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1966 Mandella / 1966 421 HO Pontiac - Rochester TriPower
Pontiac - Mandella - Jack Madsen Hot Boat of the Month October 1966 Boating News magazine. Above photo taken 18 April 2012, 45 years after original build. Engine rebuilt in 1977 to accommodate un-leaded fuel. Engine rebuilt and fiber gas tanks replaced with aluminum tanks in 2012 to handle ethanol fuels. The Berkeley pump was rebuilt in 1994. This mature lady is still a looker and quick on the water with original upholstery.
Jack E. Madsen Jr and Jack E. Madsen III ordered this 1966 blank hull from Lou Brummett and then purchased the 1966 Pontiac crate engine directly from Pontiac as well as the Berkeley Pump Jet Drive and custom assembled this boat, including custom fiberglass gas tanks on port and starboard sides of boat which were also the base for the custom "tuck and roll" seating - boat named "Blue Mist". This was the second of two Mandella boats assembled, the first being a 1964 Mandella from Lou with a 1964 Holman and Moody 427 Ford with duel quads which was featured on the cover and story in the October 1964 Boating News magazine - boat name "Night Light' because the boat was assembled at night in the garage after work...many late hours. Shortly after the 1964 Boating News magazine was published Jack Jr was contacted by a boating enthusiast who purchase "Night Light" for the purpose of drag racing in the San Diego, Calif. area.
Lou brummett was the builder of the glass "Mandellas". His plug for the mold was built by Harlan Orrin that built the wooden Mandella boats. Lou raced his own boats towing ski racers over 100 mph. He also built and ran other race boats as SK runabouts and marathon/endurance boats winning races from coast to coast. Some of his racing customers included Red Adair, Astronaut Gordon Cooper, and Bob Nordskog. Elvis used Lou's personal boat "Rawhide" in the movie "CLAMBAKE". Lou Brummet was killed in a racing accident while driving his race boat "Rawhide" in the Sunday 4 October 1970 Lake Elsinore 500 Endurance race. Lou held 7 UIM (Union International Motonautique) records and had won practically every marathon race in the USA. His death marked and end of a era.
