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Relationship between Checkmate and Thundercraft wildcat

Hennigar

New member
Hi All, I'm trying to find historical information on how the 1970s Thundercraft wildcat came to be. It was clearly molded from a Checkmate V-Mate I mold, but how that came to be I don't know. Most checkmates of this era in Canada are actually Panthers (https://www.boatsandplaces.com/a-pair-of-classics-1980-and-1989-panther-ski-mate-3s/); built out of Ontario by Quinn. Mine I believe is a 1976 Thundercraft wildcat (based on serial number), and the hull and cap are exactly the same as the 1976 Checkmate V-mate-I and Panthers of that same vintage. I can only find a small handful of pictures online of the wildcat (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thundercraft_Wildcat_II.JPG). I was under the impression until recently that my boat was a Panther, as I was unaware of any other manufacturer (other than Baja) that was using Checkmate molds at that time. Any information you guys can provide on how the wildcat came to be would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
I’m guessing that Thundercraft probably ‘popped’ a mold off the Checkmate. Pretty common practice back in the 79/80s.

Nice looking boat....good luck-
 
Yah, either popped a mold, or like Panther, had an agreement with Checkmate to be supplied with Checkmate's original molds. I'm wondering which it was. The strakes are ever so slightly off (random 1/8 -1/4 inch here and there), when measured widthwise along the transom from the hull center line, so that slight imperfection may be from 'popping' a mold off an original Checkmate hull, but may also be from poly shrinkage (this is not my area of expertise, so I'm just speculating here). Overall, the strakes are very true along the hull, even after 50 years with rotten stringers! I'm also curious to know why or how Thundercraft got into these boats in the first place, and why they seemed to do a 180 shift from racing hulls in the 1970s to there very different looking hull designs in the 1980-1990s. Its almost like they started out in the 1970s with this knock-off checkmate V-Mate design (whether from a 'poached' mold or with an official supply agreement with Checkmate for Quebec), and then switched gears (owners) and really took off in the 1980s-1990s with a very different hull design vision. Any others around at that time that could shed light on this?
 
Yah, either popped a mold, or like Panther, had an agreement with Checkmate to be supplied with Checkmate's original molds. I'm wondering which it was. The strakes are ever so slightly off (random 1/8 -1/4 inch here and there), when measured widthwise along the transom from the hull center line, so that slight imperfection may be from 'popping' a mold off an original Checkmate hull, but may also be from poly shrinkage (this is not my area of expertise, so I'm just speculating here). Overall, the strakes are very true along the hull, even after 50 years with rotten stringers! I'm also curious to know why or how Thundercraft got into these boats in the first place, and why they seemed to do a 180 shift from racing hulls in the 1970s to there very different looking hull designs in the 1980-1990s. Its almost like they started out in the 1970s with this knock-off checkmate V-Mate design (whether from a 'poached' mold or with an official supply agreement with Checkmate for Quebec), and then switched gears (owners) and really took off in the 1980s-1990s with a very different hull design vision. Any others around at that time that could shed light on this?
Actually, those errors are likely in the original. So many Checkmates don't match from side to side and other places.
 
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