1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project-Jet Star
I finally took the plunge and got a boat like I've been looking for in the last year or so. I stumbled across it locally on Craigslist, the price seemed right at $750 (got it for $700) and basically the hull and transom are in good solid condition. So here are some starting out photos. I plan to work on it as time and $$$ permit, so progress will most likely be sporadic. The outboard I'm not too thrilled about and will most likely be looking for something else around 40-45hp, stated max is 45. I'm looking forward to diving in! I'm sure I'll be back asking lots of questions along the way.
As she came home with me...Classic Ugly:
Port & starboard (the speckling is mud splatters):
Front deck is real dirty, more so than the rest of it as it has been exposed to the elements because of a short tarp. It's been repainted along the line and would look nice if I can get it cleaned up. It's a nice sort of metal flake burgundy.
Stern with 50hp 1964 West Bend power. I know it runs but I haven't started it myself yet.
Helm: I envision a new wood dashboard & plan to ditch the compass (points south!), speedometer & depth finder. New controls and steering when I change the outboard. Current steering is pulley & cable.
Last edited by lakelover : July 17th, 2009 at 11:10 PM.
Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project more pics
The entire interior needs to be gutted. The floor is so rotten I can break it out by hand, and don't know if I'll be able to save it in pieces big enough to use for templates.
I'll probably go with classic back-to-back lounge seats:
Looks like a nice project. Very similar to mine but a little smaller. I'd gut the interior, put in a new floor and some lounge seats. See if the old West Bend will start, put an impellar in it and take it for a spin. Good luck with it! They are definitely solid boats.
Use brown paper to trace the complex spots on the deck BEFORE you rip it out. Like up by the bow ....hint hint.
__________________ "When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a very bad place to be. Your critics are your ones telling you they still love you and care." Randy Pausch 1960-2008 The Last Lecture
Lakelover welcome to iboats and the Starcraft club . I am suposed to have a folder with my 70 jupiter 16' that includes all the dimensions for the deck hopefully I will get the rest of my boat picked up this weekend including said folder .
BTW I do not think that is a compass.... it appears to be a depth flasher.
Yes three knee braces..... I have three in my boat (one in the closet but that's another story ) which has caused me to once again requestion what model I have This actually started this morning.
Of course all of us with 60 something starcraft must realize that the worker's who built them are all either dead or near death
That reminds me I need to drag up that thread and have Lakeover and others post to it
__________________ "When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a very bad place to be. Your critics are your ones telling you they still love you and care." Randy Pausch 1960-2008 The Last Lecture
BTW I do not think that is a compass.... it appears to be a depth flasher.
Yup, that's a depth finder on the right; the south-pointing compass is seen on the dashboard near the center. It would be nice to have a depth finder, but I want to minimize holes in the hull. Besides, after 50 years, I know every rock, stump and shallow area in my lake!
Lakelover hope your weather is better for boat work today than mine . I think I may go get the rest of my vinyl paint and work on the interior some since I can get to it in the garage .
Rick
__________________
Current Resto Project
1970 Starcraft Jupiter V 16'
Lakelover hope your weather is better for boat work today than mine . I think I may go get the rest of my vinyl paint and work on the interior some since I can get to it in the garage .
Rick
I hope to get something done today, the sun's shining and the temperature's reasonable. But....I ended up trimming branches & limbs in the front yard yesterday and that turned into an all day project and then some. Still gotta clean up. Part of it's routine but part's still remnants of our December ice storm. Gotta get working on that boat!
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I've learned from Sages, and I've learned from Fools. I'm one, hoping to become the other.
BTW I do not think that is a compass.... it appears to be a depth flasher.
Yes three knee braces..... I have three in my boat (one in the closet but that's another story ) which has caused me to once again requestion what model I have This actually started this morning.
Soon I’ll be at the stage of replacing the plywood but I can’t decide whether to replace it with the wood just riveted to the aluminum ribs, like original, or put in a floor that runs level across so I won’t have to mess around leveling the new reclining seats. However, I’m not sure if I want to raise the whole floor those precious few inches up off the hull. Mine won’t be a fishing boat, so no pedestal seats for me.
At any rate, I'm thinking of sealing the wood all sides with Marine grade Rustoleum, following their priming instructions & adding the no-slip to the tops.
....Tell me about knee braces.
__________________
I've learned from Sages, and I've learned from Fools. I'm one, hoping to become the other.
I understand the Ice storm cleanup . I still have a PILE of debris out back from the Ice storm we had this year ended up taking out 7 pine trees so far still have one pine and a blue spruce to take down but they can wait till after the Jupiter is done .
Rick
__________________
Current Resto Project
1970 Starcraft Jupiter V 16'
Here's the new companion for the craft. I've been trying to sell the 50 West Bend on craigslist, ebay and another website, with some interest, but have a prospect now that looks like it might fly. The "new" Johnson is a 2003 that's waiting it's turn in the shed. It has oil injection, and I'd prefer to convert it to pre-mix if it's not too difficult. I've just always mixed that way and prefer it. So as soon as I get the West Bend off, I feel that I can really get going on things.
__________________
I've learned from Sages, and I've learned from Fools. I'm one, hoping to become the other.
Lakelover the Whole Kneebrace thing had Bob up in arms for a while in trying to figure out which model his Starcraft actually was . he first thought it was a Jupiter like my 70 however most of us with Jupiters only have one knee brace and Bob's had three like yours they help tie the transom into the hull at the bottom of the transom . With help from Northbeach Bob has determined his Boat is a Nassau which I would guess is also what you have.
Rick
__________________
Current Resto Project
1970 Starcraft Jupiter V 16'
I have a Nassau with 3 braces - the thread about mine with pics is kicking around...whatever you don't bugger up the piece of wood that is the dash...I tried to get mine out - (it does not have to come out to put new covering on it) and when I did that I butchered it. It has nice cuts to wedge it in between the hull sides - and was put it before the top deck was installed - so just leave it in!!
Here's the new companion for the craft. I've been trying to sell the 50 West Bend on craigslist, ebay and another website, with some interest, but have a prospect now that looks like it might fly. The "new" Johnson is a 2003 that's waiting it's turn in the shed. It has oil injection, and I'd prefer to convert it to pre-mix if it's not too difficult. I've just always mixed that way and prefer it. So as soon as I get the West Bend off, I feel that I can really get going on things.
Starcraft & Johnson - perfect match
__________________ MY FISHIN BUDDY East Texas Redneck SEMPER FI
USMC '67 - '70
I have a Nassau with 3 braces - the thread about mine with pics is kicking around...whatever you don't bugger up the piece of wood that is the dash...I tried to get mine out - (it does not have to come out to put new covering on it) and when I did that I butchered it. It has nice cuts to wedge it in between the hull sides - and was put it before the top deck was installed - so just leave it in!!
Thanks, I saw that when I was looking it over in the exploration stage. After seeing that it was tied in very early on, I decided to do some fixing up rather than replacing. That's beyond my ambition & capabilities.
__________________
I've learned from Sages, and I've learned from Fools. I'm one, hoping to become the other.
Lakelover the Whole Kneebrace thing had Bob up in arms for a while in trying to figure out which model his Starcraft actually was . he first thought it was a Jupiter like my 70 however most of us with Jupiters only have one knee brace and Bob's had three like yours they help tie the transom into the hull at the bottom of the transom . With help from Northbeach Bob has determined his Boat is a Nassau which I would guess is also what you have.
Rick
Thanks, Rick ( & starcrafter65); now I know what a knee brace is!
I'll see if I can do some research on the Nassau model, I didn't even have a clue of the model before.
__________________
I've learned from Sages, and I've learned from Fools. I'm one, hoping to become the other.
Wow you did really well on the motor. Can't get much more reliable than that. I wouldn't disconnect the oil injection on a motor that new. I think they got the system pretty well perfected by 2003.
Determining what model depends on dimensions and colors. I did not figure out my model..... North Beach did. My Nassau is 16' long.
__________________ "When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody’s bothering to tell you anymore, that’s a very bad place to be. Your critics are your ones telling you they still love you and care." Randy Pausch 1960-2008 The Last Lecture
There were alot of Aluminum models in 64 as well . I cant really get the 64 model listings clear enough to read them all but theres a pile of them . I will see what I can do but I need an exact measurement feet and inches from the transom to the tip of the bow .
Rick
__________________
Current Resto Project
1970 Starcraft Jupiter V 16'
There were alot of Aluminum models in 64 as well . I cant really get the 64 model listings clear enough to read them all but theres a pile of them . I will see what I can do but I need an exact measurement feet and inches from the transom to the tip of the bow .
Rick
Looks like 14'10" or 11", I think the original colors were white on the bottom, red on the top deck.
__________________
I've learned from Sages, and I've learned from Fools. I'm one, hoping to become the other.
Lakelover I will see what I can dig up with that info the colors will be easy to remember my Jupiter is going white on top and red on the bottom so just reverse for your boat.
Rick
__________________
Current Resto Project
1970 Starcraft Jupiter V 16'
1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project-Jet Star
This actually started this morning.
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