67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

[73Chrysler105]

Well a new boat is coming to the stable being delivered today.

It's a 67 Calson (prior to joining with Glastron) 18 foot V-Drive race boat. It was raced only. The build paperwork from 67 is coming with it. It originally had a Chrysler 426 max wedge installed in it. The cost on it back then was $7500. It is in good shape for all these years. I will need to go through the drive and repack the shaft seals. The seats need recovered and will need to go through the wiring. It is sans motor but I have one that should work for the meanwhile. Just need to make sure the gearing and prop work for it.

Here are a few pictures











Information on the boat from 67

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

A couple from last night when it was picked up. It is headed this way today I will get to see it tonight.

 

[saginawbayboater]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

Cool boat!!! Looks fast just sitting there.

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

Yes it does and in its day was pretty fast top of its class

 

[scoutabout]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

Nice find 73! Cant wait to see how this beast comes out. You gotta find a way to reproduce those period graphics too.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

I had a friend with a Rayson Craft from that era with a 427 Chevy engine. It was good for 100 mph--pulling him on a speed ski. His father died behind that boat in a fall at high speed.

The V drives were maybe 40 miles per hour faster than the same hulls and engines with the Berkley or Jacuzzi jet drives.

Just promise that you'll recondition this boat with all the originally lettering, etc. It deserves such treatment.

426 wedge Mopar engines are extremely rare. But it'd be a great boat with a relatively easily found 440 cubic inch engine. It'd also be very good with a high reving 360 engine. I'm glad you have Mopar experience.

Good luck with your project.

You should check out the stringers in this boat to make sure everything's 100% good.

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

I have a lot more pics to post now that it is at my place. The stringers are all good. The original floor is undamaged and intact including the factory gel webbing. The only thing molested from teh interior was the passenger seat was cut from the boat and made to bolt in as a removable option for racing. I am unsure if I will fiberglass it back in or leave it as a removable to preserve the racing heritage of the boat.

The original paint was a bright red with tons of metal flake. The metal Flake has survived the years but as we all know red hardly ever does. So what does everyone think should I repaint the boat with red and heavy metal flake and have to hand paint the originally hand painted graphics back on it, repaint and tape off the original graphics, or just clear coat over everything as is and leave it in its pure original petina?? Please give me your opinions.

Here are some pics of her






Also if anyone recognizes any of these stickers I want to replace the ones that are missing.

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

here are some more shots of the boat

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

And some more

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

I had a friend with a Rayson Craft from that era with a 427 Chevy engine. It was good for 100 mph--pulling him on a speed ski. His father died behind that boat in a fall at high speed.

The V drives were maybe 40 miles per hour faster than the same hulls and engines with the Berkley or Jacuzzi jet drives.

Just promise that you'll recondition this boat with all the originally lettering, etc. It deserves such treatment.

426 wedge Mopar engines are extremely rare. But it'd be a great boat with a relatively easily found 440 cubic inch engine. It'd also be very good with a high reving 360 engine. I'm glad you have Mopar experience.

Good luck with your project.

You should check out the stringers in this boat to make sure everything's 100% good.

A 440 is not out of the question but I have a 500hp 383 I built that is going in it right now. I have a 451 stroker build that will probably be the next motor to go in it in the winter.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

Glad to see someone finally trying to do something with this one. Good luck with the project Chris. That is certainly a cool old boat. Personally I would focus on preservation and getting it back in the water first. Ultimately I would do a complete restoration including re gel (Not paint) in original colors and have someone hand paint the original graphics. I am curious to hear what JJ has to say about the drive box. And take tons and tons of pictures. Keep that existing string of documentation going.

 

[V153]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

Cool project. Good luck!

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

Glad to see someone finally trying to do something with this one. Good luck with the project Chris. That is certainly a cool old boat. Personally I would focus on preservation and getting it back in the water first. Ultimately I would do a complete restoration including re gel (Not paint) in original colors and have someone hand paint the original graphics. I am curious to hear what JJ has to say about the drive box. And take tons and tons of pictures. Keep that existing string of documentation going.

Thanks Matt Yeah I am leaning mostly to just clear coating it and going that route. I may have to just make me a copy of it and do it in the original colors with updated hardware just to see it and be able to have something to run. The originality of this old gal is really appealing.

Finding original type hardware for it might prove quite difficult hopefully I will get some help inn finding what I need. This v-drive doesn't have pedals for the cav plate it has a hand lever between the seats.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

Very cool looking race boat...Gonna be beautiful when brought back to its former glory...
Me, personally, I would make everything look like it did when it was brand new...
I would love to come aboard and watch what happens...

Don't know if this is much help, but here's what I could dig up...
Website of vintage racing boats, with this particular page mentioning the Orange Bowl Regatta...
1967 Orange Bowl Regatta

Orange Bowl Regatta, circa late 1960's, Sponsored by PURE OIL company, later known as "Purolater"...
Couldn't find any of the original Orange Bowl Regatta/Pure Oil logos...but this one has the "Firebird" on it

Kendall GT-1 Motor Oil sticker...Lots of modern versions available, but nothing like the one that looks like it was on the Carlson...

Best of luck,
GT1M

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

GT thanks for the info by the way this one is not a Cyclone it is a 18' Inboard (no Name) the cyclone had on slight variance in that it had the indentation in the side that and this one is straight. You can see the advertisement in my first post. Btw this thing came with a ton of paperwork most from 67-72 all older than I am, but not by much. There are a few things from 2000 and up but most is from that golden age of speed. When a rebuild of a 426 max wedge including two new pistons and a new crankshaft costed less than $600 and having both carbs rebuilt and detuned for pleasure usage costed only $28.06.

GT I looked and that kendal one you have is the one that's on the Carlson.

 

[V153]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

Yo 73 you should post some pics over on CGOA, or CGOAMN. There's a guy named Jerry over there who could probly easily identify the stickers on your hull.

Btw the round blue & white one is from "PURE" petroleum. Rodgers, or Rogers, is/was the name of the oil company.

If'n I were you. And I wish I was, cuz I'd have a lot more money ... For time being I'd wet sand her'n shoot a coat of clear. Seriously. That thang's a time capsule. Nice find!

Fwiw Carlson never ran a jet drive in that hull. V-drive or outboard were your choices.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

Thanks Matt Yeah I am leaning mostly to just clear coating it and going that route. I may have to just make me a copy of it and do it in the original colors with updated hardware just to see it and be able to have something to run. The originality of this old gal is really appealing.

Finding original type hardware for it might prove quite difficult hopefully I will get some help inn finding what I need. This v-drive doesn't have pedals for the cav plate it has a hand lever between the seats.

You might be surprised. That hand adjustment is fairly common. I have seen them for sale over on PB more than once. JJ is going to be a great contact for you. He is a heck of a nice guy and a hell of a machinist. He certainly knows his v-drives as well. Get your list together. JJ knows a lot of people. Might check with Mouzer over on PB as well. That guy has parted a ton of boats over the years. He is always posting odd old parts for sale over on PB. Calgo steering is still pretty popular. It is really a pretty simple system. It should not be hard to get that up and working. If you have any parts that need to be re-bushed or shafts that need to be sleeved, replaired or replaced, JJ is your man.

Looking forward to following along and definitely want to see this one on the water one day in person.

 

[V153]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

Speaking of big ole Mopar motors. This is a kit boat my Dad built around '60 or '61. Had a 413 pirated outa a Chrysler 300. Hauled a** but broke frequently, and occasionally sank ...

 

[73Chrysler105]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

Cool boat

I found out some more info on this one. It is an old Circle track boat and was raced in the Orange Bowl regatta in Florida. The owners were from Texas though. The last time it was raced was in 71. The steering is locked up and its in poor shop its a Calgo system top of the line even today for racing boats. I hear some people don't care for them on daily usage boats since it takes more time to inspect and make sure everything is good each use. I haven't decided if I am keeping the steering and having it rebuilt or replacing it with something more modern like a rack n pinion and keeping the original stored somewhere. I took the one seat apart so I can start getting the patterns to rebuild might just send them to JDA to build but they seem simple enough to do on my own if I can get the sewing machine working. I will need to rebuild the fiberglass base on the drivers seat though as its half gone but the passenger seat is still in good shape. Shouldn't be too hard to rebuild the drivers seat. I will have to make a set of gas tanks as well good think I have some older aluminum tanks I can cut up and modify.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 67 Carlson V-Drive Race boat restoration

Talk to JJ about rebuilding that Calgo.