Napier Lion wanted.
Printed From: BMPT Forum
Category: General Discussion
Forum Name: Where Are Those Boats Now
Forum Description: Tell everybody where those old boats are
URL: http://www.bmpt.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=298
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 11:42pm
Topic: Napier Lion wanted.
Posted By: burgundyben
Subject: Napier Lion wanted.
Date Posted: 14 March 2007 at 10:39am
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Hello everyone. I have two speed boats built by Scott Paine, a 23 footer that was at Marchwood for a while and listed on the website here as a Sea Arrow and another which I subsequently came across that is 20 foot. I really want a period engine for both and I think a napier sea lion would go veyr well in the 23 footer, does anyone know of one that is available, a runner or nearly a runner and not been sectioned open like most in the museums? Thanks ben ------------- Napier Lion engine wanted. |
Replies:
Posted By: AndyS
Date Posted: 22 March 2007 at 2:13pm
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Welcome to the forum Do you have any more information on these boats? I might be able to do some identification on them and advise on original engine. Do you have some photos? Many thanks Andy |
Posted By: Alex
Date Posted: 22 March 2007 at 2:42pm
| If you want a Napier engine a good place to start might be talking Stanley Man the vintage Bentley dealer who runs a 1920's Bentley with a Napier motor in it. Might work. Good luck, Alex. |
Posted By: burgundyben
Date Posted: 23 March 2007 at 2:14pm
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The first boat is twenty three feet long and I bought from Phil Clapburn about 18 months ago, it was one he started to restore but did not finish, its show here http://www.bmpt.org.uk/boat%20histories/Other_boats/other_boats.htm - http://www.bmpt.org.uk/boat%20histories/Other_boats/other_bo ats.htm Its very similar to Scott Paine's own boat Panther III, I have some pictures of here, still in existence (albeit it quite poorly) with his grandson in America, Panther III is fitted with a Graymarine 330, I think that is 330 cubic inches not 330 HP. this is the boat I would like to find a Napier Lion for. The second I purchased about a year ago, it was on ebay, had been in a barn in Wales for about 30 years, had quite a job getting it out! Its 20 feet six inches long, its in quite a state, hull is mostly ok but the deck has had it, it does have 2 very nice oval cockpits, I do know that this one was fitted with a straight six graymarine engine that was stolen from the previous owner. It will be a long time before I get going on this boat. I have spoken to Chris Williams that runs the red napier bentley a number of times, he has a spare engine but its missing pistons and he wants £18,000 eeek! I was not aware that Stanley Mann had one, I will enquire. There is quite a few Lions in museums, some sectioned (argh!) and mostly not available. I'd buy a whole boat if it had one in! Other than my two BPBC speed boats, I know of one in France called Miss Paris, there is Panther III in America and I think one in Italy with a stepped hull pictured in Classic boat a few years ago, one in Science Museum and one in Maritime Museum (both with Lions). Any other's I'd like to hear about. ------------- Napier Lion engine wanted. |
Posted By: jimmy p
Date Posted: 24 March 2007 at 3:16am
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Bloody hell thats steep mate! Theres a guy in Gloucester selling merlins complete at £18k for rebuild (albiet running but not airworthy) try & find the number for you. One of the American guys on the forum(PT boat restorer) reckons he's had marinised Packards for £2500 each, if you can get them go for it!! That said not sure how much Napiers wiegh? Guessing that if they wiegh as much as a marinised packard then putting them in a 23footer may not be wise. All said & done though if it works then fairplay. Mr Scott-payne was as visionary as Tesla so if he built it & proved it then none of us can argue! All the best with your project ------------- A boat is a hole in the water surrounded by wood, into which one throws money |
Posted By: Alex
Date Posted: 26 March 2007 at 12:12pm
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Hi Ben,
It could well be that the williams car and the one I've seen in Stanley Man's care are one and the same. I doubt there are two! Have you thought of using a Rover Meteor engine? It's a normaly asperated (no blower or turbo) version of a Merlin, built for use in tanks....Centurian mostly. These are available in the tractor pulling world which is served by several magazines and websites, for between two and four thousand pounds in running order. They have an automotive cam profile and so have a wider more flexible power and torque delivery than an aero engine variant, I would have thought this would have made them more suited to marineisation. Depending on which mark, you will find they produce between six and eight hundred BHP ish.....would that be enough? good luck, Alex. |
Posted By: burgundyben
Date Posted: 26 March 2007 at 1:43pm
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Alex, With out a doubt 6 to 8 hundred HP would be enough..... I had thought about a meteor, for several reasons a meteor is much easier to fit than a merlin, lack of reduction and blower. Price of course is much less for a meteor. I have thought about it..but its Lion that Scott Paine had so much history with. the other option would be Scripps, Brookes, Meadows all quite hard to find. Scott Paine was instrumental in the creation of the Puma racing class, the first one design power boat for racing, they used the Siddeley Puma engine, one of these would be very appropriate.
------------- Napier Lion engine wanted. |
Posted By: rozm2
Date Posted: 30 March 2007 at 11:02am
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Perpahs this may be of use: http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/lane/xvo73/forsale.htm - http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/lane/xvo73/forsale.htm via http://www.vintageknowledge.co.uk - www.vintageknowledge.co.uk
advert reads: For Sale.
Hope it's of use? |
Posted By: northeastuser
Date Posted: 30 March 2007 at 5:08pm
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wow i want it lol..i wonder how much? ------------- |
Posted By: burgundyben
Date Posted: 30 March 2007 at 9:20pm
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Thank you very much. I have spoken to the chap today, he has a set of conrods and pistons only, sadly not a complete engine. It seems that these parts came from a lion engine thats fitted to a 1920's racing boat that is now somewhere in a museum in France. It seems that a running Lion may well be out of reach for me financially, about £20k or £30k!
------------- Napier Lion engine wanted. |
Posted By: neilgreenfield
Date Posted: 23 November 2011 at 7:34pm
| Today i found this movie... http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//BHC_RTV/1935/05/06/BGU407201273/?s=British+power+boat+&st=0&pn=1 |