Chinewalker
Fleet Admiral
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2001
- Messages
- 8,902
This winter's shop space may already be taken up, but that isn't stopping me from thinking ahead a year or two..
A little background... Recently I had the pleasure of possessing a 1962 Switzer Shooting Star for a few weeks. It belongs to a friend who wanted me to check it out for him - make sure the matching Merc 100hp was running properly and find out what we can do to make it faster. Tough job, I know, but someone's gotta do it. Anyway, I made the mistake(?) of taking my wife out in the boat during one of my test rides at over 50mph. She LOVED it! And the bonus is that she has given me the provisional OK to find a go-fast of our own. So, I have until next winter to find a hull to mess with, preferably something that'll scoot with a Johnrude 140 crossflow, as I have one of them onhand already awaiting a rebuild.
I've been watching Craiglist and eBay for the usual suspects - Hydrostreams, Checkmates, Bajas, etc. but I'm not quite ready to purchase something just yet. Unless....
Okay, so here's my idea. Slow day at work and I start to sketching and thinking. You know how it is. Awhile back, while I was redoing our 18-foot Starcraft a neighbor told me he knew where there was another Starcraft American I could get for cheap, possibly even FREE. It's a '74 16-foot open bow. Faded ugly bright green and the open bow really kills the great lines of that hull. BUT, I get to thinking that all I really want is the hull. I really like how my other two Americans perform (15' and 18'). Plus, I think I can add a pad at the transom to reduce the chinewalk at speeds over 55mph.
So here's my idea - get this freebie 16 (it's a junker as it is), gut it and chop the hull, maybe 2-3 inches to lower the profile. Custom build a new deck and interior. Rebuild the stringers and transom with extra beef to handle the 140 (16s were originally rated for 105). Blueprint the bottom and add the pad. Add the 140 Johnrude and voila!
- Scott
A little background... Recently I had the pleasure of possessing a 1962 Switzer Shooting Star for a few weeks. It belongs to a friend who wanted me to check it out for him - make sure the matching Merc 100hp was running properly and find out what we can do to make it faster. Tough job, I know, but someone's gotta do it. Anyway, I made the mistake(?) of taking my wife out in the boat during one of my test rides at over 50mph. She LOVED it! And the bonus is that she has given me the provisional OK to find a go-fast of our own. So, I have until next winter to find a hull to mess with, preferably something that'll scoot with a Johnrude 140 crossflow, as I have one of them onhand already awaiting a rebuild.
I've been watching Craiglist and eBay for the usual suspects - Hydrostreams, Checkmates, Bajas, etc. but I'm not quite ready to purchase something just yet. Unless....
Okay, so here's my idea. Slow day at work and I start to sketching and thinking. You know how it is. Awhile back, while I was redoing our 18-foot Starcraft a neighbor told me he knew where there was another Starcraft American I could get for cheap, possibly even FREE. It's a '74 16-foot open bow. Faded ugly bright green and the open bow really kills the great lines of that hull. BUT, I get to thinking that all I really want is the hull. I really like how my other two Americans perform (15' and 18'). Plus, I think I can add a pad at the transom to reduce the chinewalk at speeds over 55mph.
So here's my idea - get this freebie 16 (it's a junker as it is), gut it and chop the hull, maybe 2-3 inches to lower the profile. Custom build a new deck and interior. Rebuild the stringers and transom with extra beef to handle the 140 (16s were originally rated for 105). Blueprint the bottom and add the pad. Add the 140 Johnrude and voila!
- Scott
seriously tho I like the idea.. its pretty cool to have made something that is the only one if its kind on the water. my boat was originally the closed bow speed boat style 2 seater..pretty much just like what you are planning there.. i just really liked the flats boat style set-up, i looked to hewes/maverick for inspiration. But I think you will be having a blast with a 140 on there weeeeeeeeeee!!