1969 Starcraft Chieftain Restoration

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Bwana Don

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

I love that engine stand on the outdrive. How hard is it to bolt up? Any special fabrication? I'm going to use that, my wife's going to love seeing the outdrive in the basement!

Nice progress. Keep up the good work.
 

TheWrks

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Aug 15, 2010
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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Great looking Chieftain you have there a little elbow grease is all she needs :rolleyes: good luck with the resto..

Scott
 

Alpheus

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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

True to my word I got to work stripping this old girl down. I got home from work today at 1530 and got to removing the engine. This is the first time working on a pre Alpha engine removal but it went pretty smooth. I had it lifted out of the boat by 1640.

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Had to remove the coupler and fly wheel to get the engine to fit on the stand.

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Tomorrow I will start taking out the rest of the outdrive pieces...
 

jasoutside

Supreme Mariner
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Dec 20, 2009
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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Well at this pace you should catch me by the end of the day tomorrow. Let's see, I've been working for about 10 months now, huh. Ouch!

Nice work al!
 

KellyC

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Aug 24, 2010
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733
Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Very nice job and man what quick work. I do have a question for you, where did you get a cherry picker (lift) to go high enough to get it out of the boat? That would be great for my islander to pull the motor out with. Am thinking of just tearing mine all apart as well.
 

Deadwood

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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Ain't honeymoons fantastic!! :D
 

Alpheus

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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Very nice job and man what quick work. I do have a question for you, where did you get a cherry picker (lift) to go high enough to get it out of the boat? That would be great for my islander to pull the motor out with. Am thinking of just tearing mine all apart as well.

I bought the cherry picker off craigslist last year. I got it cheap because the ram didn't work. I bought a new extended long ram at Northern tool. I get lots of lift with it now...
 

dozerII

Admiral
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Oct 25, 2009
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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Real nice looking boat Alpheus. It does look like it was well looked after. You don't mess around when it comes to getting started. I am lloking forward to watching your progress as my SS has the same engine and drive and it is all tore apart in my old garage waiting for the nbew shop to be done.
Glen
 

Alpheus

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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Not much done today do to ONE LAST BOLT!!!

It never fails, there is always one that wont come out. It was the one on the very bottom of my exhaust elbow. The head of the bolt snapped off,the threads were loose but the grip of the bolt was corroded in elbow. I had no choice but to cut it in half.

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The transom is not in all that bad of shape. It is pretty dry in the cut out but the bottom of it along the edges is wet. It will work perfect as a pattern.

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On another note. Ever see what 40 years of greasing up the steering lever looks like?

This
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Came out of here
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Ill start removing the deck and transom tomorrow...
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
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Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

I/O's are gross :p:p:p
 

Pugetsound

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

You must have a shop full of Santas helpers. Also a very work friendly shop area. And all the tools known to the boating industry. Sure looks nicer than outside in the weather and cold. Great job and look forward to the launching . Gezzzzz that might be in a couple of weeks or so, -- LOL have a great holiday. Looks like you went to school before you bought that one. Pugetsound.
 

proshadetree

Lieutenant Commander
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Jul 19, 2008
Messages
1,887
Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Good looking boat you got there, except for the interior decor. Hope all is good in the drive and it just needs seals. You sure do jump on a project when you get one dont you?
 

Alpheus

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Unfortunately these things don't fix themselves and spring has the tendency of sneaking up on you. I have a line on a new drive on the cheap... (Alpha 1)
 

proshadetree

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

I have been waiting on mine to magically turn new, It hasn't happened yet. Watching others fix theirs might be enough motivation for me to get after it.
 

Alpheus

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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

I had to put new tie rod on my old ladies car after work today so I could only work on the boat for an hour or so. I got all of the seats,sides and the gas tanks removed. Old Joe said that the boat is solid and I wouldn't need to replace the floor and to just paint it and it will be fine. Its a good thing Joe is still alive and kickin or else he would be rolling over in his grave if he seen his old boat now, and I'm not even done with demolition yet. This boat was pretty wet under the seat boxes.
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I wish you guys could see the paint. Old Joe used a paint brush and slathered house paint all over everything. Its thick and flat (no gloss) and fells like plaster.

I did however find some of the original color. Its the new hip color of the 60's. Baby $h!t green.
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The pile of scrap for the garbage man.
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More to come tomorrow...
 

Pugetsound

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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

I feel for you. The 16 ss I rebuilt all the material that had any wood parts was MULCH and had to be tossed as well as all the upholstery. The floor was mulch and had mouse-squirl nests every where, Lots of fun, really ,putting it together with new and the results are well worth the effort. Good luck, sure like you inside work area. I also bought a boat that had house paint on the outside. Thats another story.
 

barato

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
386
Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

garbage man? let it dry out and use it in the woodstove....;) once you use em for templates if you're rebuilding it to stock

Alpheus, you are an inspiration and a shaming to those of us who move (ahem) a bit slower. keep posting the pix, i love em. guess the plants where you live have leaves on em, huh?
 

proshadetree

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

He makes me look like I am going backwards. Woops what did I hit.:eek: Inspirational man. Do you have a color sample for that baby curd green? Might need it if you ever decide to go back stock.:p
 

Alpheus

Lieutenant Commander
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Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

Re: 1969 Chieftain Restoration

I worked on the boat for a couple of hours today. It was pretty nasty work and I got pretty dirty, but I got allot accomplished. I managed to get the deck and foam removed from the door back. The foam was totally soaked and weighed a ton but its out.

Every Starcraft restore thread I have read has the pic of the inside of the boat with the deck removed, so here is mine.:D

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The pile of scrap got allot bigger today.

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I must mention that I love working on this boat. This is the most fun I have had in a restoration. It is dirty,smelly,slimy and wet but it all washes off and I am not all itchy from fiberglass all through my skin.

All in all I have about 8 hours of work in the demolition so far spread out over 4 days. Its been smooth sailing so far. I am going away for Thanksgiving so work will continue on Sunday. I cant wait...
 
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