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1964 Chris Craft Challenger - Repair advice

If it doesn't pertain to metal, wood, wire or fabric—but it is about vintage Chris-Crafts, ask your question or give your advice here.

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mfjames737
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1964 Chris Craft Challenger - Repair advice

Post by mfjames737 » Mon Sep 05, 2016 4:23 am

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I recently purchased a 64 CC Challenger via lien/auction and am looking for some guidance on a few repair sections that I need to address quickly.

Any advice/ guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Please see attached pic's
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joanroy
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Re: 1964 Chris Craft Challenger - Repair advice

Post by joanroy » Mon Sep 05, 2016 5:57 am

Need more info. When you say repair, do you mean temporary fix?, restoration quality? What's your ultimate goal as far as how you plan to own and use your new old boat?

mfjames737
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Re: 1964 Chris Craft Challenger - Repair advice

Post by mfjames737 » Tue Sep 06, 2016 1:22 am

I m looking to perform all repairs to restoration quality

Peter M Jardine
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Re: 1964 Chris Craft Challenger - Repair advice

Post by Peter M Jardine » Wed Sep 14, 2016 4:38 pm

The roof of a vinyl covered Challenger is contructed out of 3/4 plywood and solid mahogany edge profiles. The mahogany is rabbeted to accept the thickness of the plywood. The vinyl cabin topping is put on before the windshield assembly and express roof is attached, so it is one piece on the top of the cabin inside the windshield area. Most of the repairs go as follows..... remove all the vinyl from on the outside cabin top. Inspect all the plywood and mahogany portions, and make sure they are dry, and free of rot and delamination. Replace as needed. Unless you want to pull all the screws holding the windshield frames down and put vinyl back underneath, you will need to use quarter round around the windshield frames when putting the new vinyl down, or you can carefully caulk the seam. A previous replacement on my Challenger used custom crafted teak trim as the transition between the vinyl and the windshield frame. Watch particularly for delamination of the plywood in the leading edge of the cabin top near the bow. I would recommend you use a clear penetrating epoxy before you new vinyl down, and even a couple of coats of epoxy primer on the wooden substrate. Some restorers would fibreglass the cabin top, and that is an acceptable alternative. I like the vinyl, but the fibreglass has some advantages too. You need to be particularly careful that the substrate is nice and dry before you apply either fix. Don't try to patch this repair, it isn't worth it.

jfrprops
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Re: 1964 Chris Craft Challenger - Repair advice

Post by jfrprops » Thu Sep 15, 2016 10:49 am

Peter is right on all counts mentioned above. I would only add that using the original, which I guess was Nautalex Cabin Top Material, is a no go these days.....that good stuff is out of production and NOS is hard to find. Some tonneau cover material like to cover pickup beds is close in appearance and durability....I think there are post on here about all of that.

You have to make sure to get the material WIDE ENOUGH.....usually the factory stuff was wider than what was available in late aftermarket stuff....that is a big problem is you can't cover the whole cabin top with having only one joint under some trim down the centerline.....if you have the type where there are two trim pieces .. width is not critical.

If you use the quarter round in front of the windows like Peter suggest and I second.....you might want to go with PVC ....?? It will take some "sculping" to get the angles right and the PVC is great to work with in that regard and of course won't rot out.

DO put on cpes.....and always sand to as close to soft as a baby's ass as you can get the surface if you cover with Vinyl or canvas as EVERY slight bump or imperfection will be magnified in the finished surface. That is because the glue/good used to hold the material down with suck it down so tightly that all bumps will print through.

This job is one of the rare ones I would vote you do with fiberglass....absolutely.

John in Va.
1980 Fairchild Scout 30
19?? custom Argentine Runabout 16'
1954 Whirlwind deluxe dual ckpt 16'
1921 Old Town Charles River 17' (founding Captain, James River Batteau Festival)

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