1981 Southwind T/D On Ebay

[LakesOnly]

Fresh 540 Merlin. Looks like a good deal.
1981 Soutwind Tunnel Dragster (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2484124699)
LO

[GlastronGuy]

He says it's got a "Load grater and Droop Snop".
I wonder if he is new to boats?

[Jake W]

SWTD looks really clean it even has the(gell?) stripes through the floor
Jake

[HavasuDreamin']

Is it just me or does the back of that boat look modified? I thought the built in setback on those boats extended past the main part of the transom.
Looks nice, but wonder why he cut it up?

[Danhercules]

There are a lot of SWTD out there with the pod cut off. most peeps just trim em down. I dont know they do this, Wheres Nuckin Futs when ya need him?

[bp]

i think some of the very last layups came that way, with the shorter pod. the blown sw that was at ming last month had a short pod, and it was not cut off. very nice layup.

[Nucking futs]

The boats only came with shorter pods if the customer requested it that way.That boat is a texas made tunnel from mark connels shop.Very clean boat and not a bad price.not to crazy about the shortened pod though,gots to keep them long.There is a reason for them to be that long too!!

[ShowDown]

Nucking futs posted....
not to crazy about the shortened pod though,gots to keep them long.There is a reason for them to be that long too!!
Would you please elaborate on this for us. I absolutely love the Southwind T/Ds and hope to one day own one if the right deal comes along so I am trying to compile all the imformation about them that I can. Also, you said that the boat was built in Texas, how can you tell where one was built, and where all were T/Ds built in the past and who built them? Sorry for all the questions, but I would really like to know. Thanks!:D

[HavasuDreamin']

Yes.............please spill the beans. :cool:

[Danhercules]

Want Southwind info?.........
Go here. (http://www.southwindjetboats.com)

[HavasuDreamin']

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.........is it just me or with every icon you click on..........you get the same thing (the home page)? :confused:

[Danhercules]

The Icons of the boats are jsut for pics, if you scroll down after you click, you will see pics of that kind of boat. If you scroll from the home page down, there is a forum.
Use the the down arrow key!!!:p ;) :D

[HavasuDreamin']

Sorry 'bout that. I guess I was looking for a history of the boat type of transcript or something. ;) You know........boats were made in CA until _______ when Joe Schmo bought the molds and moved them to TX.
At any rate, that is a damn cool boat.

[Danhercules]

Just ask on the forum, They will answer
They were sold in I think 82. and the new ower made like one or two boats. Somthin like that. They were made in Orange Ca. On lemon st.

[FOURQ]

almost all Southwinds were built in california..but we did have a shop in texas too.. we (nuckin futs and myself ) know almost everything there is to know about Southwinds.. Our grandfather owned it and our father built them and raced them...most of the custom tunnels were built in texas. we would be happy to answer any questions you have about Southwinds you have and if we dont know the answer im shure pops knows it...:D
HavasuDreamin
you need to scroll down a little bit then you will se the page ..all the pages have the same header..i Built it that way:)
4Q

[slotracer]

fourq where can i get a cover for the hand hole on the pod? thanks
pat(slotracer):D

[Jake W]

Fourq
So your dad was the man that made the Southwind boats from the start or bought the buis?
Did he make the mold for the SWTD?
Where are the molds today?
I thought Southwind went out of buis in the 70s and that is why their bottoms well the 18 bottom is found on so many boats from that era.
Like the Kachina,Hondo,18 Tahiti,Mantra ect it(the Bottom) was from a cut down Esquire rite?
Jack Mc had a cool storie about the guy that owned Southwind boats about he found out that Hondo had copied their bottom and had made some of them so he went their and layed some threats down and told him not to sell any of them but a few months later Southwind went out of buis and so Hondo started selling them any way.
Jake

[Nucking futs]

Our dad just built the tunnels and raced them and did the bottom mods and hardware set up.We ran a comp jet that went 103 all day ling with 500 hp.Our grandfather bought the buis. in 69 from the guy that jack was refering to and made it what it was.The tunnels were desighned inhouse and are a very sought after boat.The reason why i know this boat was made in texas is the colors.I would be happy to try and answer any questions about the boats that i can but if not the guru himself will be able to on our site.......Tim

[Jake W]

OK
1 What did the SWTD bottom come from?
Orignal or Sampled?
2 Why did you guys make the Tunnels in Texas instead of Cali?
3 Do you guys still make any boats today?
4 What did a fully rigged tunnel cost back in the 70s?
Jake

[LakesOnly]

Originally posted by Jake W
Where are the molds today?
I'm working' on it...:devil:
LO

[LakesOnly]

...something keeps coming to mind:
"The engine is an 800 HP 540 ci Chevy. Built from a Merlin block it has Eagle steel crank, Eagle H beam rods, Wiseco 14:1 forged pistons, felpro race gaskets, ported open chamber heads with titanium retainers, stainless valves and Isky tool room valve springs. The engine has a roller cam, lifters and rocker arms with Manley push rods. I'm running two Demon 850 carbs sitting on a custom built Tunnel Ram"
Factory heads? Where are the real heads that are supposed to be on this motor?! Who's got 'em and why arent they included?
LO

[HavasuDreamin']

Originally posted by Nucking futs
I would be happy to try and answer any questions about the boats that i can but if not the guru himself will be able to on our site.......Tim
Awesome. :D The SWTD has to be one of my top three all time favorite boats. They are bad ass fo' shizzle.
Questions:
1. Why did some of the SWTD's come with the shorter or chopped off set back?
2. What were the advantages/disadvantages?
3. Did they start this way, or was the chopped version an experiment?
4. Which ones ran better down the quarter.
5. Last but not least.........I have read (on these boards) about the SWTD's needing some bottom modifications if running above say 110 mph (guesstimate on my part) or so? I don't know...........is this true........if so what is being done to the bottoms and why is it necessary?
Havasu(hoping to own a SWTD one day)Dreamin'

[FOURQ]

Originally posted by HavasuDreamin'
Awesome. :D The SWTD has to be one of my top three all time favorite boats. They are bad ass fo' shizzle.
Questions:
1. Why did some of the SWTD's come with the shorter or chopped off set back?
2. What were the advantages/disadvantages?
3. Did they start this way, or was the chopped version an experiment?
4. Which ones ran better down the quarter.
5. Last but not least.........I have read (on these boards) about the SWTD's needing some bottom modifications if running above say 110 mph (guesstimate on my part) or so? I don't know...........is this true........if so what is being done to the bottoms and why is it necessary?
Havasu(hoping to own a SWTD one day)Dreamin'
1. some pepole wanted a shorter pod thinking this would make the boat faster
2. imo the original pod is the best it has been race proven..if the pod is cut then most likley the intake was moved and this will hurt the design.(imo) If you get lucky and get one and the pod is cut like mine you hope and pray they didnt touch the intake. mine was cut so a popoff could be installed but the intake wasnt moved.
3.4.5. all the original swtd had a 12" pod this was the first setback pump that was the whole concept behind the pod was to set the pump back and hide all the ugly sh*t. after the hull design was race proven then pep0ole started to play with the design like cutting down the pod some liked it some didnt it was all personal prefrance. the avreage swtd with 500 hp running an A impellar wont hit 90 now adays because they change toooooo much on the boat. back in the day as my bro said we ran a comp jet at 103 with a stock pod and a 500 hp bbc nothing fancy except it was injected.all the secrets we wont reveal are in the set up of a stock pod and some hardware with the out side droped about 2 inches. i have heard storys about pepole that my dad raced that had more money than they new what to do with and had 800 hp and couldnt get the boat past 96 so as i said its all in the setup and knowing what works right with that boat.. when my dad was helping design this boat he told them what he wanted and they did it. he went off in the side and did his few changes (hardware ) and the boat flat hauled ass. very few pepole know what he did but it worked. the one thing that pepole have figured out is changing the bottom dropping the outside 2 " to air the boat out more but then pepole tend to over adjust the plates not knowing what it does ..they think they do but how many pepole know what the out side plates do and how to set them ..im not trying to knock anybody but it is a common mistake that we have seen time and time again.
i think i answered all your questions and then some if you need anymore info let us know ..
if you want to start bashing me for anything i have said than bring it on..lol i know my bro will now...:)
4Q

[slotracer]

what do you mean by dropping the outside 2" ?
pat(slotracer):D

[FOURQ]

drop the outside 2" make the tunnel 4" deep instead of 2"
ohhh and as far as your cover go to the local metal shop get you a piece of aluminum and cut one out ...lol:)
4Q

[slotracer]

how far up the hull do you go from the rear? thanks on the advice on the cover. i went to tap plastic and got a piece of lexan for now.
pat(slotracer):D

[FOURQ]

the ones we have done started at the end of the deck.
we used a 2x12 and cut it to fit and bolted it on first that way you can play with it before you f*ck up you boat just use carage bolts and through bolt it and sillycone the holes
4Q

[Jake W]

Holy Shit bolt some 2x12s on the bottom that sounds crazy ha ha.So do you bolt them to the bottom of the tunnel or the side.
Are the tunnels on the southwind tapered or stright pasages.
Oyea you never answered my questions from befor.
Jake

[Mr Twister]

So, Southwind was building boats in Cali and Texas at the same time. I have a "Southwind by BELLCO" Killeen, Texas. I've always wondered what the deal was, as I only heard of California Southwinds. There are a few around here, actually more than you would think, But as yet, I have not seen another TD here in Michigan. I think my boat was originally sold at a dealer out of Ohio.
Questions: How many SWTD's were built, and how many years was that hull in production?
I think this thread has been hi-jacked........

[FOURQ]

Originally posted by Jake W
Fourq
So your dad was the man that made the Southwind boats from the start or bought the buis?
Did he make the mold for the SWTD?
Where are the molds today?
I thought Southwind went out of buis in the 70s and that is why their bottoms well the 18 bottom is found on so many boats from that era.
Like the Kachina,Hondo,18 Tahiti,Mantra ect it(the Bottom) was from a cut down Esquire rite?
Jack Mc had a cool storie about the guy that owned Southwind boats about he found out that Hondo had copied their bottom and had made some of them so he went their and layed some threats down and told him not to sell any of them but a few months later Southwind went out of buis and so Hondo started selling them any way.
Jake
no my grandpa owned Southwind not my dad he bought it as it was in its very early stages they only had the 18 then he expanded it and built and bought other molds as they grew. The 19 td was his invention it was a copy of the 18 heavily modified and yes he built the mold for the 19. as far as were the molds are today for the td we dont know. my bro and i have toyed with the thaught of building a new and improved swtd mold but that may be as far as it goes. the other molds are still around and some are used. i have seen the 18 deck used on a 18 cp but it looked like sh*t..Southwind was sold in 1980 and went under soon after that in or around 1982. as far as the story that jack told you it may be true i will ask my dad about that as my grandpa was an honery sob,
4Q

[FOURQ]

Originally posted by Mr Twister
So, Southwind was building boats in Cali and Texas at the same time. I have a "Southwind by BELLCO" Killeen, Texas. I've always wondered what the deal was, as I only heard of California Southwinds. There are a few around here, actually more than you would think, But as yet, I have not seen another TD here in Michigan. I think my boat was originally sold at a dealer out of Ohio.
Questions: How many SWTD's were built, and how many years was that hull in production?
I think this thread has been hi-jacked........
yes there was 2 shops one in california and texas as far as the number of swtd built we dont know it was alot the first swtd was built in 1975 and they were put out to the public in 1976 tha cost of a new swtd in 1978was any were from $8050 to $10750 depending on the engine ..The 10750 price was a custon built 450 hp 454 bbc from Gayland hill racing and og course the 8050 was with a ford.. :yuk: ....
ya this thread was hijacked sorry Paul :D

[FOURQ]

Originally posted by Jake W
Holy Shit bolt some 2x12s on the bottom that sounds crazy ha ha.So do you bolt them to the bottom of the tunnel or the side.
Are the tunnels on the southwind tapered or stright pasages.
Oyea you never answered my questions from befor.
Jake
i forget it might be 2x10's..lolyou bolt them on the out side so the tunnel is deeper aand the passages are tapered
4Q

[Nucking futs]

Also used foam to get the bottom straight and glassed over it.The 2x was just to see what the boat would do and they were not a permanate fixture just a test and when it worked then they did some other mods as well.We also ran a blown fuel jet and just with the bottom mod and hardware change it went from 117mph to 137 right of the trailer.When my grandpa gave bill place the southwind (going places)place started doing his own thing to the bottom as well and then made his own boat(placecraft)and all his bottom mods are standard on that tunnel,lowered outer sponsons and a shortened pod.THere is still alot that can be done to both and very few people know how to do the set up correctly and i am one of them,i can get close but the old man gets it nuts on after a few passes.

[SANGER-RICH]

mini-daycrusier (http://i6.ebayimg.com/01/i/02/1d/48/01_12_s.JPG)
Im looking for info and possibly the year of this southwind

[LakesOnly]

Last two digits of the HIN are the year. All boats since '72.
LO

[SANGER-RICH]

Not all, I have 2 sangers (80, 74 )that dont have VIN numbers on them, I dont have the boat in front of me it is about 150 miles away

[LakesOnly]

Originally posted by SANGER-RICH
Not all, I have 2 sangers (80, 74 )that dont have VIN numbers on them, I dont have the boat in front of me it is about 150 miles away
If they were to be USCG approved, they came with numbers. Race-only may not. If your Sanger's are repaints, it's likely that the number was filled/sanded/painted over.
Is the Southwind a 20 ft?
LO

[Nucking futs]

That is a 20 and it looks to be in the late 70's by the colors around 75-77.clean ride at that.

[SANGER-RICH]

Originally posted by LakesOnly
If they were to be USCG approved, they came with numbers. Race-only may not. If your Sanger's are repaints, it's likely that the number was filled/sanded/painted over.
Is the Southwind a 20 ft?
LO
21'6"