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Thread: Tahiti boats
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07-20-2008, 10:42 PM #1New Member
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Tahiti boats
Can anyone tell me anything about Tahiti boats. I've searched high and low and haven't found anything. I have an O/B. I think it's a '72.
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07-25-2008, 07:17 PM #25000 RPM
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I believe Tahiti made boats from about 1968 to 1981. Anyone else care to chime in? I remember seeing some nice Tahitis in the '70's as a youth. It seems like info on these is scarce in the general population. I'll bet Mark75H has some input. Good luck with your boating endeavour.
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07-28-2008, 12:01 PM #3Member
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Back in 1970 - 1977, we had a friend who had a late 60s (approx 20') gold metalflake
Tahiti we used to ski behind. It had a 427 L88 Chevy w/ Berkley jet drive. His girlfriend had
the same boat which was black metalflake and powered by a 351 Ford w/ Berkley jet.
I've seen quite a few Tahitis over the years, but never any like the two I mentioned. These
boats were unique in that they both had the "tumble home" transoms styled after earlier wooden inboard speedboats. They has the steering wheel on the port side, and no windscreens were used. I have lots of cool memories back then.
Look under fiberglassics.com under "Sidewinder boats"; there's a little info on Tahitis.
Dave
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08-02-2008, 04:03 PM #4
Tahiti
I currently own a '72 Tahiti with a 150 promax on it. I have pics in my album on my profile page. It has a blue printed pad added to the bottom, center steer, and was lightened considerably! I know they didnt come from the factory with a pad and offered alot of white nuckel chine walk at high speeds. I think they were manufactured by a company named Schutz? Not sure though. A guy named Dave Renfroe built my boat to compete in the "vintage" class in the FBI league over in Florida. I dont know him but alot of Folks here on S+F do. I would like to talk to him myself about these boats but I dont think he is a member here. I googled the name of the boat and saw a few pics of boats still in the original form(some had windshields and back to back seating etc...) I dont know how much help this was but I tried...
Last edited by elmo4x4; 09-12-2009 at 09:25 AM.
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08-02-2008, 05:45 PM #5
Tahiti
Manufactured by Schuster.
Carter Powell
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12-21-2008, 11:38 PM #6
Wayne Schuster's factory was on Lakewood Blvd, in Lakewood California. When I graduated Paramount HS in 1965 a lot of my pals went to work there. Tahiti was probably one of if not the biggest mfgr. of entry level boats back in the day. I grew up on flat bottoms, waterski racing behind my Dad with an 18 ft. Aqua Craft Wickens Whirlwind, by Skip Volk. I still see a lot of these old Tahitis on Lake Havasu & down on the Parker strip, an some of them still look as good today as when they came out of the mold.
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04-03-2014, 08:41 PM #7Junior Member
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Just thought I would post a picture of my 1970 19 foot Schuster Torino Tahiti jet boat. I took a picture of the emblem on the side. I rebuilt the pump myself last november, with a rebuilt 454. Would love to here some feedback from anyone with info. I do all my own work so far on it. I've had it about 5 years, got it from a friend who got it from a friend as payment of a debt. My friend didn't know how much trouble the berk and BBC were in, and he didn't want to put money into it so he sold it to me for 500 bucks, and then I had the motor rebuilt, and rebuilt the pump myself, first time. So far have 15 hrs on the newly rebuilt drive train. Just thought I'd share it and see what kind of info is out there!
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11-27-2008, 05:16 PM #8
I'm redoing a 71 Schuster Tahiti 16 right now. Nice lil boat. The hull was formed from a Glastron and had the little art wedges added to them. Mine is all original with the tag still in it and in grate shape. has an Evinrude 125 on it.
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03-10-2010, 12:21 AM #9
Well this Tahiti is now my Tahiti and soon to get new carpet and have the seating redone.
Same 125 Evinrude that will get a fresh paint job and I hope to get the trailer painted before summer.
I plan to relocate the fuel tank to a bow mounted one if I can get it all figured out.
Karsten
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12-23-2008, 10:49 PM #10
They have a Tahiti section on www.sidewinder-boats forum...
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09-11-2009, 09:55 PM #11New Member
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Hey, I have the exact boat. Schuster teamed up with them and put Mecury packages for poer & drive. They have a inline 140 hp inboard with a #1 drive. The inboards were rare because Tahiti's are known for there jet drives. Awesome little boat, you'll love it.
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09-11-2009, 11:55 PM #12Junior Member
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Tahiti Boats was started in the very early 1960s in Bellfower, CA at 8832 Ramona Street, just south of the 91 Freeway off of Lakewood Blvd. Competitive Trailers has occupied a part of the old Tahiti plant for well over 20 years. Dick Schuster was the founder/owner. Probably the most successful Southern California boat builder in the mid-60s thru the 70s. I first owned a 16' Tahiti (1963-64) with twin V-4 Evinrudes -- then switched to a Tahiti/Berkely jet in 1965. Schuster was a master at production and developing new models quicker than anyone else in the business. Tahiti really took off around 1964-65 when Berkely's sales rep, Dick Clark, set a new jet boat drag record at 79+ mph with a Hayden Proffit built 427 Chevy. Jet boat sales for Tahiti during the rest of the 1960s were massive. Eventually, Schuster sold the business to Bell Industries and stayed on for awhile as the GM. A major fire at the plant destroyed almost everything, including a lot of the molds and the company never really recovered from the loss. At the very end, Hardin Marine in Anaheim bought what was left of the company and built boats under the Tahiti-Caribbean banner for a few years. As far as boat builders go -- Schuster is a legend.
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09-12-2009, 12:26 AM #13
I had a 16' Tahiti back in the late 80's. 140 Chrysler.
My bud had a 17' marlin that looked almost identical to it with a 150 FORCE on it.
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09-18-2009, 07:26 AM #145000 RPM
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My father has a '77 Hardin-Caribbean jet, 460 Ford/Jacuzzi drive. We have seen a few boats over the years that look very similar but have Tahiti badges on them.
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10-30-2009, 06:36 PM #15Junior Member
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Tahiti Boats
We have a sweet and all original 1972 Schuster Tahiti with a Merc 1400 that we purchased from the original owner who pampered it. We love it!
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