Thread:

Texas Tunnel Resurrection

I picked this up off a friend. It was passed around for a while. Its a 18 Earl Smith, approx. 450#. I plan on powering with a moderately built SBC, approx. 475 hp. 2 seat, C impeller, "new style" inducer, little spray, exc.......

Itll have a valve and jet away. Ive been warned.

Its just about ready for gel and flo coat. Just a little more glass work.

I just wanted to check if any body knows of this boat and previous owner, or maby some pics when it was together.

Also, any set up info from someone with experience with these boats would be appreciated.

Shes coming along, I have just about everything to do it.

Ill post up progress as it goes.

(this should keep me occupied while at work)

All this small block talk has got me fired up!

Hey Todd, do you think squirtin Gel-coat over a polyester primer is OK???

PM sent Ballz.

Whats the story on that pop off?

Boat looks good, those "fangs" on the fronts of the outer sponsons are what can bite ya, those can be real nasty if you let off hard, lose a motor or have the boat setup wrong. Seen it happen a bunch of times with those. Ya know, there is no reason you couldnt remove those and make it just like a CP tunnel, I looked at one close a few years ago and I think you just follow (cut) on the body line right there and glass it up, piece a cake. CP tunnel is dangerous too but safer than one of these.

In the first pic there is a body line right in front of the cf numbers. Sawzall

Originally Posted by cs19

In the first pic there is a body line right in front of the cf numbers. Sawzall

funny i gots me a sawzall and a texas tunnel,,,was thinkin tghe very same....cut the entry spomsons ,,wont the water jus go right in the boot,i guess i wanted somone totype it out before i dir did it,,,make jus like a cp,,,but wats goin on w the add on pods from bennet ,,,r they applicable to a tt,ya i am drunk again

Originally Posted by mikewtx19

funny i gots me a sawzall and a texas tunnel,,,was thinkin tghe very same....cut the entry spomsons ,,wont the water jus go right in the boot,i guess i wanted somone totype it out before i dir did it,,,make jus like a cp,,,but wats goin on w the add on pods from bennet ,,,r they applicable to a tt,ya i am drunk again

<IMG class=previewthumb id=vbattach_123256 style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-TOP: medium none; MARGIN: 1px; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none" alt="" src="http://www.performanceboats.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=123256&amp;stc=1" attachmentid="123256">

Originally Posted by mikewtx19

funny i gots me a sawzall and a texas tunnel,,,was thinkin tghe very same....cut the entry spomsons ,,wont the water jus go right in the boot,i guess i wanted somone totype it out before i dir did it,,,make jus like a cp,,,but wats goin on w the add on pods from bennet ,,,r they applicable to a tt,ya i am drunk again

Originally Posted by cs19

Whats the story on that pop off?

Boat looks good, those "fangs" on the fronts of the outer sponsons are what can bite ya, those can be real nasty if you let off hard, lose a motor or have the boat setup wrong. Seen it happen a bunch of times with those. Ya know, there is no reason you couldnt remove those and make it just like a CP tunnel, I looked at one close a few years ago and I think you just follow (cut) on the body line right there and glass it up, piece a cake. CP tunnel is dangerous too but safer than one of these.

That's exactly what someone did to our Sunkisst tunnel. Looks much safer to me. So far no shutdown problems, installed jet a way this winter.
Hope to hit 115 tomorrow at Augusta.

Very cool, never seen anyone do it done it myself but its certainly doable. You may be able to fit the bolt on sponsons to those hulls if you make the modification, I dont know. I think this is exactly what they did when they built the CP. At some point the CP mold was re tooled, I believe the early CP tunnels have issues with getting the pods to fit.

Whats the story on that pop off?


Its coming along, I have the body all turned out and its ready for milling. I wanted to get that done first being the only long run part on the whole thing. Now we can "nibble" at it when the real boss isn't looking (my wife). The internals should be quickies. We just got a massive job out of the shop so ill have a little breathing room for a little bit.

I dont have the balls to do any de-fanging. Machinist don't make very good fiberglass guys.