Maruader / Wildcat differences?

I was talking with Chris Mars last night. The question arose about differnces between A Maruader and the 70 Wildcat I have. 70 appears to be the end of the Wildcats, while the Marauders started around that year. Both are 19 feet and have the "spear" molded into the side of the hull where the Correct Craft emblem goes. the decks look differnt.

Anyone have more info?

Looks to me like your Wildcat and Bill's Marauder came out of the same molds.
Just minor differences like vent placement.
Big Red II has Split Motor Box and Coaming Pads.
The 70 or 71 Marauders were totally redesigned and gained a foot.

Are you thinking about buiding a Big Red III ?

DrCC wrote: Are you thinking about buiding a Big Red III ?

Al, No, while watching Bill's Marauder thread makes it tempting, I really need to get my current projects done. Just thinking about what to do with a couple of the "extras" I have around. I would give the bare Wildcat hull away to someone looking for a project. I'm also starting to consider selling it with some / or all of the parts I got with it when I bought it.

From the evidence at hand I think we can safely say there were at least two Marauder Hulls.. perhaps running from 1965 -1970, and then the 1971+ hull.

The Tournament Skier/Collegian/Maruader/GranPrix/Wildcat type hulls are tough to figure out. In the 1965 brochure is the best info although I don’t know that we can fully take them at their word.
They sell the “18ft” tournament skier that is actually 18’9”. They also on the Collegian sell sheet state very clearly that the “19ft” collegian shares the same hull with the Maruader/Grandprix except that those two boats have “more deluxe and different equipment” those three hulls list the length at 18’10” but have width and depth dimensions exactly the same as the Tournament skier.    Now that is one expensive inch as the Collegian cost $1283 more than a tournament skier in 1965 ($5494 vs. $4211 each one equipped with the Gray 220hp).    Having seen no actual evidence that there is any difference in those hulls/decks I think the whole 18ft vs 19ft and the one inch was nothing more than creative marketing to justify the 25% price bump but I wasn’t there. Now a jump to the Grandprix/Marauder would cost you another $1000 in 1965 over a Collegian with the same engine. If we are to believe the sell sheets the Grandprix/Marauder were the exact same boats except the Grandprix name went on the 19ft hull that came with 401 cu in gray marine buick based engines and the Marauder name went on the 427 cu in interceptor engines which came in 330hp or 400hp versions. I have always hoped to catch a whisper in the wind that a 1965 Marauder with a 400hp premium gas only non warranted competition 427 actually was ordered and has survived in restorable condition (preferably in two tone turquoise and white or mahogany please). To date I haven’t even caught a rumor of a 330hp one. I suspect the $8565 price tag (+$75 for the mahogany color and +75 for the optional deck hatch cause if you are going all the way you might as well keep going) severely limited production in 1965.

BTW I figure that hatch option explains the raised square with the arrow on the middle of the deck.. as that is where the hatch would go and that is what it would look like if it was there, but I would love to see one.

If that 400hp 427cu in Marauder exists it gets my vote for coolest fiberglass inboard boat ever created, certainly fiberglass correctcraft.. and I suspect it would have been the fastest inboard correctcraft that ever snuck out of the factory, unless bills 440 twin turbo was an off the book factory job.

But anyhow that was all back in 1965… by 1966 the only 19ft boat mentioned (again exact same dimensions as a Collegian/Grandprix/Marauder) we have available is the Wildcat. The two engines are the 318 chrysler and the 401 gray marine buick.. prices are around what a collegian went for.    However there is one Grand Prix in the diaries from 1966.

There is no 1967 brochure around that I have seen… However I have seen with my own eyes the existence of an all powder blue 1967 Wildcat with a 426 290 hp Chrysler that looks tremendously similar to a 1965 Tournament Skier.

The Wildcat shows up again (alone again) in the 1968 brochure with a 250hp 352 cu in interceptor option, a 225hp and 325 hp mercrusier option(chevy small and big block perhaps), and small and big block Chrysler options at 235(318 poly?)/300hp(440).      

Bill has a marauder from 1969? that ain’t a ford boat and doesn’t look like it ever was, but has higher end looking interior and more options than a wildcat and sported a big block Chrysler. I am thinking by then a marauder was just an SS Wildcat for all intents and purposes.   

There is a Marauder with a tower that shows up in the diaries twice as a 1970 with a 426 wedge.. but I don’t know if I believe it to be an actual 1970. I would have thought that it would need to be a 440 by 1970.. so what does your 70 Wildcat look like Steve and what was in it.

By the time the Marauder name shows up again in the brochure record in 1973 it is clearly a different boat/hull… the diary record would indicate that hull goes back at least as early as 71 and was available with a number of different engine options from various manufacturers and even a hardtop.

Nice job joe. Great info. From all I have learned the twin turbos were not on the 440 when it left Orlando in 1970. I am hoping to give the former owner a ride this summer and pick his brain a little.

That's what I've always thought Bill.
The turbos probably came from the Chrysler dealer/owner.
An experiment that may not have proved to be sucessful.

Yes I did.   Serviced and driven several.
All of the models Joe mentions except for the Collegian.

fanofccfan wrote: Steve Lots of similarities. I do not have the vents in the sides like yours. Dash is the same as well as the wheel. That sure is a nice tach.    Mine is always stuck at 4100. May have to get that checked out.

Bill, I will have to keep you posted. Right now, plans are for this to be somehow gone this summer. Prefer to sell whole, but parting could be an option if no luck the other way.

Twenty seven hours in a truck and I arrived to find the boat - gel cote pretty rough like an early 60s boat often is, but the motor had the markings of being the real deal - and the boat was dry, solid, and minus a couple of period repairs looked good and every bit the low 400 hour time capsule it had been described.















I used a camera on the cylinders- took off the valve covers, spark plugs, and distributor- then primed the oil system. Soon after I placed a bar on the crank and hoped for the best. No resistance - she rotated freely and smoothly. Once a battery was installed the starter proved to work- as did the oil pressure gauge. Compression was not uniform but considering the storage time involved- I paid the man his money and took possession.









Some new grease on the bearings and a quick install of the lights and I was on my way (new tires were installed the weekend before by the previous owners after a deal had been struck)

After that it was off to catch up to the actual planned vacation, more ccfans were to be found to lend a hand - phatsat67, Hollywood, trbenj - all lending a hand in getting an oil change, new belts and impellers before a flawless first trip

Well done Joe.  Looks like you have an awesome boat.  If you get half the enjoyment I have gotten from my Marauder....it will be more than you have hoped for!  I am impressed with the originality and overall condition of your new vessel.  Now had you gone north to I 80 for the eastern leg of your return trip we may have been able to stare and compare and maybe even a lined up for a quick race on the water where yours certainly would have won!  Enjoy the summer.

Great story and photos.  Phenomenal Boat.  Can't wait to see it.

Good to see it in great hands Joe,could have easily ended up with the engine out and the rest in the dump as you well know. Looks to be like it was well cared for in life too. Rare to see an older CC for sale without it being full of leaves. Have you got any info on the build from the factory?

Well it seems that JoeinNY has returned to his alias otherwise known as Joe in Everywhere! She's a Beaut Joe and we all know that she will be well taken care of even after she had more CCFan legends hands all over her more than the hottest prostitute in Las Vegas on a Superbowl Saturday night!

It was advertised on the Facebook, eventually on craigslist, and eBay so there was a fair amount of eyeballs on it, most offers however were for the engine. The rudder port showed evidence of a prior hard hit - my fault for assuming the rudder had been replaced when it likely had been repaired and badly. The upper part of the shaft did stay in the port and so there was no sinking.





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So that’s good - did a little checking in the barn and apparently the style rudder and port was used on 19 and 20
Ft boats from 63 to 70 at least(meridian blue marauder is making a donation)- looks like by like the later marauders (white one on right) there was the recessed port and newer style rudder