1960 Atom Skier Fin Boat Recondition

Jack what was the fire like? Was it contained to the carb or did it puke gas all over the place which then ignited? The fire extinguisher must have made a mess.

Riley wrote: Jack what was the fire like? Was it contained to the carb or did it puke gas all over the place which then ignited? The fire extinguisher must have made a mess.

Bruce, as you can imagine it all happened very quickly. Instead of sitting at the dock and sliding the arrestor back on right away as has been my practice, the wind was being a pain so I eased it into reverse to get away from obstructions. What I think happened is that it backfired under load and belched a little gas out the open carb throat. This caught in the valley and in the back carb there is a small resevoir in the arrestor which ignited also. Honestly a quick snuff at this point with a towel or something would have taken care of it and not ruined the evening. Didn't have one but will always. The fire progressed while the guy was getting to the boat and got to the bilge. It started to chimney through under the seat and that is when it was put out. Good thing cause I do think it was on the verge of becoming exponentially worse or catastrophic as they say. There was quite a mess and the powder seems to be a bit corrosive so the cleanup time consuming but I have a handle on it and think I will be back on the water this weekend.

i'd build a flat head ford with offy parts   looks cool lowers the boat into the water like a rat rod win win.

You can do an an LS swap on an AC Cobra or Hemi Cuda and make much more power. It's all in the eye of the owner.

Glad you were ok too Jack,nothing like that to get the heart pumping! I had a fire in a VW bug once,flames were coming out the louvers beneath the back window. Even so the extinguisher residue was a big part of the cleanup. I started buying the halon ones but now not sure you can get it anymore.

Does anyone know if the mechanical fuel pump I have in this boat will have the output to supply a four barrel carb?

Thinking about putting the side draft setup in the closet for the next owner and having a little fun with the boat with a safer setup.

Ya well Pete I agree with you except the doghouse has already been butchered. The manual choke has taken the place of the auto. I am pretty much a fatalist but I know when to step aside. Boating is supposed to be a pleasurable activity. Still a little undecided but I have all the parts and the boat was setup that way when it came to me. Perhaps had many good years with it before I got it. You have to admit the side drafts are not marinized and not very safe by comparison to marinized, right?

Thanks John, Burton and I have two other of these old wood CC boats and I would like to spend some time working on those projects. This one has been taking all the boat time and not delivering the smiles per gallon. Time to reevaluate what I am doing. Had a nice run on Ricos Mustang last weekend and it got me to thinking that for a similar value to the Skier I could update to a glass ride and maybe get a little boating in. Food for thought.

Small block ford is def a good fit, actually a little smaller so might help the doghouse sizing. Keeping an open mind is a good thing all due respects to Pete and others regarding originality. I think that way also but there can be exceptions.

My intent is not sound Pete but I am stepping back and reevaluating as I said.

Thanks Bruce for the input. I have made my best effort to keep things original and I feel going the safer route is best at this time. Glad to hear that your Classic has been swapped out and you like the result. Is that a AMC in it? Is there a two barrel or a four? My only concern at this point is that the mechanical fuel pump will support the carb I choose to go with. Agree that when the boat is no longer in regular use put the side drafts back on and never have a problem. I beginning to think some that own them do just that..

I am surprised you can get 50 out of that little boat but don't doubt your word Pete. I am curious as to how much you really use it during the season?

This engine has plenty of mods such as the chrome pulleys, inappropriate decals on the manifolds, wrong paint colors, and the 4 barrel conversion. It can all be change back to original easy enough, but it won't be while we own it.

Fuel pump should not be an issue. Our Classic was a basket case that did not have a motor box when we got it. We are using the glass box from the Cuda as we had to use a wood box for the Cuda when we converted the Cuda from a 318 to an FE Ford. I like the glass box in the Classic, but if we were going to build a wood box for the classic, I would copy one from the old brochures which have the raised center for the down draft carb.

Paul Waters has also converted his 312 to a downdraft and his engine is really nice, as has Alan in the Hurricane. The Edelbrock carbs aren't as popular as the Holleys, but they cost less and run great right out of the box.