TOPIC: ID this boat

Hey guys..I have just picked up another one of those "to good to junk" boats. I know it is a Formula, by Thunderbird. My problem is I have no idea of the year or model. It is an outboard, it is in pretty good shape, has the typical NorWest "patina" of moss and tree swap. The fellow I got it from said it's a lost title and he is working on finding it. Any info on it would be helpful

Re: formula Thunderbird, some statesDNRs have no issue w/releasing info on the last watercraft certificate. Call last state registered in see what you get

Did you check for the HIN number ? If you boat is newer than Nov 1972 it should have a HIN number on the transom and somewhere else on the boat , thats the first place to start . just my .02

murphy; stargazer,

WELCOME ABOARD to both of you. - LOTS of experts here on the forum, so somebody will know.

yours, satx

It looks as though it could be a Formula in the 1970-1972 range. I may have the brochure for that boat. I will dig through my archives to find it.

Thanks for all the input. I tried the local DMV..or in my case the clerk at the courthouse, and she wasn't able to run the last registration numbers. I tried calling the state offices, and got the run around.
There are no hull numbers anywhere I can see. No numbers mlded in...no placards or tags anywhere visible.
I'd appreciate the brochure if you find it. I've found info on some of the outboard Formula's, but none match the boat I have. The windshield is not a step through, and it is original. It had back to back seats in it. It measures out at 19 ft. The windshield is what throws the curve for me..I have found no other o/b's with that window style. It appears on a lot of the bigger Formula's, but I'm stumped.
I gave $25 for the boat, two 65hp Mercury's, one a runner and one for parts, and the easy loader trailer. No paper on the boat though, and our good people at the state DMV want to know the year etc to license it. Seems to be a solid boat..no soft spots, solid transom, and it has the great Nor'west patina that anything sitting out develops.

murphy,

A bit of "unasked for advice": BEFORE you throw ANYTHING away, LOOK EXTREMELY CAREFULLY at EVERY "piece of trash" in the boat.

About a year ago, i was looking for the maker's data on the boat that i had found "trashed" out in a field south of San Antonio, with ZERO luck. - I cannot tell you WHY i looked inside an orange juice carton in the huge pile of trash in the stem locker, but crumbled up inside was a receipt from a Minden, LA boat dealer, dated in March 1968, that had ALL the info that i needed to identify the hull. =====> I wanted to SHOUT: WOW! and YEEHAA!

yours, satx

looks alot like a glasspar citation to me.

If it's a Glasspar, they put the serial numbers in some odd places. My first delMar had the numbers stamped on one of the transom grab handles. The 58 I have, it's stamped on a metal disk used as a washer under the nut for the ski tow ring on the transom.

Duplicate post, don't know what happened!

Thanks to all for the replies.

OK..it's a Formula by Thunderbird. It's not a Glaspar. It's still all original parts. I've checked and crawled under and examined every part of it I can see, even had a neighbor kid crawl under the forward deck and check there. No numbers or tags or stampings anywhere to be found.
Id sure appreciate those brochures if you can find the 72hornet.
From what I can tell so far, it's a late 60's or early 70's. But again...the windshield just doesn't match with any of the Formula o/b's I can find. It seems to be original too...no extra screw holes, or glassed over holes.
I never realized a guy needs to be part time detective to own one of these old glass things. I have three now that I've spent more time at this keyboard trying to find info on then I have spent working on. I did manage to find a very little about my SeaHawk, very very little on the Dolphin, and now the Formula. I really do appreciate the info you guys provide though. Thanks to all who reply.

I am on the road an not back until Friday night. I am thinking it is 1971-1972 Vintage. I would ove to see pictures of your Sea Hawk. Is that the Dorsett Jet version with the 6 cylinder Ford power and jet package by Berkley?

There is a 1971 Formula brochure here in the Library.

Andreas

I've looked at the brochures in the library here, but again..if you look at the photo in my first post, you'll see that the windshield is a split,not 1 piece or walk through, with the little opening sections on the bottom. From what I can tell, this windshield was used on the larger Thunderbird Formula's. I did see one ad for a similar boat on the east coast, but it had the walk through. Mine measures out at a true 19ft.

And 72hornet..the blue and white boat in my photos is my old SeaHawk. From what I've found out about it is that it's very early 1950's. They where set up as o/b's. They have a weird sort of double transom's...an extension that looks like it was an afterthought. It is the boat that started my curse of "old glass".
With boats now ranging from 13ft..the 1958 Dolphin, to my newest, a 1979 Bayliner Nisqually. I'm not sure if I'd call it old glass, but I figure that 33yr's old is getting there.