Antique Boat Engines

Almost looks like a Liberty

It looks like a Hispano-Suiza 90HP to me. Quite a few of them were marinized due to the surplus.

i bet..

I'll have to find out. I believe it was an old Chris Craft that originally had this kind of engine in it, but was repowered a long time ago. The engine was a barn find and the guy wants to go back to original. Jim told me barn find engines usually need a lot of work. That's why they got put in the barn.

What's it about a 60 x 20 2 blade?

Not quite as vintage and you guys know I am the last person to talk about engines, but that doesn't stop me from having a favorite. In the late 70s this 1950 F1 was my daily driver.

It had a flathead straight six which blew up on me. I went to the junkyard and found a 50 sedan with a flathead V8. I bought it and put it in my truck and since then, the flathead 8 has always been my favorite engine. I have always dreamed of a homemade boat project and if it ever happens, it will probably have a relatively current small block in it, but my engine of choice would be a 40s-50s vintage flathead 8, something like this one. Kind of scarce but not impossible to find. Once in a blue moon, you can find a marinized one.

I kind of doubt it will ever happen, Pete, as much as I'd like it to, usual reasons, money, time, space, priorities. And if I ever did invest in another boat, its hard to justify a hot rod vs a decent skier my kids could use or whatever. I've stared at the Glen-L pages off and on over the past 15 years, I would guess. What they call a crackerbox comes closest to what I would do. I don't really consider their version a crackerbox tho, more a small scale gentleman's racer. Some guys have done great things with that plan


but its really not what I want. Too deep, two swervy. Just don't like the lines. Was hard to tell in pictures, but I finally saw one in real life.

That poor boat has been around the internet for years, from one owner to the next, never finished, never had an engine in it. A guy in MA bought it a few years ago (when I looked at it) Not sure what came of it or if he finally finished it.

I like a lower slung hull. I don't have the resources for or the need for a real racing version but I like the lines of them.



In most cases, it would probably be cheaper to buy than build. This one was nice, was for sale up in the northwest.



If I were going to build, it would be a very basic hull, like this.


How hard could that be.

The crackerbox racing association has a table of offsets that I have on all the dimensions. They say that's not the way for an amateur builder to go, but again, how hard could it be. Glen-L has guidance docs on general building procedures, those with the offsets might be a winning combination. (tho I would likely go with thru-hulls, don't want to be too obnoxious a neighbor)

I'll keep you posted if it ever happens. I'm sure I'd need a ton of support. (My brother's son in law is just wrapping up a Glen-L Malahini. However, he is a woodworker by trade and has the ultimate shop....that helps.)


OK, threadjack over, sorry about that, guys.

Jeff, interesting stuff. I'm forwarding this link to my friend. I'm sure he'll find your post and video interesting.

Larry, I had a 1949 F1 Panel Truck that was re powered with a 327 in the late 70's that was my daily driver.

Gary, time for a road trip!

Jan,
Very nice. Any pictures of the Dee Wite?