1978 CC Ski Nautique Engine Type & Mystery Box?

Okay I'll look into that as well. The wiring harness was also modified and changed up. I am going to get the voltage regulator as I think I can get that at a auto parts store rather easily. My brother sent me this link does this resonate with anyone? http://www.junkyardgenius.com/charging/ford02.html

I'll make note on the mechanic. If anyone knows a good mechanic in Austin TX where I can get some help with this boat let me know. Also regarding my engine and condition of the boat (I will post more pics) I scored this boat from a friend that let it sit outside and stopped caring for it and it didn't move for 4-5 years sitting outside uncovered. I've been restoring it slowly, I am going to publish a library of pics b/c I have some questions about the hull and other projects I'd like to take on. Thanks for the tips on the coil and the resistor, etc. I need to get out a paper and trace this out and follow a few wires and get some better answers. I have also heard the voltage regulators don't go bad as I've seen the inside of them and it doesn't look like anything that would go bad easily. I will look for a safety kill switch. I don't have one that I know of but might be a nice thing to have come to think of it! Will do some investigating today and report back with some pics. I would buy all of you a beer if I could for the advice. thanks so much. We need an online beer thing on here where u can automatically give the guy with the best tips a beer? cheers y'all.

Your coil is getting less than 10v because there's a resistor ahead of it punching it down as the coil doesn't like a good 13.6. I agree with Pete, find a new mechanic! Voltage regulators usually don't go bad.... Come to think of it , I've never replaced one and all the ones I've ever seen or had were all original. If your "mechanic" straightened out the ignition wiring, I'd strongly suspect that to be the problem. Dumb question, you don't have a safety kill switch do you? Or perhaps a hole where there was one say around the throttle?

And I'd lean towards Commander on engine. Wasn't Crusader a lighter blue and the glimpse of that manifold elbow sure looks like a Commander log.

haha yeah @8122pbrainard I think my mechanic is more sick of me than the boat itself. I was a little trigger shy on posting as I was worried I might not be clear enough. The engine will not start up, the starter is going and it's trying to start but no ignition whatsoever. We have brand new battery. Will post a video of this tomorrow... It's the same sound an engine makes when it's not getting any fuel but we know its getting fuel so I think it's the spark/electrical type problem.... Alternator, starter are fine, brand new battery. We recently put in a new ignition switch and did some re-wiring as the key switch was not wired correctly. He made some wiring adjustments and changes that I am not 100% up to speed on but I was told to do a voltage check on this voltage regulator and report back in. That would explain why the voltage at the coil is sub 10V right? Maybe the regulator is t*ts up? Thanks for your patience on all of this, I sell software and airplanes, don't know squat about boats. However I'm stoked to learn more and I am learning! Thanks again for all of your comments. This forum is awesome.

Thank you Grand Poobah! @ Baitkiller I am not Lisa so no it's not me.

The last time I took the boat I barely got it started at the boat launch. After a few jumps I got it started and was afraid to turn off the engine so we ran around for about 30-40 minutes. I shut the boat down and BARELY got it to start a second time. I decided to leave the engine on and drive around for 20 more minutes, at idle the engine finally quit and the battery was flat out dead so no luck starting again. I assumed it might be the alternator. I yanked the alternator and had it tested, it passed. Auto Zone tested my battery which was less than a year old and gave me a free replacement they said it was basically dead so I thought the new battery would fix the problem. New battery and functional alternator I couldn't get the boat to start at all now. It was starting immediately before I started having this electrical issue as my mechanic re-wired the ignition and cleaned up some of the wiring it was starting like a champ. My mechanic thinks it's this voltage regulator box, he told me to look into fixing this and see if that does it b/c the coil isn't showing anything north of 7-8V and it looks like it pulls from that box so that's where my mechanic said I should check, either that or maybe a bad coil but my coil is brand new and my brother insists that coils don't just go bad in their first few months usually. I am going to try and get a voltage regulator from Auto Parts store and see if that works. Thanks so much for the reply. This forum is awesome. I hope to give back as I learn more. Sincerely, BOAT- BUST OUT ANOTHER THOUSAND!!!!!!!!!!!

Voltage regulator.

Better pics of the engine would be helpful. The id # is unlikely to help. Exhaust manifolds and paint color make Commander a good guess with nothing else to go on.