1979 18’ Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning – lots of pics)

[mcattac]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

I really like what you've done with the boat up to this point.
But 60hp on this rig just won't cut it. IMHO

I had a 16' Sylvan with a 60 hp on it back in the early 80's.
It was marginal with that motor I thought.
I had a buddy with a 70 on the same boat.
Day and night!!!

I drove mine last summer before stripping it down. It had a 85hp V4 Johnson on it. It would run 36-38 on the GPS with 2 guys in it and less than a 1' chop. So you could throttle back and cruise easily at 22-24 all day long.

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I will probably go with a Honda 90HP 4-stroke, and I think this might be a (little) marginal.

I really think you will be disappointed with only 60hp on this 18' rig.
Getting up on plane will be tough and it will take forever. If you have any more than 2 people in the rig it may not even plane out for you.
Because of this, and running full throttle all the time, you will drink way more fuel.

I would go with nothing less than 75 on this boat, and I feel that this is even marginal. Look for something in the 90-125 range. The 150 is a bit much, and it was used in salt. Might be hidden problems.

Again, all of the above are simply opinions.

Good luck.
Mac

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Found an early 80's Johnson 150hp engine/controls/trim for $300. "Some minor damage to electrical parts" and "has been used in salt water". Should I jump on that? 150 is the max hp for this boat, according to the rating plate.

That would indeed be a great motor for that boat. I have the max rated on mine and it performs great. I wonder does it run at all? If you can do a compression check on it, it could definitely be worth it. The tilt/trim unit on it alone is worth the $300. Your 60 looks to be cherry and would probably get you some nice coin towards a larger motor.

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Just talked w/ the guy.

1) He's 2 hours and 90 mi away, which equals $45 in gas ($3.75 gal, 15mpg)
2) It came from Key Largo, so it was always in the salt
3) No controls. Said he can get them in 2 months on a return trip.
4) I already have the 60 mounted, the tilt bled out, and I know it runs.

I know the 150's worth it though - I could always part it out. He bought it after doing a compression check on it. The boat was garbage, so he removed the motor and trashed the hull.

I'm thinking I'm going to pass on this one and find another $200 project boat w/ a larger motor this winter. Then, maybe swap motors.

My dad's 16ft Grumman (aluminum) has a 48 Evinrude on it. He gets to 28mph (GPS). Can a 60 on a boat that's 2 feet longer be that much different? We'll find out in another week or so.....

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Your boat is light and not loaded with extraneous equipment and I believe you used 1/2" for your floors. I actually don't think it will be THAT bad with a 60. When are you going to splash this thing?

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

When are you going to splash this thing?

I was shooting for this weekend. In-laws were up last weekend, so didn't make any progress then. I hate setting a date in case something else comes up. The engine's been sitting for a year now, "un-winterized".

Just got off the phone w/ the Evinrude seller - sounds like a decent guy, and he dropped the price to $250. He said he might be able to get someone to ship the controls from FL. Very tempting now. It needs coils/wires, and says it was running a few months ago. It's in the back of his truck and he doesn't want to take it out since he couldn't get it back in.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

That's definitely worth taking a shot at for $250. Coils and wires aren't a big deal.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Hmmm, early 80's used outboard used exclusively in salt water? I'd pass on that one. Another option is to find a match for your 60hp Merc and put twins on the transom. Nice boat, very nice work...please post pix of her launch, shake-down run.

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

I think I will pass - there will be others. I'd need hydraulic steering w/ an engine that big, wouldn't I? It comes w/ the Teleflex ram in the back, but I wouldn't get the helm controls - which would mean using my existing cable steering.

Thinking of running the control cables through the middle of the boat for now, just to get her in the water. I ordered 15' ones off ebay. Shooting to get it running in the driveway at least, tomorrow. Maybe launch Sunday, don't know yet.

BUT - today I get to climb on my roof to fix a leak we got from a storm last night. It's always something......

 

[Supersport18]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

I'm currently running a 55hp johnson twin on my 18 SS. It does the job for now but I'm sure you'll be happier with something bigger. I found a fantastic deal on an 01 115hp FICHT ($1500 without controls) so there are deals out there. I'll be putting it on my 18' as soon as I get the 21' Mariner in the water. Can't be without a boat. The 55 will do 28 mph GPS on calm water with 2 people,so you might get by with your 60 quite nicely. From what I've learned these boats can get a little squirrely at higher speeds (chine walking) so I figure the 115 should be just about right.

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Thanks for the input! I had to replace some stator wires on the 60 yesterday, otherwise I would've started her up. I'll fire it up when I get off work today - it's been sitting for a year now; hopefully I won't run into any more problems w/ it.

 

[Tacklewasher]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

I've got a spare uflex helm. The cable would be too long as I had it on my Holiday, but we could work something out on the helm.

I had the 70 on mine for three or four outings and was disappointed. Now I never took the time to get the setup right, but my 115 moves it a whole lot better. I'm working to break 40mph with it. Playing with motor height and props right now.

A newer 90hp would be about the same power as my 115 and would be enough for these hulls (I think).

And I have to say again that you've done a beautiful job on your boat. I hope mine turns out 1/3 as nice when I dig into it.

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

I ran some numbers on the 60 Merc today. With its 1.64 gear reduction, 13.25 pitch/10" diameter prop, at 5500 RPM, 20% slip, I get 27 kts (31 mph). I'd be pretty happy with that. I'm guessing I'll get around 28.

Fired the engine for the first time in a year. After a little coaxing she agreed to idle nicely in the bucket I had set up. Let her sit at 1K RPM for about 20 min. Is that a good idle speed? Anything less and my Quiksilver tach reads 0. Seems like it likes 1000 RPM.

Tomorrow I'll change the lower unit's lube, grease all zerk fittings on the engine, and finish the accessory wiring.

Planning on first launch at Allatoona this Friday or Sunday. Saturday the wife's busy - I can't go out w/o a first mate! (Rowing back to shore by myself is tough, too). Plus, she deserves to be there w/ all the work she's helped me with. I'll take the GPS.

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Splash! Maiden voyage was yesterday! We launched from Kellogg Creek @ Lake Allatoona.

Finished up the electricals (well, enough to get us on the water), and my dad drove into town to be the "first mate". With 2 200lb guys and the 100lb wife on board, the Merc 60 pushed us to 27mph (GPS) @ 4400 RPM, so it's a little underpropped (or is that overpropped?).

After about 10 min of running WOT something clogged the high speed jets. It wouldn't rev past 3000 RPM after that (12mph). While wife was driving, I sprayed premix into the carbs and the RPM's surged, so it's definitely a fuel problem. Ah well, I guess that's to be expected for an engine that hasn't been run on the water for 4-5 years. It idles nicely though in a bucket of water, if that counts for anything.

We were so excited about launching we didn't think to take any pictures of it floating - but we snapped some while under way.

My dad and I.... Note how deep in thought we are as we're discussing what could be wrong w/ the carbs.

Note the engine cover's off. I sat in the splashwell adjusting throttle linkage and stops. If they made tools that would float I would've felt better back there. (we were stopped when doing this - I'm not that nuts)

I hope to add more to the helm in the future, but for now we have a tach, voltmeter, fish finder, and a Garmin GPS76 (removed in pic) w/ windshield bracket. 4 lighted toggle switches for electronics, running lights, bilge pump, & future. Horn switch is in, but no horn yet.

.

 

[Joe_the_boatman]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Here's the tow rig. Its sole purpose in life is dragging the toys back and forth to the water.

^^^^^^^note the pond scum from Allatoona! I think I'll think twice before I have another white hull.



I'll post some better pictures tomorrow, with more detail.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Looks absolutely fantastic. Hope you can get everything straightened out with the motor.


That's damn ugly truck though

 

[hemidoc]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Very nice! I splashed my project on Oconee Sat. 27 MPH is pretty good. As I said in My thread I got rather nerveous after I got over 45. I had a 1st mate who has a house on the lake as a guide.
The engine problem will just take some tinkering. Nice job!!

 

[DJ]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Excellent Work! Better than new. Something to be proud of.

One of my all time favorite boats.

Nice Truck too.

 

[bailey]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Congratulations on your "restore" it looks quite amazing, from the trailer to boat.Hope a carb rebuild will solve the engine problem!
Bailey

 

[NelsonQ]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Fantastic job. Makes me want to search out a 'fixer upper' to keep me busy thru the winter.

 

[iwombat]

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Re: 1979 18? Starcraft Supersport Resurrection (warning ? lots of pics)

Very nice restoration. I've got a '77 18' SS myself with a 85hp on it. I top out at 39mph on the GPS. Hole shot isn't great and I'll probably upgrade to a 115 over the winter rather than reprop and lose top-speed. Honestly, I think 150 is too much motor for the boat. Remember, they changed the HP ratings in the 80s to measure from prop instead of the powerhead. So, a '79 150hp rating is more like a modern 130hp.