1973 Correct Craft Ski Nautique Restoration

Looking good! Any reason you didn't do the original tri-stripe on the deck?

Any evidence of a 3rd speedo having been mounted to the motorbox (or associated 3rd set of hardware on the transom)?

Im no expert but does anyone else see 440 in the HIN? It seems to be in the same place as my 340 is at in my 340 powered 73 that also happens to be a red white and blue model

Good luck with the project. My neighbor had a red and blue stripe 73 Ski Nautique with a 351 Ford Palmer engine in it. It was a nice boat until he sold it to someone else on the lake and then it got molested.   As for the engine I have a 318 in my 71 SN and love the extra loud sound of it! As JBEAR say, "Loud pipes saves lives!"

I just had an ah-ha moment when re-reading on of the topics about identifying the HID, I just assumed it was inside, just looked outside and you know what there it is plain as day....

and for the OFFICAL HID...

CTC022440673-SNMQ

pcjeeper wrote: 1973 Correct Craft Ski Nautique 18' CTC022440673-3NMU Since I cannot read the original plate that is all I have to go from...I will have the registration corrected next week when I register the boat.

I don't think you're going to find the HIN on that capacity plate since you have a HIN on the transom. Before that, the model + 4 digit serial number was on the plate.

My 80 HIN is CTC04001M80H

H stands for March, which is when the boat began construction. Not sure what the M stands for.

There is another identification for the model, in my case "19MQ". This is what I suspect is tagged on to the end of your HIN, but again not sure how correct 3NMU really is. Maybe SN18?

Then there's this CCFan with a traced HIN from his ~76 Mustang

tnkrtoy wrote: CTC 00321 17MS MM 76.

MM = Mustang?
76 = model year?

Doesn't align with either of our last 4 digits...

Hollywood wrote: Frankly I don't trust any state generated paperwork. Tell me what's on the boat. It could very well be CT 02244 but doubt it. I'm not familiar with the 70s or 60s boats. 2 digit manufacturer doesn't seem enough nor do I suspect they planned on building 98,000 more boats soon.

Yes, I find gov paperwork to be incorrect all the time, I have built/rebuilt a bunch of Jeeps, and a lot with salvage titles and there is something wrong on the title or registration all the time...frustrating.

The only document I have to go on is from the Sheriff's Inspection report when the 2nd owner changed the registration from IL to IN and it clearly states:

1973 Correct Craft Ski Nautique 18' CTC022440673-3NMU

Since I cannot read the original plate that is all I have to go from...I will have the registration corrected next week when I register the boat.

Hollywood wrote: pcjeeper wrote: It would be awesome to have the original build sheets, I believe that the H-ID is CT022440673. and it was purchased in Calumet Park, IL on 7/23/73. It's probably really CTC -> Correct Craft 2244 -> serial number, aligns with JMurph's guess 06 -> June build? I have heard July-June build schedule. Sold 4-7 weeks later... 73 -> model year

The registration has a type-o it says CT####, the inspection has it right...

pcjeeper wrote: It would be awesome to have the original build sheets, I believe that the H-ID is CT022440673. and it was purchased in Calumet Park, IL on 7/23/73.

It's probably really
CTC -> Correct Craft
2244 -> serial number, aligns with JMurph's guess
06 -> June build? I have heard July-June build schedule. Sold 4-7 weeks later...
73 -> model year

Hollywood wrote: Any 73 would have been built late 72 or early 73.

So is it possible that the CC# on the registration is correct, or that it may actually be a 72, as nothing would surprise me at this point....

Curiosity is killing me, I will go out and double check the plate...

Not entirely... On any 72 model CC would have used their own serial numbering system. (72s were built late 71 and early 72)

"All boats manufactured or imported on or after November 1, 1972 must bear a HIN. The HIN is a 12 character serial number that uniquely identifies your boat."

Any 73 would have been built late 72 or early 73, therefore probably having a transom molded HIN.

pcjeeper wrote: JMurph wrote: Nope. You don't look like an idiot over this. You are just going off of information from some guy who doesn't really know. When Gary referred to having Art look it up, he is speaking about Art Cozier who worked at the factory (and still goes there often) since 1974 or so. He might be able to locate the original build sheet and shed some light on any special modifications that were made at the factory. I suspect your boat originally looked like the 1973 brochure and I agree that color combination is one of the classiest combinations ever put together. I may have missed it earlier in the thread, but if someone didn't already suggest this, then try to find the hull id and contact Art Cozier to see if he can look for the build sheet. That sheet would also state which engine was originally placed in the boat. Hopefully it verifies the BB 440. Welcome aboard. You have quite an interesting boat. It has an enormous amount of potential. It would be awesome to have the original build sheets, I believe that the H-ID is CT022440673. and it was purchased in Calumet Park, IL on 7/23/73.

In 1973 the hull id should be formatted like this.... SN1234   The SN stands for Ski Nautique and the four numbers would indicate the sequence the boat was built. For example, my 1972 Ski Nautique has a hull id of SN18XX (I can't remember the last two digits). A 1973 Ski Nautique should be somewhere in the 2000 range. You can check the plate by your throttle. It should be stamped on there.

The funny part about proving or disproving an old "special" story is the fact that when people ask others to help sort out the facts, they (some) still seem to choose to believe the first story they heard.

But yes, I would send the serial no. to Art.
I kind of suspect a re-power.   The cross risers were all too common in v-drive houseboats.
But then on the other hand it could very well be original.

Anyway, Nice find!
Looks like a lot to do before July 4.
Should be do-able with an aggressive and ambitious schedule.

JMurph wrote: Nope. You don't look like an idiot over this. You are just going off of information from some guy who doesn't really know. When Gary referred to having Art look it up, he is speaking about Art Cozier who worked at the factory (and still goes there often) since 1974 or so. He might be able to locate the original build sheet and shed some light on any special modifications that were made at the factory. I suspect your boat originally looked like the 1973 brochure and I agree that color combination is one of the classiest combinations ever put together. I may have missed it earlier in the thread, but if someone didn't already suggest this, then try to find the hull id and contact Art Cozier to see if he can look for the build sheet. That sheet would also state which engine was originally placed in the boat. Hopefully it verifies the BB 440. Welcome aboard. You have quite an interesting boat. It has an enormous amount of potential.

It would be awesome to have the original build sheets, I believe that the H-ID is CT022440673. and it was purchased in Calumet Park, IL on 7/23/73.

I would consider him to be pretty close to Green Lake, WI... Especially since there are some of us from NY, NC, OH, CT and sometimes FL and CA that make the trip.