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interesting, sonny1. However, that's not been my experience at all. I've had nice success with the Citristrip on multiple boats. The protective oxidation comes back pretty quickly. I've used etching primers and oil-based enamels with hardeners on all of them. Both rattle can and gun...

In my experience, all modern strippers suck. But that being said, I've had the best experience with Citristrip Gel. However, there is definitely madness in the method. It needs to be applied thick and it needs to stay wet for a considerable amount of time to work. I extend the time frame by...

Awesome tinnies! I have a couple myself - both also Commodores. I have a '56 and a '59, both Decked Speedsters but both produced in the Strasburg, Virginia plant. (noted by the suffix "H" on the serials) Keep us posted on the progress!

Nice find! "B6917" is most likely 1954. It's a Commodore B Decked Speedster. I say 'most likely' because it's a bit of a guessing game for vintage Crestliner. The factory records are lost to the ages and most sleuth work is by crowdsource. The now-archived registry has several B models in...

Your boat has a weight capacity that includes passengers, gear, and motor. Alumacraft cap plates were usually found on the transom, but I'm not sure if that's still true in 1972. If you can't find your capacity, say it out loud here and we can surely figure it out. It's a calculation based...

White Oak, Mahogany, and marine ply are the usual suspects. The inner board/yoke thickness is dictated by the cavity in which it sets, however the outer board/motor pad is a little thinner - making up the remaining gap in what's available to use in the widest setting of the transom clamps...

Oh yeah! Salt accelerates the whole equation. Marinas with leaky shore power, too. I guess I'm fortunate to be in the TVA freshwater reservoir system and my boats live on their trailers. ...but now I'm having nightmares about old tinnies berthed in a salt marina with charged water and full...

Rivets would be aluminum in the length and diameter needed. (*solid rivets - usually a brazier, modified brazier, or universal head.) Personally, I have used 316 stainless threaded hardware with some 3M 4200 sealant here. It's well above the waterline. Stainless is indeed a dissimilar metal...

I'm not certain, but I think AT numbered their boats sequentially no matter the model, so the serial is only going to help with dating the boat when compared to other known boats and their serials. However, given the length and hp rating, I would wager it's a version of the UT-14...

Standard procedure for the Aqueduct Transom is to remove the two small brackets in the splash well. Simple drill the rivets and lift out. With the brackets out of the way, the wood is easily pulled down and out. Reassembly can be done with threaded bolts if it's easier on you. Be aware of...

Both Solas and Michigan Wheel offer a variety. 9, 9.25, and 10in diameters with pitches varying 7-12.

Nice find! Traveler's "DUT" designated Deluxe Utility. The "-14HD" means 14ft, of course. HD being another level of trim/accessories. It came fully rigged. Wheel and windscreen included. I've found the first entry for "DUT" to be about 1956. I do know that the later DUT models had the...

To be fair, the bracket only has to be as wide as the mounting holes of the controls. If the aesthetics is a problem, a control bracket is nothing more than a small panel of aluminum with a few linear bends. I've made more than a few by throwing a couple of pieces of wood in a vice, making a...

in my opinion... Add a bilge pump regardless. But the boat was built for a short shaft 25hp motor. The 25hp was calculated by size and construction. It relates to thrust and torque on the transom and power is power no matter how many cycles the pistons fire. But also, the boat has a weight...

The Penny's line was badged as "Foremost", I believe. Its been a minute since I've seen one. Maybe throw some pics up and it might ring someone's bell? The good construction clues are the rivet pattern, the length of the spray rail, handle placement, the seats and bracing, the transom knees...

Different coils have different specs, and I can only speak to the vintage-style OMC coils that were used for decades in many of their products. These coils have two windings, a primary and a secondary. The primary can be measured between the two leads and should read between 1.0 to 3.0 ohms. The...

Once upon a time, in the 10-15 year post-war history of aluminum boats, drain plugs were actually optional. Type, style, and even which side of the boat you wanted one installed were squares to tick at the dealership. This particular one, with the upstream skirt on the boat's floor was...

Quick note about private labels: Brands do not always equal manufacturer. Montgomery Wards, Sears, Western Auto, etc didn't actually make anything. Sea King, Elgin, Ted Williams, Wizard, etc. were all private labels attached to other company's products created by contract. Traveler...

It does. I use oil-based Rustolem or Magik tractor paint, acetone, and the hardener found at Tractor Supply. The oil-based can be color blended, too.

I'm not going to be of much help on this one, but just for a couple of ideas... Wooden gunnels were pretty much abandoned across the board by the mid-50s. The two majors that used them were Arkansas Traveler and Crestliner (but it's not a Crestliner, for sure) And I'm sure that were plenty of...