vintage duracraft sportsman

OK so i just bought a boat. i was actually looking for some form of restoration project. Prefferably an old jeep. ANyway i saw this boat for sale. Boat and trailer no motor. Anyway i paid 280bucks for what i believe is a 1952 duracraft sportsman. Boat is straight and seems decent. Looks like a great start for a good restoration. My question is it something of value. To me the boat is old very old. and for its age i think its in great shape. Is this something that if restored could be worth something. Also should i not touch it. I dont know much about boats nothing really just couldnt pass this up. It was one of those things that you just have the feeling that you need to by this because you got lucky and you may never get this chance again. Anyway can anyone tell me anything about my find because i cant find anything about this boat online.

Re: vintage duracraft sportsman

Try this site.
www.fiberglassics.com
The time and effort and money you put into restoring it.... You'll be lucky to break even. But it is a great stress reliever.

Re: vintage duracraft sportsman

I just googled "Duracraft Boat" and got a ton of good info sites.

If you want a boat to keep and use, a restoration project can be a great hobby and you will end up with something you can use with pride.

If your aim is to make money, get a second part time job and you will be further ahead.

Re: vintage duracraft sportsman

good so when im done i can keep the boat. HAha in the end i think id rather keep the boat. Altho it would have been cool if someone said there were a handfull of these boats left and i may be on to something. Anyway with this just being a fun project how far should i go into bodywork. One could go as far as sodablasting and a perfect paint job. or would it be better off to just fix the minor leaks and paint over whats there.

Re: vintage duracraft sportsman

Depends on how anal you are. You can go to extremes to your hearts content. Some have some haven't. If it floats and repels water, you're pretty much good to go.

Re: vintage duracraft sportsman

Welcome
You came to the right place if your looking to restore that boat.... The guys here are some of the best and very willing to help you along.

Lots of luck with your project

Re: vintage duracraft sportsman

duraboat said:

Altho it would have been cool if someone said there were a handfull of these boats left and i may be on to something.

Click to expand...

The people over at Fiberglassics can tell you about the rarity and following of your boat. Just remember that regional boats have little following, so they are worth little. A brand name classic is worth the most.

Re: vintage duracraft sportsman

As to the, "should I go all out" restore question; I think it depends more on you than anything. In my case, I enjoy "tinkering" (to use the wife's word), and projects are a form of relaxation and a sense of accomplishment when they're done. If I were looking any where near the "value" end of the equation, however, I'd stay as far away as possible. What I mean by that, if you need to know that the money and time will pay off once the retore's finished, boats are probably not the arena. If, however, the goal is to have a nice boat that will give you and your family loads and loads of cherished memories, and something that will garner attention and admiration from others, then jump in with both feet! The search feature here will turn up some pretty amazing rebuild threads. Click on a few and spend some time perusing them, and you'll see what I'm saying. But, I'd venture to say that if you asked any of these guys if they thought they could profit (or even break even) by selling, the collective answer would probably be, "@*LL NO!"

Re: vintage duracraft sportsman

I guess i dont want to go all out but at the same time id like the thing to look pretty darn good in the end. Ill probably dissassemble every bit of it and fix whats wrong and make it right. I looked the boat over today after work. Found a good amount of steel rusted screws where rivets had once been. To me they wont stay and if it were my boat in the past new rivets would have been put in not steel bolts. Also found many pieces of the bolt that at one time had either stainless or aluminum bolts or screws but today have steel rusted ones. SO i guess first ill disassemble, re-rivet, prep for paint, paint, then replace any steel w stainless or aluminum. Then from there i have not a clue what to do for a motor, wiring, steering, and all that. Im just not familiar with boats. Any ideas of diagrams for these kind of things. If i can see it on paper and have a diagram to follow i can pretty much figure it out. Luckily i have a decent knowledge in the building trades which definatly helps figure out many other things. Hopefully boats. And thanks so far for the helpfull comments. much appreciated.

Re: vintage duracraft sportsman

In my eyes there are 3 main parts to a boating rig, boat, motor, and trailer. The size, weight and shape of the boat will determine the engine and trailer. Give us some more info on the boat, size weight, etc... and you'll get more recomendations than you'll know what to do with

Art

Re: vintage duracraft sportsman

the boat is 16' and very light. i would say around 300 pounds maybe lighter. Basically im looking to keep it simple and ust make it look good. Im not really interested in to many gadgets. Just a nice paint job, decent motor im thinking 25 hp, and the wiring that i going to have to figure out. I fugure im only going to need to wire the needed items. Ignition switch, lights, a few guages. Im sure there is more but still need a little research and advice. I wont be looking to put things like a radio on the boat. just the basics.

Re: vintage duracraft sportsman

Bow and aft/anchor light, bilge pump, temp and oil pressure gauges tach, horn.... thats some of the basic ones