The engines are 454 LS-6 with a different cam and pistons for the dual turbo chargers, they boost 6 PSI, I think it will need intercoolers!

Needs a little clean up! All the gauges are marine type and should be OK.

Spare parts and the rats nest. Nice vapor proof light.

Ballast tank and berth area

pics
 

here's some more

pics
 

bilge area and second light

Does anybody recognize the bell or speedo? Any oil can collectors out there?

pictures
 

Here is where the original prop shaft came out.

pictures
 

These are the velvet drives with borg warner v-drives and a picture of where the other prop shaft came out.

Jim,I can send you my pictures via e-mail.

These photos of the boat now give emotions.
The various layers of varnish that go with their history.
To look at the steering wheel and to now see Jim Wynne or Odell Lewis again.
I see "Run Sunward" now...
Interesting to also see the good state of maintenance of the boat in the details.
Jim you have a treasure among your hands.
Marco

Man that thing is as cool as they come!

Man that is so f'in cool........ Congrats and good luck on the restoration:cool-smiley-027:

T hanks for your replies!
I have more pics with the left side stripped, I will post some more pics soon.
jim

I just talked to the person that I got the boat from and he could not find the original v-drive parts. He thinks that those parts were scrapped about 10 years ago when they were cleaning up. He also told me that they were specially made for that boat and were a one of a kind, O'well that takes care of the v-drive option.
At least it didn't turn in to a CC!
jim

I still haven't recieved any pictures yet and am wondering if anybody has found any? I sure would like some color photo's or anything at all!:signs069:
Any way I am still plugging away at the paint stripping and trying to find turbine engines, I think that the turbines will have to be on hold for awile since the only ones I have found seem to be pretty expensive:readinghelp:. Maybe I will be able to take it to some poker runs with the engines that are in it now, it will still look great with the turbine stacks coming out of the top, might not sound right.
Thanks for your support on this project, it seems very difficult to get any documetation or photos, alot of this stuff must have been thrown away. I will keep looking!:eek:

I just talked to a person who lives in Monteal and works for Pratt and whitney, he say's he has a short video for my boat in the 1966 Sam Griffith race. Anybody want to see it?:food-smiley-007:
He also knows where some turbines could be had at a reasonable price!:party-smiley-020:
Does anybody have any pics, please?

Looks great!!

Call Roger Munn........he's buddies with Billy Martin.

239-597-6004

I just got the video! It has the thunderbird and I think Surfury and a boat that looks like moppie but from the black smoke I think it's diesel powered. Some of the video is in color and has video of the crew and designer along with about 8 people standing in the boat.

well share the video please

lets see some new picSV PLEASE

What a cool thread. Good luck with the resto.

Ritchie thanks for sharing the story about Mr. K really cool.

So can you say you have all the pieces to make it operational with the turbo motors? Looks like the turbos I've seen in old CrisCrafts.
Do the present Vdrives connect to surface drives with shafts under the motors?

Amazing Stuff. Thanks for sharing

1965 thunderbird,i might be able to help you transporting those extra parts ,i travel all over the usa,picking up and delivering cars and parts,if i can toss them in the bed of the truck or on the trailer ,maybe it would help,,just pm me

"1965 thunderbird,i might be able to help you transporting those extra parts ,i travel all over the usa,picking up and delivering cars and parts,if i can toss them in the bed of the truck or on the trailer ,maybe it would help,,just pm me"

I think I know you.Is you name Dana ( sorry sp? ), friend of Wish and Cookie?.

The motors and drives were operational last time it was run. Hopefully it won't take to much to get it going again. The previous owner said that it should have intercoolers to develope full power but it would run 70 mph as it is powered now.
The conversion was done in the mid 80's with all new engines and arneson surface drives. Everything looks to be in good shape. The gas in the tanks even smells good! Must of used Stabil gas treatment. I put some in my 68 camaro when I stored it in 1981, just put a new engine in it and the gas was still good, as a matter of fact it still has gas in it from 1981! Haven't added any yet, the can say's it will store gas indefinitely! So remember that when you store your boats or anything else that is gas powered. Believe it !!!

dmax3500 thanks for the offer! I will keep that in mind, if I can help you in any way let me know!

Does anybody know where in can find some color pics of the tunderbird in it's original finish? I really need some help in this area. Part of the video that I have is color but the images are not real clear and are from a distance away. This is a great video of parts of the 1966 sam griffith race. It also has close ups of the cockpit area with 8 people in it after the race

how about that 409 we talked about?

HAVE YOUR GUY CALL ME. AND I NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH

I really need some pictures of this boat when it was raced by jim wynne as the original thunderbird #15. I want to make this boat as original as possible but I have very little to go on. I would also like to get some pictures of the boat as it was raced by Mr k. as the mona lou 2 # 70, and when billy martins had it as the hustler 3. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I would like to get it ship shape for the reunion but even at this point I am not sure I would be able to bring it down there, it's a long way and this boat and trailer weigh in at 12000 lb's. It would be alot of work and a lot of $$$$ to get this thing ready and transport it down there.

Any way a little help with pictures would go along way

Mike if you want that 409 the guy wants 8500.00 for it.

thanks

Thunderbird

Still Looking For Mona Lou, and Hustler III, Hustler III is Really Giving me a problem, Cant find 1 Picture of that boat. Mona Lou is Stored in 1 of 5 Computers, Been looking for a week now.

Here is what HORBA has

And some more

And more

Some more

One of the problems for 1965 Thunderbird is to know what it was written inside that white stamp there.
UA(United Aircraft?) the only legible thing.
However those Maritime were really big fascinating.

Yes, Marco you are right. One of the things that I need to figure out is what is in the circle behind the tunderbird word. If someone has a good picture that I could get blown up that would be great! Also if they could be sent to my e-mail adress full size then I could print them out and make some nice photo's. [email protected]
Thanks for all the response on the photos, please keep them coming! I would like to make a nice scrapbook for this boat so people could look through it and see it's history and the people who raced and owned the boat.
I looked at the boat after I got the photo's showing the cockpit area and found where the original levers were mounted. if anybody has some levers or gauges that would be right for this boat please let me know I would like to buy them from you.
thanks for all the help!
jim

I have been trying to figure out what to restore the finish to. I came up with a strange idea but interesting and was wondering what people would think of it. My idea is to paint half of the boat as it was when it was the Thunderbird ( #15)and the other half as the Mona Lou ( # 70). ( left side and right side) The Thunderbird finish was the engine turned aluminum with clearcoat and the mona lou was yellow. Both Paint schemes represent a significant racing history. Any input would be greatly appreciated. It's just a thought.

Thanks

Sorry but the idea to make two versions with the same boat it seems me an it conceives horrible.
I think that that Maritime it should have his original colors, those of the Thunderbird, for the value that that boat has had in the history of the offshore.
I think that speaking of the Mona Lous the more version meaningful has been the Maritime with the Mercruisers that it won the first edition of the Bahamas 500.
The #49 Mona Lou III.
Who found that Maritime 32' he should do that version of it.
Marco