New Project 79 Chris Craft 22' CC Dory

This is the topside/deck

I did launch today. She ran great and I was able to take my family for a short run down the bay.

It was an incredible feeling of accomplishment for me, I look forward to hearing of your future launches so you feel the way I did today

Ironman = Charlie

Fighting lady yellow really stands out with the darkish teal green bottom paint and boot stripe and looks a lot better than black. But that's just my opinion. I've always liked fighting lady yellow when it's the right shade of yellow.

My insanity has arrived!!!

Congrats on your great looking rig, Ironman Charlie!!! It looks like we might give birth to "twins"...

Noon today my new toy rolled into Fort Lauderdale... and so far on an hour's quick inspection I'm pleased. It looks like cockpit sole and hatch repairs done by the prior owner were done correctly, and I have a minimal amount of "undoing" to do before making forward progress. I've not yet fired it up, but based on the survey that says it "runs fine" I am thinking I might just keep the low-time Chrysler 318/200 HP motor with 1:1 Velvet Drive that's in it and worry about getting a 350 repower in my next life. Does anybody have a good guess what prop size should run on this thing? The current prop is a "13 x 11 full cup" which, according to prior owner, was installed to allow slow, slow fresh-water trolling.

I also note the stainless tube windscreen frame doesn't look quite right... about a foot up from the console top it has a through-bolted slip joint and the bottom tubes either side of the console have open cut ends facing forward. Anybody have some clues as to the "OEM" design in this area? I'm also still scrounging for original dash panel layout details if anybody has one or a detailed pics of one...

I'm sure I'll be posting many more questions/pics as I get into the guts of this project - and I'm greatly inspired by y'all.

CCI - Michael

and yet another question....

Chrome/SS Air Vent source?????

I was thinking about our projects, and remembered that I found this on line a while back. I have the actual PDF if you are interested.

Michael - I replicated the gauge panel that came with my console last year - only added a fuel gauge. I always assumed that it was original, but I could be wrong about that. I will sends pic after I am over there tomorrow.

I picked up my SS vents from West Marine - originally sourced from Perko. I have found that almost all original hardware (hinges, nav lights etc) were all from Perko.

Good Morning, Mr. Ironman...

Any and all information/pictures/literature for these boats will be greatly appreciated as I tackle this project. This morning finds me looking for detailed cabinet door design pictures as the ones in the boat are not original and leave a lot to be desired...

Predictably, little mysteries arise by the minute, the latest being difficulty in tilting the console forward - which was discovered to be caused by the steering cable being too short to all the console to travel forward. I am told (perhaps erroneously) by the prior owner that it has always been that way, requiring that the steering cable either be disconnected or the steering hub dropped from the dash to allow full opening. Do I scrounge up a hydraulic unit and convert? Perhaps "engineer" a mechanical cable crank/relay with a second cable to the helm? Cobble together a "hybrid" system?

Ahhhhh - the mysteries of life....

CCI/M

CCI,

I have a completed version of your boat and I am here in Naples. Feel free to swing by and take a look at what we did as seeing things in person is worth a thousand pictures. There are some pics of our project further back on this thread. I would be happy to host a fellow member of the asylum!

Al

CCI,
I have the original stainless steel window frame or windscreen frame here at the house so I could either measure it up or somehow find a way to convey that information. We didn't use it as our boat has a tower on it now so there's no need to have structural protection for the windscreen.

Al

windscreen frame, etc...

Alanglois,

Thank you for your kind offers of assistance and hospitality, to boot... I may just brave the drive across Alligator Alley to take you up on that soon! Your boat is gorgeous and I'm sure I could learn a lot from eyeballing it closely.

It would be great if you could snap me a picture of your original windscreen frame... if it looks like mine up to the point it seems to have been butchered I would love to negotiate perhaps borrowing it for a tube-bender to pattern a new one for me.

If you are in a picture-taken mood, I'd also love to have a couple of pictures of your dashboard - is that the original, refinished or did you replace? From a distance in your picture it looks like what I assume is "OEM" layout. I am also trying to get a handle on what the original wood compartment doors/frames looked like if those are still in your retired parts pile or your boat is sporting reproductions.

RUBRAIL: This is probably "old news" to the crowd here, but I was quite pleased today to discover what seems to be the "mother lode" for replacement rubrail extrusion... "Wefco"... who will make it in gray, white or black to order. It's presently $7/ft for gray or white and $5/ft for black. I'm thinking white would be sharp (if not totally OEM) to complement a dark blue hull with white deck. Any votes from the peanut gallery?

I believe that my windshield was original. Here are a few pics from my 1977 model.

CCI,

The pics just posted are indicative of the original windscreen frame and look identical to the one I have. Also, our instrument cluster is new but made to the exact specs of the OEM configuration. The attached pic is from during the restoration. Also, we remade all the hatches and doors but tried to mimic the OEM look and function.

Thanks for the info and pictures!!!

Alanglois and SeaEric -

Thank you both so much for your info/edumacation - this is helping me piece together my restoration quickly.

Alanglois - that dash looks great! Do I see that yours has been converted to hydraulic steering? If I beg and plead might I see some of your cabinetry pics as well?

SeaEric - good to meet you... and thanks for the frame (and other) pictures. I appears your console has been nicely modified with the addition of a faired-in switch panel and equal size-shape doors either side (unlike the original design I have).

I will try to grab a picture or two of my modified windscreen frame tomorrow so y'all can see the source and details of my angst.

CCI/Michael

CCI

The power steering unit was on the boat when I acquired it so we stayed with that system. Also, we attempted to recreate the OEM hatches and doors albeit with solid teak, and maintained original functionality.

Windscreen

That chrome tube looks like what I have - I am certain I have an original windscreen. It is cracked in a few places, I would love a replacement. I did search a bit (tailor-made?) an was not able to locate a stock replacement piece.

Gauge panel

A little hard to see... I did tach, oil, volts,temp and fuel on one side. The rocker switches are bilge, blower, accessories, navigation lights, instrument lights and anchor lights