My New To Me Boat!

[Tubachick02]

Hello, I'm new here, but the hubby and I purchased a 1966 Starcraft Arrow yesterday from an older couple, it has a 1967 Mercury 500 on it. I have a few questions as follows:
1) Could the motor have come on it from the dealer? Since they are so close in age is that a possibility, we see that in brochures there seems to only be Johnson motors pictured, so we are not sure.
2)Are there manuals anywhere of the wiring schematics? Ours has no working lights, the engine will try to crank (not fully started it yet, but we will) but none of the lights turn on.
3) Is there and owners manual that someone has for the Arrow or did they not come with them?
4) Has anyone restored an Arrow? I have seen many of the other models, but no Arrows :-(

That is all I can think of for now, but I am sure there will be more through this process

 

[redneck joe]

welcome to the forum I'm no help but you posted in the correct place. Stand by to be amazed....

 

[Watermann]

:welcome: to the iboats dry dock chick! Sounds like you have a nice project boat. I'm not familiar with the model of SC you have and or the Merc OB but some of the guys here certainly know. SC did put Mercs on their boats though I do know that. I understand that dealers would get bare SC boats without motors and then rig them with the customers preference.

One of the rules we have is that your MUST post up some pics of your boat to satisfy the mob or we get a little insistent.

Wiring problems go hand in hand with restoring these old boats and we all have to pretty much rewire them due to the wires being 40 to 50 years old. Rewiring 12v systems is pretty easy though and you'll find most of the connections are just loose and corroded.

 

[Tubachick02]

Hubby actually figured out the lights! He is a wiz at anything electrical and particularly sound, but wanted me to ask anyway. I will post a few pictures tomorrow, she needs a new gel coat job, but if I do that I will be changing her color to match my other love, my 66 Dodge Dart.

 

[Tubachick02]

 

[Tubachick02]

 

[Watermann]

Hey that's a little fiberglass cutie. :thumb:

 

[Tubachick02]

We have the seats as well, but took them out for further cleansing

 

[jbcurt00]

Well, there's likely good news and possibly bad news..........

1st the good: Your Arrow is likely to have fiberglass stringers below decks. This is probably how yours is built:

If the deck is solid and shows no signs of problems or soft spots, you may have dodged a huge built: Rebuilding a fiberglass boat's stringers, deck and transom.

Unfortunately, the only way to confirm there's not a problem below decks is to start taking it apart.

You need to core the transom to confirm it's in good shape. Drill 1.25" +/- deep from the INSIDE of the boat, up under the splashwell. You want to drill several different areas, esp around thru hull bolts and opposite any screws run in from the outside.
Make a quick and easy depth gauge for a 1/4-3/8" drill bit:

You'll have to remove a portion of the deck to fully access the transom for removal and put back if it's compromised. If you do, I'd recommend removing all the deck and replacing it all.

Removing and replacing the deck also allows you to install flotation foam below decks. The advertised 'double bottom hull' is designed as an air chamber for flotation. Although if it works, an air chamber does work, I'd prefer the piece of mind of actual flotation foam. Added benefit of flotation foam is it stiffens the hull and deck as well as dampen noise of water against the hull when you use pour in foam.

Nice looking Arrow you all have there. Good luck w/ your project

 

[redneck joe]

......my other love, my 66 Dodge Dart.

Awesome little boat - and please also post up a pic or two of the Dart. Family had one when I was growing up, a 64 I think, convertible. Loved to ride around with Aunt Patty in that.

 

[Tubachick02]

well we took it out on the St Louis River today and SHE FLOATS!! Still work to do, but she took on no water, and once the motor was warm it got us up on plane very quickly and with little resistance, planning on painting the fiberglass over the weekend and re-covering what we can of the seats for now, but she seemed to have been happy back in the water.

 

[Tubachick02]

I am finally getting back on the boards here, the SC is now gutted as the stringers were completely degraded. We are looking into having a local restoration shop put in new stringers, a deck, check the transom and fix a small hole in the side.

 

[Watermann]

Welcome back, not an easy job to replace glassed in stringers and such so I can see why you'd hire the job out.