1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

[matt167]

I put up another thread that I had gotten a boat. This is it and I managed to get it home. I was looking for a tinny or a cuddy cruiser that I could restore, but I went back to look at this. I'v known about it my whole life because it was my grandfathers. I just thought it was a basic runabout. I did not know that he had bought it brand new in 1961, or even what brand it was. I just knew it was a blue and white runabout. Last time I saw it in the daylight was 12 years ago or so,It's tagged for '01 so that's about right. It has always been covered. I know this is 1 of the milder designs that Custom Craft put out, but it's still fairly radical at least in my eyes. The cap was painted by my dad around the same time I remember it being out. That is clearcoat peeling. Glass is good and solid with the exception of the transom patch and there has been a keel repair which needs redone, but for the boat being as old as it is, and as neglected as it has been for the last 10-12 years, it's not in bad shape. Seats and the padded dash are all in nice usable shape. The Merc 650 is not original to the boat. It came a couple years after being new. They Hit a rock and the original 35hp's LU was taken out. Being a ski boat, doubling the HP was only logical.

It shouldn't be too a difficult rebuild. I've never done a boat before but I have done woodworking and fiberglass repair. So far, I know it's going to need a new transom, and stringers are likely/ replace anyway.. I 'may' upgrade the steering to teleflex no feedback, but only if I can get the wheel off. It's translucent acrylic gold color with gold glitter in it. Doubt I will find a replacement if I break it. Plan is to rebuild it to as close as I can make it to the way it was in the mid 60's when it pulled skiers up and down Goodyear lake. Everything is there to do that except the Custom Craft emblems for the rear fins. They are MIA and have likely been since the cap was painted.

 

[kfa4303]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

Great project. I love the fins!!! Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

I'm gunna LOVE this one!!!

 

[matt167]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

Just looked up the max hp for it, and it's listed at 50hp, so it's +15hp over the rating, but the 650 was bought from and installed by the dealer that sold the boat. So it must have been considered an 'ok' hp increase.. Was the Merc 500 the same block? I see they shared owners manuals.

 

[matt167]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

Great project. I love the fins!!! Good luck. Keep us posted.

Yep, fins are good. Should have an update in a couple days.

 

[matt167]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

I'm gunna LOVE this one!!!

Should be fun.

 

[JEBar]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

I have to admire folks who are willing to undertake such a project .... there is on way to put a price on the family connection and it will only grow with the passing of time .... I do look forward to following your progress

Jim

 

[matt167]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

It shouldn't be too bad, before settling on the CC ( as I did not know the history ), I was looking at boats that looked a lot worse and some of them were a lot newer. Just reading thru some other info from Nickle City Classics, and it's said there are no stringers, and that the boats basically filled with foam. I'd imagine there is some wood to attach the deck to, but I'm sure I can take care of that. Only hangup will be the transom, as there is that outer wood plate there that is carriage bolted in. Don't know the condition of the 'glass underneath but it shouldn't be too bad.

I'm glad I did decide on this boat.

 

[matt167]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

Got the boat into it's restoration workshop and started cleaning it. Still needs some lighting in there. Next on the agenda is building an OB stand and getting the Merc off the transom

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

Nice workspace set up!

Here's a stand: Building your own outboard motor stand

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

Heres a tip: If you use pneumatic wheels from Harbor Freight you can roll your motor on that stand ANYWHERE you want to.
They have them on sale currently for $3.99. 10" Pneumatic Tire
I used 5/8" x 6" long bolts with washers and used a 5/8" spade bit to drill into the ends of the 2x4 and epoxied the bolts with the wheels installed into the base. It worked great.

 

[matt167]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

I was thinking about 10" wheels, except I totally forgot that HF had them much cheaper than Tractor Supply.. Going to order them. Plans for OB stand are printed

 

[matt167]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

Got the outboard stand done yesterday. Not to the plans. I used what I had. I Was getting ready to scrap a set of free standing temporary steps. Bottom frame was still good ( Pressure treated ) so I knocked the step part off the base, and built the stand part out of scrap material. I could have used 2x6 for the uprights, but the 4x4's were already the right height. Only thing that concerns me is there is no angle to the 'transom' plate. It's 90* vertical, but that's how it went togther. I still want some more bracing and I'll probably increase the length, and add an angle shim to correct the 'transom' angle. the 4x4 post was supposed to be used for the step handrails on the porch I just built, but I measured once and cut twice but it was still too short.. Needs the 10" wheels , but the Motor's still not unhooked... Total cost of the stand would be $14. I used one uncut 2x4x8 ( $1.97 ) and the treated 4x4 I cut wrong which was $12. The rest was either scrap or drops.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

That should work just fine.

 

[matt167]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

Cool. I should have the motor pulled and on the stand by Sunday.. Getting the wheels Friday so it should all come together.

 

[matt167]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

Got some stuff done today. OB was pulled the other day. Started to pull off the plywood scabbing off the transom. Got the small piece off and then pulled the aluminum plates.. Pulled off some of the old 'repair' fiberglass and found some damage on the cap, but nothing major. Broken piece is still there. Just shows, the transom flexed enough to break the cap. I think the plywood used was pressure treated as it was part of an old plywood stop sign.

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

I love Custom Craft boats. The family connection is very special too. This is going to be a good one.

Don

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

R U going to try and keep her Original?

 

[matt167]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

R U going to try and keep her Original?

As original as I can. I will have to substitute some carpeting for the flooring. The color of the ruined vinyl that goes over the floor and up the sides is NLA, so I will get some Nauotex vinyl in grey, and then match the color with SEM vinyl dye, and then get some carpet which is available in the right color because you can't walk on SEM dye and it will look sort of original.. Beyond that, it should go back original.

 

[matt167]

Re: 1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

Things are slowing down at work and I get an extra day off now, so I'm taking advantage of the weather. Got one of those oscillating saws and a metal blade. Zipped right thru the carraige bolts holding the transom scabbing ( plywood ) on. Then went on to remove the rub rail, which came off easy. Did however notice that it has a stapled hull and not a screwed hull as I thought it should have. I think cutting the ends off the staples will allow them to be removed with little issue.