Dick,
Hard to believe this all started with some teak from an old Chris Craft boat
I found abandoned along Suspect Slough on "The Bay". I sometimes ask myself
why I am so fortunate to have these things literally fall in my lap and why
the most unimaginable pieces of automotive/Tiger history will mysteriously
find me.
The "anchor" unit was found in a wooden box. I seem to remember the two
page instructions were still with it when I stored it several years ago.
Also stenciled on the box was GDCCBA/DSHSC. A friend of mine has a Malibu
307 and is into the Malibu Club. I'll see if he can shed more light on the
Doane Spencer connection. Hope to have more to report on this strange and
remarkable piece of auto lore.
Anchors Away!
Tim
----- Original Message -----
From: <TigerCoupe@aol.com>
To: <tjordan@wagnerprocess.com>
Cc: <tigers@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2000 11:18 AM
Subject: Re: HELP harness wiring ???
> Tim,
>
> I have been fascinated by your acquisition of a rare Chris Craft "boat
> anchor", and was wondering if perhaps you got it with the assistance of
Doane
> Spencer when he was the sole employee at the private automotive garage
where
> Chris Craft maintained his collection of racing and exotic cars. Of
course,
> Chris was a very capable and successful driver in his own right, but he
also
> had a driving partner who was Doane's favorite driver, Jim Adams. As you
> know, Jim was the only driver ever of the Hollywood Sports Car #55 Tiger.
>
> There was a story about a race at Riverside where both Chris and Jim were
> driving identical Chevy Malibus prepared by Spencer. Doane had
reluctantly
> equipped both cars with a special retarding device which had been
personally
> designed by Chris Craft. At some point about midway through the race,
Craft
> used the device diving into Turn 7. But Adams, who was following right on
> Craft's bumper, did not. The result was that Adams smashed into Craft,
> causing both of them to spin off the track. Neither car was able to
continue,
> and after climbing out of the wreckage, both drivers were furious with
each
> other. But Doane had the last word. Fuming as he surveyed the extensive
> damage to both cars, he ripped Craft's invention out of his car, muttering
> something like "This stupid SOB belongs on a GD Chris Craft boat, not on
any
> race car of mine!" Thereafter the device, which was never used again, was
> known as the GD Chris Craft Boat Anchor.
>
> Shortly after that infamous race many years ago, I visited Doane in his
shop
> where he was frantically trying to complete the required repairs on both
> Chevvies in time for the next scheduled race. I remember looking the cars
> over pretty closely, and nosing around all over the shop, but I don't
recall
> ever seeing any trace of the boat anchors. And as far as I know, no one
else
> has ever seen one, much less figured out how they worked. Perhaps you are
> now in a position fill in a little bit of Tiger-related history for us,
and
> explain just how you plan to use the boat anchor on your Tiger?
>
> Tied up in knots (anchored) in San Diego,
>
> Dick Barker
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