1968 Starcraft Sprint V Rebuild

[BigMikey86]

Hello all, names mike and this is my first post on this amazing website. Ive been lurking for a while now, and finally have mustered up the courage to post my restoration thread for my unknown 15ft Starcraft. I picked it up about a month ago with trailer for a couple hundred bucks and now that the icebergs up here in Toronto, Canada are finally receding, i can begin this much anticipated project. The plan is to turn her into a 2-3 man fishing boat and I would love any info on the year and model if anyone would have it. Only thing i have is a hull id number starting with 113,xxx stated on the boat license. There's also no ID plate nor a spot where it would have been. Here come the pics!

The day i brought her home.







So far after only having one day of weather where i could get some work done, and not contemplate boating down my street, i managed to pull the floor and remove the previous owners storage compartment.







Im off work sunday and the weather is looking to be spot on so i'm hoping to strip the interior down to the aluminum, and cleaning out the drain spots in the center of the ribs. Was wondering though regarding gluvit, is it more effective on the outside or inside of the hull. Thanks! and look forward to hearing what you guys think. I know she needs some work, which i love, it was just something about that Starcraft hull that called me.

 

[BigMikey86]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Anyone have any idea as to what model of starcraft it would be? i havent seen many online with a single post transom that originally had a windshield.

 

[garbageguy]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

I can't say I can offer any good info - but from my experience, you'll get some great insight here. That looks like a good, solid rig to me, looking forward to following your resto. And, if I may, welcome to iboats!

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Lots of good info in here:
Starcraft Rebuilds and Restorations, they're all here!

Is it 15ft, 14' 6" or 14' 9"? Or possibly 15' 3"?

Length, transom width, transom height and maximum beam (width, usually across at the helm) can help ID a model.

I can tell you that you need to consider how to repair the transom. It's been cut down from what ever it was originally. Since the exterior aluminum skin has also been removed, it isn't as easy as replacing the existing wooden transom w/ the correct height transom.

Welcome to iboats dry dock, tin division.

Read thru some of those Starcraft threads, the SC guys are a complete granola bar. Welcome to the tin-sanity

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Welcome to iboats, Tin Division, Mike. A lot has been removed from her, which makes it hard to ID. Look here, the brochures - http://forums.iboats.com/starcraft-boats/starcraft-brochures-349830.html With the length and beam measurements, you might find it. I'm gonna guess either Jet or JetStar if she's a 15 footer. The only difference between them is the type of seating. And like JB said, someone cut the transom down, probably to get a short shaft (15") motor to fit on a long shaft (20") transom.

Keep the pics coming, we have a spot in the drydock for ya.

 

[BigMikey86]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Thanks for the welcoming guys. Unfortunately that was from the crazy old man who originally had the boat. I bought it off his step son. The step son re did the hull four years ago and hasn't had a leak since..he redid the transom for a short shaft and sealed the cut section with epoxy before installing the transom, and as you can see from the pic there the old man had cut even further down. I have a short shaft 25 Evinrude so was just considering leaving it for this year and possibly sending it to a welder to re do the rear skin. Would a welder be able to cut and weld a template into the cut portion?. Or would I be better off going another route?..

 

[classiccat]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Welcome to the Starmada BigMikey! :welcome:

Crazy AND Angry by the looks of those mods!

Welding can be done...and done well by a good welder like this guy:

If you're concerned about the aesthetics, Starcraft also had an external wood pad behind the motor mounts. More often than not, the aluminum behind it was corroded, so we either drop-it ...or replace the wood with Aluminum; that can conceal much of this mess after it's welded.

 

[BigMikey86]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Well that's good to know I'm not out of luck. Would it be bad to use the boat as is with the lowered transom?. The previous owner had a 40hp merc short shaft on and said it held it no problem. I'm newish to boats so any info is greatly appreciate and studied. Tomorrow's the work day and I hope the paint comes off just as easy as the floor lol.

 

[classiccat]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Well that's good to know I'm not out of luck. Would it be bad to use the boat as is with the lowered transom?. The previous owner had a 40hp merc short shaft on and said it held it no problem. I'm newish to boats so any info is greatly appreciate and studied. Tomorrow's the work day and I hope the paint comes off just as easy as the floor lol.

Lowered transom without a splashwell can be dangerous depending on the type of water that you're using it on...as well as how much weight you have in the Stern (motor, fuel, humans, etc.)

 

[Watermann]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Welcome to the iboats dry dock. Nice little project SC you have there along with the cursory PO alterations. You should repair the transom or fabricate a splashwell.

 

[BigMikey86]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Haha damn..and this whole time I thought I'd be going for crappies in 2 weeks. Well I'm just weighing my options now..I'm leaning more towards to splashwell due to the fact that I have a evinrude short shaft and don't have the money to convert it at the moment. Plus the water will vary from the grand river to the Great Lakes..on calm days that is lol. How much would one estimate it would cost to repair the transom skin?. I know different Welder's have different rates, but just a estimation..

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Haha damn..and this whole time I thought I'd be going for crappies in 2 weeks. Well I'm just weighing my options now..I'm leaning more towards to splashwell due to the fact that I have a evinrude short shaft and don't have the money to convert it at the moment. Plus the water will vary from the grand river to the Great Lakes..on calm days that is lol. How much would one estimate it would cost to repair the transom skin?. I know different Welder's have different rates, but just a estimation..

Those two words tell me you should fix the transom up to where she belongs and fab up a splashwell. The GLs too unpredictable the way she is now, even on calm days. Or stay off the big water

I missed that she had no splashwell in the pics, so now I'm now sure at all what model she is because the Jet/JetStars have a SW.

 

[BigMikey86]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Those two words tell me you should fix the transom up to where she belongs and fab up a splashwell. The GLs too unpredictable the way she is now, even on calm days. Or stay off the big water

I missed that she had no splashwell in the pics, so now I'm now sure at all what model she is because the Jet/JetStars have a SW.

Yeah i know what you mean, i fish Lake Ontario trib. mouth's religiously and have seen it go calm to 5 foot rollers in a matter of a few mins. I also fish Lake Simcoe quite often which is also notorious for weird and fast moving weather systems. So ill price out what the welding would cost but for now i think ill be building a splashwell and staying off Lake O until i rebuild the transom and stick to bays and rivers for the time being.

I plan to strip the inner paint off tomorrow and was wondering, at the base of the transom on the inside theres some brown coloured looking silicone/glue. When i use the stripper tomorrow (Super Remover), i'm assuming it will eat this stuff up, after the clean up should i just re-silicone those joints? then gluvit? or do i need a special glue. I'll include pics.





and so you guys can get a good look at the hack job, enjoy lol

 

[BigMikey86]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Also after looking through the previous starcraft restoration page i think were looking at a nova here. 15 foot, single support transom, same transom height (originally that is haha), same shelving/interior panel support and double rail floor supports. Now what year is the question.

 

[BigMikey86]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

i actually have no clue, steps are in different locations, unless that's a year change or something. Anyone think i'm on the right track?.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Also after looking through the previous starcraft restoration page i think were looking at a nova here. 15 foot, single support transom, same transom height (originally that is haha), same shelving/interior panel support and double rail floor supports. Now what year is the question.

She's too old for a Nova, Mike. And the first Novas came out in 72 and would have a HIN plate on the stern. Have you laid a tape measure on her. My rego says 15' 6", but she's actually 16'.

 

[BigMikey86]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Hmmm damn, thought i had a lead on something. Guess i cant trust any papers i have on this cause it seems to be all a mis. Surprisingly enough though i havent :S. I will tomorrow during the stripping. Question though, the brown substance along the seams of the boat in the above pictures, silicone? glue?. Will i have to re **** the seams after i strip the inner hull?

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

I think the brown goop is Prior Owner installed. If it's silicone, definitely PO installed. SC put some stuff like that up in the bow seam, but I haven't seen it at the stern. Gluvit may take care of any leaks back there. But after you clean it all up, put some water inside for a leak test.

What do your papers say? Two stringers/single knee brace may be a Jupiter. But you need to measure to compare against the brochures. The Jup went with a concave V hull in 1966. Looks like you have the same type hull.

Look at this resto, the bare hull pics start early on. http://forums.iboats.com/starcraft-boats/1968-starcraft-jupiter-rebuild-524687.html

 

[lckstckn2smknbrls]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Along with the brown goop you'll want to remove the screws the PO put in with the rivets.

 

[Watermann]

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Re: 1960's Starcraft Something or other

Don't worry about the brown 'SC smeg' unless it's loose don't mess with it. My Chief has it from one end to the other in all the seams, a PO didn't do it, the SC factory did.

Please don't use the word "caulk" around here, some guys will come unhinged by the use of that word. For sealing the seams and rivets below the water line most here use gluvit epoxy. I've had great luck with it as have most others here.

I think you could repair that transom skin without welding by patching. Replace the wood transom restoring the correct height. With the wood out take a piece of aluminum stock and clamp it on one side and trace the outline of the hole. Cut it out, shave to fit snug, put the transom wood back in bolting it in, back butter with 5200 and clamp it for 7 days while you work on other things. The skin just keeps water out, the transom wood itself is where the strength comes from. Since the patch is bigger than the motor mounts you can also add stainless machine screws and nylocs around the edges.

Just a thought.