Jet converion on a old Crestliner Jet Streak

[cosmic12]

I recently picked up a 1958 Crestliner Jet Streak. 14' that was originally rater for 35hp. I am currently rigging a old 50hp Merc on it to see how it handles it but because of the very flat bottom and it really doesn't weigh anything to speak of 200lbs give or take I have been thinking about putting a jet in it or maybe a couple of them. I do have then need for speed and love the lines on it and think it would be cool without a outboard messing those lines up.
Any thoughts or suggestions ???? Ideas on here to find the rigging and values of used jets?

 

[bobberboy]

That's a beautiful boat. Please don't cut it up by putting a jet in it. The lines are beautiful and maybe a vintage outboard would make you feel better about the look of it. There are so few of these things around it would be a shame to alter this one to the point it could never be original again.

 

[cosmic12]

I do understand I really do but I am thinking the lines would be better if not upset by a old O/B hanging on it and all that will happen is a hole in the transom for the jet and the inside made stronger with nothing butchered at all. I will not upset any of the orig hull and remember its Tin and can be replaced. I am hoping the whole jet set up can be installed on its own cradle inside without hurting anything other than the nozzle hole.

 

[Johnny]

That's a BEAUTIFUL boat. Please don't cut it up by putting a jet in it.
The lines are beautiful and maybe a vintage outboard would make you feel better about the look of it.
There are so few of these vintage jewels around it would be a shame to alter this one to the point
it could never be original again.

Personally, I am a pre-1960 Crestliner enthusiast . . . .
to see such a beautiful hull adulterated just for The Need for Speed is sickening.
Like BB said - once it is gone, it is gone for good.
If I were in NY, I would make a road trip to see you in person with a pocket full of cash
to try to save it from your sawzall.

If you want a real Head Turner, put some TLC into it with a vintage outboard and you will
have the cat's meow on the waterways !!!!!!!!!!!!
and a pair of 1958 Johnson 25hp motors on the transom should fulfill your quest to go fast !!


Please give it some more thought - - - -

jus my Dos Centavos

and FYI, my brother put a 50hp Johnson on our 14' Crestliner to pull his fellow
Army buddies around with on tubes - and it worked great. (or, so he says).




.

 

[CedarRiverScooter]

I am a jet jon guy but have to agree with the others, that is a classic, too special to modify.

Installing a jet drive is way more complex than just cutting a hole in the transom. There is the intake opening & lots of bracing for the hull. Then you have to rig controls, fuel tank, electrical stuff.

Put an outboard on it!

BTW, I learned to water ski behind a boat much like that one . . .

 

[VinTin]

I do understand I really do but I am thinking the lines would be better if not upset by a old O/B hanging on it and all that will happen is a hole in the transom for the jet and the inside made stronger with nothing butchered at all. I will not upset any of the orig hull and remember its Tin and can be replaced. I am hoping the whole jet set up can be installed on its own cradle inside without hurting anything other than the nozzle hole.

Cutting up a classic and thinking an old outboard detracts from a boats appearance.


Just get a jet ski and leave the old classics alone!

 

[JL8Jeff]

I think that hull would need some more modifying to make it safe and stable at higher speeds. You would probably be better off having someone custom build a boat with a similar look and use that as the blueprint. Then you can put a vintage outboard on that boat and have the best of both!

 

[enginerd]

I'm with everyone else and would hate to see this boat heavily modified to put in a jet drive, but that being said it is your boat and you should do with it as you want. I frequent several classic car forums and there's no shortage of disagreements over whether it's best to leave something original, restore it, or heavily modify (hot rod) it. I would say it's what the owner is most going to enjoy and use. I personally like to have a car (or boat) restored to like new. For that reason, I would never purchase a great original condition car, because I wouldn't enjoy it as much as a restored version and feel like I would be destroying something in restoring a nice original car. Just something to consider.

That is one beautiful boat and to me it looks naked without a nice vintage outboard mounted on the transom. I hope you'll reconsider going with a jet drive, but ultimately it's your call.

 

[cosmic12]

OK, guess I have figured out where those thoughts will get me here. I still have not made up my mind on what I will do with this and have put it on the back burner for awhile as I have a couple others I need to get done first. So here is what it looked like with my 50hp Merc on it. I have no problem with the look but it will be to slow. For those afraid I am going Butcher the hull please believe I am not going to do that. I am a pro body/ metal man and painter that has spent the better part of 50 years building and restoring cars /trucks/boats to the highest standards winning many National 1st place awards. I also do Kustoms and street rods and have been chopping tops since I was about 14yrs old so I do know my way around the English wheel and many if not all metal working tools. With that said I have grown very tired of building something that anybody with a thick wallet could have or what was built by a factory for every Tom/Dick/and Harry. What was done has been done and I have been there done that. Creativity is not a bad thing. In the end I would guess I have found the wrong site, thank you for the input I do understand I am just not of the cookie cutter generation. Also just for reference this is my daily driver parts runner. It holds true to its heritage but the mods are countless.
Outa here.
Mark

 

[bobberboy]

Because most here don't agree with you doesn't mean they're not creative, just that they don't agree with you. If you don't want other's opinions you shouldn't ask for them. Having said that, if that isn't the boat you want, maybe you should have found another that fits the bill. Or better yet, if you are the creative metal worker you say you are maybe start from the ground up.

I'm gonna guess that if you joined a site for owners of '58 Corvettes and told them you were going to turn one into a pickup truck, you'd get a similar response. By definition, a classic is perfect as it is. This boat is a classic and nothing you can do to it will make it better. It hasn't anything to do with creativity to recognize a thing is perfect and leaving it alone is a show of respect for the creativity of the person who designed it.

Dissing the people here because they don't agree with you is bad form as is suggesting that because they don't agree with you that they are a bunch or morons. As for the cookie-cutter-fat-wallet-don't-know-my-ass-from-next-week insinuation, if you'd have taken the time to look around the site you'd have seen a great deal of creativity due largely to the fact the people here don't have fat wallets and have to find creative solutions because they can't buy their way to it.

 

[CedarRiverScooter]

Any thoughts or suggestions ???? Ideas on here to find the rigging and values of used jets?

Sorry if we were too negative, you asked for our thoughts.

See PSG1's thread on installing a yamaha jet drive, it is the way to go. You can weld the intake tunnel to the hull. They are not cheap. I looked for a donor yamaha ski but couldn't find one in my region at an affordable price.

You could also see Mean Chicken site, they are hard core jetters

 

[Deezil]

thats the coolest boat Ive ever seen