New old boat

Ive been clammering to build or restore a mohogony boat for a few years now and pulled the trigger on a barn find 1941 Century 16' Utility today w/Graymarine "Fireball" I-6cyl. It would have been a little hotrod in its time, most boats this size had the 4-cyl. I'll have to talk to the experts to find out if its original(very rare), or added/swapped later.

The boat was refurbished in 1996 as shown in one of the photos below. Story from the widow is after being restored her husband only used it a few times for about two seasons and lost interest due to other hobbies and business operation, storing it in their barn covered until now. I guess once I dive in I'll find out if it was parked due to mechanical reasons. I couldn't find any rot or soft spots in the skin or frames, and the motor turns. Ive got a little damage on the bow just behind the cutwater. Plans for me are to delicately ensure/restore mechanical operation, then do a sympathetic restoration to the eras standards.

Project ahead:

Enjoy yourself have a great time.

Very cool project. Always liked the wood boats

Classic.

That oughta keep you busy for a while!

Will be a definite "head turner" when you have it finished and on the water.

Sweet project...

Wow!!! That thing is sweet! Congrats!!

Very nice. From the golden age of pleasure boating.

MMMM motor boatin!

should be a fun project, good luck with it

Not my kind of boat, but I bet it will sure look pretty when done and working on just about anything with a motor can be a fun project.

Man, that's in good shape. I think you'll get off pretty light getting that one back to tip-top shape. Good snag!

Awesome find!

Great looking boat.

That's going to be nice! Take your time and do it right. Not many true wood motor boats left out there.

I always wanted one of those old car/boats. There use to be one here on Lake Ray Hubbard I would see from time to time but haven't seen him in a few years now. It looked like a '57 Chevy car but he could just drive it right off the boat ramp and into the lake then back on to land again. I saw him many times way out in the middle of the lake just motoring around. Don't remember what they were called but they were factory built car/boats and the looks he would get at the boat ramp and on the water were priceless. LOL

Nice, excellent choice for a restoration

Looks like a fun project! Following to see it on the water

I bet in its day that was a very fast boat. What kind of drive does it have. I know nothing about boats other than bass boats. That looks like a fun project.

That's gonna be a lot of fun. Bet it will look beautiful when finished.

Back in the late 50's and early 60's my dad built a wooden boat from plans called a Nimrod or something like that, the power plant was a 4 cylinder Crosley, with the shifter and all that. Restoring that will be fun. Good luck.

Nice, when your done, you can go fishing for Walter

i get it.
watch out for that stump

President LBJ had one of these vehicles at his ranch. He would take visitors for a ride and drive towards the lake screaming about the brakes going out, just to freak out the passengers. Sounds like my kind of guy

They called it an Amphicar if I remember correctly. It had two propellers in back. I saw one on Lake Marble Falls when I was a kid. I don't remember if it's on display at the LBJ Ranch. It's been awhile since I've been on the ranch.