1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

[montanahusker]

Well, earlier this year I decided to get my first boat! Not knowing anything about boats it has taken awhile to decide exactly what I wanted in a boat. I stumbled across iboats and the restoration forum and then North Beach's thread about his 66 Starcraft. That sold me and I wanted an aluminum boat. Just so happens that I have been driving past a little boat a half mile from me for over two years. I went and looked at it at least three times, read some more about what North Beach was doing and decided to bite the bullet. 700 dollars later and I am now the proud owner(prouder by the moment) of a 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout. It has a 65 50hp Merc (pull start) that had not run in two years but started on the fourth pull. The owner said it only has 50hrs on it, runs good but I will have the local shop check it out. It is in better shape then I originally thought, already have torn out the floor and it doesn't appear to have leaked at all but will replace with something stronger and go over all the rivits with Gluvit while it is accessible. Have the plastic people constructing a new windshield for me, cheaper by far compared to what Taylor or ebay wanted and no shipping chgs!! This going to be a Great project! Any ideas would be appreciated!! Oh yeah, big plus, my wife thinks it's "cute"

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Montana welcome to iboats and the ever growing ( shhhh were taking over ) Starcraft club . Theres a pile of us here doing Tinnies infact just had another member do his first splash today . Feel free to ask anything about redoing her and one of us will have the answer . Oh yeah if you hadnt noticed in NB's thread we like pictures and lots of them .


Rick

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Hey Montana..
Welcome to Iboats & as my buddy Rick says the ever growing SC armada..
Whats your plans for her? By looking @ North Beach's thread, you obivously see what can be done!
AndyinNY did indeed just splash his boat today, we have been watching him tear through it, less than or just over 30 days I think and he has a great looking boat now.

Rick's boat is great as well, he's doing a great job.
Ezmobee, well his has been finished and has been worry free for a couple years now, he has a refresher thread you can see what he did to his.

Lots of good info here, even better people!

 

[montanahusker]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Here are a few photos....

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Montana looks like a good start . The only thing I see wrong are someone took the striner out of it ( the deck ( floor ) should be flat ) . The other thing that skeeres me is how they mounted the seats hopefully theres nothing going through the hull like some PO did to me on mine . Yours should have only had one stringer but you can look at my pics to get an idea of what it should look like it should have run up the center of the boat and been riveted to the ribs .


Rick

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Looks like those plates were tac welded to the ribs..And now that ya mention it there isn't a stringer! Rick's fav game is I SPY or Where's Waldo! lol

My boat has 2, since shes a wee bigger than yours..heres what it looked like to give you an idea as well..

 

[montanahusker]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Hi Rick,
It does have a stringer I just got carried when I doing away with all of those rivits!
As far as the seats go they are mounted to a metal plate and that is rivited to the ribs.
Seems pretty solid?

 

[montanahusker]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Hi Kev,
My stringer is just a thin piece about 3 inches wide and runs down the center. The floor is never completely flat, even less so as you move forward by the seats! I assumed since it was a small boat I wouldn't get a flat floor like the upper class.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Hi Kev,
My stringer is just a thin piece about 3 inches wide and runs down the center. The floor is never completely flat, even less so as you move forward by the seats! I assumed since it was a small boat I wouldn't get a flat floor like the upper class.

Well...
Originally that girl had a nice flat deck...easy job to re do her..Usually seats will mount directly to the deck..

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Yep Kevs right the deck was flat in her when she left the factory but PO's have fubared it . Not a major dilema pretty easy to fix pull a couple string lines from the outer edge of the ribs and measure the height at the center point of the ribs and you will know how high you need to remake the stringer . The deck originally set flat on the top edge of the outer ribs ( theres actually a little bit of a shelf around the outer edge of the inside of the hull .)


Rick

 

[montanahusker]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Kev,Ric,
I was looking at lakeover's pictures and he has the Exact same floor(not flat) that I have, right down to the same type of rivits! I am thinking that this is the orignal floor plan since a flat floor wasn't necessary with the factory bench seats. This is why I don't have more than a flat piece of aluminum for a stringer. I'll be interested to see if lakeover has the same system when he tears up his floor! I bet he does. Isn't his vacation over yet?? I need info!

 

[montanahusker]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Montana let me do a little digging in the oooooold brochures and see what I cn pull up real quick .

Rick

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

OK You may have us on the Deck . I just took a good look at your boat ( couldnt get into the brochures yahoo is misbehaving ) I noticed the mounts where the benches would have been . I also noticed that your ribs are not flattened down on the ends like on mine and Kevs boats so you may have had a rounded floor from the factory . I can get you a pic of the 65 Jet if you like the benches were actually pretty nice with backs on them and fully upholstered.


Rick

 

[montanahusker]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Ric, Thanks for checking that out! I think I will stay w/ seperate seats up front(too old to be climbing over stuff) and a bench in back. Got my first new part today, a new steering wheel!!!!

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Kewl one part at a time will get ya there . You hve seen Lakelovers bot of course but have you seen the brochure that Northbech put in his thread for the Jet and Jetstar . I actually think from my digging you have a Jet ( 2 bench seats ) and Lakelover has a Jetstar ( back to Back seats ) .


Rick

 

[montanahusker]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Rick, I did see that brochure! The one w/ the two boats, red on white? Yeah, I have a Jet! Al

 

[brobrad]

Re: 1963 Starcraft 15' Jet Runabout

Welcome to all the fun. My project has hit a lull ($$$$), but i do plan to continue. I'm still working on my power trim. I've got to get a powertrim 3 position switch and maybe a seal for a cylinder and i should be good to go. You're boat looks great. No leaks is a big plus!!!! I like the rounded floor. I'm sure you've read it along the way, but (just in case) stay away from treated lumber. The treated lumber is what ruined my first boat. The floor was pitted terribly.

Keep posting the pics.

Brad

 

[Lilybell]

I just bought the same boat. Mine doesn’t have a windshield. No frame . Who did you use to get windshield?

 

[jbcurt00]

I just bought the same boat. Mine doesn’t have a windshield. No frame . Who did you use to get windshield?

Not a 15ft Jet
Not aluminum

Better off asking in a topic of your own

Closed