1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Ok - Here is the new winter project. Picked it up Friday and took off on the 120 mile trip down the 90 - got halfway home when a bearing went (owner said they were good!). Fortunately got to a rest stop (toll road) and dropped it. Came back Saturday and spent 6 hours trying to get a fused bearing off a spindle. Called for local reinforcements today (tools, generator) and dremeled and chiseled the old race off - it was virtually welded to the spindle. So 3 days to go 120 miles - you know the lesson.

So - in the garage. Previous owner started engine rebuild - did a valve and head job (135 psi on the all 4) and was starting to adjust the valves - when he ran out of gumption. The outdrive is recently rebuilt. Tilt works well. The owner also did a good job with a new floor and the marine 2 part foam under it.

The hull is clean and free of both dents and holes transom is good and all the bits and pieces are there - including my favorite - the flying saucer stern light - plus a new favorite - the pod speedo on the dash. The interior was done by through garage sale finds. The topside was painted with a rag and some goopy white paint but I must say that it went well with the grey carpet and seats - can't believe Starcraft didn't offer this color combo back in the day.

So - finish the engine, gut the interior and re-do (Mrs. Starcrafter thinking of color shemes), and repaint! - probably as close to original as possible. Time period - ready sometime in June 2010!

I'll try to figuere out how to get the big pictures in.


Running total:
Boat: $800
New Bearings: $18

Clark

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Clark she looks pretty good for $800 I would say you have another great lookin resto in the making here . You may want to start a resto thread out in the resto area on the main page alot of them Glass guys like oggling over our fine Tin Vessels .


Rick

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

clark, the best way to get bigger pis is to host them somewhere like photobucket, then they will have an IMG code, you can just paste that code in your post and the pic will show up.


congrats on the purchase, cant wait to see it in person at tinstock!

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Wow you got a great one for $800. Good starting point. Good luck with your project.

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Yea that boat looks to be in good shape. Nice find and welcome to the STARCRAFT CULT.

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Looks good. 120hp mercruiser I guess? Every year I pull the bearing buddies on my boat trailers and re-grease whether it needs it or not.... Part of the 'summerization.' That boat will last you a long time.

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Nice, I like the holiday's. I might have to find one to put beside of my SS.

Jeff.

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Trailer looks to short for boat if it hangs to far in the back you will get a hook in hull then it will be junk. if it is you might be able to slide it forward. just going by pic ,might be wrong.

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Well, I could post a picture of the engine....

I will continue to post pics as I get something done. I am doing diagnostics on the motor - can't run it yet because I need the rubber exhaust connection from header to outdrive.

What is the best on line site for this type of thing?

So - I will adjust the valves per spec and then go and get the compression checked - if they come out good - then will proceed with further engine reno. If the compression stinks - then I'll search for a newer motor - probably the 3.0.

I did some research on the colors - appears that it was a light maroon (?!?) with a hideous dark brown interior. Contemplating another early 60's motif (seamist green or light bikini blue) or late 50's red and white. Also contemplating making the seats - I bought the Wise seats for the Nassau - but they were kind of uncomfotable.

I think progress will be slower as it is winter and the soot date is June 2010.

Clark

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

i say go with the red and white... i was origionally going with maroon and grey until i was given some free paint.

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Clark I am sure you know by now I am a fan of Red and White . I understand the slow progress and winter I think I will have to pull mine inside to do much more before spring hits LOL.


Rick

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

I love tearing these things apart and deciphering what they were thinking: Like - why did Starcraft use a 2" bolt to go through the deck - when a 1/2 one would do? Also - I love that the original Holidays just had a wood dash (usually a really nice piece of Mahogany that they covered with Vinyl - and the newer ones (like mine) - didn't change that at all - Starcraft just covered up the old simple dash with the aluminum cowls that made the new dash. Also - this boat must have been one homely girl - the original color was a putty/grey/with a hint of purple latte and the interior was dark brown vinyl. Wow what happened in the late sixties!

The original paint is has a great bond though - the stripper peals the new white goop off quick and leaves the original in place.

Then you get to see the "fixes" to it. Like - thanks for the hole in the bow for the CB antenna - good buddy, I see you had a box of drywall screws at some point, at least when the old cool horn stopped working you just disconnected it and put a cheapie under the bow. Did you have to chop a hole there? and what was it for?

Also funny how Starcraft did some stuff so cheap and others are done very expensive (the new dash was made of crap plywood - hidden one underneath and the stringers under the bow were mahagony...I know that they are aluminum fans - but did Starcraft buy an enormous amount of industrial grade window extrusion for these windshields? Jeez the stuff is thick - not exactly low profile.

Well its mostly gutted - floor looks like it can stay - taking motor to shop soon to have cyliner compression checked - and block checked for leaks and compression.

Clark

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

So - Update - The motor compression is 90-90-60-30 - so I am not sure it's going to take the nitrous and blower I was going to install!!!

So out with the old in with the new!

Gives me a good excuse to install the 140!

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Clark sounds like your diving right through this one you might actually get it on the water before it freezes over at this rate .


Rick

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Rickairmedic said:

Clark sounds like your diving right through this one you might actually get it on the water before it freezes over at this rate .


Rick

Click to expand...

- well I gonna buy the new motor ($300) 1989 3.0 with 160 compression! The boat is going to be a ton of work if you ever want to be in the same marina as the Liquid Limo...
- Strip all Paint
- New Motor
- ? Outdrive ?
- New Interior - Plan on building new seats and having them upholstered
- New wood dash

All before next year and dec-march is too cold to work on the boat

Plus I have a top secret - yet unapproved plan - for the boat.

The new motor is really nice - so this should be a boat we can plan on keeping - so we will do alot of work on it....

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

I know what the unapproved plan is.. since the compression on the 140 is 160 <> then you're gonna put a turbo on it right ?? oh and with the low compression on the old engine you coulda put the supercharger and NOS on there.. the supercharger likes low compression !!! I've thought about a supercharger on mine.. they made them for inline 6's.. but $$$ for my low budget.

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Update:

Bought a 3.0 (130 HP) motor with great compression (160+) and clean oil. Up here in the North boats barely get used. Had a water jacket leak that worked for years then gave way to a slow leak. Here are some pics of the new motor and yanking the wheezer out with a chainfall. Aslo pulled the outdrive - amazing how these things pop right off/out. Kind of glad I am going through this process as it makes you learn about the whole mechanicals.

On to the next update!!!

Clark

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

More Pictures:

Ok - Here is the blasphemy I have been contemplating - I am always thinking out of the box....cutting an open bow into the Holiday. Here are some pictures of the usual stripping and sanding of the interior. The previous guy used some sort of house paint on everything on the interior - so the topsides are stripped as well as the interior - need some touch up to move on.

The previous owner redid the floor with plywood with epoxy coat - but as with most else - he pretty much butchered it - so I'll pull it - plus I want to put a underfloor storage for skis/poles down the middle.

I made a cardboard mock-up of how big an open bow one could get. They pretty much jammed the windshield up as far as possible - so it is tight - but would work credibly. One full size man (me 6-0 190) fits comfortably or 2 5-6" people fit in with actual comfort. Don't have the guts yet to do it. I have found aluminum extrusions that would make it look pretty factory though.

So the cold weather is coming - so I will finish the prep for the interior, decided that the one thing the guy did well was spray the hull - so I will leave it and prep for painting in the spring.

Further fall work: Rip out floor and put new in. Finish interior prep for paint.
Winter work: Build interior (seats, wood work) at my Dads full woodshop.
So in Spring: Paint, Mechainical, Interior!

Also - Here is the paint scheme we like - check out the Holiday in the Brochure - The Green on the right.

Let you know on the open bow!

Clark

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Somebody must have lit a fire under you You're moving right along. Can't tell the color change from the pic but I'm sure it will look better than white with a rag Guess I need to go to work... Good luck!

Re: 1968 Holiday 18 Restovation

Hi Starcraftter65 Nice project...good deal on the new merc motor!
yeah someone needs to come up with a hot cam setup for these and the 4 cyl mercury inlines....

Im a virtual starcraft restorer --(we dont have one yet)