Texas Maid help

[eclipseturbors]

I have done aboat 3 boats now, and had some changes in my life (divorce and then promotion/relocation) and find myself wanting another boat to get out on some of the great lakes Oklahoma has to offer. I ran across this 1961 15' Texas Maid all aluminum runabout with a 35hp big twin Rude. I brought it all home with titles for $300. It has some questionable fiberglass patch on the right inside seam. I plan to strip it out and find out what's going on and paint all the seams with Coat It. The windshield was gone, so now I think I'm going to JB weld all the holes and Rusty roller the top. My question is I have no idea what to do with the interior sides. There are what look like boxes riveted to the sides like where motor controls go, but there are four of them. What are they used for?

 

[eclipseturbors]

Re: Texas Maid help

I'm also open to ideas of a reasonable powerplant for the boat. The tag appears to say 80hp but that doesn't seem right. Should it be 60 HP? Just looking to pull kids on a tube and cruise around.

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: Texas Maid help

Could this be the model you have? File:Texasmaidb63005.jpg - Classic Boat Library

The write up states that it had mahogany panels on the sides. Maybe the boxes that are welded on provided some sort of support for the panels. It also states 60HP max.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Texas Maid help

Even if vintage Texas Maid's are heavier then more recent Starcraft Jets, I suspect an 80hp would be way too much on a 15' boat. Probably more like a 50hp +/-.... A 60 should have it hauling serious arse :watermelon:

My 1960 Fireflite is rated for a 75hp, so if yours is heavy/long/wide enough it might have been rated for an 80, but I doubt it.

Is it 15' transom to bow? I have 3 boats that are listed as 15ftr's but none are:

14' 6"
14' 9"
15' 6"

If it measures above 15' 6", I'd believe it could be rated for an 80hp.

Note: when your Texas Maid was built, OB's were rated at the crank, more modern engines have their HP prop rated. A vintage crank rated 80hp would be about the same HP as a more modern 70hp +/-.

The extra 'control' mounts are likely gunwale mounted storage boxes (kind of a low tech glove box)

 

[eclipseturbors]

Re: Texas Maid help

Thanks! It's about 15' bow to transom. I do believe it is an Impala. I think 80 would be too much for that boat. If its rated to 60, I think a 55 rude would suit the boat great. I think I'll just make some panels for the sides. I doubt I'll come up with a windshield, so I hope it will look ok without one.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Texas Maid help

Windshield fab here

here

& here

 

[eclipseturbors]

Re: Texas Maid help

For now, I think that I'm going to skip the windshield on this boat. I spent a little time yesterday in the Oklahoma heat getting most of the fiberglass patch off both of the seams. So far, no cracks or obvious loose rivets. I need to pick up a wire wheel for my grinder to get the rest of the loose resin off. I'm hoping to try out some coat it on this next pay check. I also had time to get most of the hardware off the deck and expose the three thousand holes that will need to be JB welded. Also confirmed a shot transom. This one looks very rectangle, so hopefully will go smoothly in cold weather. A closer look at the Texas Maid tag has the boat rated to 80hp. This seems a little high for a 15' aluminum boat. This has brought me to a new dilemma. The old cable steering had been removed and someone installed rotary steering and rigged it to the 40hp big twin. I'd like to find a good running higher hp motor during the winter that I could just clamp on, but then I'm stuck trying to figure out how to adapt the rotary steering. Any recommendations for motor size and steering set up would be appreciated.

 

[satx78247]

Re: Texas Maid help

eclipseturbors,

FYI, when that Texas Maid was NEW (I had one then.), "the cool guys on the water" took the windshield off & "trashed it". = That's why you seldom see a boat of that vintage here with a windscreen.

Best Wishes on your restoration. - I just bought the 14' model TM with a BigTwin.

yours, satx