Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing it.

[Spivy30]

I just bought a 1968 Starcraft Holiday 18' and I was wondering if there is anything I should look for when fixing it up. The floors solid. Also, it has a 120 HP mercruiser outdrive what kind of speed should I expect out of the boat?

 

[fshngho]

Re: Just boat my fourth Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

Re: Just boat my fourth Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

C'mon Spivy, your fourth boat? You should have the experience needed What condition is it in? Soft wood on floors, transom? Have you done an engine check? Post some pics (required on here) and tell us about the boat. Anything a Starcraft owner needs to know ( and more) is in these threads, take a look around. Welcome.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Just boat my fourth Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

Re: Just boat my fourth Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

I'd expect about 35MPH. If it's been sitting a while you'll have some preventative maintenance to catch up with on the I/O.

 

[Spivy30]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

I mean as far as the holidays go. My other three were mid 70's Super Sports and they all had soft floors and other rotten areas. I though i read somewhere that the hulls on the late 60's early 70's had weak stringers and transoms. This boat is in really good shape transoms solid no loose rivets.

I will post some pictures shortly.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

I thought I read somewhere that the hulls on the late 60's early 70's had weak stringers and transoms.

I think I can confidently say that NONE of us have heard or experienced that.

 

[Spivy30]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

Alright thats a weight off my chest! I love these old boats. Anyone know of any 21' Holidays or Super Sports for sale?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

Check the ever-present "Starcrafts on clist" thread.

 

[dozerII]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

Welcome Spivy, My 18 SS with 120 mercruiser does 33mph gps with a 15 3/10 x 21 Solas at 3600 rpm. It is too much prop for it but did okay for this year. I am going to change it to a Hustler 14 1/4 x 19 in the spring and its should be just right. These are great on fuel and awsome running boats. pulled a tube with two people on it and ripped around the lake for about six hours on 7 gallons of gas. My old 115 evenrude would burn that much in an hour pulling the tube.
Glen

 

[barato]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

my first reaction to your thread title was that what you might need to watch out for would be an angry spouse....but it sounds like you might not have meant all 4 at once

welcome to the Thundering Starcraft Horde. post pix soon.

if this hull were particularly flimsy, it wouldn't work so well as a full-cabin boat.

 

[Spivy30]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

Haha no not all at once bu every time I buy one she just shakes her head and asks me why and how long its going to block the driveway. I got the boat all back together tonight and am hopefully going to take it out tomorrow, I'm very excited I've always wanted one with a stern drive but could never find one.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

I'm very excited I've always wanted one with a stern drive but could never find one.

Good lord why?

 

[Pugetsound]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

Good lord why?

You sure don't have to ever convince me about I/Os Spent a fortune on a few and still had multi problems . Love OBs esp like the older manual shift Ev-Jons. Thanx for the info on the steering Its half of what I just paid on my 16 SS . Same unit Which I really like so far,smooth steering.

 

[fshngho]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

For some strange reason, I had expected this reply from EZ. LOL

Good lord why?

I feel the ame but not as "vocal" as others. HA HA
Have fun with her Spivy. After owning three other SC with outboards, can't understand why you would want to go backwards
Oh well, to each their own

 

[barato]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

maybe this is why....???

These are great on fuel and awsome running boats. pulled a tube with two people on it and ripped around the lake for about six hours on 7 gallons of gas. My old 115 evenrude would burn that much in an hour pulling the tube.

if i wanted something that drank like Godzilla at a Mexican wedding, i could have bought a fubarglass boat with V8 for less than what i paid for the tincan....altho it wouldn't give me the pretty rainbow sheen on the water behind me.

2 strokes are a necessary evil in smaller engines but are harder to justify, IMHO, when you're getting into "real engine" HP outputs. i'd agree with you guys on OBs (i've thought about how much more room my cramped Starchief cockpit would have witout da Chebby) if i could find a 4 stroke or DI 2 stroke that wouldn't require a 2d mortgage to buy. Even Optimaxes, which have been around for a while, are pretty rare on the used mkt at affordable price. the chebby, OTOH, i can do complete rebuild on for <$1000.

 

[Spivy30]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

If you find an i/o that's been taken care of what an impeller every few years maybe some bellows and fluids every year. They're so much better on fuel, I swear my old ss with a 115 evinrude used more gas then my 25' Sea Ray. I was out on the lake today for a few hours and used hardly any gas.

 

[Ohio Tristan]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

Can't give much advice but wanted to say good luck. I just got a '69 18' Holiday with the 120 I/O so pretty much 'in the same boat as you' My restoration probably wont be until next year though...

 

[Spivy30]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

Ohio send me some pictures or post them is like to see it

 

[Ohio Tristan]

Re: Just bought my 4th Starcraft. Holiday 18' anything I should look for when fixing

Spivy - I just posted a thread a couple weeks ago there are a few pics... http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=434987
Not much of a looker yet, she'd been sitting for the last 15 atleast it was under cover and winterized. Needs some cosmetic work for sure (atleast on the interior). But if I can get the motor and IO working she is good enough to go as is. I'll work on that next year and if I can get her running good then the cosmetics will be the next year. Atleast thats the plan.