1927/8 Chris Craft Cadet / Runabout / First Wooden Vessel Restoration

[nickvaphiadis]

I was hoping that this would reveal if the white paint was standard, and it doesn't appear to be stock.

I'm going to have to think long and hard about stripping and not repainting it. I really like it the way it is.

Another update. I'm going to get it out of storage in New York to bring it back down to Tennessee first of June. I'm pretty excited to get started. Luckily, this sheet will give me a better idea of what engine to look for in the pile of old Chrysler engines laying around that storage building.

[Garret]

I was hoping that this would reveal if the white paint was standard, and it doesn't appear to be stock.

I'm going to have to think long and hard about stripping and not repainting it. I really like it the way it is.

Another update. I'm going to get it out of storage in New York to bring it back down to Tennessee first of June. I'm pretty excited to get started. Luckily, this sheet will give me a better idea of what engine to look for in the pile of old Chrysler engines laying around that storage building.

Maybe grab a spare engine or 2?

Have a fun & safe trip!

[timo4352]

http://www.classicboat.com/id-22-tri...-1927-1931.htm

[nickvaphiadis]

Well, I made the trip. Got the boat off it’s crutches and fitted it to a trailer that was not even close originally. Wouldn’t be a road trip without a bunk snapping off completely thanks to the crappiest welder ever considered. Luckily some of my in-laws have an equipment rental place in a random town near where I was and I was able to get it all fixed up.

Aftwr i I got it out of storage and washed it up I only really have 1 problem spot and it’s the transom. So we’ll see how that goes.

[timo4352]

Looks really sharp.
Anxious to see more.

[dwr9]

Beautiful boat! Doug

[Garret]

She is a beauty! As said - more pics please!

[Rich Jones]

Looks really nice cleaned up! Let us know more about the transom. How does the bottom look?

[nickvaphiadis]

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Photo of the boat in Normandy Lake Tennessee. My dad there was pretty excited that it didn't take on water and sink to the bottom.
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The bottom in in surprisingly good shape actually. I had to do a bit more modification to the trailer to make sure that it would fit in my garage. So adding material to the bunks, scooting the boat forward on the trailer, etc was necessary.

Being that I don't have slings, a lift, poppets, or any of that stuff yet the only option was to throw it in the water. It was in for nearly 20 minutes and had maybe an inch of water in the bilge which dumbfounded me beyond belief.

The transom is meh, its not totally ruined, but there are a few boards that have good sized cracks in them so I will be consulting some professionals about how to move forward. I do have plans, I have a list on order of my operations, and as long as I can stick it to without getting ticked with something and skipping around I should be able to get this thing back in working order. Again, i'm in no way a pro at this, and I am hardly even equipped either but I don't really care.

I've built many old cars, I just need to learn a slightly different finesse.

[Rich Jones]

Good to hear that she is so tight. Of course, that's standing still. Pounding into a chop at speed might be another matter. It'll be interesting what a pro sees upon inspection. But, it sounds very promising.

[nickvaphiadis]

Good to hear that she is so tight. Of course, that's standing still. Pounding into a chop at speed might be another matter. It'll be interesting what a pro sees upon inspection. But, it sounds very promising.

It is unfortunate for me that there is an EXTREMELY small group of wooden boat enthusiasts here in my area of the South. So that aforementioned professional may be tough to find.

Eventually what I will do is put the boat in the water and let it sit for quite a while to let it soak up as much as possible. I know before many people I know have really dove into a resto project with these old boats they hang them in slings for a weekend.

For now, I need to get the boat sitting on the trailer flat, level, and with no twists or anything before I carry onto other things.

After that I need to source materials ie. mahogany planks to cut new plugs, research/purchase bottom side paint and seam sealer (i'm assuming the red lead puddy isn't really available anymore)??interlux underwater seam compound probably?, literally butt loads of sandpaper, and paint for the inside/bilge.

[timo4352]

Amazed to see the picture of her in the water!
Your smile says you are pretty happy with it too...and rightfully so...she looks beautiful!

Some may call me crazy, but I really like the satin look finish on the decks. If I were redoing her I think I would strive to keep it that way. And the tone or color is perfect the way it is...not too red. Love it!

[nickvaphiadis]

Amazed to see the picture of her in the water!
Your smile says you are pretty happy with it too...and rightfully so...she looks beautiful!

Some may call me crazy, but I really like the satin look finish on the decks. If I were redoing her I think I would strive to keep it that way. And the tone or color is perfect the way it is...not too red. Love it!

Thats actually my dad, and he was super excited that it was floating. He was the last one to restore it so many years ago so I think he was just excited that he apparently did a decent job sealing and preserving it.

Also, I’m inclined to agree with really liking the satin finish rather than a heavy gloss. But I love both. I think I will he going full gloss topside and transom but I am sticking with white sides. I like it too much. Since I will not be selling the boat, I’m going to make it mine. If I were going for a period correct perfect restoration I would do some things differently, but it’s for me and my family so I’ll do it like my dad did.

[timo4352]

I like the white too. Think it looks perfect the way it is...just needs a little polish. I'm sure it will turn out great. It's a great start.

[Rich Jones]

I forgot that this was a family boat and that you know it's history going back decades. That is a huge bonus!!

There must be a Chris Craft forum out there to help with the details.

[pcford]

Putting a modern engine in the boat is something that is commonly done. There are a lot of advantages. The original engine low horsepower will make her a bit of a slug when loaded with more than a couple people.

[nickvaphiadis]

Putting a modern engine in the boat is something that is commonly done. There are a lot of advantages. The original engine low horsepower will make her a bit of a slug when loaded with more than a couple people.

That was my first thought being power. But if I could outfit it with something very modern the maintenance would likely be much more straight forward. Just need to find the right engine and trans combo.

[Garret]

That was my first thought being power. But if I could outfit it with something very modern the maintenance would likely be much more straight forward. Just need to find the right engine and trans combo.

I've seen a number of 30's vintage CCs with a 4 cyly Mercruiser - I believe it's based om a GM 4 cyl. Seems the modern 4 cyl. gives better power than the old 6 cyl CC motors.

If you do modernize the engine/transmission, make sure to keep the old ones in case you want to sell & the new owner wants to revert.

[brad9798]

WOW! That is an awesome find!!!

[nedL]

One difficulty you may find with a new engine is the height. A modern valve in head engine is quite a bit taller than the original flat head.

[pcford]

Your boat is quite valuable and should receive well considered care and restoration. Be very circumspect in consideration of advice given on this venue. The audience here is almost entirely amateur. There is a handful of professionals that wander through. Now, some of the amateurs here have skills that match or exceed professional levels. Sadly however, these are far exceeded by the number of folks with limited knowledge. I know of NO professional speedboat restorers here with the exception of me. No brag, just the truth. And a warning to consider WBF advice very carefully.

Some points:
Join the Antique and Classic Boat Society. Name notwithstanding, it is a club for classic speedboats. This is the website www.acbs.org. Here is the closest chapter to you, I believe. They publish a directory with listings of boats owned; with this you will be able to find a sister ship and its owner.
Put in a modern engine. Original engines have their appeal certainly. However, vintage marine engine mechanics are few and far between. Almost certainly a modern engine will fit.
Almost certainly your boat's sides were varnished.
It would be worth the investment to get a professional speedboat restorer to look at your boat. I can't say that I have much experience in this model, but there are restorers are out there that do.

[nickvaphiadis]

Your boat is quite valuable and should receive well considered care and restoration. Be very circumspect in consideration of advice given on this venue. The audience here is almost entirely amateur. There is a handful of professionals that wander through. Now, some of the amateurs here have skills that match or exceed professional levels. Sadly however, these are far exceeded by the number of folks with limited knowledge. I know of NO professional speedboat restorers here with the exception of me. No brag, just the truth. And a warning to consider WBF advice very carefully.

Some points:
Join the Antique and Classic Boat Society. Name notwithstanding, it is a club for classic speedboats. This is the website www.acbs.org. Here is the closest chapter to you, I believe. They publish a directory with listings of boats owned; with this you will be able to find a sister ship and its owner.
Put in a modern engine. Original engines have their appeal certainly. However, vintage marine engine mechanics are few and far between. Almost certainly a modern engine will fit.
Almost certainly your boat's sides were varnished.
It would be worth the investment to get a professional speedboat restorer to look at your boat. I can't say that I have much experience in this model, but there are restorers are out there that do.

Noted. I actually attended the Dixieland ACBS dustoff meet this year near me. Nice guys, but most of them just did the work themselves. The demographic here is bass, pontoon, and ski boats. Practically no wooden boats, and even less people that work on them. Since this boat is more of an heirloom than a restoration in hopes for cash, I can take some more personal liberty with it than I would with something I expected to sell one day. Unfortunately for me, there are very few places to get proper information on the subject of 20/30's model chris craft boats, shy of being able to pick someones brain. As far as I know, there are several model specific chris craft forums, but not model specific to what I have acquired.

I do plenty of research before I make every move, because I would like to enjoy the boat for a long time. But aesthetically i'm not entirely concerned with cringing purists (not at all a dig, I just color outside the lines time and time again), i'll likely regret that.

[skuthorp]

I'd say Geo. (George) Mercier.

[Wagemaker]

Looks already restored compared to the first pics...very cool boat!

Congratulations & looking forward to updates with lots of pics!

WgMkr

[nickvaphiadis]

Okay so small status update so far. Progress will be sporadic as I have a very pregnant wife and chores take priority if I’d like to stay married I believe. I have finally gotten all of the debris out of the bilge, which was a huge challenge because it was absolutely disgusting from being in that place so long. Animal dook and the like. It will need some scrubbing with water to get some of the dirt out but i feel like I can be in there without catching something now.

I've ready a lot of mixed things about painting the bilge aside from the engine compartment. Anyone have any leanings for or against that?

At night when when the rest of the house sleeps and I am up all night I’ve starred digging out swollen bungs and found some troublesome things. I was using a pick that had some time near a magnet at some point and noticed that there was debris sticking to the pick end. After going across several of the plugs with a magnet I found a fair number of magnetic screws under the plugs. Should I be concerned about this even in the plugs that are seemingly tight and not swollen? Under some of the swollen ones I noticed that there is no screw head to be found at all, along with all of the metal debris sticking to my pick I don’t really know how to approach that.

The only other concerning thing thing that I saw was right at the cut water, on the starboard chine, and in the third cockpit where the rudder shaft goes through the stringer. I was really hoping to not take off the cutwater, i've been told a horror story or two about how they are a bit of a nightmare to get back on. But since there is nobody that works on these boats around here, I'd love to find out what I should do about that split board on the chine. Since its solid underneath i'd hate to do an extensive surgery if there is a way around it. As far as the rear stringer goes where there was already a hole cut in it, I think if I carefully scarf a new piece into it I can be alright. Its been weak there for almost 100 years, so I think it'll be okay.

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[nickvaphiadis]

444651AE-4864-4D22-A325-51779A4FD94B.jpgB3E43196-9D6A-48CD-A047-373FF173793F.jpg166D9CD2-1009-46C0-84C9-645FC2009DA0.jpg

[timo4352]

Is that stringer split in that last photo?

[nickvaphiadis]

Is that stringer split in that last photo?

Its not really the stringer I don't think. It looks like the stringer is lower and that part is just a piece on top of it to raise the floor maybe? But yes, it is split. That's what I was talking about maybe trying to scarf a new piece in. But looking at the other side it looks like a separate piece from the actual stringer. There was a hole cut in that split board for the steering shaft to go through so right from the builder it was a bad/weak idea.

[pcford]

Noted. I actually attended the Dixieland ACBS dustoff meet this year near me. Nice guys, but most of them just did the work themselves. The demographic here is bass, pontoon, and ski boats. Practically no wooden boats, and even less people that work on them. Since this boat is more of an heirloom than a restoration in hopes for cash, I can take some more personal liberty with it than I would with something I expected to sell one day. Unfortunately for me, there are very few places to get proper information on the subject of 20/30's model chris craft boats, shy of being able to pick someones brain. As far as I know, there are several model specific chris craft forums, but not model specific to what I have acquired.

I do plenty of research before I make every move, because I would like to enjoy the boat for a long time. But aesthetically i'm not entirely concerned with cringing purists (not at all a dig, I just color outside the lines time and time again), i'll likely regret that.

Your boat is in amazing condition for nearly 100 years old. My foremost obligation when doing a restoration is to the boat not to the client. I note that you have had little response to your inquiry here. That is because, as I told you, there are very few people here with experience in restoring boats like yours.

Let me tell you a couple things about your boat. First the deck fasteners are steel. They should all be replaced. The side and bottom fasteners are brass. They should all be replaced. The busted engine stringer could be repaired in a variety of ways. From replacing the entire stringer, to letting in a section, to applying a doubler.

When I mentioned getting a professional involved, I meant this as a source of good advice, not to take over the whole project. Your dismissive remark about "cringing purists" brings concern for your boat. Maybe you saw this image of what happened when a hapless Spanish amateur tried to restore a painting:



I wish your boat good fortune and long life!

[nickvaphiadis]

The purists remark was about the hillside color. Not the proper restoration techniques. I appreciate the craft and intend to do it correctly. It’s hard to source professional advice where I am due to the lack of professionals. For what it’s worth, I have looked for them. They don’t exist, and if they do they’re not picking up the phone at their shops. So while I understand where you’re coming from, my lack of help or paying a pro isn’t due to a lack of trying. So, I’m on my own on this one. As for the fasteners, good to know, they will be replaced. I’ve just got a line on some nice gantry cranes so I will be able to properly hoist the boat and roll it to properly seal and replace the fasteners.

Definitely in for it.