ID my boat! 1957 Starcraft Speedster?

[BTF112989]

Hi everyone! So I have a suspicion that my 12' v hull Jon boat that I always knew as a 1969 Lonestar is actually a 1956-1958 model Starcraft Speedster. Please look at these pictures & tell me what you think.

The corner brackets with handles & stars started to make me believe it was actually a Starcraft. Then the wood on the gunwales led me to think it is the speedster. I looked at the ski champ restoration thread & the old bracketry(which has been cut off on mine, plug hole, etc all looks the same. I'm thinking at some point, somebody cut the aluminum top piece off of the front & converted it to a fishing boat. I even have strips of aluminum riveted to the floor that look like the mounting points where the pass through front seats section attached to the floor.





Thanks guys!

 

[jbcurt00]

Perhaps a Speedster, 1st time I've ever noticed the 12ft Speedster was rated for a 35hp.... I'd bet that's quite sporty :faint2:

 

[Woodonglass]

You'll prolly find this interesting...
http://forums.iboats.com/forum/gene...opics/488459-1958-12-foot-starcraft-speedster

 

[BTF112989]

No Title

The first photo is with my 10hp on the boat, the second picture is my 35hp. You are correct though, it is quite sporty/frightening if you get on it. I only take it up to about half throttle with the 35hp. 7 mph idle speed is interesting too. I bought the 35hp without knowing the boat was rated up to 35hp, so it's convenient how that worked out.

Hey Woodonglass,
That is the post that I found that connected all of the dots for me. Seeing the original advertisement and some actual boats like mine made it all click.

If I can confirm that it is a speedster, I would like to try and restore it to original condition and paint scheme. I wonder if an aluminum fabricator could remake the forward now section that is missing and the seats?

Does anyone know if the speedster only had one paint scheme like the one shown on the original ad?

 

[64osby]

I added a set of Starcraft transom caps to my '63 Lone Star Big Fisherman. They fit great.

What does your title / registration say?

 

[BTF112989]

I love the Starcraft transom caps! They are sturdier than most of the others that I have seen & they've stood the test of time.

Tennessee doesn't really have boat titles. The registration acts as your title, which can cause some clerical errors in the information about your boat over they course of several decades of renewals. It is listed as a 1969 Lonestar on the registration. I have owned it since 2000, and it has always been registered that way. The previous owner's registration said that it was a 1969 Lonestar as well.

The 1969 part probably came from the engine being a 1969 9.5hp Johnson.

 

[BTF112989]

ID my boat! Starcraft Speedster?

Hi guys! I posted in the normal boating discussion about my boat possibly being a Starcraft Speedster. All along I thought it was a Lonestar Little fisherman. Can you guys look at the link below and either confirm or deny my belief that this boat is a Starcraft speedster?


I would like to restore the boat to its former glory if it is in fact the speedster.

Thanks,
Ben

 

[64osby]

To support your case, Lone Star was bought by Chrysler in 1965, They continued to use the Lone Star name through 1966.

In 1967 The LS name was pulled and it became Chrysler Boat Corporation.

There are no 1969 Lone Star's.

Check your beam width, length, and transom width on the Starcraft brochures.

 

[BTF112989]

Sorry! This would be the actual link!

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...r/9376536-id-my-boat-1957-starcraft-speedster

 

[jbcurt00]

Your link points to the forum homepage, not your Topic about it possibly being a Speedster.
ID my boat! 1957 Starcraft Speedster?

Many of the SC guys do post in the main resto forum too, so you're probably getting about the same amount of traffic there that you will here. Either place is a good place to run a rehab Topic, but you'll have to decide here or there for that, rather then multiple Topics on the same boat.

Like 64 and I posted in the other Topic, compare your boats dimensions to those listed for a Speedster, and if it matches those specs, it's likely a Speedster. Either way its definitely not a 1969 Lone*Star, since by 69 the LS name was no longer in use.

 

[Watermann]

Very cool little tinny you have there! Looking forward to seeing you restore her :thumb:

Yeah I like extra power but you should reconsider using a 35HP on a 12'r. Seems like disaster waiting to happen or a ticket from the local authorities for over the power rating..

 

[jbcurt00]

Yeah I like extra power but you should reconsider using a 35HP on a 12'r. Seems like disaster waiting to happen or a ticket from the local authorities for over the power rating..

Actually, SC rated it for up to a 35hp. Perhaps that factored into naming it a Speedster Check out the left pix he posted above

 

[GA_Boater]

Combined your threads, BTF. No need to start a new one when all but one of the replies are from die hard Starcraft guys.

 

[64osby]

No need to start a new one when all but one of the replies are from die hard Starcraft guys.

Just another guy working on Tin.

 

[Watermann]

Actually, SC rated it for up to a 35hp. Perhaps that factored into naming it a Speedster Check out the left pix he posted above

Jeez not with me in it... 35 MPH in a 12' tinnie...!

Right now she doesn't look much like a speedster. Too bad someone went to all the trouble of ravaging a unique craft just to have it be like every other 12' tin fishing boat. Or were there other options like a tiller model?

The sweet wooden rub rail is all that seems left of the original design. Will be a tough restore to it's original glory at least to what the brochure pictures with remote steering and covered bow. Man those were some gutsy folks in there, look at the gunnel and the water level in the pics and not a floatation device one. :lol:

I have to say that was a cool little craft with a cool name to boot! The Speedster :thumb:

 

[64osby]

The ladies in the lower pic above sure do have the starboard lean going.

 

[BTF112989]

Thanks for combining the two threads! I should have posted it in the Starcraft section to begin with.

I always thought the 35hp was a little much for this boat. You definitely have to drive with care, and I do not let just anyone drive the boat when this motor is on it. For the majority of the time, I have my 1956 10hp on the transom. However, I now have a brochure that can defend my position against the local authorities when they want to write me a ticket for an overpowered boat! It's right there "5-35hp"!

Do you really think it would be that hard to restore? I have most of the hard to find items (i.e. wood trim, transom corners, bow cap, aluminum floor mounting points for the seatbacks, and mounting points for each seat). I am missing the whole front aluminum cap and I would have to fashion new mahogany seats and seatbacks. The aluminum pieces on the top of the seatbacks(that creates the seperate cockpit areas) are missing, and the aluminum throttle mounting point. So, it would be a good deal of aluminum fabrication and wood work.

Looking at the advertisement, it seems that there was a tiller model and a model with a steering wheel. The tiller model was only rated to 30hp. My boat does not have the throttle mounting point anymore, but the rivets are still in place where it once was.

-Ben

 

[jbcurt00]

If you're comfortable fabbing basically flat stock aluminum, and not overly difficult woodwork, I don't see why it'd be too difficult to re-make the bow and seat back top panels. Finding a large enough piece for the bow, locally, would be the largest challenge for me.

 

[Watermann]

Hard I guess not, challenging yeah it would be but the pay off to a challenge is always more rewarding than just doing something easy.

 

[64osby]

Aluminum trim and radius angled pieces would be my biggest issues.