Thread: Whats taking up my time? A boat of course!

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Well,
I have not been posting for a little while or working on any hot rod as a boat has hi jacked my time! Funny how much time these things take. Its a 1980 Chris Craft with twin 350's. I bought the boat at the end of March and my Sundays have not been the same ever since. Well I should be able to fire the starboard engine this week and I have a new crate engine to put in the port side soon. Now I know this is not a car, BUT with 520 hoursepower I guess that counts for something (of course it weighs 9000 pounds so It needs the motivation) Should sound great with the twins and the wet exhaust. Some before and after restoration shots of the starboard engine below and the boat too. Any other hot rod boaters out there? Thanks to pops for plenty of help getting her back on the water and for my girlfriend taylor who has given up laying on the beach for 6 months to hand me wrenches down in the bilge every Sunday. Back to cars soon.

Don Jr

oh the pain is now coming back.. i wrench on boats for sometime .the chris looks good very good...Hell can not be has bad is being upside down in a bilge.. i work on some salt water boats there fun fun fun still know the smell of engine oil and salt water and fiber glass

Pat,
I did not know I could bend and contort myself into some of these weird positions the boat has required!

If anyone has worked on these things they know the pain involved and hanging upside down for an hour to change one darn spark plug! Thanks for the compliment! Don jr.

out side row of spark plugs are fun wish i had a buck for evey plug i put in .i would tune up 3 a day .two with oil change as well .thats 48 spark plugs .i have had to pull them iron ex manifolds in the boat . heads and drives some times engines at the dock allways worried about droping some thing and putting a hole in the bottom

It's been my experience that a boat makes a giant hole in the water that you must continually fill with MONEY!!!!!!!!!

My first boat was 1964 24' Chris Craft, wood hull that had been out of the water for 2 years before I got it. After replacing the blown 283 with a 327, I trailered it to Lake Erie on the way blew 2 tires, finally made the 2 hour trip (8 hours later). The marina said they would put the boat in the next day. With the boat on a sling and 8 pumps trying to keep up with the water flowing thru the hull, the marina decided to try later that day. We left the boat all night long on the sling with pumps (repeated for 3 nights ). The wood finally swelled up enought the bilge pump could keep up with the flow. Now you know why my next boat had a steel hull......LOL
Bradc

Been a boater myself, but with outboard motors.

Break Out Another Thousand

That is a sweet looking Chris Craft, bet you are looking forward to getting her on the water.

Pat

Don very nice looking Chris Craft! Should be a fun cruiser for the whole family, to get relief from those hot days! I used to live on an old Chris Craft 50 plus footer, in the Keys. It was donated to the facility I worked at. Very nicely equipted cabins. Nothing like falling asleep swaying in the water on a boat! Post some more shots.

Boats - As many here who have worked on them, it's the "love/hate" thing. I grew up in Southern California and lots of great boats on Lake Arrowhead. First blown engine I saw up close was sitting in a 19' Rayson Craft atop a 427 ford. Man that baby could haul some serious speed. I went 100mph in a boat before a car or on a bike and the thrill of speed on the water is not to be compared with anything else.

Years later, I helped a bit with a larger, off-shore type that had three 454 Chevy engines. It had an enclosed cockpit and all kinds of safety harnesses, fire suppression, etc.. At speed, only the cavitation plate and the props were in the water. It ran in salt water (Puget Sound) and needed constant attention as the salt would eat everything alive. But oh my goodness - the sound of those three monsters coming to life (+/- 2100HP!) was unbelievable!

Dad had a Beechcraft with a 350 (single) that looked identical to the above. I learned a few hard lessons about the subtle differences between car and boat engines, especially in the coolant department.

I've heard it said that the two happiest days in the life of a boat owner is the day he buys the boat - and the day he sells it!

Great job on the C/Craft Don! Have fun with the family in that beautiful boat!

Regards All,
Glenn

Pat-Holy Cow! I will never complain about the 16 spark plugs again! Thats a serious work day for ya! Thanks for the compliment

Dave and Pat-You are not kidding about the money you throw into these things! Doing all the work myself I will probably have about $12K in the boat (with hours of labor) I could not afford to pay a marina to do the work we have been doing!

Brad-wood boats are tough, beautiful when done, BUT a huge pain. I have never owned one for the exact reasons you talked about.

Steve-Wow a 50 footer. I have had a few boats and none over 30 feet. Chris Craft is a great name. I pulled a through hull out and the hull was almost 2 inches thick!! Hope to have her on the water in a month. I know its not a hot rod but I will post some progress pictures on the way to the big dunk!!

Glenn-That is a whole new world of boating with those race boats and talk about money!!! Wow. Thank you for the nice remarks!

Don jr

All I can say is Don better get moving putting that crate motor that is sitting on our shop floor in the boat. I have a hole in my piston and keep eying up that fresh motor just laying there. What's the worst that could happen.........he might stop speaking to me for a while, but I'm so lovable I know he would forgive me eventually!

Don

Originally Posted by BradC

My first boat was 1964 24' Chris Craft, wood hull that had been out of the water for 2 years before I got it. After replacing the blown 283 with a 327, I trailered it to Lake Erie on the way blew 2 tires, finally made the 2 hour trip (8 hours later). The marina said they would put the boat in the next day. With the boat on a sling and 8 pumps trying to keep up with the water flowing thru the hull, the marina decided to try later that day. We left the boat all night long on the sling with pumps (repeated for 3 nights ). The wood finally swelled up enought the bilge pump could keep up with the flow. Now you know why my next boat had a steel hull......LOL
Bradc

on the wood boats they used to pour saw dust in the water ? from the wood shop and set the boat in the slings they said it help seal the wood boats up?? it been 18+ years that a stop working on boats. i did work on some old wood ones there was a 56 foot Chris Craft that was fun to work on had a engine room and some old steel hull roamers to

Pops,
Your loveable. Just not that loveable!

Sawdust on the water?? Wow, Things have come a long way!

Don Jr.

My hat is off to any one who could endure working in the bilge of a boat the past few months down here. I haven't done squat on my car stuff lately cause of the heat.Let alone working down in a hole with no air moving.

Late March early April I would fill the hull up with water to the starter motor, so the wood started to swell before going in the water. Don your boat looks great, will look even better in the water with the deck covered with bikini clad women. Make sure you send photos to me first.....LOL
Bradc