My Starcraft SS 16' project

Hi Everyone

I been hanging out here for more then a few months and learning a ton from you all. A big thank you to all that contribute in helping and sharing tips in restoring these boats.

As someone here said not to long ago "You can't swing a cat around here without hitting a SS", that line still makes me laugh. Well heres my SS being thrown into the ring. I purchased it this last June and have been slowly restoring it and getting it the way I want it. It's all original from the boat the motor and the trailer from the dealer, all three are within a yr of each other. The previous owners said they have taken it out to the lake each year for the last few yrs and had no problems. The floors were a little springy understandably as old as they were but no serious rotting. Our climate here is very dry so that helps. The transom was also in good shape other then a slight bow from holding that 85hp merc for years. I thought about doing a quick makeover to get it out on the water, but found I really enjoyed working on this boat and thought better of it to do it right.

The restore process I've been doing is pretty basic from what I've seen in other threads, I'm on a tight budget however. I did a leak test after getting everything out and found about 6 rivets with a slight leak, did the stainless steel truss head screw trick to fix those. Covered everything inside with Gluvit where water might get in. Replaced the transom and floors. The old foam inside was all dry and mostly in very good shape so I'll reuse most of that. As to painting the hull, I sanded down the outside removing the oxidation until I came to some solid paint. It actually looked somewhat nice with the oxidation gone. The paint I used was rustolelum.

I have some more photos that update to where I am now, I'll get those up soon. Thanks again to those that help us noobs in getting these back into shape!

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

WD --- Nice project you've got yourself there! And great job for starting off with some pics!!! You are doing it right man... better to get it done correctly and get many, many years of enjoyment from it! You've definetly come to the right place for info and help... ask and ye shall receive!!

Welcome to the madness... sounds like you enjoying yourself!!!

Jim

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Welcome WD, another great SS. Looks like you have good start on the project. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it, lots of guys around willing to lend a hand , or should I say ear.

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Swingin cats and hitten SuperSports, awesome! Glad you joined in on the fun man:joyous:

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Thanks for the welcome into the madness. I dare say I find myself checking craigslist from time to time just to see if a SC shows up for cheap, I can always use a new winter project.

So here is a update to where I am now. One thing that troubled me a little in this boat design was what to do when it came time to decide on a seat post height. If I go standard height where I'm sitting normal like in a chair the steering wheel is very low perhaps hitting my knees and I'm looking over the windshield. If I go with a very low seat post that matches the back to back factory seat height it would be annoying getting up from that low seat position while catching fish. Well one day I came across a photo of a Smokercraft Tracer and thought wow, this might work. They solved the problem by simply raising the console up. It does take away the sleek look but it does allow the use of a higher seat post. The steering wheel would be much higher and I would be looking through the windshield.

Smokercraft Tracer




As you can see in the photos I cut out some aluminum and bolted it to the side of the gunwall raising the console. I tried different heights and settled with one that resulted in it being 5 3/4 inches above the gunwall. I temporally mounted the old dash with the steering wheel and placed a boat seat at a comfortable height to see how it would be and it worked great. I will have to extend the bottom of the console down to the floor and plan on making that part very strong. I don't want any flexing down there, I'd like it to be like it was bolted right to the floor itself.



In the photo below I don't have much bolted on its just temporary, I just wanted to see how it would look. On the bow railing I simply reversed it, putting the left rail onto the right and the right onto the left. It's not as easy as just switching them, some holes won't line up and the tubing has to be bent slightly. I used a EMT/conduit bender with only a tiny tiny bend every 1/2 inch, each bend was so minor you really can't feel it bend with the EMT bender. Aluminum tubing does not like to be bent in this way, it will kink very easily. Imagine trying to bend a drinking straw without putting a kink in it.



Still lots to do, I'll keep updating

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

One concern was in removing the aluminum extension that comes off the top of the windshield down onto the top of the gunwall. I removed the side window to see how strong the frame was and found it to be very strong. It has a very stiff interlocking design that does not flex at all. I taken it apart to see how it was assembled and found I could add a few more rivets to make it even stronger not that it needed it, so off it came. Also those screws that hold the windshield down ( those square head things) I hand made some extra to secure the side windows down better, 3 per side now. Only one screw was used on each of mine from the factory.

Heres some photos of how it went









If you compare this photo with the first one you can see where I put two extra rivets

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Some real great ideas there, WD, coming along nicely.

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

I'm not a superfan of those consoles that are raised up but only for the reason...

It does take away the sleek look

Click to expand...

...and that's it. You did a bang up job on those consoles, they look great! Plus you won't be blasted in the face now, nice!

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Excellent work on the change of the consoles & windshields!

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Good job! Agreed that it does reduce the "sleekness"... but lets call a spade a spade... these boat never were "bass boat sleek" or "sleek and sexy"! More Cindy Crawford at 50 then Cindy Crawford at 20!

Keep the wheels turnin'!!!

J.

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

wd - I like your higher consoles.

I'm tall and hate feeling like I'm sitting on the floor.

Function over form works in my book.

The reverse rail looks good too.:thumb:

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Great idea. I might have to borrow it. I like to stand when I drive. Eddy622611

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Heres a few updated photos of how things have been going. Below is the extension that will join the bottom of the console to the floor. That molded extruded part that caps the end of it is from that extension brace that originally came off from atop of the windshield.



I have a small piece of carpet under it here to see how both consoles will line up.



I had a bunch of square aluminum tubing sitting around so I decided to add some molding to the consoles. Attached a metal cutting blade to my saw and went to town.



This part sits on top of the console where the windshield bolts too. It was a little tricky because it has to have a slight bow to it to match the curve on the bottom of the windshield frame. I never used alumiweld rods before, although this weld looked nice it was not very strong. I redid it after finding out for best results you need to lay down a thin layer of alumiweld to both surfaces prior to welding together. I would never use this stuff myself for anything structurally important, in this case it just holds a front cosmetic aluminum panel in place.



Heres the almost finished part. I made it a little longer then needed to trim and fit it later.

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Carpets finally in!!



Heres a photo of the console with the molding attached.



I'm going with a different bow railing, its not bolted down yet. Shes coming along.

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Hey WD, welcome back. Your making some great progress on the SS. Carpet looks real good and the consul modifications should help with the wind in the hair.:rockon:

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Nice fab work w/ the added aluminum trim!

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Very nice!

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Your raised consoles turned out great. How did the windshield turn out. Are you happy with how rigid it is? I would love to do this to my boat. The consoles are some of the only parts of the interior that I didn't have to replace. I might make templates for some new consoles while I have it apart. That way I could finish now , build complete new consoles and install them and some taller pedestals after summer. The mechanic should have my motor done soon. I need to finish up the insides so I take it to him to install the motor. Brian

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

It looks somewhat like the early lund tyee, the ones that used the 4.9, 5.3 designations and if it works for you then its perfect!

Re: My Starcraft SS 16' project

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I feel I'm past the dirty part of the restoration and at the fun part. Eddy the windshield is very solid, don't see it going anywhere. I did put 3 screws under the side windows to hold them in place just for good measure, two would have been fine.

My goal in this project is to put together a fishing boat that would be comfortable and enjoyable to spend all day out on the water. The only reason to come back to the dock would be because I've run out of water, food or fuel. One problem is that where I live we have only two season, Hot and Cold! I don't mind the heat as long as I'm in the shade, or the cold as long as I'm out of the wind and the rain. So that means adding a canopy. My objective is to keep the back of the boat open and clear of any straps that would interfere with the fishing rods. I'd be spending 90% of the time sitting down trolling or anchored fishing so having a high canopy is not a concern. Keeping it low would provide more shade as the sun goes down and make putting up side curtains (clear windows) quick and easy.

The photo directly below is one I found on the net, if its a members here I hope you don't mind me borrowing it.


I used photoshop to come up with what I have in mind below.


Heres the concept. The area in the back of the boat would be clear of obstructions for the rods, and the very back would be clear enough from the canopy to stand up when bring in a fish. The tubing that supports the canopy in the back would be held in place by four mounts on top of the gunwale. The two mounts closest to the motor would hold the tubing in place using a quick release pin. The two other mounts towards the front of the boat would hold the tubing in place with a single bolt, allowing it to work as a hinge. When the two quick release pins are pulled at the back the entire frame assembly would then fold onto the top of the windshield where it would be wrapped and secured to the top of the windshield. Thats the idea anyway.

I've never built a canopy before so any feedback on this would be appreciated.