Ok, here are some pics in Lake Erie. Checked the hull number again and had one to many 0"s in the number. BCV0006R179

here are 2 more pics.

Some thoughts:

Windshield on this boat is not like anythng that was done after the first gen. They only made plastic ones.

I used the same company that Cigarette used for windshields and many other parts.

Also what happened to the cabin door and surroundng pieces?

What kind of console is that?

Nav lights that we did were on the side of the deck rise, not a single unit out on the bow like this boat.

I would think that this might have been a sale made of a " hull and deck". I know that they were doing some of those type of sales for cash flow.

What is the power and can you give us any photos of the engine room, that might tell a lot by the rigging.

Boat looks great....once again, a timeless design done in a simple manner.....your friend did a great job in the restoration. Congratulations.

G-man,

Wow! That thing is cool...

Looks well taken care of.

Love the Pink. Does the boat come with a teal T shirt and a white blazer with push up sleeves?

Chatim and Top Banana will no doubt tell you the history of the boat if it is a 79, but here are my thoughts.

The sit down pedestal seats make me think it is a pre 1980 Banana, but the air inlets for the engine are above the rub rail, which I believe happened only on the post 1980 Banana's.

The dashboard and windshield look custom, as I have never seen ones like that on a Banana before.

Boat looks like a Formula with that paint scheme and windshield.

Do you have any cabin, cockpit or engine compartment photos?

Is your the owner going to join OSO?

How fast does it go?

Hello Top Banana,

Your post slipped in their before I could finish typing.

Spent to much time staring at the Pics I guess.

Nice to see we think a like....

Air Dog

The windshield is the same type that we put on....we had two options one was the lower plastic type, which my son hs on his boat, and the higher type which this is...now as far as height was concerned, that was a variable that the owner picked depending on his locale....higher for the further north they lived, lower for the further south. We also offered anodizing to match a color scheme.

This boat may have been the 6th boat the second gen built and sold as a bare hull and deck deal.

Nice looking 24'!!! I love those classic lines !!!! I have a 24 & a 28 Pantera and you just can't beat the lines of either of these boats. ( meaning the Pantera & the Bannana ) What kind of power & drive are you running ?

Ok, guys some things I remember and keep in mind this was about 10 years ago when we redid the boat. The guy my buddy bought it from was a friend of ours,John M. from Erie Pa who was big into boats and raced a 30 foot Chris Cat with twin 1000 HP motors. Boat was called "Bustin Out" John came across this Banana out of I think Oklahoma?? and bought it. It was black and tan gel coat at the time with a 1000 HP intercooled twin turbo motor and a speedmaster drive. Doubt it was built that way new. John took the power out of the Banana and put it in his black 80 Excalibur 27 flat deck. He then sold the Banana to my buddy without power.

The windshield was on it but had plexi glass in it. I had shatter proof automotive glass cut for it and tinted it black.

The console or dash is hand made wood and fiberglass matt. We made this.

Seats: boat came with bolsters and we took them out and bought pedistools and used the fiberglass seats out of my buddies Dune Buggy and recovered them.

Took out the side navigation lights. We called them "Cats Eyes" we both didn't like them. Replaced them with the single on the bow.

Power is a carbed 454 with a TRS drive. Rigging would have been us.

Boat will do 60 - 65 depending.

Entire boat is Imron. After 10 - 11 years and has not lifted anywhere on the boat. Entire boat is also clear coated as well.

Stripes are paint and the layout taken from the Formula I owned at the time. All non white paint and upolstary fabric were from a connection I had at Thunderbird (Formula) back them.

Have some other pics taken last weekend tied to the dock. Better close ups. Will post tomorrow as my wife is asleep and I don't have a clue as to how to do it.

Will get some pics of engine compartment this weekend. Block and heads are Pink by the way.

Don't remember the cabin door and surrounding pieces. Drawing a blank there. I will ask my buddy.

Have some great pics during the restoration but have no scanner to post them. Remember filling in the transom from the Speedmaster hole and cutting a new hole for the TRS.

Sucked a lot of fiberglass during that year.

Oh yeah, during that same year, I bought a black and silver 24 Pantera out of Miami called "NO MERCY" we copied the dash from that boat. A few months later I bought a 81 27 Foot Excalibur flat deck out of Fort Lauderdale. That boat was blue and white. The two swim platforms on the back of the Banana are off my Excalibur. Ahhh memories.

My buddy and I are 40 and 44. Can we go into business with Top Banana and Chatman Racing on the third generation project???

Hey, Get in line



Those are nice pics of a great looking boat.

Guys, I'm calling on you all to not let me stop the project until #14 looks at least that good.