1977 Tahiti 18'

[jtham]

I just looked at a 1977 Tahiti 18' jet with a 460 Ford and Berkeley non-split bowl. It had new paint and upholstery. Ugly rusted single axle trailer which didn't fit correctly. Thru-tansom exhaust and only short stringers for the motor mounts. My question is this: Are full stringers only important if you are going to go over 50 or 60 mph? Also, the guy didn't put the hull molding on after he painted it and you can see a gap all the way around the hull where it joins together. It is about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch all the way around. Is this a normal gap in this area? IF you cap it all the way around will this fix the gap problem? The guy wants $3500. for it. He had it about one year.
Any help would be great. Jay

[Squirtin Thunder]

I just looked at a 1977 Tahiti 18' jet with a 460 Ford and Berkeley non-split bowl. It had new paint and upholstery. Ugly rusted single axle trailer which didn't fit correctly. Thru-tansom exhaust and only short stringers for the motor mounts. My question is this: Are full stringers only important if you are going to go over 50 or 60 mph? Also, the guy didn't put the hull molding on after he painted it and you can see a gap all the way around the hull where it joins together. It is about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch all the way around. Is this a normal gap in this area? IF you cap it all the way around will this fix the gap problem? The guy wants $3500. for it. He had it about one year.
Any help would be great. Jay
I would say about $1500 high

[tahitijet]

i'll agree. ***boatpics is down right now or i'd show you a pic of what mine looked like for 1200.
it was on a tandem trailer (proper) fit, no interior, new paint, 455 olds and jet, found out later the transom and the stringers were rotted so the boat was really only worth 3 or 400.
I'd think 1500 is probably pretty fair. if it's structurally sound.
yes the gap is normal you can cap the boat if you want, but if you didn't want to repaint it's cheap and easy to put on factory rub rail.
as far as the stringers mine were rotted so i replaced my short stringers with full lenght. People on here will say you need them for high HP but others on here run high hp with short strigners. If the stringers are sound and your not planning to run 800+ hp i'd probably just leave them. I was going to but since i had to replace mine anyway i went full lenght mainly to give me a place to mount my new seats.

[SmokinLowriderSS]

I tend to agree with the others here on the value. He's wanting way too much with the gapping fit (especially being visible) and the badly fitting trailer. 1500 or maybe 2-grand would be all I'd be willing to pay for the otherwise running, fair-condition, boat. Will take some change to fix (or better replace with the bad rusting) the trailer, the rub rail is fairly easy & inexpensive.
My Taylor has only short stringers but mine are still solid, as is the floor. I think I would want longer ones for 7 to 800 HP OR if already replacing, go ahead for full length but I wouldn't fear a lake boat just for short stringers. On the other hand, Taylor's were overlapped and riveted every 2" so the hull to deck joining is very strong, I'm kinda iffy on the but-jointed boats, but I know they are really comon.

[holorinhal]

Here is a pic of My '75 Tahiti.The top and bottom joint is butted,but is glassed together pretty well on the inside,and feels prettf strong.I wish it was capped,so i could seperate the hull to facillitate the repacement of the transome,but i don't feel like doing the extra work to put it back together ,as it is allready solid.http://www2.***boat.com/image_center...ti_jet_006.jpg

[holorinhal]

Here is a pic of the deck to hull joint from the front.http://www2.***boat.com/image_center...ti_jet_016.jpg

[holorinhal]

My '75 along with the but joint,also has the shorty stringers.Iam contemplating full stringers,but only because they have to be replaced any way.

[tahitijet]

are you sure thats how it is? on the rear pic it looks like small holes drilled in the gap where rivets used to be in a rub rail. Looks to me like whoever painted the boat removed the rub rail and didn't put new rail back on.
I seperated a portion of mine i just ran a sawzall right thru the crack and across the back and a few inches up the side to finish getting the old transom out and cleaning up for the new glass.

[Squirtin Thunder]

are you sure thats how it is? on the rear pic it looks like small holes drilled in the gap where rivets used to be in a rub rail. Looks to me like whoever painted the boat removed the rub rail and didn't put new rail back on.
I seperated a portion of mine i just ran a sawzall right thru the crack and across the back and a few inches up the side to finish getting the old transom out and cleaning up for the new glass.
All those boats had rub rails or molding !!!
Even my Sanger is that way !!!

[tahitijet]

All those boats had rub rails or molding !!!
Even my Sanger is that way !!!
Thats what i thought.