’64 Atom on Craigslist

I've spent a fair amount of time on that web site and while it looks pretty cool to hop one of those engines up, if you start checking out what the stuff costs you'll find it's pretty rediculous. It's a lot more than building a Ford or Chevey V8.

If I needed a rebuild, I would check to see if I could get a remanufactured 200CI six short block. I think all of the parts from your engine would fit. I think it would need 3/4" or an inch more clearence.

Check his prices, I think he gets $3,500 for an aluminum head. There's a pretty limited market for that hipo six banger stuff.

The book's probably worth getting. I'm sure there's good info in it and it is interesting.

Yeah, somehow I managed to misread the auction end date. I was pretty PO'ed this AM.

The layout of the old screw holes on my bow match the layout on that light so I'm 99.9% sure it's the right one.

Bruce, thanks for the head's up. I think, after looking quite a bit at other Atoms, that the wheel I'm most interested in having and is most likely to have been stock on mine is this one:
Wheel

Now, the one I think would like pretty cool is this one:Non-stock wheel but I'm not prepared for the barage of abuse I would receive if I did that to my boat! Just kidding.

I think I've also found the proper bow light..
Bow Light but I missed the auction. So if you see a light like this one, please let me know.

I appreciate you keeping me in mind when it comes to parts. I think the items I am going to have the greatest trouble finding are the badging and the step plates w/ proper inserts. Did someone else here find a place that could duplicate the "Correct Craft" rubber step plate inserts and/or the chrome "Correct Craft" badging?

Pete, sorry but I missed your response prior to Bruce's. Yeah, I'm a bit disappointed about them having no record of the boat. I asked them to double check and see if they even had any numbers close to mine. I heard back from them yesterday evening confirming they had nothing on record. In some ways this is helpful. Having "no record of said hull #" in writing from Correct Craft may support my claim to abandoned title. I did want to confirm the model year but oh well. I'll register it as a '64 since it's my wife's birth year. Thanks for the heads up on the transmission fluid!

The made the 170 all during the same time as the 144. I don't know what the 6015-A means, but I think the C1DE means you have a 1961 170.

My engine is a 1964 and the boat is a 1966. I guess your boat is a 62-64?

Somewhere on this web site is a chart that will explain what the engine block codes are. I found them for mine.

http://www.fordsix.com/shop.php

Years Size Block
60-64 144ci ???? ???? ????
60-64 170ci C0DE-C4DE ???? ????

OK Pete, maybe you can help here...
I called CC in Orlando and they cannot find any record of the Atom in their books. Which isn't such a bad thing as I am going to claim and register the boat as abandoned. But I did want to try to nail down the model year and I was also hoping they could get me some info on the motor (CID, etc. etc) before I begin to overhaul it.   I presume it isn't an Interceptor as the valve cover is not stamped as such. So far I haven't found any numbers on the tranny either, though I haven't pulled it yet.
Can you decipher anything from the plate pictured below?
If the numbers are hard to read, they are....
Hull # A444
Engine # H81R 04366

Anything else obviously missing, besides those parts I already mentioned?

I'm looking at this as a 3 part restoration..... trailer, boat, motor.

My thought was to pull the motor and get it on the stand. (Any special issues or recommendations for this process. remember this is my first.)

Then lift the boat and get the trailer out. Modify and "restore" the trailer so that I then have a reliable and legal trailer with which I can move the boat as needed. (I may have to take it to a shop about 250 miles away for help re-skinning it.)

Then restore the boat. Then tear down and rebuild the engine.

Recommendations, thoughts, etc. are appreciated as usual!

Terp Looks like you have yourself a nice project . It all looks like my 59 atom except the engine .

Congratulation! Once you settle it in, lets hear a list of items needed so we can keep our eyes open. Your pictures bring back memories of picking up my Atom. My Dad and I drove from Seattle to Southern California and back in two days. We still laugh about the crazy things we do for boats.

The '64 Atom officially has a new home. Got home early this AM. No problems hauling. Sorry for the crappy photo. We were just trying to stay ahead of the foul weather and the camera battery was giving me grief (had a new one on order but of course it hadn't arrived in time for the trip.) So she's home now. Just parked her in the barn, haven't even taken her off the flatbed yet, to damn tired. I'll start getting some detailed photos in a day or two. We're missing a fair bit of hardware. What is there appears in good shape though. The skin is completely shot, deck to hull. Trailer is in real solid shape. Just needs some minor work and a few alterations I think. More later guys, the wife beckons.... for chores unfortunately!

Thanks Brian, I thought it looked like yours, just couldn't be sure. I sent the seller a couple of questions right before it expired so hopefully they'll get the hint and re-post it.
What is the T-handle to the left of your steering wheel? It looks a lot like the pull starter on our '56 Cessna.

That is the same wheel that is on my '60. on the top and bottom of mine is a clear epoxy looking material with glitter in it. You can see the metal hoop of the wheel in the center. I will get some better pictures of my dash and wheel when it gets a little lighter outside.

Hows the outside work goin' this week Gary?

john

Yeah, Brian's was probably the best pic I could find and I was fairly convinced they were one and the same. But Brian's is a '60, and mine is a '64. Were you aware of a switch from one style to another during the interim?

Gary, blurry from beer or just cause you were going so damn fast!

Think I should grab it and worry about the center cap later? Are the center caps tough to find?

Edit: I let it go for now. Hate to spend $120 just to find out it won't fit. I sent a few questions about measurements to the seller. No one else bid on it so it'll probably pop back up.

Is there anywhere else in particular to find original wheels for the older CCs?