1973 StarCraft SS 16 Restore

[Jimmy Starcraft]

Hi Everyone, I just picked up a 1973 StarCraft Super Sport 16 footer. The hull seems to be in good shape but the floor and interior is shot. I wanted a project for me and my 2 sons and always loved the look of these. We are used to smaller 12 foot 15hp type boats so this will be a great step up. I will try again to add pictures but when I upload it gives me an error that an administrator will have to look at. I've read so much great information on here and found answers for just about everything. What I was looking for is more of a step by step on what to do first. Since it will be my first restore, I'm hoping you guys can keep me in the right direction.

This will be a fall/winter project for me so I’ll do my best to keep this updated once I’m underway.
Here is my basic thought process:
1- Strip the interior down the bare hull and clean. (power wash?)
2- Check for any obvious loose rivets and re buck or drill out and replace. What size/type rivets for this hull?)
3- Fill with a few inches of water and check exterior for any leaks, rebuck or replace as needed.
4- I was planning un using Gulvit to coat all seems and rivets on the inside of hull
5- I would like to remove the splash guard that has some cracking in the seems and get it welded and repaired. I think it will be easier for getting at the transom and floor or should I get it welded without removing it?
6-Replace transom – 2 pieces of ¾ marine ply or exterior ply bonded together with PL construction adhesive and screws then coated in marine epoxy. It has a 1988 Johnson 70hp VRO that I intend to keep if it checks out. Should I be beefing up the transom or retore as stock since its rated for an 85hp. Wouldn’t mind being able to take the kids for the odd water ski or tube. Will the tie down hooks with a new transom handle this?
7- Will use closed cell pink sheet foam to fill under floor
8- Install coated marine ply or exterior ply as new floor. How should I attach the floor with rivets or screws?
Do I tongue and groove any floor seems so it wont be felt under the carpet?
Should I run a bead of silicone across the stringers that that the new floor sits on?
I haven’t seen the boat stripped so it might explain itself as I go but advice is welcome.
9-Once new floor is in carpet everything floors and walls. What type of carpet and glue is best? Do I use any kind of backing or padding on the walls or glue the carpet directly to the aluminum hull?
10- Reinstall the consoles and splash guard. Do I carpet before re installing consoles and seats?
11 Will be going with pedestal seats.
12- I am also thinking of having the fuel tank up front between the consoles in its own compartment. There would be a step up to the bow seating area, but I think this compromise will help a lot with balance. Or maybe I still have my 12 footer 15hp thought process going on but with batteries and gas in the back it seems like a lot. I like the idea of checking how much gas is left if its up front.

Does that sound like an OK plan for a project like this? Anything else I should be looking at specifically as I go?

I know each step will have its challenges and questions but I’m really trying to avoid missing a really cool idea or the “Should have done that before this” type thing that can bite you during a project.

Really appreciate any advise or help provided by the group

 

[jbcurt00]

Problems w pix is being worked on by IT. been a week or so ...

 

[Rasdiir]

Great boats, make sure to post over in the Starcraft forum with a few pictures once that's working again. I'm a new guy myself but I'll try to answer some of your questions.

2. For rivet info check out the rivet sticky by Watermann.
6. The plywood sounds good for the transom, but most use Titebond III for glue. New sealed transom in the stock method will be fine for that motor, although the stock ones had two separated wings on top and most make the replacement as one solid piece, just requires two sheets of plywood due to the size.
8. Floor is usually attached with rivets, screws come loose. I haven't heard of anyone else using silicone on the stringers when installing the floor.
11. For pedestals make sure you put a 3/4" plywood backing plate glued to the floor under where the pedestals will be mounted, it helps keep them from ripping through the floor wood.

Your plan sounds pretty good so far, very similar to my plan for my SS-150 project (although I have been having a lot of extra fun due to corrosion).

A while back I made an update thread that has all of the Starcraft project threads as well as a list of completed projects for further reading, there's a wealth of info in them from a lot of experts that aren't around much these days to answer questions.

 

[Jimmy Starcraft]

Great boats, make sure to post over in the Starcraft forum with a few pictures once that's working again. I'm a new guy myself but I'll try to answer some of your questions.

2. For rivet info check out the rivet sticky by Watermann.
6. The plywood sounds good for the transom, but most use Titebond III for glue. New sealed transom in the stock method will be fine for that motor, although the stock ones had two separated wings on top and most make the replacement as one solid piece, just requires two sheets of plywood due to the size.
8. Floor is usually attached with rivets, screws come loose. I haven't heard of anyone else using silicone on the stringers when installing the floor.
11. For pedestals make sure you put a 3/4" plywood backing plate glued to the floor under where the pedestals will be mounted, it helps keep them from ripping through the floor wood.

Your plan sounds pretty good so far, very similar to my plan for my SS-150 project (although I have been having a lot of extra fun due to corrosion).

A while back I made an update thread that has all of the Starcraft project threads as well as a list of completed projects for further reading, there's a wealth of info in them from a lot of experts that aren't around much these days to answer questions.

Thanks Rasdiir,
Never thought of the seat plate for under the pedestals but great advice vs finding out later. Exactly the stuff I was looking for. Do I move this thread to the StarCraft forum or copy it to their and repost?

Thank again

 

[Moserkr]

Welcome to the forum Jimmy! Theres some great threads over in the starcraft forum for 160SS and other similar models. Ill try to answer some of your questions below, but you are off to a great start!

Here is my basic thought process:
1- Strip the interior down the bare hull and clean. (power wash?) Good. Keeping original paint?
2- Check for any obvious loose rivets and re buck or drill out and replace. What size/type rivets for this hull?). Rivet thread that @Rasdiir recommended
3- Fill with a few inches of water and check exterior for any leaks, rebuck or replace as needed. Good plan if you cant float it somewhere
4- I was planning un using Gulvit to coat all seems and rivets on the inside of hull good plan
5- I would like to remove the splash guard that has some cracking in the seems and get it welded and repaired. I think it will be easier for getting at the transom and floor or should I get it welded without removing it? yes remove splashwell. Its really easy.
6-Replace transom – 2 pieces of ¾ marine ply or exterior ply bonded together with PL construction adhesive and screws then coated in marine epoxy. It has a 1988 Johnson 70hp VRO that I intend to keep if it checks out. Should I be beefing up the transom or retore as stock since its rated for an 85hp. Wouldn’t mind being able to take the kids for the odd water ski or tube. Will the tie down hooks with a new transom handle this? rebuild the transom as you stated. I used 2 pieces of 3/4" plywood coated in marine epoxy and a layer of fiberglass cloth. Just note that adding the epoxy and glass to the transom will make it a tight fit - starcraft originally did not glass their transoms. You do not need to beef it up at all. It will pull tubes or a water ski no problem. Just make sure your transom support bracket to the hull is in good shape.
7- Will use closed cell pink sheet foam to fill under floor good plan
8- Install coated marine ply or exterior ply as new floor. How should I attach the floor with rivets or screws? good plan, use large flange rivets of appropriate length, counter sink if you want a smooth floor
Do I tongue and groove any floor seems so it wont be felt under the carpet? use an AL backing plate for all seems, and not the thin ones starcraft used. Learn from my mistakes! Tongue and groove is something i havent seen done? Maybe someone has before. Not sure if that would be good or bad as the boat flexes when crashing through the water.
Should I run a bead of silicone across the stringers that that the new floor sits on? not a bad idea, but not necessary.
I haven’t seen the boat stripped so it might explain itself as I go but advice is welcome. once you are at the bare hull a lot will explain itself.
9-Once new floor is in carpet everything floors and walls. What type of carpet and glue is best? i was anti-carpet haha. Cant help you there Do I use any kind of backing or padding on the walls or glue the carpet directly to the aluminum hull?
10- Reinstall the consoles and splash guard. Do I carpet before re installing consoles and seats? i would lay the carpet/hydroturf/vinyl flooring across the whole floor before installing anything else.
11 Will be going with pedestal seats.
12- I am also thinking of having the fuel tank up front between the consoles in its own compartment. There would be a step up to the bow seating area, but I think this compromise will help a lot with balance. Or maybe I still have my 12 footer 15hp thought process going on but with batteries and gas in the back it seems like a lot. I like the idea of checking how much gas is left if its up front. check out my rebuild thread if you want to see a fuel tank under a raised bow platform between the consoles. I put a 19 gallon fuel tank in and it was overkill. Pros - it did balance the boat better in my opinion, no more porpoising. Cons - more expensive, less trim control - just different, more custom work, less access to front bow storage in my case at least. Id like to redo my front storage access points one day.

Does that sound like an OK plan for a project like this? Anything else I should be looking at specifically as I go? great start. Hows the trailer look? Motor run well?

I know each step will have its challenges and questions but I’m really trying to avoid missing a really cool idea or the “Should have done that before this” type thing that can bite you during a project.

Really appreciate any advise or help provided by the group

Only other advice is read read read. Before my rebuild or even joining the forum I read rebuilds from @SHSU @Watermann and others that Im forgetting as of now.

Looking forward to seeing what you do to your boat! Its a great project and even better that you are doing it with yours kids.

 

[Jimmy Starcraft]

Thanks Moserkr, I'll add some pictures once the site allows. Ill be starting probably end of Aug. How long did your restore take you? I'll be planning on some evenings and weekends to get this this done. I'm thinking it will take me a few months based on that. Does that sound reasonable for a time frame? Thanks Jimmy

 

[Moserkr]

Looking forward to pictures once its all figured out! Looking back, I cant believe it took under a year to complete my "refresh", roughly 9 months from start to official splash. 95% of the work was by myself, but it was during the covid shutdown so there was nothing else to do. I think it could be done in half that time or even a few months for someone who knows what they are doing, has a proper shop/tools, and has another set of helping hands. Also weather dependent, it was a mild winter for me that year. But a few months is a fast build imo, so it just depends on you and your goals with the project.

 

[Watermann]

Welcome aboard Jimmy now pay the price of admission with some pics of your SC when it's fixed that is.

 

[Jimmy Starcraft]

Welcome to the forum Jimmy! Theres some great threads over in the starcraft forum for 160SS and other similar models. Ill try to answer some of your questions below, but you are off to a great start!

Only other advice is read read read. Before my rebuild or even joining the forum I read rebuilds from @SHSU @Watermann and others that Im forgetting as of now.

Looking forward to seeing what you do to your boat! Its a great project and even better that you are doing it with yours kids.

Thanks Moserkr, This is great thanks for your input I appreciate it.

 

[Jimmy Starcraft]

Welcome aboard Jimmy now pay the price of admission with some pics of your SC when it's fixed that is.

Thanks Waterman,
I've been trying to add some pics keeps saying they cant be written to the server. Was told its being worked on by IT so will post when I am able for sure. Like your 78 14 footer. I have an old 12 foot Princecraft with an electric start Evinrude 15hp works great on smaller water even taken it on a few portage trips. My new Starcraft project will give me a bit more comfort on longer trips. Cheers

 

[Jimmy Starcraft]

Problems w pix is being worked on by IT. been a week or so ...

Thanks for letting me know, I'll keep checking.

 

[Rasdiir]

Thanks Rasdiir,
Never thought of the seat plate for under the pedestals but great advice vs finding out later. Exactly the stuff I was looking for. Do I move this thread to the StarCraft forum or copy it to their and repost?

Thank again

You can leave it here or ask a mod to move it, they don't like duplicates though.

 

[Jimmy Starcraft]

I'm planning to start on the boat in the next few weeks but am trying to get my trailer sorted. The trailer it came on is an old roller trailer in pretty rough shape. I have heard that rollers are not the way to go and can damage the aluminum hull. I have another trailer from my neighbor a Load Rite roller trailer in great shape. I was thinking of converting it to a bunk but wanted to ask the people that know these old StarCraft's best what would be the better trailer option rollers or bunks? I know that rollers are better for shallow ramps vs bunks but there is so much information about what is best for aluminum hulls I don't know what's right. Some say bunks like 2x6's on the flat side only really have the 4 contact points where most of the pressure will be vs rollers that provide more contact points. Then I will read that putting the 2x6 bunk on its short edge will give the best support across the whole span but then comments come in saying that will be really hard on the hull vs flat edge that has some flex. I might be opening up a debate that has no answer but any thoughts on the best trailer set up for a 16 foot StarCraft hull would be great for me.

Still cant attach any photos but will keep trying.

Thanks everyone

 

[Moserkr]

Im not familiar with the roller trailers, but less moving parts always made more sense to me. On my 160ss I got a trailer from the 80/90's era that sits low, and put 4 bunks on it. 2x6, boat laying on the 6" side. More contact points seemed logically better in my mind. She sits on 2 down the middle, and one on each side, as far up as I could go.

I believe @MNhunter1 has a roller trailer and thread to go with it, correct me if Im wrong.

 

[Jimmy Starcraft]

Im not familiar with the roller trailers, but less moving parts always made more sense to me. On my 160ss I got a trailer from the 80/90's era that sits low, and put 4 bunks on it. 2x6, boat laying on the 6" side. More contact points seemed logically better in my mind. She sits on 2 down the middle, and one on each side, as far up as I could go.

I believe @MNhunter1 has a roller trailer and thread to go with it, correct me if Im wrong.

Ok that sounds good, so 2 flat side up 2x6 on either side of the keel and then 2 more 2x6 bunks further to the outside. Do you have keel rollers between the 2 center bunks or is that not needed since those bunks would be close together? I know not to use PT so will untreated pine 2x6 carpeted be ok?

 

[MNhunter1]

I just completely re-did my roller trailer for my 18ft. I'd share pictures, but the site still seems to be having issues. I would have preferred to convert to all bunks if possible, but the way my trailer was set up, it wouldn't have worked. I did swap out my front rollers with 42" bunks, but kept the 8 rollers in the rear, in addition to the keel rollers that I'd keep on a bunk trailer as well. I've done a lot of reading on rollers vs bunks. The consensus here on the forums, at least the StarCraft forum, tends to lean towards a preference for bunks. Biggest reasoning seems to be a concern for potential hull damage from rollers, but I personally haven't witnessed that first hand. Bunks do seem to be much simpler and less maintenance, while providing continuous support for the hull. I looked my hull over pretty damn well and couldn't really find any noticeable damage from sitting on rollers for the past 40 years.

Bunks tend to work better for ramps deep enough to float on/off, whereas rollers tend to be preferred for shallow water launching. I will say that the boats I've had on rollers have slid off the trailer much easier than those that sat on bunks. Make sure you keep your winch or some other safety rope attached. First time I launched my 16SS with a roller trailer, it slid right off and out into the middle of the marina. Fortunately there was a jet ski near by that kindly brought the boat back to me

Without seeing the trailer, its hard to make recommendations. If its in good shape and fits the hull well, I wouldn't be to worried about converting. Some trailer set ups provide for an easier swap than others. Two 2x6 bunks on a 16SS should be more than sufficient if adjusted right, but no harm in going with a quad set up either for added security if the trailer set-up allows. At the end of the day, it really comes down to what you have to work with and how you intend to trailer/launch your boat. Don't forget to assess your hubs/bearings/tires/chains/straps as well. Bunks v rollers become irrelevant if you never make it safely back and forth to your destination. Most of these projects have some years of neglect on them and the trailer is no place to cut corners.

 

[Rasdiir]

I'm planning to start on the boat in the next few weeks but am trying to get my trailer sorted. The trailer it came on is an old roller trailer in pretty rough shape. I have heard that rollers are not the way to go and can damage the aluminum hull. I have another trailer from my neighbor a Load Rite roller trailer in great shape. I was thinking of converting it to a bunk but wanted to ask the people that know these old StarCraft's best what would be the better trailer option rollers or bunks? I know that rollers are better for shallow ramps vs bunks but there is so much information about what is best for aluminum hulls I don't know what's right. Some say bunks like 2x6's on the flat side only really have the 4 contact points where most of the pressure will be vs rollers that provide more contact points. Then I will read that putting the 2x6 bunk on its short edge will give the best support across the whole span but then comments come in saying that will be really hard on the hull vs flat edge that has some flex. I might be opening up a debate that has no answer but any thoughts on the best trailer set up for a 16 foot StarCraft hull would be great for me.

Still cant attach any photos but will keep trying.

Thanks everyone

My trailer had rollers originally and they dented my hull a lot, so I switched to four 2x4 bunks (here's my post with it finished). You can see the damage in this picture. Two 2x6 or four 2x4 will be plenty for these light boats if they have enough supports.

 

[Moserkr]

Great advice from those two guys. Yes I do have keel rollers but my boat does not touch them - yet. Need to adjust the bunks a little still but my trailer requires welding for that one.

Id be comfortable on smaller or less bunks, my set up was built because of how the "new" trailer was setup from the glasser it previously held.

 

[Jimmy Starcraft]

I'm back just and got the boat squeezed into my garage so I can start the tear down. I tried again to add pictures but the site is still not allowing. I will keep checking and add pictures when the site allows. Thanks for all the help so far I'm sure I will be asking more questions as I get going.

 

[Rasdiir]

I'm back just and got the boat squeezed into my garage so I can start the tear down. I tried again to add pictures but the site is still not allowing. I will keep checking and add pictures when the site allows. Thanks for all the help so far I'm sure I will be asking more questions as I get going.

Apparently you can link to Onedrive or Dropbox for pics, I just upload them to imgur.com and link them here and that's been working.

During my tear down I took pictures of every inch of the boat, from both angles and often with a measuring tape visible, both before and after removing things. 3 years later (I work slow) as I'm putting things back together it is much easier with the references. I also put all the removed hardware in separate zip-lock bags and labelled as I removed. Once the consoles and splashwell were out I ran 2x4s across the width and screwed them into the aluminum angle pieces that are attached to the hull, which I hope helped the hull retain it's shape without all the structure from the floor, consoles, side panels, etc).