Where Was Your Baja Built?
 

Lets see pics of those Spainish Bajas! :drink: Ole!

Mine was built at Checkmate:evilb:

Its TRUE, it has been awhile - but I remember working with the guys from Spain. Their boats were terrible, but they loved them....Brochures exist somewhere?

XT:rolleyes:

Hey you learn something new everyday.

That is very interesting.

I'll have to dig through my brochures. There is one that has a Force (not sure if it was a 280 or 320) on the cover that comes to mind that doesnt look like anywhere around here. I'll post pics if I find it. Didnt they attempt or talk about building them in Texas too?

Here is the one I was thinking of. Is that pic here in the states or overseas?

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...1571Medium.jpg

My Baja has had it's share of Spanish related "Barking Spiders" in it.

Since I was digging in the brochures, I dont recall ever seeing this. The 350 Force? I assume it never happened or was very low production?

http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p...1572Medium.jpg

Looks neat for the time period.

That Force 350 is SWEET!

Hmm I hope Dallas does not find out.:eek:

looks like a Fountain PR w/ the fairing & front seats.
it was destiny....

She has walked int her fair share of the "Barking Spider" vapors. She is a good sport about it. Even when I fluff the covers.:eek:

Looks quite like the 370ES....


So TEAMBAJA...who´s your Daddy ?

http://boatsforsale.ybw.com/Boats/sh...27516/searchId

BAJA FORCE 280 Built in 1988 (corrected)
A Fast Power Boat Designed by Don Shead and built by Baja Boats under licence in Spain.
CONSTRUCTION:
GRP & Kevlar hull, deck and superstructure
White hull with Black Red & Grey hull stripes
Hydraulic steering with twin outdrives LOA 8.54m 28'2
BEAM 2.49m 8'2"
DRAFT 0.61m 2'0"
WEIGHT 3,175kg "

When A U.I.M world Champion is behind the wheel even a Baja will win.
Its a 320 Force in question.

Stockholm-Helsinki 1988.

Dave- Didn't Baja have a factory in TN ot TX for awhile in the 80s?

I vaguely remember this, but thought it was only rumors like trying to have them built down south (not the recent Fountain deal). Basically just some company slapping a name on something. Happens everywhere I guess.

I think Dean sr ran it but would have to check with Deano or Doug. I get to hear all kinds of stories but cant remember because of all the paint fumes. Doug has a million stories if you ever get a chance to hear them . A lot of history.

Wow, some of this is before my time when I started working for Baja in 1984.

In the mid-late 70's there was production of some Bajas in Arkansas, mostly the Cararra models, and some others became models for Concord Boats. In the mid-late 80's Baja was riding the "high horse" with max. production in Ohio, and a small (production only) site in Texas. Bev Carlisle even went down to be a superviser as she recalls. Get this! Aurthor Anderson was our accounting firm at that time and they really F***ed the Texas plant bad.

Things were great in the late 80s with a private Citation Jet to communicate, and a pilot that was a great guy. We even sponsered a car in NASCAR around that time. We also had purchased land in Florida, and started to develop it for a new plant. THEN the first Gulf War hit, and that was just as bad as things are now with boat building. We lost over 50% of our dealers that year, and had to borrow millions to get through that time period.

Business was slowly getting better, and it wasn't until late 1994 & cash flow was soft, then we asked the bank if we could skip a payment. Well that back-fired and the bank DEMANDED payment, and sold the note before we could come-up with the cash. There are more details to this, but that is how Brunswick came to own Baja. Doug Smith stayed on until 1999 as President under Brunswick, and they were good years up until he retired. I think the more recent history is better known, and I am getting tired of pecking at the keys.

XT:drink:

[QUOTE=TEAMBAJA;2763766]Since I was digging in the brochures, I dont recall ever seeing this. The 350 Force? I assume it never happened or was very low production?QUOTE]

This was the only "rendering" for the original design of the Force 370, that later became the 370 ES. Funny how in those days one guy did a rendering like this, and took ALL the credit as the "Designer" while 10-20 other people did the detail work to figure things out, and got zero credit.

XT:mad:

The question is "did Baja make the boat for the Euro market, or did they make it to be imported back to the states?"

"and a pilot that was a great guy".......Steve wasn't a bad guy for being an ex marine pilot!

Just guessing but I would assume they were under license to build them and sell to the European market.

[QUOTE=XT-Innovator;2764026]
And it's changed today how?:rolleyes:

But hey without the rendering the other 10 to 20 would not have a clue what they were working on.

It's still a nice looking boat.

That is very interesting reading Dave. Thanks very much for sharing that. Where in Arkansas did they build the boats at do you remember?

This is correct. They were to build/sell them over there, and Baja Boats was to get a cut from every sale. We discovered that that did not always happen, and the deal went bad. The guy that ran Baja Spain was pretty smooth, and I remember the office women going nuts every time he was over here.

XT:cool:

Was his name Blake?:rolleyes:

Dave- was the plant in Arkansas run by Neil Baker? Or had he gone on to Concord by then? I like this history stuff!

[QUOTE=Dock Holiday;2764164]Yes, but look how different the real 370 looked from the rendering. In the more recent history boat designs were all done in the computer in 3d. Everything is figured out before we even made the hull mold, that was cut on a 5 axis router.

XT:cool:

I am not sure about that? What was the name of the town for Dock? I would know it, if I heard it.
How did you know Steve Eyestone. Did you work with us back then?

XT:rolleyes:

:blaster: Now play nice. :drink:

Next time Dock is in town, we should get Rusty to come out with us. Rusty can give a good history lesson on working there in the early 70s. When I would get him talking about it, the name Neil Baker is always brought up, and how Doug Smith eventually came on board. Larry Tackett actually has some great stories too if you can get him talking. Do you remember what his clock # was?

By the way Dock, Rusty was our Plug & Mold guy in PD&E. He taught me a few tricks, involving fiberglass, resin, sandpaper, etc!

Some you learned on your own, i think!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ediumSmall.jpg

Holy sh*t your still alive?

I still love that picture. We should have had cameras at work everyday. Some funny stuff happened out there!:drink:

Hmm:eek::evilb:

Edited you homo!:evilb:

Now get back to work and quit playing online!:drink:

Correct, just as Magnums in the 60´s and to this day...

Yes, I have a die-cast of that car.

Buckshot Jones #00 Crown Fiber car.

"Baja Performance Boats" is on the deck lid.

A friend of mine had a 16 footer made in North Little Rock according to the nameplate.I think it was a `79