Mid 30's 36 ft with straight 8

[Pack Mule]

Ok this is my first post about Chris Crafts.A guy that delivers lumber here at work everyday has one of these that he wants to get "rid of ".I saw some pictures of it today and he is going to send some to me later .I know what you guys say if you aint got a picture it didn't happen . He says the engine and trany are rebuilt and the engine is a straight 8 .He also claims that this is one of three that were built for the goverment . It looks like a sedan to me . I don't need a project of this size but I told him I would try to help him move it . He has a custom built cradle for it with spreader bar so it can be loaded on truck . I plan on looking at it later this week . Anybody here might know what it is ?

 

[Ski in NC]

Probably a Chrysler or other automotive engine marinization. Not a lot were made, but some. Seen a couple. Usually flat head and direct cooled.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. PM. Could also be a Hercules, Gray Marine or a Buchanan although I don't know if any of these companies made 8's. Used to have a CC with 340 CID Hercules-straight 6.

 

[sunchaser]

Buick, Pontiac and Packard made straight 8s in the 30s carrying on into the early 50s before V8s became so ubiquitous. A friend from high school had a Buick with one and it had a very distinctive sound. Hot rodding them was supported by the factory with special cams and dual carbs. I seem to recall they were OHV and not flat heads.

Easy to see how CC would have used them in the 30s. Not until the Olds Rocket 88 with its V8 around 1950 came along the in thing was a straight 8 or Offy 4 for the power starved.

 

[Nomad Willy]

I agree w Ski in NC probably a Chrysler. Most of the straight 8's I saw in the 50s were Chrysler's. There were non-factory auto conversions by Bar Marine and others. I think Bar made a manifold for the Roadmaster Buick.

Just because of the odds it's probably a Chrysler.

Tom yes the Buicks were OHV. Don't recall any other OHV straight eights. Hudson made a good FH straight 8.

 

[Scary]

Probably a Chrysler Royal Marine

When I was a boy my Sea Scout boat was powered by a Chrysler Royal Marine Straight Eight. They were very common and very smooth engines. They also made six cylinder versions often found in Steven's motor yachts. They featured up draft carburetors with bronze flame arrestors. These engines were built by Chrysler as marine engines. I don't remember a heat ex changer so it must have been raw water cooled. The boat sounds like it may be a Captains Gig.

 

[CPseudonym]

Very unlikely to be in a Chris Craft I know but didn't Duesenburg make a double overhead cam straight 8 back in the day?

 

[Pack Mule]

I'll try to post these pics .I haven't had time to go and look at this boat yet . His wife said it's got to go! This boat was owned by the TVA and used to monitor construction of dams and locks . It has beefed up rub rails that are not original . The straight 8 is a Chrysler . The boat is outside covered with tarp and should be easy to load . He has custom cradle that is also made to use to lift boat .It is a 1938 36 ft . Is it a sedan ? Only one pic posted and I have 3 more . How do you post more than 1 pic at a time ?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. PM. Hoo boy. Just seeing that picture gives me the heeby-jeebies. NICE boat but I think I've replaced my last plank in ANY wooden vessel.

 

[Pack Mule]

Another pic

 

[Pack Mule]

Another

 

[Pack Mule]

Last I have

 

[Moonstruck]

Tom yes the Buicks were OHV. Don't recall any other OHV straight eights. Hudson made a good FH straight 8.

Quite right, Eric. I think we may have discussed this before in autos. Buick came out with the OHV straight eight about 1931. Walter Marr, David Buick's chief engineer, was responsible for the design of the engine. As mentioned, it had a distinctive sound, and was very smooth. It was in production over 20 years. It was called the valve in head engine.

 

[bobsyiruncle]

Mr Pack Mule
I think your original post indicated that you wanted to help someone be rid of this boat. It will be tough to sell for real money unless you can find some kind of crazy Chris Craft enthusiast. Your best bet is to promote it around where the factory was in Algonac Michigan. There are a number of woodies still active around there.
There is also a Chris Craft museum which has volunteers that like this stuff. I wonder if they might want that model enough to offer a charitable donation receipt

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. b. "There is also a Chris Craft museum..." Are you thinking of the Mariners Museum in Newport News, VA? http://www.marinersmuseum.org/library/chris-craft

 

[Nomad Willy]

Yes Craig,
The Duesenburg was a straight 8 DOHC.
I was think'in of regular cars.
How many cyl was the Studebaker President? Eight I think.
CC had a 160hp six. Must have been a monster 6. The 62' CC motor yacht had three of them.
Most of the marine engines in the 50s were truly marine engines. Didn't come from a base car truck or tractor engine. They had the flywheel on the front of the engine. OHV marine engines were rare as they were too tall. Many of those marine engines had a crankcase that extended aft to incorporate the reverse gears and/or reduction gears into the same space as the crankshaft. The oil pan was frequently cast iron. The distributors and carburetors were on the side of the engine to minimize the engine height. And on these engines I,m sure you could probably trust the dipstick. I'll bet the dipstick was in the center of the engine so it would read the same at different propeller shaft angles.
But real marine engines for yachts are gone. Unless OB powered.

 

[Pack Mule]

Would the engine in this boat have Babbitt bearings ?

 

[bobsyiruncle]

not newport

Mr R.T.

here is the link

Algonac Clay Historical Society - Maritime Museum

It is the brown building in the lower right pictures and they are still developing so I thought it might work

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. b. Thank you. I did not know that. Looks to be along the same lines as the MM in VA. Could be limited in space for a 36' donation but....

 

[Pack Mule]

Is this a sedan ?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
Mr. PM. I would say it's a sedan but I don't know how CC would have designated it. I have a friend who had a similar vintage CC but with an aft cabin and a center cockpit. Sort of like some Albin 27's. Even had cranks to roll the saloon windows up and down.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Yes it's a sedan. More than that it's a very typical sedan except it's fairly large for a sedan. Most sedans are 24 to 30'.

Babbitt bearings? Depends on the engine. Never heard of a Ford w BB but GM had many. I think Chrysler products mostly or all had inserts. I'd bet on it but not a large sum. Buick engines were all Babbitt until 1953. Chevolets were mostly Babbitt also.

I looked in my 1953 Motor Boating magazine and saw an ad for Kermath gasoline marine engines. There was in the line-up a 6cyl OHV engine that made 275hp at 2400 rpm. A Lehman would be but a pipsqueak compared to the Kermath w more than double the power at only 2400rpm. Most Buick straight eights made about 115hp at 3600rpm.

PacMule if you were to buy that boat she would be easily driven even though she has a straight run aft. She's narrow and light compared to a trawler. Even w her gas power she should burn no more fuel than a typical trawler.

 

[Ski in NC]

I wonder if that straight 8 is a newer engine than the hull. Seems like the 8's were around mostly in the 40's and 50's. The Chryslers of that vintage were very well made.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Ski,
Maybe PM will tell us soon. If it's an OHV it brobably is a Bar/Buick/ auto conversion. If it's a propper marine engine it's almost certainly a Chrysler.

Chances of it being anything else is slim.

But if one happened to have a Chrysler water cooled exhaust manifold or a Bar manifold for a Buick it would'nt be hard to find a good car engine "in the days".

 

[capt jerry]

many yrs ago I had a 36 ft CC with twin straight 8 CRYS with a 3 to 1 trannys one engine turned right and the other left hand.they ran smooth as silk. I made a charter boat out of it. the right hand engine had a reverse firing order, I found out the hard way one day when I had trouble.they had up draft carbs

 

[Pack Mule]

I stopped by yesterday because I was in the area . Same boat 2 years later from original post . 1 year without any cover . It was really bad .

 

[RT Firefly]

Listed as 1938 CC 35'. Quite similar lines although there's more of an aft overhang in the saloon roof. It's not unreasonable to assume there were only 3 of these made as I understand CC was quite amenable custom building.