Dash installed. Hooking up temporary terminal boards. The terminal boards will be installed on a swing-out panel under the dash. The wiring is left on the long side to enable removal without undoing any wiring.
Finished dash. Time to start thinking about a steering system . . .
Dash installed. Carlings completed.
The stem, frames # 7, # 8 and a mockup 350 CID Chevy motor were installed.
A set of truck headers was inverted and bolted on as a prank.
A Chris Craft exhaust system was trial-fitted. Lighter, more compact components will have to be located . . .
The rebuilt motor was installed and wired. A temporary automotive cooling system was installed so we could run the engine and break it in.
A custom bracket was fabricated to relocate the alternator to the lower left side of the engine.
Custom pipes were bent to exit through the bottom of the hull.
The pipes feed into twin turbo mufflers which exit at the transom.
A master disconnect switch (large solenoid attached to the transmission mount) was installed between the battery and the starter motor. A dash mounted toggle switch must now be toggled 'on' to power up the starting circut.
283 engine: The first engine we built for the HOT ROD project was originally a 283 cubic inch Chevrole
The first engine we built for the HOT ROD project was originally a 283 cubic inch Chevrolet marine unit salvaged from a 1968 Chris Craft cruiser. It has since been upgraded to a more potent 355 CID V8.
2. The Chris-Craft engine was oufitted with a Paragon 2:1 reduction transmission, a gear driven camshaft and a large capacity cast iron oil pan.
5. Certainly not the lightest engine package to power our boat, so we tore the engine down and replaced most of the parts with beefier and lighter performance parts.
6. The engine was hot-tanked, magnafluxed to check for cracks and bored out.060". Brass freeze plugs, block petcock drain valves and a set of flat top pistons were also installed. The crankshaft, rods and cylinder heads were also reconditionned.
283 engine: Power upgrades include a mild marine hydraulic camshaft and lifter kit, a Crane Powermax H
The engine was installed in the fullsize mockup. Motor mounts were fabricated, the wiring system was completed and an automotive cooling system was hooked up so we could fire up the engine. The intent is to break in the motor before it's installed in the finished boat. A cam driven water pump and marine exhaust will be swapped in at a later date.
Power upgrades include a mild marine hydraulic camshaft and lifter kit, a Crane Powermax H-266-2. Cam specs are as follows: - Advertised duration (Intake/Exhaust): 266/272 degrees - Duration at.050" lift (Intake/Exhaust): 210/266 degrees - Valve lift:.440"/.454" - Lobe centerline: 112 degrees The original Carter 3660 four barrel carburetor was rebuilt. To save weight and increase performance, the stock cast iron intake manifold was replaced with a much lighter and better flowing Edelbrock Performer intake manifold. The compact Velvet Drive bellhousing requires the installation of a 12-3/4" 153 tooth flywheel and a marine starter to match the smaller diameter flywheel. The original Chris-Craft motor mounts were retained.
The propeller shaft hole will be drilled prior to sheeting the bottom
1. The propeller shaft hole will be drilled prior to sheeting the bottom. Two pieces of scrap plywood were screwed to the keel. Once the strut mounting holes were drilled, a stack of washers under each mounting hole was used to determine how much material had to be removed.
2. A jig was rigged up to flatten the strut mounting area. The router is run on two parallel lengths of angle iron.
3. Depth of cut is adjusted to remove enough material so that the strut sits flat on the plywood.
4. A block plane can now be used to finish the job.
A 1/8" masonite spacer was fabricated and slipped under the strut to simulate the thickness of two layers of fiberglass
1. A 1/8" masonite spacer was fabricated and slipped under the strut to simulate the thickness of two layers of fiberglass cloth which will eventually cover the hull. The strut was bolted into position and an 8' long piece of 1" round bar was fed through the strut to simulate the propeller shaft.
2. A guide block was loosely clamped to the keel. Click here to see how the guide was made.
3–4. Push the shaft through the guide block until it contacts the keel and mark the point. Shim the shaft until it's centered in the guide block and mark the holesaw entry point. Clamp the guide block.
5. Remove the shaft and insert the boring bar, coupler and holesaw into the guide block. Use an inclinometer to verify the shaft angle is correct before drilling.
