1955 chris craft barracuda advice needed

[Sabb]

I'm new to the forum. I've just purchased a 14' 1955 barracuda kit boat in good condition. I want to freshen up the varnish on the top sides and inside and repaint the sides and bottom. I'd like to see what recommendations are out there for paint and varnish types and brands. Next phase after this will be to convert to an electric motor. Thanks in advance. Hopefully the photos will upload!

[Rich Jones]

That's a nice little boat! Welcome to the Forum!
Any quality marine oilbased paint will do. I use Pettits for both paint and varnish.
What's the little plywood box on the foredeck?
What do you have in mind for electric power?

[Reynard38]

There are electric outboards that will properly drive this boat as was intended. They cost REAL $$, be prepared.
Sweet looking boat.

[nedL]

Pretty little runabout. As you are not stripping everything to bare wood and starting over I would certainly go with traditional oil based paints and varnishes.
Just personally I use Kirby paints and Petit 1015 varnish.

[Steamboat]

That Hull was used for several version of the kits Chris Craft produced. The one I had as a teenager (in the dark ages) had a foredeck but a simpler interior and no aft deck. An 18 hp two cycle Evinrude would get the boat on a plane, I think that in 1955 you would likely find a 15 hp hanging on the transom. What are you planning on using to power the boat? Looks to be in great shape.

[timo4352]

That boat is in beautiful condition!
I like Kirby's paint and Pettit Captains varnish - the low gloss looks good to me.
Please don't rely on bungee cords to hold down the boat on the trailer...use a ratchet strap.

[Sabb]

That boat is in beautiful condition!
I like Kirby's paint and Pettit Captains varnish - the low gloss looks good to me.
Please don't rely on bungee cords to hold down the boat on the trailer...use a ratchet strap.

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I'm lucky that it's in pretty good shape for it's age. The previous owner built the little box on the foredeck. It had some miscellaneous pieces of rope in it, and it is held on with a couple of screws, so I can remove it easily. I'll definitely replace tie downs with ratchet straps when I get it ready to trailer on the road. I'm early in research on the conversion to electric, so very open to ideas. I talked to a gentleman who has a business repowering to electric motors, in Sacramento, who saw photos of the boat and has a few ideas, but I haven't met with him yet to get specifics. I want to be able to use the steering wheel, a lot of the outboard electric motors are directly steered. The others are quite expensive if you want a little bit of power and decent battery life/range. I'd love to hear from someone who has experience with this type of application. I've read that the boat only weighs about 350 lbs, and it will primarily be a cocktail cruiser on a very small lake in the mountains. I got it for a good price, so I've got a little more room to spend on the motor conversion and sorting out the old trailer to insure it's reliable. Thanks again. I'll check in with the forum for your tips on preparation in applying the paint and varnish. For example, I'm thinking I should spray the sides and bottom paint?

[Steamboat]

Read and watch videos on roll and tip painting methods. Simple and effective for a near spray painted finish.

[David G]

Lovely beastie. She'll be a show-stopper when you freshened her up.

[Sabb]

20200822_175225.jpg20200823_173125.jpg
Here's two shots of the boat painted and varnished. Used Epifanes products. Next goal is to select an electric outboard
for propulsion, since the lake it's going to be used in won't allow gas engines. Unfortunately, the more high tech the motor and battery, the more expensive!

[Garret]

That looks fantastic!

[cstevens]

Wow! Stunning result. I’ll be very interested in your choice of motor, batteries, etc. The Elco products look nice but yes, very pricey.

[Rich Jones]

That is a beautiful paint job. Very creative with the two-tone and striping.
You must have spent a lot of time figuring out the perfect layout for that.
I've got an electric pod motor on my fantail launch. Over $4,000 for what amounts to a
5hp engine. They are expensive but really no maintenance costs over the years.
We'd all be very, very interested in what electric outboard you buy and youbr /> opinion of it as well as results of performance.

[willin woodworks]

way cool...

[timo4352]

Very nice job you've done with the restoration.
Love the colors, and the wire wheels and fenders on the trailer.
Way cool indeed.

[Sabb]

Thanks for you words of encouragement. It was a fun project. I'm probably going to go with a smaller electric motor since it's going to be more of a cocktail cruiser on a very small mountain lake, and it's supposed to only weigh 350 lbs. It's tough deciding to pull the trigger on an electric package, as it seems like the battery technology is evolving quickly and I'm hoping the prices get better with more competition. I've got to add a few more doodads like a Chris Craft flag, horn, new hubcaps for the trailer, etc. Jason at epifanes was very helpful in helping me determine which product was the best to use and the right quantity.