’66 Wildcat

I recently purchased a '66 Wildcat in need of restoration. We are having a great time bringing this boat back to life. It has a Chrysler 318 w/ Velvet drive that runs great. There are a lot of original parts on the boat. I have been watching this site and haven't seen much discussion about Wildcats. Is it worth putting money into this boat? Is it more or less rare than other Correct Crafts? Any thoughts or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Also any ideas on value would be great since I haven't seen any posting for this boat being for sale. Thanks.

Hi Anthony,

I think we’re in the same boat. (Pun intended.)

I have a 66 Skylark that needs some restoration. Like your Wildcat, there aren’t many Skylarks around. I’d say it is definitely worth fixing up. No offense to anyone who has one, because they’re darn nice boats, but there are quite a few Mustangs and Barracudas out there, but Wildcats and Skylarks are hard to come by.

Are you planning on fixing up the Wildcat and selling it or keeping it?

You asked about price, but even if we knew specifics about the condition of the boat I don’t think you can get and accurate answer on that. I just saw a 66 Barracuda that needed a lot of work sell on eBay for $1,125.

A 66 Tahoe just sold on eBay for $4,000, but that looked like it was in good shape. (Though someone put a Ski Nautique decal across the side of the thing – a ‘no-no’ in my book!)

Interesting, I went to check the Tahoe in the reference section of correctcraftfan and don’t see anything on it. Now that I look at the listing on eBay again, I notice it is a left-hand drive, like my Skylark and appears to have the same engine. It also appears to have the center console, like the ‘SS’ Barracuda and Mustang models. But the photo shows a ‘Tahoe’ badge on the dash… Huh!

If you can, find a 66 in or around the same condition of your Wildcat. Then add a little for having ‘rare’ model. I'd add a little to allow for the size of the Wildcat. I believe it was 19'. Worth a little more when comparing it to a 16 footer...

Then to add value, just add what ever costs you put into the boat. If the interior is in tough shape or the gel coat needs to be buffed or sanded fix it up and add those costs to the value of the boat.

I don’t recommend it, but a friend of mine (Seriously!) listed something on eBay with a really high reserve just to see what the bidding went to. That gave him an idea of what the item was worth.

Good luck!
Kyle