sprink58

Mark...PM sent.

I am in your debt my friend!!

I will take a look at the Vintage Formula site to get an idea of how they mounted on yours originally and how I might adapt them!!! Very cool!!

This is the core of what this sport is all about.

masi242

I am sure you will find away, I am just going to use a small grab bar on the back and just make some new holes before they go to upholstery shop this winter.

masi242

John, boxed it up today and headed to sunny Florida should be there by Fri.

sprink58

Thank-you....they will be put to good use.

sprink58

Here is a video that updates current progress.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R526BfFVXbE

Blueabyss

Any Updates?

sprink58

Just minor cosmetic stuff.

VtSteve

What a sweet boat you recreated there, great job!

Hard to believe it's a '79.

sprink58

Thanks Steve. What's a shocker to me with this one is that 1979 was THIRTY FIVE YEARS AGO !!

Link to 1979 Thunderbird Formula Brochure: http://www.formulaboats.com/document...20Brochure.pdf

Page 3

and

Page 10

sprink58

This week I finally got the Kiekhaefer Zero effort Controller installed. I learned another "Old Vs. New" lesson with this upgrade.

In review...after swapping the old MR-I Drives to Bravo I learned that the original 1979 MerControl would not allow for setting up the Bravo I's in reverse rotation.The reason is that Bravo Drives require a modern control such as the Kiekhaefer that will allow the shifter to push or pull the cable to make the Bravo I rotate either right or left hand rotation. I purchased a used Zero effort here on the OSO Swap Shop at a good price. It was in great operating condition but had cosmetic "issues". I sanded it and repainted it and it looks good as new. As I prepared to install the Kiekhaefer I discovered that the control end of my old original cables were different and were the old Mercury 600 series style that doesn't work except with old Mercury controllers. So...after consulting with Jason at Brand X and my friend and expert "Li'l Red"...we determined that I needed all new cables...shift and throttle. I measured the old ones and off to Jerry's Marine in Ft. Lauderdale I went to pick up the latest Tele Flex "TFXtreme" cable in the correct lengths with the correct ends that thread on.

So out came the old head and cables and in went the replacement Kiekhaefer and cables. We adjusted the linkages, wired up the neutral Safety switches, swapped the 23" Mirage RH on the port side drive to a 23" Mirage LH. Now I have both drives rotating outwards....which was one of the advantages that one gets with Bravo Drives.

Hey guys...with the new cables and controller in place I now know for sure what everyone was talking about when they said "Zero Effort"....they weren't kidding...it is Zero Effort!! Now I understand how those Throttle-men in the Off Shore Races are pumping their arm back and forth "effortlessly".

This is just another one of those things you encounter and find a work around for when you are updating a 35 year old power boat. When my 79 Formula was built. Bravo Drives and Zero Effort Controllers weren't even on the drawing board yet and were 10 years from production.

Special thanks to Jason Ventura at Brand X in Pompano Beach and James Dow aka "Lil Red" for their assistance and guidance in helping me thru this phase of the project.

You can teach an "Old 'Bird" new tricks. LOL

Pics to follow.