1980 Starcraft SuperSport 160 with '79 Mercury 90hp -- possible restoration project

Hi folks... I've enjoyed reading about restoration here on iboats. (huron angler and emzobee in particular) My boat is in need of some tlc, as they say. I don't know how far I want to/should go, but I do know that I will have lots of questions coming up. Now to figure out how to post some pictures...

Re: 1980 Starcraft SuperSport 160 with '79 Mercury 90hp -- possible restoration proje

Let's see if we can post some pictures...

Here it is maybe two years ago...

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k545/eriehl/IMG_5818.jpg

We were out of the country for the past year and a half and the interior has really gone downhill during that time. The back half of floor is very spongy... the seats are ripping and stained.

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k545/eriehl/IMG_9765.jpg
http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k545/eriehl/IMG_9766.jpg

I really need to completely replace the floor and interior, and I would like to repaint the exterior...maybe blue.

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/k545/eriehl/IMG_9763.jpg

I think I would like to

Re: 1980 Starcraft SuperSport 160 with '79 Mercury 90hp -- possible restoration proje

Did you have it stored or outside in the weather????

Re: 1980 Starcraft SuperSport 160 with '79 Mercury 90hp -- possible restoration proje

With a new interior, she'll be a nice boat again!

Re: 1980 Starcraft SuperSport 160 with '79 Mercury 90hp -- possible restoration proje

When I left the country it was outside and covered. When I came back a year and a half later, it was inside a building uncovered. I know my friend had it out a time or two and my brother-in-law had it out. And I know that for a while it had been sitting outside uncovered...because the original owner lives here and he said he went by our shop and saw it outside for a while and cringed.

I saw on the forum negative talk about pressure treated plywood and aluminum. Why is that and what does it do? If the plywood is sealed good, (i.e. paint or epoxy) is that ok?

Re: 1980 Starcraft SuperSport 160 with '79 Mercury 90hp -- possible restoration proje

The newer PT has copper in it and the different metals cause corrosion. It's a serious issue. Building codes and everything have had to be changed to deal with it.

Re: 1980 Starcraft SuperSport 160 with '79 Mercury 90hp -- possible restoration proje

elr said:

I saw on the forum negative talk about pressure treated plywood and aluminum. Why is that and what does it do? If the plywood is sealed good, (i.e. paint or epoxy) is that ok?

Click to expand...

Epoxy does not bond well with PT woods.

Re: 1980 Starcraft SuperSport 160 with '79 Mercury 90hp -- possible restoration proje

Ok, so pt plywood is out. What next? Marine?

Re: 1980 Starcraft SuperSport 160 with '79 Mercury 90hp -- possible restoration proje

Also I'm wondering if this piece of plywood is original... Does anyone else's starcraft have that piece.



I would like to not have to replace the transom this winter. I looked at it inside a little and it seems solid still. But this smaller piece on the outside is beginning to delaminate slightly. Is it just a spacer for this size engine?

BTW, took the boat out this morning to see if it still runs and if it is worth trying to fix it up this winter. It ran pretty good. With my brother (who weighs 250, maybe? and his two boys, myself (185) and my one son we saw 44mph (speedo-indicated...I haven't been able to check it with GPS yet.) Top speed I saw with one other person last year was 46. On WOT it seemed to have a little sputtering every so often. Could that be due to the old gas or too rich a mixture?

Re: 1980 Starcraft SuperSport 160 with '79 Mercury 90hp -- possible restoration proje

elr said:

Also I'm wondering if this piece of plywood is original... Does anyone else's starcraft have that piece.

Click to expand...

My 16' SS has a piece of ply on it. I think that most of us have had the piece of would on the outside of the transom. I also think that nobody can figure out why it is there. There does not appear to be a structural component to it. Some have removed it after a restore and some have sealed a new piece of ply and put it back on, and still others have put an aluminum plate on to replace...EZ's came with an aluminum diamond plate but took it off and mounted straight to the transom.