My first boat 1969 Thunderbird Comanche. It's 18' 7" has 200hp Mercruiser straight 6. Still have it. Do you know the old TV show Flipper? The boat used on that program was a 23 footer.
We have six of them in my family so I have some experience with them. They are great boats. They are built very solid and heavy. They are very stable on the water, but pound a bit in the chop. If you are looking for a good fishing boat, you won't be disappointed. They are some of the best.
i just bought one yesterday for 500 buck from a lean yard. i was looking for info and stumble upon this post. im new to boating all i know it a Thunderbird with a trihull design. upon looking it up it might be a Thunderbird Comanche but i cant find picture anywhere. all i know is it a i/o mercruiser stright six i don't even know the horsepower in it can you guy help
I have a 69 17' Thunderbird seminole 4cyl. merc120. My friend bought it brand new in 1969 sold it to another friend who sold it to me. I have alot of fishing and ski time in this boat.
Just in case anyone is still watching this thread, I just bought a 19' Cheyenne. It needs a lot of work but I already have found out that it actually looks quite a bit worse than it is.
If any of you guys want to trade info, please feel free to PM me. I'll be checking the new forum in a minute too.
PS: Oops, I see that I am already here ... I found this thread while doing a google search trying to find info on the boat.
PS: I found out awhile ago that my boat is actually a Commanche, not a Cheyenne. They are very similar in appearance, but the Commanche has a longer cuddy and a shorter cockpit.
Last edited by jay_merrill : May 27th, 2009 at 05:01 AM.
Reason: Corrected Info on Boat Model
Does anybody know how the seats were originally arranged (what type and placement) in a 1969 Thunderbird cathedral hull??
I picked one up that's in reasonable shape, but it's missing the seats.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
I inherited my dads '69 Comanche, which he bought new. Great boat. They do pound a bit in chop. The original seats were back to back fold outs. They were positioned on either side of the cockpit. In the case of the Comanche, next to the saddle tanks. Just leave enough room to stand at the helm comfortably for fore-aft placement. And, about 2 inches from the scuppers. Over the years we have tried different configutations of seats. Currently, we have 2 swivel seats up front. This leaves more room fishing. When it's a pleasure boat, we break out the deck chairs and add them as needed.
I have a 72 Comanche. I've owned the boat for 10 years. I love it. It's been in the ocean, bays, rivers and even Lake George. Everywhere we run her she treats us just great! It is a very stable hull and if you have noticed a lot of the new deck boats have a similar hull design. It runs OK with the Evinrude 88 Special on her but it would run great with anywhere from a 115 to a 150.
The Transom and Deck have gotten a little soft, so this winter I plan to open her up and replace whatever is in need. It's that good of a boat I'll do what ever it takes to restore her!
If any of you fine gents know of a Thunderbird Bow Rider for sale I would love to get my hands on one.
Im looking for any info about a boat I just purchased, the title claims its a 1959 thunderbird... It seems very solid for its age and will look great once I refinish it. There is no outboard and all the switches and wiring needs replaced, cosmetically the finish is all spiderwebbed with cracks the windshield is missing but the hull feels,sounds solid from front to back. I measure 19 ft from bow to stern without a motor. It has molded cockpit seats and an enclosed bow, the coolest thing I think are the headlights recessed in the center bow. Ill try to get some pics on soon
thanks
Jon
After looking at other peoples pics my boat doesnt look like anyone elses does, Mine doesnt have the rail around the bow and mine has molded seats. Ive also noticed the lines on mine seem sharper where others seem more rounded...wish someone would look at my pic link and tell me what I have.
Last edited by aknar1999 : October 26th, 2009 at 09:15 PM.
Reason: update
Help me Identify this boat. Is it a Comanche or a Cheyenne? Where can I get parts (windshield parts) for it? I got it for free and want it ready by summer '10
cathedral thunderbird boat
Re: cathedral thunderbird boat
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