Winter Progress

Welp, I have been busy the past couple weeks. The brown machine goes off the get the interior done right after the new year and I figured since it was gone I might as well pretty up the engine. The engine was originally painted with spray can engine enamel way back in 2007. It held up well but was showing it's age.

After about 25 or so hours of stripping I prepped the engine for paint and sealed/painted it today. I still need to strip/prep the transmission but here is the progression to finished product today.







I am pumped with the outcome. There was some mysterious dirt in the valve covers so I may re spray those when I spray the transmission and such. I matched the color up to the 88 454 but went with something just slightly brighter than that engine (guess I was accounting for age).

Next step is a little glass work in the bilge area and some gel/sanding/buffing on the hull.

I likee.

I am thinking you can come spend some time in NC and detail up the Chris Craft Engine.

Zach

Looks great.

I have been lax in thanking you for your hospitality when my family and I visited you, and N3 Boatworks Thanks for the VIP tour, the refreshments, and the conversation. We all had a good laugh when Shelley loaded up that shrimp with the St Elmo's sauce (I warned her. But who's wife ever listens to the husband). Thanks for facilitating the purchase of the Nautique rocking chair. Total surprise Christmas morning.
Again, thanks for everything. You guys have a great operation there.

BTW, Do you have any chairs left?

Bring your skills and your barefoot suit to Florida..



john

Looks awesome

Haha, I did it all by myself other than Jon's insight on paint and procedure. Been a while since I'be suited up in the booth.

Thanks for the kind words!!

Steve, my pleasure and yes I think we have a few left but they may be of the Super Air Nautique flavor. I will check around Monday.

For everyone interested, Stripping the engine is no Joke. I probably had about 25 hours in it not including paint work and I still have the transmission and bell housing to go.

The engine its self I used mostly a big angle grinder and HD wire wheel. For the more intricate stuff I used a smaller wire wheel (not approved for a Die Grinder ha) on an angle air die grinder. Blew up a few harbor freight ones so I bought a cobalt because of the 3 year warranty. I also used a 1" round wire wheel to get into the even smaller areas with a regular old electric Dewalt drill on fast speed.

In retro, I wouldn't have taken the valve covers down to metal. I would just clean them nicely and sand the crap out of them. It probably took over an hour each valve cover to strip. I stripped everything with the engine assembled fully and taped off to prevent any intrusion of wire wheel bits and pieces or dust.

I wasn't able to completely strip everything down to metal but I did my best at knocking off rust and loose stuff and scuffing every surface possible. The original PCM paint is tough as nails and thick. I just used a DA sander on the oil pan and scuff padded the crap out of the gasket rail and bolt heads. I did remove the Dampner to clean/prep behind it.

Unfortunately now the alternator/carburetor/fuel pump look like poops. I am probably going to spring for that Quick Fuel come spring when money permits. With the engine and interior project December and January are draining my funds quickly ha.

The manifolds and black parts were painted with Emeron black and the silver shot with a Dupont blend of the metallic silver I chose. You go through the product quick. I used about a half quart of silver on the engine. If you want it to turn out this good you'll need to drop some dough on the paint. I spent about 140-160 in product so far and I will still need a little hardener to finish spraying the transmission and other small parts.

If it was black I probably would have let it be but I really want this brown rig to be amazing come spring so I made myself spend the time and money.

Today's progress below.

My computer is unstable on it's side. It looks so nice!

Well, I had a little issue on my road trip Friday. I checked the bearings and grease on this trailer on the spring when I bought it and pulled it all summer everywhere I went with no issues. We traveled for about 3 hours and made a right hand turn off the highway off ramp. Hit about 35 mph on the secondary highway and Wham it felt like we were rear ended by a semi truck. I looked back quickly to see the trailer 3 or so feet in the air and then slam down with a spark show uncle Sam would be proud of. The tire rolled up beside me and I saw the hub was in it uhhh o.

We got it slowed down safely (no damage to the boat) and luckily nobody was in the lane the tire decided to take a roll down.

We assessed the damage and amazingly found the hub and spindle to be salvageable. The parts search began and within 1.5 hours we had pressed new races cleaned it all and re installed the stuff. Rolled on to our destination.

The trailer actually took it pretty well but will need some loving. It bent up the rear cross bar (where the fender mounts) and took the fender/step with it. Fender fared really well and is completely fixable. The trailer needs to be set up on a frame rack. I guess it gives me insensitive to start the trailer restoration sooner rather than later. It is fine to tow but looks a little rough.

Zach....Sorry to hear of your mishap in trailering. Glad to hear the damage wasn't too bad. I always try to carry spare parts to do emergency repairs for just such an emergency.

I bought an '87 Martinique some years back from Skier's Edge which was a ski boat dealership in the Castleton area. Do you remember them? I think maybe they were MC?? We had the boat towed by Skier's Edge to the Milwaukee area. The guy got it about three miles from the destination, and one of the bearings gave out. So close, and so far away. Argh!!!

By the way, your boat is really cool! Love that color (very rare). With your new interior coming soon (I think I read), and your engine nicely freshened up, it will look awesome. A true classic!     

Thanks Dave. Bruce, I think the bearings had loosened up over the summer and the cotter pin failed (either way it was sheared off). I believe the angle around the turn cracked the outer race(found pieces missing on one side) and caused that outer bearing to explode. Inner bearing was fairly intact but the outer was completely gone.

I am usually pretty on top bearing care but everything appeared ok with these. Proves you can't check them too often. First bearing or tire related issue I have ever had in all my trailering days.

It was just instant, no wheel wobble or vibration and everything was completely cool to the touch when we picked all the parts up. Bad luck I guess. We checked the other side and it was just a tick loose but nothing I haven't seen before. Tightened that side and were on our way.

Well fellas, I picked this up on Friday. Left Indy at 5:30 am with another boat in tow and another interior in the back of the truck to be done. This thing looks amazing. All of the edge lines are nice and crisp and the vinyl that was used is this very robust feeling sort of matte finish but not like flat paint. He installed all new foam everywhere but the drivers seat. I used piping sparingly but I wanted to try to make look as if it were built that way.

As you all know I hate the front deluxe seats but I love the coaming pads and rear seat design. I love the newer drivers seat driving position (since I am not tall nor big ha) so that was a given to be installed. I tried to design a more functional observers seat while matching its style exactly to the rear seats. In removing the side bolsters on the observers seat the overhang portion had no support so i designed a little cubby hole you cant see under the overhang for phone holding duty as well as support for the seat overhang.

I am ecstatic with the outcome. Now I have a bunch of work to do to get it ready for the potential visit to Alabama this spring.

Also, I re packed all new bearings and new races on the damaged side of the trailer and made it home safe and sound with no issue (feel stupid for not doing it when I first purchased it). Guess I shouldn't trust others work. Also a good note, the trailer wasn't bent nearly as bad if any at all. It is mostly just the fender playing tricks on your eyes which should be easily fixable.

Zach that is freaking awesome, love that boat.

Thanks Alan, I am beside myself ha.

HW, that little box I built does a nice job of supporting it and ties it into the back of the seat however, am going to try and prevent most stepping on this stuff now anyways haha. Actually stronger than I thought it would turn out. Hard to train myself. To take the cover off I would just step on the old crap with my shoes on ha. I think I will just pull one seat out every time I leave it on the lift so I can step on the floor while removing the cover.

The way the factory built the arm rests was a little wonkey. The drivers rest was nice and squared off but the passenger side was all poofy. I had him match up the look of the two to the drivers side spec.

He also foam covered all the bases to hide the counter sunk screw heads and such.

The factory installed the capacity tag over the foam with no support so it was all poofed up and bent at the edges. I had him flatten it out and install a piece of wood the same size below that area only in place of foam the same thickness as the foam. Installed you cant tell there is wood there and the tag is nice and flat now.

I also left the task of vinyl color selection up to him.

quinner wrote: 10 bucks says that driver seat has the bolster option Looks great Zach

Lol, first thing I noticed. Sure beats phone books though!

I'm gonna have to start driving boats out to ohio for interior work I guess!