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Thread: Thunderbird formula Jr. project...

  1. #1
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    Thunderbird formula Jr. project...

    Hey all, I've been looking at smaller Donzi's for a while and came across a formula Jr for sale... it's rough.. gutted... basically has a bunch of parts with it that don't necessarily go to it. I fell in love with the lines of the boat.. I'd like to put it together with a 350 and an alpha drive... I haven't bought it yet! should I??

    does anyone have a source for things like the air vents and hinges etc if I can't find them??

    I've done some boat reconstruction work.. but nothing this extensive... It's 99% going to need the hull split. anyone here have some good pictures of going through the rebuild??

    also! some basic pictures. If I'm going hunting for random stainless/chrome i'm going to need to know what i'm looking for that came on it! I haven't seen many good pictures of these boats...

    thanks for your time and I hope to hear some helpful insight....

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    Just curious is the boat located in Mich ?

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    no, it's in new england. real rough... haven't seen one around anywhere that wasnt either a finished boat or already someones resto project... Sitting and rotting away... thinking i should grab it and at least save it.

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    Black / dark blue in color? Been on / off craigslist for a couple of years. Make an offer!

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    going to look at it tomorrow.

    does anyone know what outdrive/power options were available for these boats?? transom pattern appears to be mercruiser??

    I will update after I look at her

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    I have seen a few different packages on the Formula JR from Merc to Eaton .

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    yes, the eaton drives were the ford powered interceptor series... I've seen these more often than a merc. I found some mercruiser advertising from 1965 that lists what drives went to what power. it appears that 120-150hp 4 & 6 cylinder got the "mercruiser I" drive (pictured in the add above) and the 190-310hp v8's got the "mercruiser II" drives.

    I can't seem to find much information on these drives. I'm guessing that the I drive is the precurser to the alpha and the II drive is the precurser to the TRS/bravo drives?? just trying to figure out what the transom pattern is like here. does the mercruiser I & II share the same transom pattern?? or does the II have the 2 bolts above the transom cutout like a TRS/Bravo?Alpha II?? I'd like to find that this boat is already setup for a V8

    mercruiser I drive:
    461px-Mercruiserb65002.jpg

    mercruiser II drive:

    453px-Mercruiserb65003.jpg

  9. #9
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    Funny thing my uncle built Eaton drive's at Eaton manufacturing in Saginaw Mich my home town .

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    Quote Originally Posted by revkev6 View Post
    yes, the eaton drives were the ford powered interceptor series... I've seen these more often than a merc. I found some mercruiser advertising from 1965 that lists what drives went to what power. it appears that 120-150hp 4 & 6 cylinder got the "mercruiser I" drive (pictured in the add above) and the 190-310hp v8's got the "mercruiser II" drives.

    I can't seem to find much information on these drives. I'm guessing that the I drive is the precurser to the alpha and the II drive is the precurser to the TRS/bravo drives?? just trying to figure out what the transom pattern is like here. does the mercruiser I & II share the same transom pattern?? or does the II have the 2 bolts above the transom cutout like a TRS/Bravo?Alpha II?? I'd like to find that this boat is already setup for a V8

    mercruiser I drive:
    461px-Mercruiserb65002.jpg

    mercruiser II drive:

    453px-Mercruiserb65003.jpg
    I think there were more iterations between those and Alpha Gen1. There were MR drives and 888s I think, whatever those were. Unless if was the same HW with different marketing.
    "I don't have time to get into it, but he went through a lot." -Pulp Fiction

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ghost View Post
    I think there were more iterations between those and Alpha Gen1. There were MR drives and 888s I think, whatever those were. Unless if was the same HW with different marketing.
    Yes.. definitely.. many more.. just looking at the pictures of the two drives.. they are the first generations... the type I especially looks to have a lot of changes to get to alpha...

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    Well... for better or worse I own it now! Pretty much a bare hull with bad wood. Guy had loads of older junk but nothing useful to the formula. I will put up some pic's later!

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    Quote Originally Posted by revkev6 View Post
    Well... for better or worse I own it now! Pretty much a bare hull with bad wood.
    Congrats on your new project which in my opinion would be a fun one to have .

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    Thanks im pretty excited!.. anyone know how formula did the serial numbers on this boat? I have all the paperwork but none of it says the year of the boat.

    It starts with 1756... with the 3 digit serial after that. From my understanding it would be 1765 for a 17ft boat made in 1965.. with the 3 digit number following..... maybe they called it a 17.5 and it's a 66?

  15. #15
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    Congrats on the new project!
    Sean Conroy,
    1964 Formula Jr. (hull #2) project

    1972 Greavette Sunflash III
    1981 Kavalk Mistral project

    "A man can accomplish anything... as long as he doesn't care who gets the credit."

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