lenmann
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After a solid couple of years searching, finding a few, missing deals on a couple, I finally acquired a Schiada River Cruiser. As noted in a thread sparked by a CL ad earlier this summer the boat is a little rough and hasn?t had a lot of love for some time.
http://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/showthread.php?136989-Criagslist-Find
As 2FF will testify, for sale ad claims stating ?clean, hardly used, great shape, and fast? are broad assertions subject to the interpretation of those making and hearing them. Regardless, due in part to a long standing desire to own one, a bit of patience, and a Castaic test drive, the Boss is mine.
My plan is to get the boat to a safe and reasonably reliable state of tune in time for the summer to see if I even like driving it. As part of hanging around RDP (really lurking) I am well aware of the Schiada project slippery slope so I am approaching this effort with the expectation that there will be much work to be done. The challenge will be trying to figure out what is good enough for now, what needs to be fixed and how nice do I want it to be when.
A little about me: Born and raised in SoCal, have been around boats my whole life growing up boating/camping at Havasu, partying as a teen at Crazy Horse and later as a young adult at Parker (I remember at least three versions of Sundance). I had a CP BBC jet in the early 80?s, my only real performance boat experience. All of my boats since having kids in the mid 80?s have been focused on pulling tubes, water skis, and most recently wake boards. That means a bunch of direct drive ski boats and v-drive roll bar boats (always operated responsibly and courteously, I think?) So, the kids are all grown and its time to go a little quicker and have a little different kind of fun now. I live in the Bay Area these days and we spend almost all of our boat time on lake Shasta.
History I have on ?The Boss?: Per the seller, he was the second owner having had the boat for 20+ years. Details of the acquisition were a little fuzzy as were details about the engine, trans, v-drive, hull, etc. etc. etc. He did recall that he bought the boat from the first registered owner, a who was active in the Needles Water Ski Club. (the trailer has a Needles Park Marina sticker on it) Purportedly the boat was one of two boats ordered and built by Schiada in late 1979 for a Canadian ski racer who backed out and the first owner then bought it. When I spoke to Lee at Schiada he remembered the boat, confirmed that it was based in Needles and thought he recalled it was owned by a Bob Hans (sp?). Remarkably, Lee remembers working on the boat in the early 80?s and that it was originally configured with a Rajay twin turbo BBC.
Current state: Original gel coat, original interior save for the back seat, hatch, and some carpet that was replaced when some floor rot was addressed.
Per the seller it?s powered by a 500 c.i. twin turbo BBC (exact bore/stroke combo unknown) that was rebuilt by Rick Snavely either 5, 7 or 9 years ago and barely used since. During the rebuild it was updated with Garrett turbos, Race Aero exhaust manifolds, RA intercooler, waste gates, Brodix heads, CP pistons, Carrillo rods, and a hydraulic roller cam. Unknown compression ratio, although the waste gates were set at 9 lbs. and it runs on pump gas ?if the air temp is cool?. It ran pretty good and clean on the test drive. No funny noises, vibrations, smoke and for the most part it all seemed to work as I expected it should.
The trans was refreshed when the motor was rebuilt. The v-drive appears to be untouched with the center plate indicating a 1.12 gear set. During the test drive it took on water like a sum-bitch. When I asked about it the owner explained that all v-drives leak. The bilge pump ran continuously with a stream strong like I wish I still had. I crawled around a little bit and saw the rudder stuffing box was leaking a ton. I figured it probably needed a little adjustment of the packing.
The boat sits on the competitive trailer it was originally sold with complete with fiberglass fenders, a bent up prop guard, newer tires, and in serviceable condition.
Here are some pics taken right after I brought her home in November.
Next installment: rigging measurements and a more detailed look in and around her. This will be my first build thread of any sort so bear with me and thanks in advance for answers to what I am certain will be a bunch of questions.
Len
http://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/showthread.php?136989-Criagslist-Find
As 2FF will testify, for sale ad claims stating ?clean, hardly used, great shape, and fast? are broad assertions subject to the interpretation of those making and hearing them. Regardless, due in part to a long standing desire to own one, a bit of patience, and a Castaic test drive, the Boss is mine.
My plan is to get the boat to a safe and reasonably reliable state of tune in time for the summer to see if I even like driving it. As part of hanging around RDP (really lurking) I am well aware of the Schiada project slippery slope so I am approaching this effort with the expectation that there will be much work to be done. The challenge will be trying to figure out what is good enough for now, what needs to be fixed and how nice do I want it to be when.
A little about me: Born and raised in SoCal, have been around boats my whole life growing up boating/camping at Havasu, partying as a teen at Crazy Horse and later as a young adult at Parker (I remember at least three versions of Sundance). I had a CP BBC jet in the early 80?s, my only real performance boat experience. All of my boats since having kids in the mid 80?s have been focused on pulling tubes, water skis, and most recently wake boards. That means a bunch of direct drive ski boats and v-drive roll bar boats (always operated responsibly and courteously, I think?) So, the kids are all grown and its time to go a little quicker and have a little different kind of fun now. I live in the Bay Area these days and we spend almost all of our boat time on lake Shasta.
History I have on ?The Boss?: Per the seller, he was the second owner having had the boat for 20+ years. Details of the acquisition were a little fuzzy as were details about the engine, trans, v-drive, hull, etc. etc. etc. He did recall that he bought the boat from the first registered owner, a who was active in the Needles Water Ski Club. (the trailer has a Needles Park Marina sticker on it) Purportedly the boat was one of two boats ordered and built by Schiada in late 1979 for a Canadian ski racer who backed out and the first owner then bought it. When I spoke to Lee at Schiada he remembered the boat, confirmed that it was based in Needles and thought he recalled it was owned by a Bob Hans (sp?). Remarkably, Lee remembers working on the boat in the early 80?s and that it was originally configured with a Rajay twin turbo BBC.
Current state: Original gel coat, original interior save for the back seat, hatch, and some carpet that was replaced when some floor rot was addressed.
Per the seller it?s powered by a 500 c.i. twin turbo BBC (exact bore/stroke combo unknown) that was rebuilt by Rick Snavely either 5, 7 or 9 years ago and barely used since. During the rebuild it was updated with Garrett turbos, Race Aero exhaust manifolds, RA intercooler, waste gates, Brodix heads, CP pistons, Carrillo rods, and a hydraulic roller cam. Unknown compression ratio, although the waste gates were set at 9 lbs. and it runs on pump gas ?if the air temp is cool?. It ran pretty good and clean on the test drive. No funny noises, vibrations, smoke and for the most part it all seemed to work as I expected it should.
The trans was refreshed when the motor was rebuilt. The v-drive appears to be untouched with the center plate indicating a 1.12 gear set. During the test drive it took on water like a sum-bitch. When I asked about it the owner explained that all v-drives leak. The bilge pump ran continuously with a stream strong like I wish I still had. I crawled around a little bit and saw the rudder stuffing box was leaking a ton. I figured it probably needed a little adjustment of the packing.
The boat sits on the competitive trailer it was originally sold with complete with fiberglass fenders, a bent up prop guard, newer tires, and in serviceable condition.
Here are some pics taken right after I brought her home in November.
Next installment: rigging measurements and a more detailed look in and around her. This will be my first build thread of any sort so bear with me and thanks in advance for answers to what I am certain will be a bunch of questions.
Len
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