Old Starcraft?

[m casey stock]

Hi Guys,

I'm Casey, I'm 45 years old and Own an auto repair business. I have been boating for years and have been restoring "things" my whole adult life, cars mostly, but I've also restored appliances, furniture and tools just to name a few. I'm also restoring an 1989 Bayliner. I like taking something from the grave and bringing it back to a like new state.

I found an old boat not long ago and am trying to find it's manufacture and date of birth, I'm thinking it might be a very old starcraft, but I really just don't know. I'm chasing every lead I can to track down this info. Any help you guys can give would be great. There are no stamping or anything to identify it that I can find, so I'm going strictly on looks. Here are the pictures I have of it at this time. I can get close ups of anything you need, just let me know.



Thanks for your help,
Casey

 

[barato2]

Re: Old Starcraft?

my original impression was that this isn't a Starcraft, but then i realized that from the hull shape, boat is obv. very old, likely mid 50s at latest, and i dunno what SC's hull shapes were like back then. other possibilities would be Lone Star, Texas Maid, Arkansas Traveler...there were a ton of tinnie mfgrs back then.

you mgiht try posting the Q at fiberglassics.com as well. As you can see from name, they mostly are glasser oriented but have a fairly active tin forum too, and they tend to be the folks who are into the REALLY old boats.

 

[m casey stock]

Re: Old Starcraft?

Thanks barato2,

I'm familiar with fiberglassics and their "tin" section, but didn't think about posting my question there. I'll give it a shot. I can't wait to tell everone what this rascal is, I'm dug in like a badger on this, so if the info. is out there, I'll find it.

 

[jbing81]

Re: Old Starcraft?

It looks like a old Larson or Crestliner Commodor. Regardless of what it really is, those old barrel back boats are SWEET!!!

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Old Starcraft?

Orlando Clipper? As stated could be any of em, I think we are seeing late 40's (most tinnies didnt survive WW2 metal drives) to late 50's.
Dont spend ALL your time of F Classics..stop in and keep us informed

 

[m casey stock]

Re: Old Starcraft?

That is what I have been thinking all along, too old to find pictures through normal online sites. Any ideas on where I can find information on pre-war tinnies? May have to head to books-a-millon. I'll for sure keep you guys posted, and you do the same if you have any thoughts or find something.

 

[m casey stock]

Re: Old Starcraft?

Hey Guys, Thanks for all your input and advice, looks like I can put a maker on my little "tinnie" It's a Duracraft (please don't kick me off, I can't help it's not a starcraft) It's from the late 40's to the early 50's, I'm hoping to get a little closer on the date due to the fact that there are a few things unique on mine any way here is a link to one almost exactly like mine. http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=508004 I don't have the cute bow handle that looks like a rocket with "Duracraft" cast into it or this would have been a lot easier But I do think my handle is original and my boat just a little older. I found a few others that are a few years older than the one in the link and their bow handles are different and don't have Duracraft on them but are still different than mine. Thanks again and I'll keep you posted.

 

[m casey stock]

Re: Old Starcraft?

Went out boat part hunting. I was able to track down the guy the PO bought my Duracraft from ( as a hobby he fixes up middle aged fishing glass boats) I thought he might have a windshield or something along those lines I could use. Well....when we got there, he actually had another whole tinny with trailer. It's a StarCraft I feel sure, has an airplane looking bow handle that I have seen before but I can't find it again (you guys have been there before I Know) anyway, long story short, It now belongs to my son ( LOL ) I didn't get any small parts for mine, but was able to buy a nice running 25HP 88 model Johnson for my Duracraft (the PO found a label that stated that was the max HP for it, I don't know what he did with that label, painted over it? scraped it off?) We paid $800.00 for all of it, and my son is going to pay me back $200, so $600 for a nice running Johnson 25HP and a real good deal on the boat for him. I think we did good. I'll try to get pictures soon. Does any of you remember seeing the airplane looking bow handle I'm talking about? It actually has little wings and everything. I'm positive it is a Starcraft because I've seen one with the same exact steering wheel as his, but we would like to put a model and a date to it (I still don't have that for my Duracraft ) His also still has both of the ID tags on the inside of the transom, tacked to the plywood on either side of the motor, so if it gets down to it I can run those to get more info. but would love to show him a picture of one like his fixed up to keep him motivated (he's 17 and easily distracted).

 

[1973Chieftain]

Re: Old Starcraft?

Sounds like you are coming down with a case of MBS like many of us! Before the mob lights up their torches, may I suggest pictures? We love pictures! im not sure what handle you are speaking about, but the info from those data plates would be very useful in identifying it, and there are many brochures sticked above that go back aways.

 

[barato2]

Re: Old Starcraft?

+1 on love to see pix. not sure the steering wheel is a good ID feature, as i think those were not proprietary to the boat mfgr but rather to the steering mfgr.....ie, lots of boats used similar ones.

 

[m casey stock]

Re: Old Starcraft?

Okay okay....I'll get pictures LOL I know I've seen that bow handle somewhere.

 

[m casey stock]

Re: Old Starcraft?

Here are the promissed pictures, hope this helps

 

[1973Chieftain]

Re: Old Starcraft?

That cool boat does not look very Starcraft-ish to me, a number of things look different then any SC I've ever seen. For a lack of a better word, the splash guard piece that's on the rear half of the hull about at the waterline is much larger then I've seen on SC height wise, the interior trip piece seen on the bottom of the dash is also abnormally thick. All SC's I've seen have a very small piece of trim, more like 1/2" tall. Also, the bow deck has a seem running down the middle which is odd. That bow handle looks sweet, but I've never seen anything like it on a Starcraft... not much of their symbol. Aerocraft perhaps? These are just my 2 cents, I've not seen all the types of SC's made! Did you glance through the 50's brochures?

 

[barato2]

Re: Old Starcraft?

Casey--

i tend to concur with Chieftain. a # of features on that boat don't look SC....but those motor controls bring home what a product of another age it is, so we're just guessing. the seam down middle of bow cap suggests another make. SC makes a big deal abt theit hulls not having any seams along the keel....does it appear to be 1 piece bottom or 2 halves? i also think he's likely right on the little emblem/bow cleat. try posting a closeup of that on Fiberglassics and see if someone doesn't peg it right away based on that.

 

[m casey stock]

Re: Old Starcraft?

I did finally find this boat to be a late 50's to early 60's McKenzie, possibly a Cherokee model. My son is having a grand time with it.