Southwind Tunnel??

[El Prosecutor]

In my endless tire kicking I ran in to a guy that has a late 70's Southwind Tunnel that looks like the one in the picture below. It has O.K. paint with a few dings here and there, decent trailer, tires, wheels, stated reliable / stock 460 with Weiand Stealth intake, points style ignition, OT headers and a fiberglass scoop, cav plates, no diverter. Gauges are no good, buckets and bench near new.
I would like to know your opinions on the general value of these hulls, performance expectations, etc. Strongly considering it as a fall/winter project, need to know what it is worth and if it is worth it.
This is NOT the boat I am looking at, it is just an example of a similar hull:
http://www.hotboatpics.com/pics/data/500/2079DSC01207.JPG

[BrendellaJet]

You should buy my boat. :D Just lowered the price...Save all the money you'd spend fixing an old boat up and use it to make some horsepower.
Ill let the Southwind Bro's tell you all about these boats, My understanding is that they need big horsepower to get to a point where the tunnels are working well. Solid boats and are safe. Check out the placecraft thread, BP posted some informative stuff about them in there...

[rivrrts429]

Contact FOURQ or Nuckin Futs here on the boards, they should be able to point you in the right direction. Lots of good info.

[Nucking futs]

Its worth whatever your willing to pay for it. They are very safe hulls to well over a 100. I will tell you that I bought mine some years ago less engine for around 4k. It had a full race R pump stainless imp,AQ shaft stuffer ect ect and It had an R intake. The boat was basically ready for the water when I got it but I decided to do a full on referbish job on it.
Mouzer pretty much killed the value of these hulls on HB when he was horse trading them a few years ago and not to many people are interested in them to much anymore with all the lightweight stuff that is around now. Everyone says they take gobbs of HP to make them run,but I call bull$hit on that. What it concidered "make them work or run good" and what is concidered a ton of hp? there have been several in the triple digets with just over 500 hp. Its all in the set up. If you like the boat and want one then its all up to you really, I grew up with these boats and will always have a special connection to them.

[mouzer]

i sent ya a pm....regarding value..what nuckingfuts says is true...there still kinda hard to find and there are people who are still lookin for them,,as for myself i found like 4 of them in one year all less motors for a descent price and have not found any cheap in over 2yrs,hard to find again. but seems to me everyone went to daytonas / and cp;s in the last 2 years but i would love to find another swtd project otherwise if i had the cash i would def take the one pictured above.:D MoUz:D

[bp]

Everyone says they take gobbs of HP to make them run,but I call bull$hit on that. What it concidered "make them work or run good" and what is concidered a ton of hp? Its all in the set up. If you like the boat and want one then its all up to you really, I grew up with these boats and will always have a special connection to them.
i agree. futz, it looks like you're finally gettin' it:D
there have been several in the triple digets with just over 500 hp. .
this, i have a little more difficulty with. i'm not sure what is meant by "just over", but to get any jet over 350lbs to an honest triple digit with 500hp, regardless of design, to me is a stretch, so i have a difficult time believing it. regardless, a sw is a fun boat to run even with less than 500hp...

[disco_charger]

That's a good picture.

[Nucking futs]

i agree. futz, it looks like you're finally gettin' it:D
this, i have a little more difficulty with. i'm not sure what is meant by "just over", but to get any jet over 350lbs to an honest triple digit with 500hp, regardless of design, to me is a stretch, so i have a difficult time believing it. regardless, a sw is a fun boat to run even with less than 500hp...
Well, first my dads dynoed @ 500 hp and it ran 103 all day long, war horse ran river racer jet and ran @ 106 and that was with and olds. Time tunnel ran 96 with 500 hp and I have rode in a nice stock 454 with a pfm turbo set up that makes about 550 and it ran 103 in needles.I know its hard to beleive Bob, but I think we have the heavy hulls. Shawns old one was a hell of alot lighter than mine and it was @ 87 with basiclly no set up on it. Im not saying that these are all 1/4 mile speeds, I legged shawns for a 1/2 mile to get it to 87 and it was still creeping up.
We both know speed dont win races...:D

[El Prosecutor]

This is the one I'm looking at. No better pics.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t312/Midlake_Crisis/Southwind.jpg

[Nucking futs]

how much?

[rivrrts429]

:eek: :eek: :idea:

[Cs19]

SWTD's have classic lines, one of the best looking jets IMO, I dont think Mouzers deals can kill the value of the boat although he may have done a little damage around here a nice one is worth some good money.
100 MPH with 500 HP is impressive, anything is possible.

[ol guy]

I had one and raced it for 2 Years. I would ask the bare weight on the hull and who set the intake. If it was Ron Hamilton. JUMP ON IT. They are great boats for smooth water and will get up on the air and run, i'f the set-up is right.

[El Prosecutor]

How does $5k sound?
This is the one I'm looking at. No better pics.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t312/Midlake_Crisis/Southwind.jpg

[LakesOnly]

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t312/Midlake_Crisis/Southwind.jpg
EP,
If you pass on the 460 powered SWTD, please let me know as I might have a strong interest in it.
LO
p.s. If you buy it and want a motor freshen/power upgrade on the 460, I can help you there, too, provided we have the off-season to go through the engine.

[El Prosecutor]

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t312/Midlake_Crisis/Southwind.jpg
EP,
If you pass on the 460 powered SWTD, please let me know as I might have a strong interest in it.
LO
p.s. If you buy it and want a motor freshen/power upgrade on the 460, I can help you there, too, provided we have the off-season to go through the engine.
All sounds good. I will keep you posted.

[FOURQ]

I had one and raced it for 2 Years. I would ask the bare weight on the hull and who set the intake. If it was Ron Hamilton. JUMP ON IT. They are great boats for smooth water and will get up on the air and run, i'f the set-up is right.
Hamilton didnt set to many intakes in them

[Nucking futs]

Hamilton didnt set to many intakes in them
He did all of places boats and a few more top fuelers. He was doing alot of hardware for most of the SWTD's at the drags, Just not the ones dad was doing.thats where we got the borrowed hardware in the garage thats going in mine.....:D :D :D

[FOURQ]

He did all of places boats and a few more top fuelers. He was doing alot of hardware for most of the SWTD's at the drags, Just not the ones dad was doing.thats where we got the borrowed hardware in the garage thats going in mine.....:D :D :D
I know he did all the hardware for Places boats but as far as installing the intakes I didnt know he was rigging boats for grandpa :idea:

[moneysucker]

$5000. Go for it. you can't lose. I paid more than that 8+ years ago for mine and it wias not nearly as nice. THis one will be up soon less motor, probebly TR motor so I don't totally lose my ass.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/DSCN0916.JPG

[Nucking futs]

http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/DSCN0916.JPG
This is the Original Time Tunnel drag boat. It has history and I have the articles too..
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/1638southwind.JPG

[moneysucker]

It may leave my hands bearing the time tunnel name again too. I am thinking M$ has become a part of every project I encounter these days and I now have the license plate too. lol.