What makes a Kaama a Kamma?
 

I saw this guys ad on ebay and it seems he thinks he knows pretty much what a Kaama Scarab is. Does anybody know what REALLY makes a Scarab Kaama a Kaama?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=120239027118

"
1980 38' SCARAB KAAMA (not to be confused with others out there claiming to be KAAMAs because it has KAAMA drives on it - NOT THE SAME THING). This is a real and rare KAAMA. I will prove it! I am the third owner of which none of us has used it much. This is a rare find to have a real KAAMA for sale. You will swear the boat is only a couple years old.

It contains (2) freshly rebuilt TRS drives and fresh Borg Warner transmissions

A new cockpit interior

A new interior carpet and wall material

Varnish work, and some updating.

It has the expected KAAMA interior and cockpit, as well as the expected flat deck and engine scoops (I have the original brochure picture). There is a head (toilet), galley with sink, and air conditioning which is ice cold (will demonstrate). Also, a radio with multiple speakers, courtesy lighting, hanging closet, Ice maker (don't know if it works - never used it), shore power outlet, new removable vinyl graphics, teak swim platform, tie-bar for drives, K-Planes, extra custom built-in coolers under cockpit seating (brand new and very well insulated - ice lasts and lasts), special KAAMA cockpit table built into rear of helm seat.

This is the best of both worlds... a very fast boat, yet a great family cruiser also. Especially with the 2 factory installed saddle tanks for extra gas. Therefore you have three separate tanks equaling approx. 300 gals. I am pricing the boat without engines. I have 2 454's that were 525HP (one is taken apart and ready for rebuild) that I will sell separetly if desired.The block and MERLIN square port heads have already been magnafluxed and are fine.
As far as the hull goes, it is in great condition. Probably due to the fact it has not had much use since new (I am the third owner - the other two didn't use it much either). This boat was always trailered and never sat in the water for more than a couple days at a time. The bottom has NEVER BEEN PAINTED!
That brings up another point - - - - There is also, INCLUDED, an almost new (maybe 500 miles on it) triple axle BOAT MASTER aluminum trailer with TORSION SUSPENSION and BRONZE DISC BRAKES. This trailer alone is worth $10K.
This boat was a 70+mph boat with this set-up. The transmissions have had racing style clutches installed which never even got broken in, and TRS drives are known to handle up to 1,000 HP each. I am able to store this boat if needed for $150./mo.
Power Boat Magazine said it --- "There really aren't any performance flaws in this world-class machine."
ADD ENGINES AND YOU'RE READY TO GO FOR THE SUMMER!!!!!!
PRICE IS $19,900.00 or higher

A KAAMA boat would usually have Kaama drives.
Maybe it was converted to TRS?

That is what I would think, but I have a Wellcraft brocedure from 1080. 1981, and 1982, and the Scarab Kaama's they show are shown with TRS sterndrives. Other Scarab's that I have seen for sale on Ebay and other places that have the Kaama name on the side are still TRS drives. I have only seen one 377 Scarab that has REAL Kaama surface drives on it ( http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...222383296&rd=1)

I'm not an expert, but I have seen 377 Scarab's with TRS drives and KAAMA graphics as well. Wasn't the Kaama Scarabs the signature Betty Cook boat?

I have a signature Betty Cook Scarab. It has TRS drives.

Pics?

Must be nice! Lets see some PICS!

That boat was just a larry smith scarab with some stickers on the side, nothing more. at the time larry was making these , the only other model was the 377 which was for mainstream sales. we bought one in 1979 , had some of the first arneson drives on it, broke them, them bought a set of kaama drives in 1981. My folks ran that boat every single weekend it seemed like. If any of you recall a yellow scarab that lived at 946 Sunset Dr., Costa mesa ,CA from 1981 to 1984... thats it!

This website brings back memories that i have to brush away they are so clear!

Bigbro..you Know what you need to do and what we need ;)

So 377 Kaamas had Kaama Drives and a high deck ?
A Kaama SE had a flatdeck built by welcraft and had TRS drives and Kaamas as an option ?

Early LS 377/Kaamas only flatdecks and were they all Kevlar reinforced and Larrys different lamination process (=13-14 thin mats and staying in the mold for weeks?) Compared to Wellcrafts 3-4 thick mats and a day or two in the mold.
Otherwise almost identical ?

I´d say the opposite..TRS being the norm.

Kaama is just a model (option) that was available. It has nothing to do with drives. Just like KV has nothing to do with Kevlar.

Lets take a look. I think this is a KAAMA and doesn't have surface drives. ;)

http://www.historicraceboats.com/bettycook.htm

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...-cook-0011.jpg

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...-cook-0007.jpg

Just to add to the confusion.......

I know this is an old thread but I have an '85 and around the HIN it says 380 below it not 377. On the plexi hatch, going down to the cabin, it says KAAMA, thats it, no roach or SCARAB. But on the fuel tank in black perm. marker it says: someones intials, 6/20/84 and, 38 KAMMA (not kaama). Did someone spell it wrong or does KAMMA mean something different than KAAMA?

The boat does have arnesons on it now but looks like it had a different style surface drive before, a 6 bolt pattern on the transom(maybe kaamas?)

Is there anyone left around from the factory that knows the history of the older boats or a website? After sanding through 10 coats of paint, found out the hull is a black gel coat, It would just be cool to see a build sheet, but
i guess all that was lost long ago.

steve

Thank you Mickey and Rookie for the info ! looks like the drives could be painted speedy #2's ? looks like the have a torpedo style lower or was there a speedy lower available for a TRS which makes it a #2 ? maybe a painted #3 set up ? certainly not a KAAMA drive set up. do you guys know if Betty actually ever ran a KAAMA set up during her racing career ? I believe she was involved with it's production, which was designed by Pat Weisman's father. thanks again.

Enlarge the picture in Post 14 and look closely at the drives. Those are Kaamas.

LeeS, yes, now quite visible thank you, that set up looks keen ! what is a drive worth these days and why in your opinion did they go out of production? seems like a truly simple and yet efficient engineering concept. was it just BIG BLACK that did them in or a sign of the economy of days gone by, like we are all up against today ! again what is a complete drive's value in your opinion ?

jaxx 30 thanks for the Great photo. KAAMAS no doubt

The KAAMA edition Scarabs were built to commemorate Scarabs winning the National and world Championships with Betty at the helm..She ran Mercruiser drives due to the fact Her KAAMA drive systems did not come out until.. I think 82..83 ?? after she had won most of her races..The white KAAMA boat is running the 286 number and may have well been retrofitted with KAAMA'S, this boat also became "REVENGE" and still ran the number 286 I do not think she was running the boat at that point, Betty's number was 89..Betty did retrofit her Cat to KAAMAS..

Ok here we go again but this is in regard to the 30' S-Types. I just saw a S-Type that said Kamma on the side of it. Was the Kamma a color or upholstery option that you could get on any Scarab?

I remember the Kaama. I was a crew with the Sea Sweep. ( V-drive / surface props)

Later, after Howard created the Arneson Drive. We described the top "fin" ..which was a bumper, as a " cavitation plate " (sp?) to avoid bumping into the dock.

Later on, Betty was going to do pr for the Arneson Drive. Well, they changed their minds ( somewhat).... Then low and behold, Betty Cook presents her surface version. " Kaama Drive".... ( A silly design, due to it had 90 degrees in the drive)...

Howard & I had a chuckle, when the Kaama also had what they called a " cavatation plate ".... ( Same location as our Arneson BUMPER )

This is my understanding as well. Then throw in that "KV" doesn't stand for Kevlar, but "Kaama Vice", also in honor of Betty Cook's 38' Scarab and the popularity of Miami Vice boat. Supposedly only hulls that have a "K" in the hull number are Kevlar. Although the Larry Smith race versions of the Kevlar boats were 1-2000 lbs. lighter, Wellcraft production deadlines did not allow for such a careful layup, so they came in only 500-700 lbs. lighter than standard glass.

So, what makes a Kaama a Kaama is about how it was marketed and sold, not the drive.

I'm thinking Team Archer has insight on this!

KV stands for Kaama version it had the same deck style as Bettys race boat that's all that it stood for because the KV came out before the TV show and that's straight from the horses mouth !!!!!!!

I knew you'd know for sure!

The 30 S type was built with the KAAMA drive system it worked well and Wellcraft built a few of them with the KAAMA power package. That's probably why that 30 you saw said KAAMA on it.

My 30' Scarab II had Innovation Marine engines and Kaama surface drives, along with the iconic (and dated) "Laser Stripe" paint job.

Here what I was told: Boat was built in Sarasota, shipped to California to be painted by some hotdog paint shop, then sent to Costa Mesa for drives, then sent back to Florida to Innovation for motors and then back to Wellcraft for rigging and finishing.
Seemed like a lot of moving around to produce one boat. Does that even sound correct?

Do you have any pictures of the "Laser Stripe" paint job?

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see if this works.