'63 American Skier in Colorado

Hello, I've joined the ranks
She's been a Colorado, one owner boat, her whole life. I'm looking forward to getting her back on the water with help from the wisdom on this site! Let the journey begin
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IMG]uploads/14368/Dearbo_C-1_drive_63_CC_American_SKier.jpg[/IMG]

Hi Steve,
Thanks, it's the 215hp




It has had a new long block at some point. (different paint color) The original owner passed away, it was bought at an estate sale by a gentleman that lives near me. I drove past it sitting on the back of his property for months. He was asking too much for it I suppose. We had a freeze warning forecast a couple days ago and I knew the boat had to be holding some water with the epic rains we've had. Long story short I traded a motorcycle and a little cash, shop vac'd maybe 40 gallons of water out of the hull and saved her from the hard freeze. It's the original floor (repainted) except just behind the dog house and the piece between the engine and the battery. Stringers are solid, but but there is some de-lamination on the outer ones. I'll take more pics later, I sure need some advice on proper repairs.

I agree really nice find. Congrats!!!

Waldo

Nice find! Also, good job on saving it!    Poor thing would have been a night mare if you hadn't come along...

Thank you for the kind words and welcome! The second gauge over is a temp gauge, I would like to find an original.
But that is low on the list, she looks ok from 10 feet away, but close ups show she is a little worse for the wear.
More pics coming soon, I have lots of questions too. Thanks to all in advance.

My '63 has the dash shifter, but with my LH rotation Buick the wheel is on the left, shifter to the right of it. My original tach is just like that one, stopped working and I never repaired it.

Very nice boat, congrats on the purchase, it's going to be fun!

KC,
I didn't replace the windshield. When I got the boat you could hardly see thru it, especially if you were heading into the sun. I had nothing to lose so I wet sanded and buffed it ... just like clear coat on paint. I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

You might try "bending" the top molding a bit? Not sure with the windshield off,if you could gently use a heatgun to help bring the windshield back to the original shape? Maybe someone else will chime in with other ideas?


My secondary stringers were only rotted in a couple of spots at the top edge. I sistered 3/4 boards along side the originals and made all new floor support purlins. Capped it with 5/8" BC plywood for the floor. [






Do you know what trans is in the boat? I wouldn't worry a lot yet about the "dirty neutral". Mine has a Paragon gear box on the trailer you can not feel any neutral and it will spin when the motor is running. In the water it does spin a bit, but not enough to be a problem. Be careful running it this way.. it can burn up the cutlass bearing. I wrap a strip of inner tube around the shaft and use a vise grip to hold the shaft from turning if I need to do any "running engine" work.


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From a glimpse of the rear exhaust picture, it looks like a Dearbo transmission. It's got an oil cooler, so is it a model C?

62 wood wrote: Hey Marty, Check out the tach in KC's boat!

Yes! Saw that in his pics. Also same steering wheel with the infamous 'Ship's Wheel' center cap

Great Boat and Find KC !!

The BoatDr on the site is the 312 Guru!

Phil,
I had an NOS tach, still in the box, just like the one in KC's 63. We weren't 100% sure of the year or application, now we know.

Marty is now the proud owner of it.

I would have used that tach in my 64 if I had it at the time I restored the boat. It originally had a cable drive tach, but it was long gone when I bought the boat. I had an NOS "Interceptor" tach that I ended up using. I had to cut the hole larger to fit this one.

Great find!

100 LL (low lead) av-gas is actually light blue. 100 Av gas is green. 100 LL has a lead content of up to .56 grams/litre. 100 has lead content of 1.12 grams/litre.

That 312 was designed to run on leaded gas, so maybe that is why the previous owner was running it. It's a good idea, but at $5-$6.00 per gallon, VERY expensive...

Wow, thanks for the wealth of knowledge in the reply's. I'll try that process with this windshield for sure.
Great lead on the temp gauge. Yes it is a Dearbo Model C

It seems like there should be a detent at neutral on the shifter. But it does not have one.
I have read the adjustment procedure in the Interceptor Manual, I wonder if that would help "define" the neutral?
Interesting about the fuel as well. I'm wondering what all was done with the long block work. It was winterized properly near as I can tell.
It's great getting all the input and history from you all. Thank you.
Here's the stamp on the trailer as well



Any ideas what would have been mounted on the stern here


More pics

turningpoint84 wrote: If i were a guessing man i'd say fake air intake scoops were mounted on the stern. Does the boat have a blower? How did this thing get fresh air?

Foot print is too small for fake air intake scoops, I am guessing it was more likely a ladder. The foot print more closely matches a ladder. It likely would have been "borrowed" from a newer model.

No blowers in those early 60's boat. Operating procedure was to "air out" the bilge by opening the dog house. Plenty of air circulates up under the front deck, down under the floor and up to the carbs in the dog house to run the engine.

Dad installed front and rear after market scoops early to improve ventilation, but NO electric blowers...

Like the red and white combination, going to be nice.