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Thread: Tahiti boats

  1. #16
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    There was a long thread on this Tahiti subject over on Banderlog forum a while back, Old Rigger and his dad worked for Schuster, then followed as Schuster used the Tiki and Hawaiian names. It appears there was some "funny" business going on in the later years and that (edit) "someone" went to jail for a while. I can't access Banderlog from work or I'd pull up the thread.
    Last edited by Darkside's Calling; 12-09-2009 at 12:20 AM. Reason: fact correcting

    GaryB> Darskide's Calling
    '86 Eliminator Daytona/225 Excel in V-6 Special "Now hitting 90!!"

  2. #17
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    Dick Schuster, who was a laminator at Powercat when they made the switch to glass boats, started Tahiti in 1964 (after a short venture in Australia building boats) in Long Beach first. Then he moved into the old Bellflower Marine shop that had been owned by Bob Massey who was killed testing a Switzer wing on Lake Elisinore, and that shop was a Lakewood Blvd address across the street from Mr. Weiman's boat shop. Schuster would later build the hulls for Weiman Boats as Mr. Weiman had no glass shop. (Mr. Weiman's son Roger, who grew up with my mom, would split from his dad, race the first Tahiti jet boat and then start his own shop in Los Alamitos, then move to his shop on Rose street next to his dads old shop) Finally Schuster moved into the building around the corner on Ramona. Eventually there were 3 big buildings that took up a city block and they're still there. Before Competitive trailers was there, A&M trailers used one of the buildings to build trailers and there's many an old Tahiti still sitting on one of them.

    My dad went to work for Dick in 1966 and all the early employees were, or seemed to be, Paramount High School grads and their younger brothers, my dad and I included.

    Dick Clark set the fantastic record in his Tahiti, 'Harry Canary' in 1967 using the first Berkeley droop.

    The fire was before the shop was sold to Bell inc. It did not happen in the glass dept and no molds were lost, just inventory items like engines, pumps, gauges and so on. After the repairs from the fire, Schuster sold to Bell for a million bucks and stayed on as President. About 1971 or 72 the move was made to the shop on Crusader in the city of Cerritos. Tahiti was in full swing now, never bigger, and few shops were building as many boats or employed more people. Many people still remember being able to see the shop from the almost new 605 freeway and the boats stacked up on large racks that we built during the winter months.

    Schuster and an employee from Bell, Jerry Groom. started Hawaiian (Tiki boats at first) sometime in 1974. I went to work there full time the day after I graduated high school in '74 and we were back into one of the old Tahiti buildings on Ramona. Then we were in the building that later became Hardin marine when they built Tahiti's and then we made the move to Huntington Beach and had the two big buildings on Container lane. Hawaiian went tits up in 1980 but Schuster continued to build a boat here and there using the Hawaiian name and using a few of the guys from the old days. He also bought Sun Ray boats and his sons ran that shop.

    I went to work for Roger Weiman in 1980 and stayed with him for 5 years. My dad went to Hallett for a extremely short time then got out of the boat deal altogether. I later went to Galaxie for a cup of coffee then to Advantage, to Warlock, to Howard, back to Advantage, back to Roger, did some free lance stuff and a few things on my own and then packed it in n the mid '90s. I started making wire looms for my dad when I was 10 or 11 in about '67 as the riggers back then had to make their own. If I wanted to stay up late on Friday night to watch TV, I had to make looms too. I had a little jig that dad made me that looked like the back of a dash and he'd give me a list of looms to fill. This many jet looms, I/O looms and so on. Then at 12 I started working at the Tahiti shop on Romona shop after school cutting wood, block sanding plugs and molds, stuff like that until I was out of high school.

    Schuster did not go to prison, Jerry Groom did.

    I really enjoy seeing the pictures posted here of the old Tahiti's still on the water. Takes me back.

    The ID tag of my old 1965 Tahiti, the 9th one out of the molds.



    Dick Clark



    An old ad showing the Romona shop and how we stored 16' bare hulls. That's a 19 lp in the water shots.



    And here's a look in the shop on Crusader. This was just a tiny portion of the shop. We were at Hawaiian when this picture was taken, and except for the black 20 on the right which was tooled up after we left, it looks like home.

    Last edited by old rigger; 12-08-2009 at 09:49 PM.

  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by old rigger View Post
    Schuster did not go to prison, Jerry Groom did.

    Oldrigger,
    Thanks for straightening me out on that one. I obviosly missunderstood before.

    GaryB> Darskide's Calling
    '86 Eliminator Daytona/225 Excel in V-6 Special "Now hitting 90!!"

  4. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Darkside's Calling View Post
    Oldrigger,
    Thanks for straightening me out on that one. I obviosly missunderstood before.
    They both should have gone, Schuster dodged a bullet.

  5. #20
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    1968 Tahiti

    I have inherited my father's 1968 Tahiti I/O boat. My father bought this boat brand new in 1968 and there are many fond memories attached to it. However, I am forced to let it go due to the extensive work that may have to be done to restore. It is a left side driver, which I have been led to believe that is unique. Would love to have any and all thoughts.

  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cmbrsum View Post
    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.
    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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    Wayne 100 Tahiti

    Enjoyed the account of Tahiti history. I am researching boats built by Wayne Hornung, The designer of the Wayne 12 Port head for GMC's and Chevys. He built a number of Corvair powered boats with the engine vertically mounted with an outboard like lower unit mounted through the bottom about a foot forward of the transom, The initial boat was a 16' Glasspar Avalon. Later production (?) was called a Tahiti. Articles on Hornung's boats appeared in HRM, Oct 1965, PM, Sep 1965, & A boating magazine. I wonder if during your time at Schuster you knew whether they supplied the "Tahiti" hulls for the later Wayne 100's. It is said that about 95 highly modified Corvair engines were built and the company was known as Inboard Marine, Temple City, CA. I know the location of two Wayne 100's, one is an Avalon the other a Tahiti. Others have been photographed, usually at Corvair events. I hope to acquire one and am anxious to learn more about these novel boats.

    I'm a newbie and intended to post this to old riggers thread about Schuster, Tahiti history. Mea Culpa! I'll learn to be careful about replying!
    Last edited by tirediron; 11-10-2011 at 03:54 AM. Reason: Intended to post to old riggers Schuster History

  8. #23
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    Talk about a cool old thread!

  9. #24
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    In 1968 a company called Banshee built a copy the Tahiti in Hollywood , FL. Action Marine was started using those molds. I built more than i few of them when I worked at Action in the 70s. I also raced a couple of those boats in FJ and SJ classes. It was kind of like trying to drive an over powered oil drum. We built a real light one for Barney and I saw well over 70mph in it. Prop blowout was a real problem with that boat and when it happened the boat became a real handfull. Banshee also built several of these hulls with 455 olds motors and jet pumps. The outboards were faster.

  10. #25
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    Cool thread guys ! Click image for larger version. 

Name:	banshi16 copy.jpg 
Views:	100 
Size:	87.7 KB 
ID:	246378Here is an old picture I found of my 1971 16' Banshee (or was it Sidewinder..not sure now) which had a 135 mercury straight 6 on it. I think i ran a 20" 2 blade bronze prop on it in 1973. Fun and fast but not a very deep V boat. I remember getting a crack in the rear of the hull jumping some 2'-3' waves around the Hampton bays inlet on Long Island, NY.
    Last edited by dnelson964; 12-25-2013 at 02:53 PM.
    1990 22' Activator Yami HPDI 300-sold-86.4
    1976 21' Challenger 2002 3.1 Yami 250 Vmax phase lll 89.7-sold
    1982 21' Superboat 300merc-87
    1990 22' Activator yami OX66 Vmax 250-84.2
    1982 30' Scarab-twin 200 Merc-sold
    1979 21' Challenger 300 Evenrude-sold
    1979 21' Superboat 200 Merc-sold-72

  11. #26
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    This is my 71 Schuster Tahiti posted above and started by Cmbrsum on the 1st page. New carpet, interior, 13 gallon fuel tank, refinish motor and pinstriped.











    Karsten

  12. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by Karsten View Post
    This is my 71 Schuster Tahiti posted above and started by Cmbrsum on the 1st page. New carpet, interior, 13 gallon fuel tank, refinish motor and pinstriped.


    Karsten

    You did a beautiful job on the Tahiti !
    1990 22' Activator Yami HPDI 300-sold-86.4
    1976 21' Challenger 2002 3.1 Yami 250 Vmax phase lll 89.7-sold
    1982 21' Superboat 300merc-87
    1990 22' Activator yami OX66 Vmax 250-84.2
    1982 30' Scarab-twin 200 Merc-sold
    1979 21' Challenger 300 Evenrude-sold
    1979 21' Superboat 200 Merc-sold-72

  13. #28
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    Speaking of Tahiti the pictured 70's jet boat has to be one of the most splashed/copied hulls. Below is a list of the companies that splashed it. Not sure who the original designer was.

    Kachina
    Anthony
    Challenger
    Charger
    Tahiti
    Hondo
    Cole
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Challanger.jpg  

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    1973 Schuster Tahiti Jet Boat on Craigslist Reno

    I have no involvement with the seller. Just found it while browsing thought it fit this thread.

    1973 Schuster Tahiti Jet Boat - $1500 (Winnemucca)

    sale-kux77-2689324736@craigslist.org

    John
    775-304-0088

    http://s259.photobucket.com/albums/h...iti%20Jetboat/

  15. #30
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    Found these pics of my old Tahiti 16, thought they were pretty cool pics. this is the Tahiti mentioned earlier in this thread with the blueprinted pad bottom. one pic is at 90 mph and the other is coming off the line at the same race. motor is a slightly modded 2.4 carb merc. the restoration of this boat was totake out anything that wasn't absolutely nessecary! DAVE

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