1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

[wrfalpacas]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

I drove about an hour to lower Michigan to get my boat soda blasted today. This stuff is slicker than snot! Boy I wish I had done this on the cuddy, I probably spent the same on sandpaper and stripper! Not to mention the Hours and Hours with my palm sander. Well I got it all stripped in 2-1/2 hrs, and what a great job this guy did.

Soda is nice in that it doesn't remove or pit the metal, it leaves a nice satin finish. And clean up consisted of stopping at the local drive up self serve carwash and dissolving all the leftover soda dust with plain old H2O. Try that with sand/glass bead/walnut shells. The guy only charged me $300 as compared to the estimate I got in fort wayne of $1200.
Before:

After:

 

[BWR1953]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

Awesome!

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

We did find some damage to the keel under one of the trailer rollers... Any ideas on a repair? It doesnt affect the watertight integrity, but it needs fixed nonetheless

I also got the cowl blasted, and while Barney was working, made a run over to a place called Hildebrand's Marine salvage yard 517-238-2828 in Coldwater Michigan. HOLY CRAP, this place had, and I am not kidding, THOUSANDS of old outboards you could get parts from. I was like a kid in a candy store, not only did I get bearings for my Mercruiser outdrive (1968 R Model 120) but I got parts for my 56 30 hp Evinrude lark, and my 54 5-1/2 hp johnson. As well as a mess of cable steering pulleys.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

What a cool boat.

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

Bret looks like its time to learn how to TIG weld . I would say take her to someone who works on Toons they should be able to weld the keel up and with a little grinding it will be like new. She looks great and $300 to strip her what a deal there .



Rick

 

[Darren Nemeth]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

What is this thing?There is one on each side, some sort of trim tab or wake modifier for skiing?

It looks like it could be one of those Rooster Tail gadgets.

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

Darren, That has to be it!! Cool, thanks for the info

I started some more teardown today, got the transom out (1 pc solid oak!) and removed the coaming trim. Started taking all the rusty screws out of the oak rubrail. still not sure what to do with that. it is a solid piece 14' long, but has some rot under where the aluminum trim covers, I was thinking of git rot and then filling the areas with a waterproof putty befor the varnishing ???? Ideas ?????

 

[Fishpoop]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

Cherry looking boat! I bet those rooster tails would turn some heads on the lake...

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

I could only read one page before reply-ing Bret...I agree with Bob Lanscaping whiz, it is absolute junk and a waste of time, both those motors are way more trouble than they are worth, Ill do ya a favor and tow her to "my" scrapyard...Ill even pay you in Iboats credits....! lol

OMG that boat ROCKS you cannot ever sell her! it will be a family heirloom for the little tike in the pics that is the baddest ***** little ski boat in the world! what a gem! and the condition is to die for...wow those built in bench seats kinda remind me of CHURCH PEWS

that little 5 horse is a work of art.....that is way cool you discovered the old boat motor place....wow.....any pics of that place (cel ph or snapshots????????)

next time you visit can you take a few pics and share em? would love to see that place.....

you have one of the coolest new restos ever! wow.... now I am definetly a Starcraft fan
jeez...now I am like a kid in a candy store ....... keep posting LOTS of pics..
great find...awsome...sweet!

I was thinking that they look like something to creat a rooster tail..looked to small for any real planing mod or wake mods........wow after reading further...THEY WERE! lol guess a first guess is best! pretty cool you hafta keep em! Thanks for posting the cool old catalog shot Batboat guy!

 

[sprintst]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

Holy sh*t. That soda stripper did a great job. I blew close to that on just paint stripper.

That was a smart buy.

PS I just like saying stripper

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

We have a lot of strippers here in Vegas...its actually famous for em!

Dans sandblasting.....Janes Soda Stripping...lol...Master Beadblasting...

 

[86 century]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

You are lucky I didn't know that thing was a strarcraft. I am 45min south of the fort I think i seen that one for sale and passed on it. D*mn it That is a cool little boat congrats

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

Got some more work done on the boat and engine this weekend. The flywheel finally popped of after sitting with the puller on it for a week and a half. I also decided to pull the seats to refinish them, and found some more rot to deal with. hopefully it is all in non visible places, and I can make repairs without corrupting the look of the boat. I foundout it was originally red and white, and am planning on trying to match the original design. This is the first outboard I have worked on, and so far seems a breeze compared to a 120 hp I/O. I am slowly accumulating bits and pieces to fit her out on fleabay. I also ordered some bits and paint for the motor, as well as picked up an impeller, new coils, a tuneup kit, and a carb rebuild kit.

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

Bret

here's an interesting site that you and may others will enjoy........LOTS of neat stuff in here owners manuals for oldies, brochure pics and such....
http://old-omc.de/

the seat wood on the little star looks like it might be salvageable....cool deal....
wow you really tore into that old lark motor....that will look so sweet all restored on the starcraft.....rock on!

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

Vegas,

SAH WEEET !!!!! Thanks for the pic, site and email.

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

No prblem Bret
if I run across anything interesting pertaining to your new boat Ill send ya a PM or post it to your thread.....

have a great day!

Vegasphotoman (Paul C)

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

1957 ski champ at the dock..found these on BING.com search

Here's a 57 ski champ coming out of the lake....

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

one more interesting ad for ya

that was as big as I could find it!

 

[system-f]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

OMG, that water looks like heaven!!!! I would love to launch the P.M.S. (Poor Man's Skiboat) into suck a beautiful body of water!

 

[Capt'n Chris]

Re: 1957 Starcraft Ski Champ Restoration

Nice boat! Don't heat the keel to fill the tear in it or any sealer between that and the boat and around the rivets will be compromised. Fill and fair it by hand with maybe JB Weld..then paint it.

Captain Chris