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Classic Race Scarab 1st flat deck where is it!
Hey guys I posted this in the scarab section with no responce. I thought I'd post here and see what I can find, I hope one of you guys might know where the trail of bread crums may lead.
"Hi everyone, I was home in Sarasota for the 4th of july weekend and was reminded by an old friend of mine by the name of Jimmy Gregg that he used to run a 30 flat deck back in the day of APBA that was orange and white. Gorgeous boat, it had cut down Race hatches from a 377 and staggered big blocks with TRS drives and speed masters. He was telling me about all the fun he had testing the bravos when they first came out. I was wondering if anyone had any pics of this boat or new where it was??? I'm in the market and I'd love to restore and old race boat. She was white with Orange stripes and Orange 3 man bolsters. A picture of it used to hang in the old boat house by the Hyatt in Sarasota. Any advice is appreciated. " Ok guys I found more info on the boat, I thought you'd enjoy the history... I just need to get a damn picture of this thing if anyone has it. This is an email I got right from Jim. Larry Smith owned Scarab racing in Ca. He got a royalty on each boat that Wellcraft built with the Scarab name on it. I believe he modified Betty's boat, but it actually was a Chriscraft Cat at the time. My friend Gus Anastasia of Wellcraft raced with Betty. The boats that Larry built were usually only race boats. Mine was built with 3 layers of kevlar in the hull and deck. Backshipped from Ca. by Wellcraft & delivered to my house. Just a bare hull,deck,& 2- 38' KV engine hatches that we had to cut down to fit. It was also the 1st flat-deck 31' boat built. Most people rigged their own boats that Larry built them . Mine was the first to use staggered motors. Well craft built 31's with the engines side-by-side. Mine also was the 1st boat to use Bravo drives. Gus set me up with a deal with Mercruiser to do R&D work for them. The 1st drives were very fragile, and we broke a lot of them. As for the boat it went to Tx. when I sold it. He sold it to Craig Archer in Ca. & that season it became B-1 national champion! The next I here about the boat, is that it went to Mi. Jim Gregg B-79 So thats the email I got and I think its an awesome story to an old race boat, I can't wait to find her. I know its out there somewhere. |
Keep looking something will pop up. Very interesting!
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I Remember when Craig Archer had it. I don't recall what it became when he sold it. Where is Craig? Didn't he leave CA and start a business over seas somewhere?
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Yeah Craig is back in New Zealand ,not sure if he owns a business over there or not. I know he raced a scarab with Nigel Hook back in the day, may have been that boat. Nigel may have an idea where it ended up.
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thanks guys, I think I may have tracked down the owner, I have his buddies email address and have been talkin back and forth. Doesn't sound like he's ready to sell it but hey things change and everything is for sale I guess. Here's hopin. I talked to Jim Gregg the original owner of the boat and he's going to send me pics. I'll post them as soon as I get them.
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stay on top of this and hopefully get some pics to post
"glass dave, see what i'm sayin?" |
I remember that boat it was being rigged/fixed at Malestrom in 1989, we had our Malestrom back there for the Sarasota race and it was the first boat with staggered Bravo's. Mercury was there several times and someone was building all kinds of bearing carriers and supports for the driveshaft. I have to tell you I fell in love with that boat it was one of the prettiest boats, sleek and sexy like a mini-38. I wanted that boat soooo bad!!!
ps I believe Brett Archer (Craig's brother) was doing some of the work/rigging on it. He had helped me with my Malestrom as well when he wroked there. |
UHG yea I know what you mean, the orange and white was sexy, it also had the engine hatches airbrushed with murals of underwater scenes.
Well guys here is the update on this quest.... I emailed the current owners friend and he was going to call him on his way home from work and get back to me... Never happened. :angry-smiley-038: The original owner Jim Gregg was supposed to email me a picture of it and that never happened either!!! UHG this is starting to become the mystical Unicorn of the oldschool world. Anyone have any other suggestions??? Other than just quit or give up haha... :party-smiley-004: |
Never quit or give up ! Sometimes you just have to wait a little bit, you never know who is talking to who and what my be working out that you don't know about yet. Be patient my friend!
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Originally Posted by Wet Bowtie
(Post 3962119)
Never quit or give up ! Sometimes you just have to wait a little bit, you never know who is talking to who and what my be working out that you don't know about yet. Be patient my friend!
I hear ya man, I just need to get a pic of her for you guys to see. She's a beauty. :evilb: |
UPDATE: Ok guys so here it is...
Looks like I found it, its the previous "Patriot Wave" Boat Check out comment #94 - #100 http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/c...t-pics-10.html A guy who owned Mellenyum Marine by the name of Lenny I guess owns it, anyone know him? His buddy Craig had contacted him for me and assures me its definantly not for sale. I guess a full restoration was done and new power waiting to go in it. I'd sure love to see what it looks like now. Welp, that was a quick drop and sudden stop on that dream :( |
Contact "over limits" on here, he just painted it for Lenny and I am sure he has some pictures.
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Ok Lee I will do that thanks very much! Ill post pics as soon as I can!
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Ok guys so here we go with an update...
I got a hold of some original pictures of the boat, you'll have to excuse the quality. But you can see the Staggered design and the awesome race hatches. I'm hoping for pictures of it now, still waiting on those. But here ya'll go... http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...a85d49e189.jpg http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...73f31d4cff.jpg 3 Pack original Larry Smith Flat deck. |
That was sweet!
Where did the yellow side by side go that was for sale in Indiana for a couple years? Not a staggered boat but still very nice just the same! |
I think its here just outside of Apollo beach I will try to get a pix
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If it is lenny's boat it does not look like that anymore
his boat engines are side by side with a back seat, super nice boat |
Originally Posted by welfare racing
(Post 3976916)
If it is lenny's boat it does not look like that anymore
his boat engines are side by side with a back seat, super nice boat |
hey guys, just resurrecting an old thread, seeing if anyone may know where the 31ft larry smith is ? Just trying to get some pics for the original owner. I tried to call St. Claire Customs from what I understand they painted to boat recently but the number is no good and I can't get through. Anyway enjoy the thread its kinda a cool story :)
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If you are interested I still have the original 31ft Larry Smith mold but that deck mold is long gone but we have enough deck molds that we can reproduce it
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Wow, a blast from the past, yes I owned this boat after Jim G had traded it to a dealer in Texas (I think), I re-rigged the boat with a side by side set up to re-balance the boat, kept the hatches long and only had the 3 man bolster, I had bought off Gentry. I had re-painted the boat with red sides and named it Team Archer Marine, Eric Colby drove and I am sure he will have a bunch of photos, I traded the boat and it was renamed Patriot Wave. This boat was built by Larry at Team Scarab and originally rigged by my brother Brett, I know they ran the worlds the year they were held at Atlantic City in very rough waters.
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I actually only have one photo, a great running shot.
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wow guys!!!! Thankyou!!! Can you post the photo??? I wonder where she is today???
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The boat needs to have the inner strakes extended and the sides cut down to create a cool sit-down model.
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[IMG]IMG_20141118_131528_957[/IMG]
This is the only photo I have. Believe it was taken in Dana Point in 1995 |
Originally Posted by E Colby
(Post 4221243)
[IMG]IMG_20141118_131528_957[/IMG]
This is the only photo I have. Believe it was taken in Dana Point in 1995 |
Hey guys! Well I thought I'd bring my old thread to life with some pics and some info, I've been doing some homework over the past few weeks again and I've found out these "Larry Smith flat deck" boats actually had a model name.... " Viper " the " Scarab Viper" was made for three years, from 1990-1993.
That would have been a hell of a lot easier to do research on this thing if I had known that from the beginning. haha Here are some pics of the staggered drive set up and Paint Job. Very old school and very cool! I hope ya'll enjoy!!! [IMG]http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...1/image1_1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...1/image2_1.jpg[/IMG] |
Originally Posted by limegreenstare28
(Post 4306439)
Hey guys! Well I thought I'd bring my old thread to life with some pics and some info, I've been doing some homework over the past few weeks again and I've found out these "Larry Smith flat deck" boats actually had a model name.... " Viper " the " Scarab Viper" was made for three years, from 1990-1993.
That would have been a hell of a lot easier to do research on this thing if I had known that from the beginning. haha Here are some pics of the staggered drive set up and Paint Job. Very old school and very cool! I hope ya'll enjoy!!! [IMG]http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...1/image1_1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s...1/image2_1.jpg[/IMG] Awesome. My father raced in b-class back then also in a Scarab Panther. B-82 JJ's Express. I will ask him if he remembers this B-79 boat. |
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