Hello SCJB.  I started an introductory thread over in the No Wake Zone but thought it might be better to detail my project over here instead.  I bought this boat a few months ago and have been slowly making progress and acquiring parts. 

The registration says it's a '78 Tahiti.  Best I can tell from searching the interwebz and looking at pictures is that it's a Super Tiger Bubble Deck.  It's the typical Olds 455 / Berkeley 12JC with A-cut impeller combo.  I got a smokin' deal on it from a friend who got it from a guy that tried to use it as a submarine.  Literally sank with nothing above water but the nose bobbing in the bay.  After it washed up on the beach my buddy helped recover it and called me.

As you can imagine it's a project.  The motor is out and about 3/4 the way through the machining process.  There's a laundry list of things to do that seems to be getting longer rather than shorter!  LOL!  Here's where she's at in a buddy's yard waiting for me to make room for it at my place...

The engine was thermo-cleaned and shot peened before getting bored .060-over.  It'll be a 469 when it's all said and done.  The TRW forged slugs were a little on the large side so by the time we added some clearance it got an extra cube... lol!

Do you have full stringers?


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I've been checking out various interior options for these boats and one thing struck me... It seems like all the pics Ive seen the floor is flat.  On my boat the floor is V-shaped (see pic above).  I feel kind of dumb asking this but...

Am I supposed to have a 2nd floor in there that may have been previously removed? 

I'm thinking yes but I can see where seats were mounted to the existing floor.  I suppose someone could have ripped the sub floor out and glassed seats into the hull.  This boat is 37 years old, anything is possible. 

Can anyone shed some light into how this is "supposed" to be set up?  Any info appreciated!

By the looks of that pic up there, there is a sub floor in the boat. If you look in the bilge area you will see that there is an upside down triangle towards the front. The top portion forward is the sub floor.
If the boat sank, I'd check what you have going on with the wood there as well as the cavity under.

Once you figure out how you want the interior layed out, you can plan on how to make pedestals/seat mounts. 



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Thanks for the info, guys!  I'll be sure to check the bilge and sub floor areas well.  Floor seemed solid but I'll triple check it. 

Wow, I see so many parts I need!  Wish I could just buy the whole boat,  LOL! 

Are you parting the whole thing out?  It has a bunch of stuff I could use.  Hate to kill it like that, though... seems like a nice float in the pics.

I have a 72 Tahiti Executive and it has a v shaped floor as well. The interior I pulled out was all original.


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No progress on the boat it's self, but made a dent clearing the spot I'll be keeping it.  Couple more days of clearing and I should finally be able to bring it home.

Went ahead and pulled the trigger on the '72 Tiger.  It's much further along than the '78.  I'll start a new thread on it as soon as I am home in the daylight to take pics of it.  Pretty stoked to have made "progress" without really doing anything... LOL!