TOPIC: More Tin followed me home again!! With Finns.

If you could find one of them you could copy the mounting system (or transplant it entirely) into your boat. The question is how will your boat sit with 7 or 8 hundred pounds in the back (just a guess) ? Or could you move the engines forward for better balance and handling ? It'd be one heck of a canal hopper and most definitely a one of a kind toy. Makes my head hurt just thinking about it. LOL.

Somehow I can't see them being that heavy but I don't know at this point, just in the thought stage. Need to do some research.

I don't imagine the running gear would be all that heavy either. Plus, the weight would be installed a bit further forward than an outboard, in an area that was intended for a few hundred pounds of passengers. The athwartship hull reinforcing would complicate installing the intake some too, but could be overcome.

I'm not generally a fan of this sort of surgery on a vintage boat as complete as yours but, in the end, you get to choose. If you do decide to go this route though, I'd say go big or go home...



Oh ...and send that nice Merc 500 over here

Well, they are basically SkiDoo engines aren't they ? If you can find out the CC's you can get the weight from that. I haven't got a clue what the drives weigh but those twin Speedsters are fairly heavy for a small boat so I'm guessing some of that weight comes from the drives and their crib. I'd build for heavy and hope for light. Still, while sounding a bit out there it has a lot of pluses. Modern motors and wiring, 4 stroke over two, shallow water capabilities you'll be testing at speed for sure (after you cut holes in the bottom for intakes) Like RickG said, if you're gonna go, go BIG. LOL. Sounds like a great project. And what would you call it ? Hmmmmm.

Rick, I have seen that Feather before and it is impressive but it has a Alfa out drive. I am sorry if I offend anyone not making it a stocker but this is what I do and if I can't make it mine I don't want it. I make a living restoring cars and building them as every other one you might see and I get very bored with that.
Point in case, This is my daily driver and will someday be towing one of my Finn boats on a very low trailer. As you can see it isn't stock but still holds true to what it was. But it is chopped/frenched/lowered(a lot) hand made tail light and a lot of other stuff to long to list on a boating site.

Wow! That looks awesome. Very nice ride.

Yeah... I didn't mean for that to come across as critical. I'm not really a 'purist' that way unless we're talking about a pristine, unmolested 'barn find'. Then I think you're kind of obligated to be a good steward. Otherwise, if you're paying, you should get to decide how to play. What does piss me off though is when some 'Sawzall Savant' decides to cut the decks off of one of these cool old runabouts to turn it into a 'fishing boat'. Particularly when you can buy open aluminum boats, that were designed as fishing boats, on Craigslist all day long for <$400.

I've never been able to find another pic of that Harley powered boat but now that you mention it it does look like an outdrive... that won't do. Always figured it was a jet. Kinda ruined my fantasy

Really cool boat. A friend on another forum did a jet-ski transplant into a generic fiberglass boat last year. The thread about it is pretty long and has good coverage of the project as well as some video of the results.

Here's the link

I'm new to the vintage boat world but I've never seen an aluminum fin boat. If you've got the metal working chops (and the DD car indicates that's probably the case) I say do it anyway, even if it's a comparatively rare boat. After all, even if there are only 100 of those left, there would only be one jet powered one. You're just making it more rare!

Rare is a pretty subjective term ...particularly in Craigslist and eBay ads. Check this one .
While I kinda choked when I read the price, I'd have to agree with his characterization of them as "Hard to find". I think that boats like Cosmic's that have had lots of extra holes added and are missing some difficult or impossible to replace parts are probably fair game for this sort of thing when in the hands of someone with the skills to pull it off. As for the one I linked above, I hope he gets his ask, especially if I ever decide to sell mine.

Here's a link to another aluminum to jet conversion for you to peruse.

I hear you on that Rick. My G-3 is "rare", my Humber is even "rarer", but neither of them have any value just because there's a lack of them. A boat is worth what it's owner believes it's worth. It may only be worth that to him, but that's still what it's worth 100% restorations are great if you have 70% of something to start with. Otherwise you run what you brung. Twin jets in that aluminum hull are going to require flight controls. LOL. I say go for it. Of course, I'm the guy who wanted to put a Hemi in the back seat of his Wife's Sebring convertible. She said no if you can believe it :0

I truly do understand concerns about cutting up and changing things but I am not going to harm the orig look or change anything that couldn't be put back to stock. Yes a hole will be put in the transom and bottom but its just Tin and can be replaced. The mounting system will be a separate cradle attached to the orig, ribs sitting on top of them. There will be a added transom section about 3/4" thick on the inside so you won't be able to see it and can only add to the strength of the hull itself.
Please remember this Hull was going to the scrape yard in a week or so if I hadn't stumbled on it when picking up another boat and looking for a trailer. The guy was cleaning up the property and I saved 3 hulls from destruction. I still feel bad for leaving one there but I can only handle just so much.
Also, remember this isn't going to happen over night and I do change my mind and thinking a lot. Who knows if some one were to show up with a big pile of cash it might go away, I dought it but ya never know. With the BS happening here with the wife I could loose it all anyway.

No worries, really. I didn't mean for this to veer off into a discussion of the ethical treatment of old boats.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what you do with this.

As for your last comment... been there, done that; lost the shirt. (...couple times actually). Hang in there. I hope that works out for you.

NP, Rick. Just making my point. But I guess I should never have said anything on the crestliner page or tin boats. Not going over to well there. LOL oh well time will tell.
Ya, this is # 2 and will be the last. went 24yrs between before and I will be long gone before it happens again.

Just remember these forums are public and she can see you I get that some folks are adamant about restoring things to factory but I've always been a restomod guy with my bikes and cars. I'll mix old with new if it works better for me. It's your boat, have at er !

Well it looks like I have steered up a hornets nest on Tin boats site. asked for some advice on inboard jets and found I am not very well liked for my ideas there. Oh well, I hate to have people madd at me but it is mine and I really am thinking jet.

You can't fault the purists for wanting to preserve every one that's left in as original condition as possible but like you said, it's your boat. I for one can't wait to see how it turns out Now you just need to find a speedster somebody ran into a retaining wall so you can get the back half cheap. I'll keep my eyes open for you around Niagara as you can get there by water and avoid all that border stuff. Not to mention it's 1/3 off the price. lol. P.S. I posted pictures of that pocket cruiser I was talking about in sightings under "need help identifying", have you ever seen that logo ?? I'm stumped at this point.

FWIW, I agree w them, but also agree its yours to redo as you see fit.

Odd though, the Tin Boat site guys really cut and heavily modify plenty of neat old tin boats that could have started off as any old generic semi-V instead. And for that, your plan seems minimally invasive compared to a fishing boat conversion, even w cutting in the intake in the hull bottom. At least it'd still look mostly like a JetStreak.

It is sort of a survivor, IMO, and can only be original once.

Any thoughts on the powerplant/jet yet? Or a preferred size? 650/750?

I follow a Jet conversion of a Feathercraft that had bad stern corrosion and IIRC, had a few inches cut off the back. Otherwise,ike your JetStreak, it was headed for the scrap heap. Its full on custom now, w a strong SteamPunk influence.

Yesterday I was told about a guy that had a 1996 SeaDoo GTi 3 seater that he wanted gone. I went to his house and sure enough laying on the garage floor was a yellow n white Seadoo. I asked what he wanted and if it ran. He said it ran 5 yrs ago when it was last out in the water.
I hooked up a jump pack and it fired right off. We made a deal and what a deal it was so it went home with me all the time thinking WTF am I doing? I hate these things and never thought I would own one.
BUT! is 85hp runs perfect and everything is there for the Jet Streak!
This J-ski hull has to weigh in at 600lbs we had 3 guys and couldn't pick it up, I had to use a come-along to get it in the trailer.
He said it ran about 50mph most of the time, now the Streak is just shy of 200lbs. Think it will work???

Go for it!!! "How hard can it be?" is my motto

So... are you thinking of going the 'cut and graft' route, or are you considering replicating the jet drive underpinnings in metal?

RickG wrote:

So... are you thinking of going the 'cut and graft' route, or are you considering replicating the jet drive underpinnings in metal?[
/quote]

Not real sure yet, but decided going with twins would be a bit much.
Put the GTi in the water last evening to test it and it ran 50ish so with the weight difference the Streak should be quite the handful I am thinking. The thought has crossed my mind about putting the engine forward about where the seats are now and having the seat a bench across where the rear deck ends and put the engine bay doors forward of the dash in the odd Baby Gar style. Either way the single pwr should be plenty.

Well, I have news on the Jet Streak Jet. Its not going to happen. After long hours of thought and listening to you guys and people around home I have decided to keep it semi stock and just hang a outboard on it, but it will be polished and not painted.
Also a factor in it was I kinda had a G-3 fall into my clutch's so it will become the jet project. The hull on it was shot anyway and years ago someone had done a transom fix backwards. Problem is I think the Sae Doo twin will be to small.
Anyway the Streak is safe form being butchered.

I have seen jets put in these old boats but I have never been impressed,but everybodys different,,I like the old VIP out drives they are correct for some of them,,just my thoughts Bill

I have to admit, I like that plan a lot better. The fiberglass to fiberglass graft will probably be a lot simpler too. So, are there any performance/race parts for that SeaDoo motor that'll get the performance where you want it, or do you need a second one?

As for the Streak... let me know if you need tail light lenses or the dash logo decal. I've got some of both made up.

Well, I won't be using the Sea Doo. I have a Yamaha 1200cc triple 120hp that will be in it, I figure the heavier hull will need more power.
Time to start itchng.

Rick I will be needing those parts for the Streak sometime.

Looks like you got visited by the skulking sawzall overnight.

I'd say that should do the job!

Hey Cosmic,
Going back to the 68 holes, how many are left after installing the hardware? If you're not an expert aluminum welder like I'm not, drop me an email and I'll get you some info on a guy that does a great job that's about 15 minutes or so beyond Penn Yan from you. He did a couple feathercrafts for me and did a great job.

Paul wrote:

Hey Cosmic,
Going back to the 68 holes, how many are left after installing the hardware? If you're not an expert aluminum welder like I'm not, drop me an email and I'll get you some info on a guy that does a great job that's about 15 minutes or so beyond Penn Yan from you. He did a couple feathercrafts for me and did a great job.

Thanks Paul, I got it covered. But I will be looking for someone around here to do the 50 Merc for me (rebuild) I am thinking thats what will end up on the Streak.