Hi there...
I recently purchased an 1968 18ft. aluminum Starcraft Starchief. The hull is in VERY good shape. I love the classic look of this boat and I want to re-do the whole interior (new flooring, pedestal seating, etc...) and turn it into my little project fishing boat.
The bad news is (and I kind of knew this when I bought it) the Mercruiser 120 in it is dead, no compression in one cylinder. Outdrive is great though. So, I've been debating lately whether or not to replace the engine in it with another rebuilt Mercruiser or convert to an outboard.
It has a full wood transom so I would like to install an outboard bracket and keep the transom full. Sooooo... some questions:
1. Is it generally more cost effective to switch to an outboard in this situation?
2. Do I have to use one of those expensive outboard brackets or can I use a jack plate?
3. I've read a lot about filling the hole and fiberglassing, is that necessary on a wood hull (the fiberglassing part) or could I just replace the hole with wood and be good to go?
4. Is there anything I need to do to the wood transom or is it only necessary to beef up the transom on fiberglass boat transoms?
Thanks
I recently purchased an 1968 18ft. aluminum Starcraft Starchief. The hull is in VERY good shape. I love the classic look of this boat and I want to re-do the whole interior (new flooring, pedestal seating, etc...) and turn it into my little project fishing boat.
The bad news is (and I kind of knew this when I bought it) the Mercruiser 120 in it is dead, no compression in one cylinder. Outdrive is great though. So, I've been debating lately whether or not to replace the engine in it with another rebuilt Mercruiser or convert to an outboard.
It has a full wood transom so I would like to install an outboard bracket and keep the transom full. Sooooo... some questions:
1. Is it generally more cost effective to switch to an outboard in this situation?
2. Do I have to use one of those expensive outboard brackets or can I use a jack plate?
3. I've read a lot about filling the hole and fiberglassing, is that necessary on a wood hull (the fiberglassing part) or could I just replace the hole with wood and be good to go?
4. Is there anything I need to do to the wood transom or is it only necessary to beef up the transom on fiberglass boat transoms?
Thanks
