1968 STERNCRAFT BAHAMAS 22 Ft with TWIN 470 MERCRUISERS??

[satx78247]

Friends,

I've found a STERNCRAFT BAHAMAS 22 foot open runabout/utility which is still equipped with the original matched pair of MERCRUISER 470 engines & "Pre-Alpha" outdrives for sale (at a very low price) from a TX estate sale near Austin. - I'm considering buying the boat/trailer, doing the necessary renovation/maintenance & using it to fish the Texas Gulf Coast.

At 51 years old the hull is flawless & the seat upholstery/interior is "tired looking" but quite acceptable, considering the seats are 51 years old. - The big runabout has been stored covered in a warehouse for over a decade, since the final illness & passing of the sole owner.
It was "Winterized" before being stored after the last season that it was used.
(The owner's widow tells me that the big boat was seldom used, as she didn't like boating & her late husband, who was a physician, seldom had time to use the boat at all. She also says that the boat was never used anywhere but on the freshwater lakes near Austin.)

My question is: WHAT should I do to resurrect the engines? - Frankly, I know little about the 470 Mercruiser, except that the 470 engines were not a "marinized" car/truck/industrial engine but was specifically made for use as an IB/OB engine.

Your advice & comments are solicited.

yours, satx
San Antonio, TX

 

[kenny nunez]

Obviously the boat was re-powered after 76. The original engines were either 140 hp 4 cylinder Or 165 hp 6 cylinder engines. There was a dealer for those here and I worked on plenty of them. Post the engines’ serial #s and then we will be able to figure out what year model the engines are.
They are probably in good condition but the electrical charging system and the “dreaded” circulating water pump leak are the 2 biggest problems with these engines.
Maybe all you need is a mechanic to install some batteries, points and condenser and the drives checked out with new water pump kits along with being sure the shift on both drives are working correctly. Good Luck

 

[wellcraft-classic210]

Forgive me for being a nay-sayer but please be advised before you make a purchase

I have read quite a few posts that say the 470's had a lot of problems and to avoid them -- Small block GM v8's would be a far better choice if you can find one.

The had cooling problems and the open deck ( no metal between the cylinders at the top where the head attaches ) caused related failures such as head gaskets if they over heat.


The experts may have more advice hare as I have not worked on or owned 470's personally.

 

[satx78247]

Kenny Nunez; wellcraft-classic210, ,

THANKS. = I suspect that the 470 engines will be taken out & replaced with a period pair of 140 or 165hp IB engines (I've owned 4 of those in boats in the last 4 decades & know how to work on them.) = There are LOTS of the old 140 4-cylinder & straight 6 "Chevy" engines around here, in "junk" boats & FOR CHEAP.
(One of my "Quirks" is that I like to match the engines to the hull whenever possible. = For example my 1959 Texas Maid has a restored 1959 GALE 40HP "to match".)

wellcraft-classic210,

Oddly, an old boarding-school chum emailed me this afternoon (He had heard about "my find".) & recommended that I NOT spend money on the 470s but to pull/replace them with better engines & sell the pair of 470s.
("Tom P" has forgotten more about boats/engines/trailers/etc. than I'll ever know. - He was the owner of a retail boat shop & a Mercury dealer in the mid-1960s to about 1990.)

THANKS to you both for the advice, satx