New to Starcraft

[Toby VT]

This is my first "big" outboard. I've been a small SeaKing with a 9.5hp kinda guy for years. We're learning and loving it. Today I'm replacing the windshields and mounting new tires for the trailer. Yesterday getting the old Massachusetts registration numbers off were a NIGHTMARE. Heat gun got the stickers off but the glue... I didn't want to take the paint off by using solvents. I ended up using xylol soaked fiber cloth and a plastic putty knife with the edge sharpened by a belt sander. Then polished it out. I'm a;so going to clean up the wiring soon. It's a mess.

 

[redneck joe]

Besides being used toa small motor, how often would you run 20 mile that that? Different paradigm

 

[pckeen]

Gas mileage sounds about right for that old motor. Newer motors do better, but cost a lot of $$$

If you have solid floors and a good running motor, you dont need to do a rebuild.

 

[Toby VT]

@ redneckjoe... we took that little Sea King on 20 mile journeys more than one would think. We don't fish, so we GO!​

 

[Toby VT]

@ pckeen... I wish there was a way to determine the condition of the flotation. These's all these pellets of old school styrofoam in the bilge and that concerns me. Should I worry? There's one tiny (like 3") spongy spot in the floor other than that it's all good. O wonder how many pounds of soaked in moisture I'm carrying around under the floor?

 

[classiccat]

Glad you got a good run out of her there Toby! It sounds like you have one heck of a motor! :thumb:

Not to rain on the parade but any soft wood is often the tip of the iceberg.

If the transom is original, it too likely gave-up the ghost structurally a few decades ago.

A few simple checks to determine if you should be throwing some new wood back there:

• grab the outboard and push/pull it... if the transom moves even a tiny amount, it's time to replace
• Is there any cracking in the kneebrace tabs &/or splashwell cross-brace corners?

 

[pckeen]

One way to check whether the foam is wet is to weight the boat and trailer and compare that with the oReginald specs.

 

[Toby VT]

classiccat
"A few simple checks to determine if you should be throwing some new wood back there:

• grab the outboard and push/pull it... if the transom moves even a tiny amount, it's time to replace
• Is there any cracking in the kneebrace tabs &/or splashwell cross-brace corners?"

Thank you sir... I'll be looking tomorrow... The transom wood seems solid from the inside. The screws into the floor for the seats are solid. the edges of the floor are solid with no de-lamination or punkiness under the vinyl. There's one 2" punky circle in the floor between the seats. That's it for the whole floor. The rest is solid. I may cut the vinyl on the floor and peel it back to take a look. I can cut out the punk and epoxy in a rabbited piece of mahogany for a patch.

 

[laurentide]

One trick is to stand on your lower unit in the locked down position and jump on the ventilation plate. Any deflection at all in the transom means you should replace it (and as CC wrote any cracks in the splashwell or knee brace will mean the same). It's a weekend of labor plus the time to let the glue/varnish/epoxy cure depending on which ones you use and how "bulletproof" a method you use.

Most of us buy these boats as junkers because they're cheap and easy to rebuild compared to similar glass boats. So if you find that that's necessary don't be too intimidated.

 

[Toby VT]

Thanks to all on the transom concerns and checks.

Mod EDIT: SOLICITATION removed

I want to restore mine to original and the center section of the wimdshield is missing (or was never installed) I still have the canvas snap on partition for the front between the consoles but would love to upgrade to the hinged middle window. LOVE my 1971 Starcraft SS!

 

[jbcurt00]

Sorry Toby, selling parts and asking to buy parts isnt permitted.

The windshield wasnt made by Starcraft, it was made for SC, probably by Taylor Made.

They are still in business, might try calling them for an operable center section or entire windshield.

 

[Toby VT]

Point taken... Thanks jbcurt00!

 

[ezmobee]

Real nice find! Those hulls just had strips of white styro for flotation. Honestly the beads of it you see coming out are just as likely to have been from mice chewing on it as from any sort of degradation. The decks aren't really structural on these boats. If you can still walk on it and don't feel like replacing it right now, then don't! If your transom doesn't flex, same deal.

For your windshield, the console tops are fairly flat and the gunnels are pretty wide on these boats. That gives you a pretty good range of being able to finagle another glass windshield for it and getting it to sit nicely. If you can find a used complete shield from an old rotted glass boat, there's a really good chance you'll be able to make it work on your boat without too much difficulty. They're actually more "adjustable" than you think.

 

[Toby VT]

Thanks for the info ezmobee! I've been tailoring a search criteria on the auction site and a lot of "close but no cigars"... The windshield lives inside the combing and I'm thinking if I get anything wider than the 61.5" I have to play with, I can notch out the bottom of the window frame to make it work. There's not a lot of walk thru windshields out there that narrow.