Posted: October 25 2005 at 00:00 | IP Logged

Hi there,

I'm beginning to think I'm the world's number one "Flipper boat" fan - 40 years after I sat glued to the TV ogling the TBird I tracked one down (not too easy when you live in South Africa and the boats are all stateside!) and as I write it's on the way to me on a ship in the Atlantic somewhere.

So that said, if you send me a picture of your boat I'll be able to tell you which model you've got (kro@telkomsa.net). (I suspect it's a Cheyenne or Comanche - the "Flipper" boat was an Iroquois - originally a 64 model until the last dozen or so episodes, then replaced with a 67)

As for the floor you've got two options - one easy, one hard!

You could just "double" it, i.e. add another layer of marine ply (3/8ths or 1/2inch), or else you'll need to strip out what's there to get at the stringers (i.e. floor beams) which I suspect are rotten and have given way.  Replacing these is a bit of a mission as they will be glassed-in, but again you can just double these by laying a matching timber along the existing component and stiffing-up the whole shebang by cross-scewing and/or glassing up.   Wooden hull frames have been repaired this way for years, so the method is certainly robust enough for a floor.

Good luck!

Posted: October 27 2005 at 00:00 | IP Logged

You're dead right, twin OMCs I think (I know the outdrives were white, so that made them OMC?).  

Being slightly nuts I'm doing a restoration on my Iroquois to the full "Flipper" look.   I'm in touch with Miami Seaquarium, the people who now own the rights to the original TV series , and the son of Richard Cole the (late) designer of the Iroquois - have had a huge amount of help from all sorts of people.  It's amazing how much interest that boat still generates, but then I only ever watched the show for the boat - damn dolphin drove me nuts!

Posted: November 11 2005 at 00:00 | IP Logged

Here's the link to the Flipper boat thread.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71179&am p;am p;highlight=flipper

Posted: November 14 2005 at 00:00 | IP Logged

I saw a Flipper boat on Lake George this weekend.  I forget what year he said it was, but I think it was a 67.  This one had a single six I/O.

Posted: November 14 2005 at 00:00 | IP Logged

Thanks for posting the pic. Yep, that's a 67 Iroquois.  As I think I've already said on another thread the early episodes of Flipper used a 64 (which may have only been 20ft), but the last dozen or so episodes used the 67 (the main differences are the 67 has a proper little cabin, and twin portholes). It's amazing that 40years on people still call this model the "Flipper" boat - I thought I was the only one until I fell across fellow fans on the Net!  I wonder how many are left afloat? I know of mine, one in Florida, this one, and possibly Strugeon General's.

If you want real trivia I can tell you that in "Flipper & The Fugitive" the show opens with the 64 being secured for a storm, but then the boat they are cleaning up after the blow is the 67, then Porter Ricks is seen driving the 64, which turns back into a 67!  I noticed that - does that make me a sad bastard or what!!??

Posted: January 08 2006 at 00:00 | IP Logged

Well....here you have another "flipper Boat" freak.....I've been nosing around for the last year and this is the best info I've seen.....Unfortunately I remember seeing (2) Thunderbirds in the Detroit Area..One was a 64, because it was smaller and the other was the 67 Iroquois....I've not seen them in 10 years and now they'r gone....If they were still where they were, I'd grab the 67 and spend whatever it took to restore it...One classic boat!

Posted: January 18 2006 at 00:00 | IP Logged

I spoke to Thunderbird during my research, but their records only go back to 1972!  In 1972 they were using both Merc & OMC engines.   The very first reference I saw to the "Flipper" boat was on an OMC website, so that kind of makes me think they were OMC

there is a parts drawing break down for upper gearcase high profile and transom parts if its an old OMC stringer drive at www.sterdrive.info hope this help Trish

ps i use to have one engine parts i got came from a jeep v 6 engine but now have much newer 1974 sea ray to play with now

Posted: January 19 2006 at 00:00 | IP Logged

Keith-

Congrats!  Can you post some pictures?

John

Posted: January 19 2006 at 00:00 | IP Logged

Hi John,

I tried earlier, but didn't seem to work! With a size limit of 15kb I end up with a little blob. Can anyone tell me how to create a url for a proper photo, and use that function in the "post" menu?

Posted: January 20 2006 at 00:00 | IP Logged

Keith, go to the initial beginning thread for the Formula section here from user Aftermath:

http://my.boatus.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=48707&PN= 2

Add your info there if you'd like as well and be sure to look through the threads for the history of our group here.

Posted: June 16 2011 at 19:37 | IP Logged

Iroquois owners!

  I would love to make contact with you. I have also have a Thunderbird Iroquois. I would like to share my photos and share with you. 

  Jeff "Tiger" Bewkes, Medford, Oregon, Tigersmail@msn.com

 I wonder how many are left?