You don't happen to have any "Shabah" decals, do you? I'd be interested in them, if so.

I know you weren't rubbing it in, but you have to remember how hard it is for us to get these items! You're sitting on a goldmine!!! I'm sure we all understand your desire to keep them though!

Thanks again for joining the club! I hope you'll visit often because I'm sure you'll be a great resource for a lot of us, and all our questions/issues!!

I would like to get the steering wheel emblem if at all possible and 1 of the shields if I could thanks and just PM me for shipping and price :)

Yes,sadly the building is vacant again..It was Godfrey Marine Illinois..we made Hurricane deck boats snd Polar offshore fishing boats...Godfrey is an outfit out of Eklhart,IN They also make Sweetwater,Aqua Patio pontoon boats and Polar Craft fishing boats I was there for 4yrs. in gelcoat and loading depts. There was a few old Mariah people there...The '09 dealer meeting did not go so well I guess....they decided to take all the production back to Elkhart One thing they left us was a 25'x30' pool smack dab in the middle of loading to water test the Polar's...

Re: Drove through Benton, IL. yesterday...
 

I am a new member but have never owned a boat. What I have done is be around Jimmy in the early days when he was building his first boats in a small garage (Ford dealership from the '50's) on rt 37 in Johnston City, IL. Several bankers and business people in the area were involved in getting everything off the ground. I remember the dealer meetings when Mickey Mantle was in Southern IL. He stayed in a motel in Benton. Can anyone tell me the month or year he was here? I had some items signed that I am giving to my kids and can't tell them when they were signed.

Re: Drove through Benton, IL. yesterday...
 

There are a few old Mariah employees along with his son Rance here so hopefully one of them will chime in with at least a year for you. You could also PM our Admin Chris (ShabahZ250). He has quite a bit of documents/photos etc and he's interviewed a few people so possibly he might have that kind of information.

btw...welcome aboard!

Re: Drove through Benton, IL. yesterday...
 

Does anyone know what the final boat that rolled off the line was? Thought it would be interested to know.

Re: Drove through Benton, IL. yesterday...
 

The production records that Chris (Shabahz250) has might show which boat was the last one off the line.

Re: Drove through Benton, IL. yesterday...
 

I only have records up to January of 1996... the rest of the records are not in my possession, but i keep trying...

Also, Mickey Mantle was very much a part of Mariah's history through the early to mid 1990's. I don't have any specific dates, but Jimmy and "The Mick" were very close friends.