Help educate me some on the Chieftains please :)

[Watermann]

Chieftain Mark IV

 

[BWR1953]

...A curiosity I've noticed about the Chieftains, all of them I've looked at here the swinging cabin door. This one has a pocket door. Which I like much better. I see the literature section doesn't have anything specific to the '74 Chieftain and '73 & '75 are missing. There are also other threads pertaining to the Chiefs that no longer have any pictures, just dead links to Photobucket. Was the pocket door something not well received and dropped from the line, or an optional thing ?

I would really, really like to see that! And to see how it was constructed. Seriously.

Looking forward to the pics!

 

[GA_Boater]

Chieftain Mark IV

:doh: Of course. I see why you are a SOTY winner.

 

[cj8mule]

A pocket door would be awesome. My door always gets in the way since the fish cooler stays in the cabin.....

Nice find on the chief! She's worth a restore and will make a fine economical boat. I've got over 400 hours in mine since the restore and I can say the 165 mercruiser is a great motor for your chief.

Good luck with your build!

 

[FrankenCub]

One step closer to recovering boat funds, sold my snowmobile this week. The guy will be here Thursday to pick it up so I better get her fired up. Hasn't been run since last winter, no snow here yet. Such a weird feeling, last year we had 4' at this time lol.

This weekend I should be able to go cash in had to do some dickering on the Chief and look other things over really good. If all goes well I'll hook on to her with my tractor a drag her home !
If not, I know where there's a nice looking Islander sitting not 8 miles from me. It's been there for a long time and I've always looked at it every time I pass by but never realized what it was. Best part is, I also know who owns it.

 

[Watermann]

Guys I think we have another festering case on our hands of the dreaded non-curable MBS! :lol: :stupid:

 

[FrankenCub]

Guys I think we have another festering case on our hands of the dreaded non-curable MBS! :lol: :stupid:

lol I do believe you are correct My buddy that owns the scrap yard, well, he has a couple Jets (I think) that I'm also kind eyeing for use on a lake 2 miles from me. If they seen me back a Chief up to the docks there they'd be all over me with Broome Co. Security ! 20hp limit, but yet they also have a 20mph speed limit and wonder why no one wants to use the lake for fishing :facepalm:
Oh, he's also got a whole stack of blenders, mostly Mercs but some Rudes ! It's amazing what people will scrap when desperate to pay bills lol

 

[Watermann]

I feel your pain Broheim! :lol:

Been scouring CL for my next one but bigger SCs here are tough to come by. Lots and lots of 16'rs... I'm after an 18'r although leaning towards a 22'r which are rare as hens teeth it seems. Also giving 14'rs some hairy eyeball action for some of the small restricted lakes here that have some super spooky monster largemouth bass.

 

[FrankenCub]

There are so many >16' boats around here for sale it's sickening. Worst part of it is they want as much as the 21'+ go for. That lake by me is a flood control reservoir that was put in in the '50s to save Binghamton, Vestal, and Endicott. They still get hammered lol. 2 years ago at end of season they drained even more water than the usual low level to pour new ramps and install new docks. They have a beautiful launch now, but the new additions didn't increase the lake usage like they hoped for lol. 20hp is kinda small compared to what I see on the boats around here. Some guys run 40hp Mercs with 20hp cowlings on them so they can fish the lake, which is great walleye fishing. If they would drop the HP limit and strictly enforce the SPEED limit the park would be booming ! Morons run our county.

One of the little Jets in my buddies scrap yard has a pair of small downriggers tucked under the bow too lmao, I can't imagine trolling with something that small but if it works WTH
His dad wants on of the Jets so he told me he's gonna ask his dad which one he wants first before I can grab one. They both have trailers too, and also figuring registration will be a breeze with 'salvage' regis
There's a looks to be decent Holiday not too far from me, but I still couldn't use that one on this lake either, the I/O will get their panties up in a bunch.

An off topic but funny about this lake....A guy I know that used to live at the north end had this little speed boat. Glasser, maybe 16' and not much hull to begin with, you know the type. 350ci Chevy with upside down headers prolly 400+hp, so loud you could hear the echo up the valley 20 miles away. Usually once a year he would drop that boat in the lake and crank her up from one end to the other, bout 6 miles. By time he got back to his trailer which he left in the water and parked the boat in his garage which was literally 200yrd from the lake they never knew who it was. All of the local kids would watch the Park Police in their 'chase boat' cruisin past long after Farmer was gone :rofl:
It just burns me, they can race hydros here but we can't fish unless it's under 20hp :mad2:

 

[FrankenCub]

Got a question regarding the transom. I've been studying the pictures of the Chieftain I will be bringing home and noticed the transom pulled away from the upper transom skin. I'm sure it's from rot, but is there anything under that skin that screws to the transom itself that would have been pulled out or otherwise damaged ?

I've went back through some of the Chieftain threads and haven't seen anything yet that really shows the area underneath.
I probably shouldn't be too concerned with it at this time as it isn't in my yard yet, but still just studying the work that's going to be needed so I don't have any surprises.

I cropped and enlarged the image, you can see where the rub rail is pulling away from the upper skin...

 

[jbcurt00]

This is an I/O Chieftain, correct?

Transom skin and that corner trim being stretched is your only concern, unless the problem extends down to where the keyhole and transom shield mount.

Likely not a major problem to correct when new transom wood is installed.

Seen worse put right at rebuild

Wet and swollen transom will likely be a challenge to remove whole for use as a pattern

 

[Weep'n Willy]

That should not really pose any problems for you. My Chief was just as bad if not worse than what you are showing in the pic. The top plate is riveted only on each gunwale and not across the back of the transom. You will find when you remove the top cap that there may be some kink of material folded over the back of the transom wood that was supposed to protect it. On mine that material was all cracked and hardened thus allowing water to sit on top of transom wood and get between the lamination creating all the rot and swelling. You may find that when you remove the rear rub rail that that the rub rail itself is a bit distorted but fairly easy reform when you have the new transom in. I was able to slip a strap from the top between the transom skin and old transom wood and thru the keyhole to facilitate removing the transom with my cherry picker.

 

[Watermann]

Hey Frankie don't let minute things like that get wound up in your spokes :lol:

My worry seeing the pic, is that the end cap is missing off the side hidden under the tarp and that rubrail channel is moved out off the the transom cap.

 

[FrankenCub]

So it's basically the strength and straightness of the transom that keeps it straight across the top ? I guess that kinda makes sense as the weight of the outdrive is focused at the bottom of the transom, but still a bit odd to me as I've never worked on an aluminum boat. I've always had glassers lol.
I expected a downward lip on that cap or maybe angled brackets from underneath.
From reading other build threads I expect the transom to be a bear to come out, it's really wet. I am thinking about putting a propane heater under that area for a day or two to help dry out the wood some and maybe it will help to shrink it some. Hoping it comes out in one piece so I have a good template. I have an engine crane that will be used to pull it. If that doesn't reach high enough I have another hydraulic crane for the 3pt hitch on my tractor that will go high enough.

The unseen endcap on the other side is actually there and the rubrail channel still in tact. The rubber it's self is shrunk on that side by about an inch but not too concerned with that.
That's one thing that keeps me on track with this Chieftain, it's missing nothing. I've looked over several other Chieftains within a 200 mile radius on Craigslist looking for a better deal and every one of them has been either butchered and missing parts or has some pretty good damage to the keel. The best part yet is when I bring it home, it's literally under 1/4 mile away and I'll tow it home with my tractor so I don't tear their yard up trying to get it out with my truck, my tow vehicle is useless off blacktop lol.

Thanks once again for the advise, I'll keep studying and learning every day till I bring her home

 

[jbcurt00]

You may get extra lifting outta the engine hoist since the outdrive is off: raise the tongue to lower the transom. Might get you just enough, esp if you air down the tires some....

 

[FrankenCub]

You may get extra lifting outta the engine hoist since the outdrive is off: raise the tongue to lower the transom. Might get you just enough, esp if you air down the tires some....

Yeah good ideas. I'm hoping to not need to pull the engine all the way out too, like to have it on the water this summer. I can move it forward after the floor is out. Will look at the axle arrangement too, maybe pulling the rear rims completely off will help give even more room. This crane is a Harbor Freight special, it doesn't seem to have the height that the good ones have. It's earned it's keep though so I definitely can't complain.

 

[jbcurt00]

I have the HF engine hoist, it doesnt lift particularly high. Not nearly high enough to pull Merc TOP 1350 OB.

 

[GA_Boater]

Got a pick up or flat bedded trailer? Heave the hoist in the bed and crank away with the added 3 or so feet of height.

Warning - hook the trailer up to your tractor/tow vehicle or the weight will lift the tongue and lose all the added elevation. That's unless the trailer is placed at right angles to the stern, but then you have a balancing act if the hoist is over the axle.

 

[FrankenCub]

I have the HF engine hoist, it doesnt lift particularly high. Not nearly high enough to pull Merc TOP 1350 OB.

Yeah that's what I was thinking, actually if memory serves me right we had a hell of a time putting the new engine in my truck because it wouldn't lift high enough to go ever the core support. Maybe I'll skip the hoist.

Got a pick up or flat bedded trailer? Heave the hoist in the bed and crank away with the added 3 or so feet of height.

Warning - hook the trailer up to your tractor/tow vehicle or the weight will lift the tongue and lose all the added elevation. That's unless the trailer is placed at right angles to the stern, but then you have a balancing act if the hoist is over the axle.

I've seen here that some others did the same with the hoist in the truck, I can't get it there though with my back. I will try the hoist I have set up to go on the 3pt hitch on my tractor. It's a truck bed hoist that bolts to the bed floor but I have it set up for my tractor which should gain me an easy 3' of extra lift.

 

[FrankenCub]

How about some thoughts on this, the only damage I see on the hull. I'm sure I will use the wrong term, so I'll just say it's underneath running lengthwise of the hull. You can see one of the bunks next to it. It doesn't appear to go completely through but it was certainly dragged across something hard. I see further up towards the front there is a drain hole, so maybe no big deal ?

It's full size in my bucket.


Another question, the trailer looks like the originals that I've seen here, anyone know what size tires they take ? I'm not near it right now but they are all flat. I was going to take the rims off my other trailer but it has 5 bolt rims, the Chiefs are 4 bolt.