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  1. matt167

    adding bilge pump to boat that never had one?

    My '61 Custom Craft was never designed for a bilge pump, no thru hull or anything. My grandfather had added an older Attwood automatic pump and ran some tygon tubing from the pump into the splash well and tied it to the outboard wiring harness. Not perfect but I guess that worked ok. Any boat I...
  2. matt167

    school me on outboard swaps.

    My 1961 Custom Craft has always had a Mercury outboard on it. My grandfather bought it new with a 35hp on it, and switched to a brand new 650 in 1964 when the 35hp got damaged. The boat is actually rated for 50hp according to the original documentation I have come across. I want to keep the...
  3. matt167

    Towing with Classic Car?

    Re: Towing with Classic Car? I would figure the frame needs work. X frames I know are notorius for rust, so if it's gone, theres nothing I could do with it, but if it's still in tact with some bad spots, I can likely repair it ( frame off resto ).. I just can't figure out if the '60 Buick frame...
  4. matt167

    Towing with Classic Car?

    Went down a back road I haven't gone down since I was a kid and spotted an abandoned '60 Buick 4dr ( Lesabre I think ). Looks like it has not moved in 20 years, but it still looks pretty nice. Paint is just oxidized, chrome appears 'ok'. I'v been thinking about getting an old car to tow the...
  5. matt167

    Seafoam and alcohol in gas

    Re: Seafoam and alcohol in gas Fuel station tanks pretty much all have water in them. The gasoline comes to the top, and the gas is pumped off the surface so it all works out and is usually a non issue especially now with Ethanol fuels as alcohol displaces water.. The tankers and the station...
  6. matt167

    Outboard fuel tank color?

    My '61 Custom Craft still has an original 6 gallon kiekhaefer Mercury tank with it. Tank has surface rust on the top, but clean inside, so it is a perfect candidate for restoration. What color is correct/ good match for the tank? I see Oldmercs shows/ supplies some "Red" Duplicolor engine enamel...
  7. matt167

    Replacement Winch rope?

    Winch on my 1961 Holesclaw trailer ( original to 1961 Custom Craft that's on it ) looks original, and by what my grandfather told me, he didn't do much to the boat/ trailer in the 51 years he owned it ( purchased summer 1961, I obtained it late last month ). It has rope on the winch, which I...
  8. matt167

    What paint for my little boat?

    Re: What paint for my little boat? My boat is at a different location, and I have not been down there since I posted this. However, this is a completed 10' version and this is where my boat pretty much is, with the exception the interior seat facings are not in place. The instructions kind of...
  9. matt167

    What paint for my little boat?

    Originally I was thinking of building a boat, decided to start small and build the 8' version of the Glen L/ Hankinson drift pram. I'v had the pieces cut out for about a month now, but the project sort of took a back seat when I got the Custom Craft. The other day, I wired the hull togther ( S&G...
  10. matt167

    Pulling the plug

    My '64 650 is ready for removal except the electrical plug. Can't find the info in my manual ( Factory manual ). I tried to pull it, but It won't budge. How do I pull the electrical plug?
  11. matt167

    Mercontrol key?

    Which key blank does a 1961 vintage Mercontrol take? I have 1 key for my boat and want another. Have an old hardware store that will cut blanks that I supply if needed, but I don't know what the blank number is.
  12. matt167

    What do you OWN that isn't for sale?

    Re: What do you OWN that isn't for sale? My old car, and the boat. Car I'v had since I was 16, and my grandfather bought the boat brand new in 1961 A month ago, I would have said I wouldn't sell this, but I'v got it listed to fund the boat resto.
  13. matt167

    Thermostat

    Re: Thermostat The fast running coolant simply does not have enough time to absorb the heat out of the metal in some cases. That is why in some auto racing ( Nascar, IMCA ect... ) they don't run thermostats, but they do run restrictors to slow the coolant to absorb the heat.
  14. matt167

    twin 4cly good or bad

    Re: twin 4cly good or bad It's too bad the deal with FRPP folded, where The 3.7L blocks were sold thru the FRPP catalog. They appeared in a 1985-1986 catalog. If it cought on, there would be a lot more parts available, but as it was, still had to go thru Mercruiser to get the crank, cam...
  15. matt167

    Span America - Please Help

    Re: Span America - Please Help Can't narrow the year, but it has lines reminiscent of this '66 16' Mustang To answer your question, it's worth what someone is willing to pay. You could go to Boat Values, Prices, Evaluations, Used Boat Price Guides - BUCValu and sign up, you get 5 free values...
  16. matt167

    '64 Merc 650- Ignition conversion?

    Is their a possibility of converting my '64 Merc 650's ignition from the KD-1 magneto setup to a more modern system, like a Thunderbolt ignition? or even a newer Mag setup?. I'v always liked the simplicity of Mags but with just about everything discontinued from Mercury, Oldmercs is the only...
  17. matt167

    Minimum battery required to start '64 Merc 650?

    Want to spin my 650 over but don't have a marine battery, and buying 1 premature, would probably waste money. I checked the electrical system with my battery charger and I'v got power to the control box, solenoid clicks and the chokes hum and close. I had a fire extinguisher handy but didn't...
  18. matt167

    Merc 650 S/N location

    I have an older 650. I think is a '64-'65 but I'm not sure. Where do I locate the S/N to determine what I have?
  19. matt167

    1961 Custom Craft Sea Ray Rebuild

    I put up another thread that I had gotten a boat. This is it and I managed to get it home. I was looking for a tinny or a cuddy cruiser that I could restore, but I went back to look at this. I'v known about it my whole life because it was my grandfathers. I just thought it was a basic runabout...
  20. matt167

    Finally got a boat

    Re: Finally got a boat I have to help my grandfather dig out the wake board. he said he knows where it is, but it's behind some other stuff in his barn. It probably isn't any good, but it will be a neat piece of history anyway. The skis are sitting in the boat tho... I do have to make a...
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