Thread: 1960's seacraft restoration

something similar to this lyman, but with a kind of sun visor like a car windshield?

http://www.lcacbs.com/06%20BoatShow/Molly46.jpg

http://www.lcacbs.com/06%20BoatShow/Bouton15.jpg

Windscreen; obviously a personal taste and a certain style you are after for the screen and it won't hurt to build a timber frame and discard it if it is not the look you are after, you could even try a cardboard mock up before commiting. I like the idea of a sun visor! My taste leans toward the polished stainless post stye, 2 or 4 pane, with no horizontal framework or a minimalist thin frame-makes the boat look fast!

Bimini; I need to fit one and have been trying to work out how to get around the problem of access as modern boats don't have the structure (must be a boatey name for this) dividing the front seats from the rear of the boat, which means you need more height to get in and out and the bimini starts to look as if there is a parasail overhead. Crazy thaughts like a contoured ply gullwing roof are currently rattling around, must need more beer!

Extractors are 1 5/8" mandrel bent stainless with the 2 end pipes blending into the ports at 40degrees then collect into 2" stainless tail pipes. They have a 1.6mm stainless water jacket with zinc anodes screwed into the rear edge. Heaps of hours and cardboard went into building these!

With fibreglass, I have no Idea!

Hi Ricochet,
Some photos of the boat at a lake near Brookton about late 90's. Enjoy.

Ricochet

Firstly, nice boat!

As Stringy says, windscreens are a matter of personal taste, but to give you an idea of typical windscreen styles fitted to similar boats to yours, take a look at Seacraft Syndicate Boat Owners Club SSBOC Boat Profiles.

These styles of screens are not readily available new in Oz and are extremely rare second hand, but can be copied using an original set as a pattern.

Nice Seacraft Ricochet, hope your still working on it?

Always loved the Seacrafts and have a real soft spot for 186's

I had a 16ft twin cockpit glass over timber frame clinker for many years.
It was fitted a 186 with the same Tawco marine kit, water cooled sump and direct drive. Motor was slightly warm with a balanced bottem end, Yella Terra head, electronic dizzy and twin Strombergs. At a guess it was good for around 40mph and had brilliant low down torque for pulling up skiers.

The Tawco manifold will only allow two carbs max, we tried 3 but from memory the front 2 clashed or had no room for linkages. When I first got the boat a mates old man stripped the carbs, rejetted them and put a kit through them. Setting the floats and mixture was a bit of an art as this had to be done on the water with the engine cover up while cruzing along. Once set I dont think I ever touched them again in 8 years, other than fitting and electric fuel pump when the old one went. The twin Stromie setup is heaps better than a 350 Holley in my opinion.

The direct drive is fine, the only problem was I could flattern the battery if we were teaching a learner with all the stop starting. Replaced the 35amp alternator with a 55amp unit and fitted a bigger battery.

Tawco are still around selling marinizing kits (don't know if they still stock early Holden stuff).

Tawco Products (Aust) Pty Ltd

Factory 5/ 29 Barry St
3153 Bayswater VIC

Phone: (03) 9729 9600

Here's a couple of pics of my old girl, sorry I don't have any engine pics which is a shame as the motor was all detailed.

When I first got her in 95



After the rebuild




Keep up the good work.