-painted frame "bearing buddies" on spindles for ease of lubrication; protective spindle caps are included no trailer brakes but i have never needed them. this setup tows flawlessly with any truck or suv that can legitimately handle a 2 receiver hitch and associated load. trailer light connector wiring diagram included engine ford 429 v-8 engine; balanced and blueprinted 1968 short block, bored .030 over crankshaft: stock (base) 429 with chamfered oil holes (balanced) connecting rods: rare, genuine boss 429 #c9ae-b (c9az-6200-b) pistons: trw l2366f +.030 forged pistons, with effective compression ratio of 10.8:1 or higher oil system: heavy duty billet distributor drive shaft; trw hi-volume pump, clearanced and lapped; milodon 9qt. front sump oil pan; moroso vac-u-pan system. heads: original 1968 429 ported and fitted with 2.19" trw intakes and 1.75" exhaust valves, screw-in studs,bronze guides and teflon seals. crane 1.71:1 roller rockers. crane pushrods custom-length fitted for proper rocker arm geometry. camshaft: schneider solid-lifter custom camshaft grind (card included). timing set: cloyes true-roller timing chain. ignition: mallory unilite distributor with bronze drive gear. msd 6a ignition amplifier. mallory voltmaster coil, mallory 7mm stainless core 7mm silicone spark plug wires intake and carburetors: weiand dual-quad tunnel ram manifold with 2- holley r-4778 700cfm double-pump carburetors with velocity stacks, screens and covers cooling: magnaflow marine water pump, nicson front timing cover headers: bassett dry stack (black) with covers electrical: battery and charging system (alternator & regulator) included other: misc. documentation provided for casale v-drive, ignition system and other parts, along with original cole brochure known issues: shallow gouge on left-rear corner (see photo) shallow scrape on right sponson edge smooth paint abrasion on left and right side rear, no damage to glass light stains in paint from fuel tank overflow near filler neck water-repellant coating under hull is showing some wear cavitation plate bracket has some peeling chrome misc. small nicks in paint in various places but are so small they don't show in pictures some gouges in paint on rear trailer deck from the scag on the sponson dent in trailer-boat chrome center hold-down bracket dimple in right, trailer fender, toward inside sponson bra is showing signs of wear with "fuzz" coming off, along with some tears if there is any weird coloration, it is probably glare or reflection(check pictures closely) delivery:plan for weekend pickup but will negotiate this. buyer will be responsible for the (additional) costs incurred to move or to arrange local pick-up in indianapolis, in. the boat and trailer combination weigh in at about 2860 lbs. finally: because i want the buyer to be totally satisfied, i am installing a new battery, fresh mobil 1 full synthetic racing oil, motorcraft fl-299 oil filter, new fuel filters and carburetor gaskets. i'll also be tuning it up and checking it thoroughly as if i was taking it out to run myself. questions james - 19/08 10:49pm is drag hydro still for sale? reply ricky - 31/01 10:39pm is this hydro still for sale thanks rick reply