1964 Starcraft Jet Star Aluminum Runabout Project

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

With the exception of my "skoosh" , I did say measure the flange.

I like that word.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Back home from a week at the lake, the weather was amazing, lots of boating and swimming.

Tomorrow my son is coming home from a 4 month stay in Germany where he's been doing his last semester. He entrusted his car to my care while he was gone and I made the mistake of parking it in the back of the yard. I went to drive it after a couple weeks of not using it and it stunk like he!!. I spent a half day dismantling the dash and looking for a mouse nest with no luck. After working on that, everything smelled like dead mice to me for about two days.

So here is the question: When does a mouse cost $175? Answer: When it crawls into your car's heater box, has babies and they all die. :facepalm: My garage guy did a great job on it though, got it back today just in time and there's hardly any smell at all. I love the way he wrote up the invoice:

Anyway, after things settle down I can get back to the boat!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I must have fallen behind on this thread and missed the most recent progress pics. Looks great! I would have (and did) just gone with the plastic drain tubes. Nuts to all that cutting and flaring business.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Yeah, as with a lot of the stuff I have, I bought it a long time ago before I knew a lot of options and thought my progress would be a lot quicker. Thanks for the kudos, that transom was a labor of love/hate and I'm proud of the way it turned out.

Now that I've made so much progress, I got paranoid last night and pulled it out from under the tree I've been working under so no branches would fall on it if we have a storm!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Right NOW, I'd Pay you $1,000 bucks for a Thunderstorm!!!!!! WITH Tree Limbs FALLING, Just NOT on my boat!!!!

 

[jtrom]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I've been following your thread closely as I am restoring a '59 Jet. Yours is looking great! I see that you left the bench seats in. I was wondering if you knew if the benches are structural on these boats as they are only made of wood....... I really want to leave mine out. Keep up the good work!

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Thanks, glad my thread is proving helpful. I don't really know if the seat boards are structural, but I doubt that they are. Even when I had the hull stripped, it was solid and stiff. I only went that way because it seemed the easiest way to get the new seats mounted, without messing with the curved floor.

I just saw your thread asking about the presence of an original splashwell in your 59. Sorry I can't help with that. It seems if there are no rivet holes that probably it didn't have one. What hp is yours rated for?

Have you put up any pictures of your '59?

 

[jtrom]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I'm gonna try to post them this weekend. I need some help from my tech-savvy girlfriend. I'll start my own thread as I'm now getting into the nitty gritty of the restoration. The boat is rated for 50 hp on the brochure I read online from that year but no rating on the data plate. It looks like yours but simpler: no splashwell, not made from lakestrap formed aluminum. ect.....otherwise identical. Data plate number starts with the numbers 59 and it says Jet 15. I have a 1974 Johnson 50 i'm putting on it, looks just like yours (but much older). Right now I'm in the paint stripping process, not fun in the middle of a heat wave!!!!

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Right now I'm in the paint stripping process, not fun in the middle of a heat wave!!!!

Not fun in any weather!

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Today I'm doing some work on the deck hardware. Funny the things you never think about, like that there's a port and starboard chock. I got them both attached and that's when I realized I needed to switch sides. The temp under the deck is 122, so you don't need to guess I wasn't under there long. Air temp is "only" 90. Good thing I don't mind the heat too much. Give me this any day over zero and windy!

Also started on the wiring a little. I bought some switches for the dash but I think I might want to get something else that will more easily mount to a 1" thick surface. The ones I have just barely make it and I'm afraid they will work loose after not very long. I bought the pull switches, but think I want toggle instead, simple on/off. I hope to avoid hacking away at the back of the dash. Ordered a couple Forstner bits today to avoid chewing up the dash when I drill the holes I need.

​

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I'm calling the front deck finished:

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Very nice lake!

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Today, I ended up doing a lot of staring, figuring out wiring. I think I have a plan now and off to get some supplies. Whether it works will be another matter, I'm really rusty on DC electricity. Otherwise, I got the stern light installed. Look out George Jetson! I backed all my deck hardware with 1/2" oak pieces.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

That IS the Koolest Stern Light I have EVER seen.
Boat is Looking GREAT!!!!!

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

lake - you are getting close! Stop staring and finish. LOL Looking real good.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Thanks...Now that I have a plan & materials, I hope I can get at some of it tomorrow. Also have mundane stuff like phone calls to make & an appointment to go to.

That has to be one of the most unique designs for a stern light ever! I was lucky on that count, the chrome is in pretty good shape, only a little pitting, and the glass dome is excellent and not discolored at all.

One thing that's a bit of a pain, but normal I guess, is having to remove the bow light to change bulbs. It wouldn't be so bad if it was attached with screws, but I had to use bolts in two of the holes, so if I have to do that I need to crawl up into the bow. That won't be so easy once the seats are in. At least I remembered to leave some slack in the wires so I could pull it out a little to get at the socket.

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Looking back to May 2009: Sometimes I think only a crazy person would have taken this on. The length of this project is making me a little crazy right now!

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Rebuilding these old boats requires that one be "A Bit CRAZY" That's why I qualify!!!!!

 

[jtrom]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I saw that you bought some windshield brackets and the rubber seal.....I just found a windshield on CL (after looking everyday for months) for my Jet and it needs mounting brackets and maybe a new seal.......where did you find the brackets and seal?...Do you have a part number?..I can't seem to find any online. Thanks for any info

 

[lakelover]

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

Re: 1964 15' Starcraft Aluminum Runabout Project

I saw that you bought some windshield brackets and the rubber seal.....

iboats has them both.

Windshield vinyl: http://www.iboats.com/Deck-Vinyl-White-Windshield-110-Taylor-Made/dm/*******.292844927--**********.403533151--view_id.428937

These fasteners didn't work with the original windshield and deck holes, but if you are going to move or replace your windshield, these would work great:

http://www.iboats.com/Hidden-Hold-Down-Fasteners/dm/*******.292844927--**********.403533151--view_id.427152

I don't know why, but it did require a fair amount of digging to find these.

You may have seen that I had a little trouble with the vinyl taking the shape of the deck at first. It's better now after sitting in the heat since I installed it, it has molded better to the curve.