I have a 1976 Martinique.
I have owned it since December of 1996.
Bought it in the dead of Winter to get a good price and just went out regularly and sat in
it that year waiting for Spring. It came with a
barefoot pole (which I have never used and I think I’m too old now). We mostly kneeboard and ski. I have a Hydroslide Pro that I bought in 1986
with my High School graduation money. I
am on my 3rd Cinch strap-the latest one is the best one yet. Anyway, I am pretty sure the boat has been
stored indoors it’s whole life. For the first 10 years I had it it was in an
enclosed garage and since 2005 it has been in a climate controlled
basement. I do not know how many hours
it has. The hourmeter didn’t work when I
got it. I put a new one in and have put
287 hours on it since I have had it.
Soon after we got it we changed the front seat so that passengers faced
backwards like most inboard boats but I kept all the original parts. Not long after 2005 we re-did the rear
seat. So the upholstery is in good shape
but doesn’t match. It has a 351 Ford that is white with cheap
chrome valve covers-and that is part of one of my questions. When I got it the carburetor was bad (I think
the boat sat several years before I got it) and I sent it to Holley for a
rebuild. I also replaced the fuel pump
at that time. Over the years I have
replaced the alternator, raw water pump then impellers every other year, throttle cable,
steering cable, exhaust hoses, fuel line, shaft packing a few times, tuneup
parts-just basics. It has always made it
back to the dock on it’s own. Still has the
original blower that works fine.
Original Tach and I have the original Teleflex speedometer but it
currently has a newer Teleflex speedo that is easier to read at slower speeds. All the other engine gauges were dead when I
got it so it got Stewart-Warner marine gauges with a floatless ISSPRO fuel
level sensor. Engine runs strong and
has good oil pressure. About 6-7 years
ago it had carburetor problems again and I pulled it and built it but never got
it put back on until about a month ago I got it running again and a week ago
actually took people out again. The fuel
pump had some gas in the clear overflow line to the carb when I got back to the
dock so I replaced it yesterday with a new Carter marine pump (opposite fuel line-whatever). I have been thinking about selling it, but
I’ll never have another so leaning towards keeping it still even though I would
like to have the space. My sister has a
1998 Mastercraft MariStar V-drive with the “Corvette LT1” but I would rather
have this boat any day. It is rock solid
in the water. Correct Craft definitely
knew how to build a boat. I have a few
questions that I am hoping someone can help me with.
1-Who marinized the engine?
Right after I bought the boat I joined the Correct Craft Owners club and
got some information on the engine but I don’t remember the answer. I seem to have lost that packet when we moved
in 2005. It seems to me that they said
it was definitely original to the boat. It has a tag with a good readable stamped
model and serial number but much of the printing on the left side of the tag is
gone. I can read on top “DR” and
“Engine” and at the bottom “ociates
incorporated” and “South Carolina”.
Pretty sure there was something before the “DR” and “engine” could possibly
be part of engineering? PCM is in South
Carolina now but appears to have started in 1975 in Ohio-so is this a
predecessor to PCM? It’s not a Crusader,
OMC, or Indmar. Is it an Escort? I can’t find very much at all on the internet about them.
2-I wanted a points and tuneup kit. I think I needed PCM p/n RP173024 but it says
“Prestolite-Mallory”. I definitely have
a Mallory YL554FV distributor. It has
clips with ears that have screw down tabs on them. Is that the right kit? I ended up ordering individual
OEM parts from Holley/Mallory. They were
USA made points and rotor but the cap was made offshore. How about plug wires? I don’t think PCM wires will be the right length. The first set I bought when I got the boat
was for a 289 Mustang but they were really tight.
It has Moroso Blue Max wires on it now.
I kind of remember using a Chevy 454 as a reference because of how the wet
manifolds are but they are not perfect.
Maybe a Ford 460 is a better reference?
I do not want to cut anything.
Anybody have a good out-of-the box application recommendation for plug
wires?
3-Where would the ballast resistor to the coil be located? I don’t see one but it does have a wire from
the “I” terminal on the starter solenoid to the “+” side of the coil so there
is one somewhere. I have 11V to the coil
all the time with ignition on (seems high to me?) and 13V when starting. At the coil there is only 1 brown wire to the
+ side of the coil. It does connect with
the “I” terminal at the starter solenoid so it splices in somewhere to the
ignition wire. Maybe a better question
would be is there a wiring diagram available?
4-It is hard to find much information on the Martinique. In later years it was bigger but mine seems
to be like a Nautique with a different dash and a swim platform. Is the 1976 Martinique the same hull as a
Nautique?
5-If I was to sell it, is it worth anything? Since it is not a Nautique is there any
demand? It had a tandem Correct Craft
trailer when I got it but it broke an axle and I never liked the tiny
tires. In about 2000 I had a tandem axle
double bunk trailer made for it with a cage around the prop and 15” tires. So it has a pretty nice trailer but it’s not
original. Boat overall is very solid and
everything works, but it is showing some age-needs carpet, interior doesn’t
match, etc.-it’s definitely not a new boat but has been extremely reliable.
Thanks!
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