1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 refit

[q240z]

Hi.
I'm one of several Chris Craft enthusiasts who frequent the HOF, though mostly as a lurker. I know a few of you Hatterii are also fond of Chris Crafts, so I thought I'd let you know about the blog I'm doing for my latest, longest and biggest old Chris rehab: http://1969chriscraftroamer46.wordpress.com/about/
Cheers,
Q

 

[jim rosenthal]

You guys HAVE to read this. It makes me embarrassed I ever complained about my little painting project last year. I think it would have been easier to build the boat from scratch. Wow.

You don't mention it in the blog, but I gather she has new engines- you didn't tow it to Deale, did you?

Anyway, well done, and I want to drive down and look at her, it's only an hour or less to Deale from here. Are you in Herrington Harbor North?

 

[q240z]

Thanks, Jim!

It would be easier to start new, but they haven't made these beauties in 40 years!

I suspect that a brand-new aluminum build as robust as what Chris Craft did on the Roamers would also cost a fair amount more than what we'll be into this one all said and done. Fortunately, I work for free on m own stuff. lol

When we brought her around from Coltons, she had the rebuilt Lehman 120s. Turns out that was a bad idea that I'm in the process of correcting right now. Stay tuned...

Thus far I've been covering the historical work prior to May 2012. Two more posts on historical stuff, and I'll transition to everything that's been happening in the last eight months.

Very, very exciting stuff.

 

[jim rosenthal]

Maybe Cummins 450C remans? Or M11s if you want to go really fast....

 

[rwappleton]

What a beautiful boat! And one hell of a project!

Does she have a name yet?

 

[q240z]

HA! Everybody asks about the name! lol

We haven't decided yet. We've been calling it "the Roamer" for so long, I'm almost tempted to run with that.

 

[smoothmove]

My kids would look at that and say.... "EPIC"

I do not think that would be overstating what you did.

Eric

 

[rwappleton]

HOW ABOUT



RE"CC"YCLED

 

[eze2bme]

Looking good - please keep us posted on progress with lots of pics!

 

[jim rosenthal]

I was just down in Deale and tried to find your boat at HH North. But the yard is so big I ended up lost, and didnt find it. I'd like to see it, though.

 

[q240z]

Yeah, the HH yard is HUGE. I sent you a PM, Jim.
Q

 

[TROUBLE]

I had a 1969 ridgeway custom sportfisherman that had 534 ford seamasters. I bought the boat with the intention of putting diesels back in her. After my first trip to montauk I decided to keep them 20kts at 20 gph combined. I had Lab Machine works build me a new pair and ran the boat for the next 11 years. I never saw the turbo charged versions till your photos although I heard of them.

Art

 

[SKYCHENEY]

So what happened to the Lehmans?

 

[Boatsb]

I had a 1969 ridgeway custom sportfisherman that had 534 ford seamasters. I bought the boat with the intention of putting diesels back in her. After my first trip to montauk I decided to keep them 20kts at 20 gph combined. I had Lab Machine works build me a new pair and ran the boat for the next 11 years. I never saw the turbo charged versions till your photos although I heard of them.

ArtView attachment 12761View attachment 12762

Was that boat in Babylon in the 80's before the salon cabin was torn off?

 

[q240z]

So what happened to the Lehmans?

They're sitting in my garage in SoMD, along with TD502 gears, new mounts and couplers for 1.5" shafts. I haven't had time to advertise them yet. Too dang busy with refit!

 

[q240z]

My kids would look at that and say.... "EPIC"

I do not think that would be overstating what you did.

Eric

"EPIC"

Maybe that's what we should call her! ;-)

 

[q240z]

I had a 1969 ridgeway custom sportfisherman that had 534 ford seamasters. I bought the boat with the intention of putting diesels back in her. After my first trip to montauk I decided to keep them 20kts at 20 gph combined. I had Lab Machine works build me a new pair and ran the boat for the next 11 years. I never saw the turbo charged versions till your photos although I heard of them.

Art

Art, it looks like you've got the earlier iteration of the 534, before Nautic bought the Seamaster brand. They went really nuts with 1/4" stainless bits and pieces, custom castings etc. They really were very well done.

And brutal power, from what I've heard. There's a fellow at the club who rode in my boat back in the day. He said the PO would put the sticks forward and there would be a bizarre yet subdued howling sound from below. The ER was lined in lead sheet over standard fiberglass batt insulation, so not much sound came through. But those four big ol' turbos spooling up (with no water cooling jacket) made a noise like no other. The nose of the boat would come waaaaaaay up, then hang in the air for just a bit before slapping down and VARRRROOOOOM! Off she'd go!

It must have been something!

 

[SKYCHENEY]

They're sitting in my garage in SoMD, along with TD502 gears, new mounts and couplers for 1.5" shafts. I haven't had time to advertise them yet. Too dang busy with refit!

Must be I missing something then. What power is going in there now?

 

[q240z]

Yeah, I could see how that would be a bit confusing. My thinking was that it didn't make much sense to start with the current work in 2013. There was a lot of history to cover and, as I explain on the About page, first I'll go through the historical material, then transition to current work. I've tried to keep the dates as obvious as I can. The Lehmans did their duty for a brief moment in time and then...

Stay tuned! It's a blog! Enjoy the story!

 

[q240z]

BTW, there's a new blog post talking about the various tents I've used during this 1969 Chris Craft Roamer 46 refit.