Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Buying and Restoring a 1964 Starcraft

Recently my boyfriend decided he was getting a bargain when a friend offered to sell him an old all aluminum 1964 Starcraft bowrider with an inboard motor that actually worked for only $400.
Well he is the type of guy that can't stand to be seen in anything unless it looks shiney and new and lucky for him he can restore just about anything to make it look that way. But that was only half the battle. He is best at doing sanding and painting which is the first thing he did to this boat and so now it looks brand new and so does the engine. It sure looks pretty but has yet to go in the water. Right now he is struggling with getting a very irritating problem fixed. The hydraulic lift does not work because of one little tiny valve connection behind the motor. And so after replacing the hoses this was discovered. So he just now removed the bell housing and is doing everything he can to get at this part without removing the inboard motor or outdrive completely. He is a very determined guy so I am hoping he will be able to do it. As for me when things get this messy and complicated I just have to walk away and do alot of praying. I told him I wanted to go out in the boat for my birthday on June 28 th so he is doing his best to make that happen. After all I did pour a whole bunch of my own money into all the paint and materials to make this boat look like brand new and it is hard to do that and still not to get to go out in it. I am a patient person but there are times I want to kick myself for getting talked into doing the boat thing again. I swore after the last boyfriend that wanted a boat that I would not ever again get one cause it was a whole lot of money and not worth it - as the entertainment value was not equal to the cost of repairs and maintenance. I only need so many expensive learning experiences in my life and many I do not want to repeat. But I am a sucker when it comes to making other people happy so that is how I get talked into these things. We do have alot of restoration experience in the past from restoring horse drawn carriages and heavy equipment but I would have to say this is the first time restoring a boat. Will get back to you later to let you know how it goes.
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