TOPIC: 1967 Arena Craft Bonito

Hello everyone!

I'm Dan. Not a stranger to boating (though not a professional either).

I recently acquired a boat from good friends of mine, a 1967 Arena Craft Bonito with a 352 c.i. Eaton (Ford) motor and, from what I've been told, a "velvet drive" transmission. I'm really excited to learn as much as I can about this boat. Previously, I had owned what you might call a "bucket with an engine" and it's main purpose was, essentially, a floating party barge. This Arena Craft, however, meshes well with my intrigue for classic cars (well, vessels in this case) and I take great pride in something as nice as this.
Eventually I would like to become involved in boat shows as classic fiberglass continues to grow more popular.

As I have found out, these old boats aren't well covered on the internet... especially the mid-late 1960s models. I hope to find some folks that might be able to help me along the way as questions arise... I really would like to build a network with fellow AC owners. The boat itself is in great shape for it's age and is approximately 90% original, with exception to the starboard side glass (now plexi), portions of the front bench upholstery, and (I think) the steering wheel. I've engaged Dan Arena and look forward to picking his brain as well

Likewise, I intend to photo-document my projects (and hopefully some lake fun) involving the boat. If any fellow Arena Craft owners need a picture of something for reference, I'm at your disposal. Speaking of which, here are a few pictures:

That is a really nice inboard! Great find. Love the sound of inboards...especially when I get to ski behind and listen to that great exhaust sound. There is also a forum dedicated to inboards that is also a good place for specific technical questions. That boat would be a great addition to any glassic show. Good luck in your information pursuit!

Sweet lookin' little boat!! Count me as another that loves the old inboards, I think of them as "muscle boats" because most were a small lightweight boat with a huge honkin' V-8 for power..

I've been slowly freshening up a 1973 Century Resorter 16 and there's a ton of pics in my build thread of installing a seal kit in it's Velvet Drive transmission.. The Velvet Drives are a real simple transmission to work on and are still in production so repair parts are plentiful and somewhat inexpensive..

1973 Century Resorter 16 Restore

welcome aboard. Sweet boat! Love the old sparkle finishes.

Thanks CC-John! I read your build thread at work a few days ago and, I must say, you do great work! And I feel better knowing I have experienced help for when the time comes to work on it! I think I stopped somewhere around you buffing out the transom. My Arena Craft will need a little TLC in that department. One could learn a lot from your thread!

CC-John wrote: Sweet lookin' little boat!! Count me as another that loves the old inboards, I think of them as "muscle boats" because most were a small lightweight boat with a huge honkin' V-8 for power..

I've been slowly freshening up a 1973 Century Resorter 16 and there's a ton of pics in my build thread of installing a seal kit in it's Velvet Drive transmission.. The Velvet Drives are a real simple transmission to work on and are still in production so repair parts are plentiful and somewhat inexpensive..

1973 Century Resorter 16 Restore

I hope I can cross reference and share some fun stories with you soon! I have a 1966 Arena Craft Bonito that looks very similar to yours. I have a few more kinks to work out wth hydraulic hoses line that are leaking, but should be on the water this Spring 2022 and have some pictures for you to compare. The windshield has completely shattered and I am looking to replace it with some plexiglass. I have all of the frame parts. Does anyone here know how I can have that restored and replaced?
+ Tony R. in Bakersfield