where and who do you work for

81 -   Yes on the vinegar, malt vinegar is what we put on the tables but most people put it on the English Style (Beer batter) Fish & Chips. Looking forward to the visits. I have a few dozen shipwreck photos on the walls given to me by my local Shipwreck author/expert, looks like I'll have to start a Correct Craft section.

Reid, really glad you're back. Keep putting miles on that Ford. Keep posting here!

hey j. hope you're well...

ReidP, glad to have you back! We'd all love to hear an update on your projects.

Boat status? I don't know where all the boats seem to come from, but while I did take a brief hiatus from the 'Fan, I haven't let up on the boats. The "Help.....I Need a 12 Step Program" thread some time back seemed written for me as well.

But with me it's a 40+ year love affair with cla$$ic boats. I got my first CC, a 1958 wood StarFlite back in 1980 while still in college, but moving to SE FLA immediately after pushed me in the direction of salt water boats and boating for 13 yrs. My roommate and I tore up the intracoastal from Lauderdale to Boca Raton (but at a slow speed) in a '65 Chris 24' SeaSkiff inappropriately named and spelled NOFATCHIX. We then graduated to a much newer '66 'gla$$ Chris 27' Commander, and appropriately named BOCA NUTS. I can obtain testimonials if need be, to the number of girls this boat hosted on Boca Lake. But coming back home to NC and Lake Norman in '95 got me back to my boating roots.

I'd like to honestly state in my defense however, that while we've since accumulated a handful of boats, we probably have no more invested than many members have in a hot new Super Air. It's the "number" of boats that hints of excessive behavior. So here's what's hanging out at our place right now and the status of same:

'73 Mustang seen below with signature, a 9+.
'69 Mustang-light blue, shown in diaries, our
engine and hull-mod test bed. Well used,    maybe a 7. A rocket that's continuously calling out 79Nautique's name.
'72 Skier- shown in diaries. A good 8-9
'70 Mustang - Green, 273 Chrysler, not posted yet but super boat, 3rd place Orlando- '05. 7-8, but moving up.
'63 Cla$$ic - Ebay boat with 390 Interceptor, some gelcoat cracks but timeless beauty, just ask Stang, Paul, and others with one. Beautiful new interior, but needs an engine rebuild. Not yet posted. Take to the grave.
'71 Nautique- yellow tournament in diaries, partnered off with a friend who's doing original resto.
'67 Nautique- in diaries, red and white, sold it but it came back half way thru resto, big job needing stringers and paint. Very sad right now.
'67 Nautique- Orange, in diaries, ditto above condition-wise.
'68 Nautique- Light blue, in diaries, but still without its new engine. Otherwise a solid 8.
'66 American Skier- Another Ebay special, not in diaries yet, but aqua and white like somebody elses. Hull and deck were repainted and look super from 10+ away. New vinyl in place, just needs 289 installed. Really neat boat. 8
'78- SkiTique project from Paul Carpenter/Nautique Fanatic, 80% complete, now has '70 vintage 250 HP/351.
'77- SkiTique, another project from Paul Carpenter, 1% complete, needs a home. Compounded hull looks great though.
'65- Nautique project boat in need of total resto., front bench dual cockpit SN, 289 Interceptor, Never foamed, perfect stringers. A keeper.

Non-CC inboards (but no direct competition, as there is no such thing):
'61 Lyman 21', wood, 109 GrayMarine flat head, undergoing resto, but can't find the time to complete last 20%.
'88 Shamrock 17' center console, GM 4-banger, bullet-proof full-keel boat runs in 12" of water.

Several asked and that's it. Nautique Frk, aka Mike Thrower, needs to confess his sins next, as he's been know to "harbor a fugitive" or two, as we tend to descibe boats that our wives no nothing about.

Didn't someone once start a thread where we described our early boating beginnings?     

And I thought I had a problem!!!! Hell I think I need to look for another one. Reidp, where do you keep them all? Sounds like you must have one heck of a storage building.

I have one boat, I think it's lonely Reid.

14 Correct Crafts, wow. Which one of those Nautiques was supposed to get the 440?

Reid, I can't even leave my boat outside overnight without getting a letter.

It looks like Chris and Reid are going to be side by side one day out on the water, who will be ahead?

BTW Reid, I like the baby blue SN the best.

Chuck

I am a real estate appraiser and am a partner in a development company. I Drive a Dodge diesel pickup and an 83 jeep cherokee widetrack.

reidp wrote: Vehicles? My pride and joy, drum roll please, is a 1998 Explorer 5.0, (it's an Eddie Bauer pkg, so ease up) with count'em, 307,000 miles, all put on by me.

Reidp - 307,000 miles?!?! I own a 1999 Mercury Mountaineer with a 5.0. It has 137,000 miles, in which 107,000 were driven by me. Did you have to rebuild your engine? Any major repairs? That 5.0 is one tough monkey, but I don't want to start pouring money into it. I also tow my '86 Nautique with it.

Ken

Ken, thru a wierd warranty issue, the dealer replaced the engine at 48K, so the 302 actually has only has 259,000. Trans is original, but has tow pkg with cooler so maybe that helped. T-case (full time 4WD) died at 116K but replacement still going strong. AC comp about 200k. Like 79 says, lots of frequent oil changes, and I've never had to add oil. I did change to synthetic just before at 200k, and coincidently when about to leave town for a 500 mile tow to a reunion. BUT PLEASE LETS NOT START THE OIL CONTROVERSY AGAIN. By the way, it's never leaked. And Redneck Reid added dual exhaust with a two-in-two-out Flowmaster some time ago. Not very loud with all the cats still in place, but it needed a little attitude that the factory Ford trucks lack IMO.   

REidP,

That sounds promising to me. I have AWD, and it hasn't given me issues (knock on wood). My engine feels strong, however hesitates sometimes off the line. Sounds like it skips. I use synthetic oil, changed every 5,000 miles. No smoking issues. The transmission is a little suspect. You can feel it jolt a little from 1st to 2nd under hard acceleration on the highway. No slippage though. Other than that, I have no issues. Oh, and it's paid for, which is a bonus!

Ken

I'm a firm believer in a dose of Techron or a bottle of Seafoam every now and then to keep the throttle body and everything on the intake side clean, and it possibly could help the skip. I've never had any issues period with my trans while servicing on an intervals like Chris mentioned, however the torque converter shutters every now and then at low RPM, at least that's what the dealer told me it most likely was. It feels like a miss, or slight jerk when slowly excelerating in higher gears at low speed. And I try to limit the time it spends at 8500 rpms.          

Hey Reid, what became of the Mustang you showed me in your shop that you were trying to put that big a$$ chrysler motor in?