TOPIC: 1955 Shepherd

Here's a little cutie I picked-up on Saturday at the Hartwell, GA ACBS show. She a 1955 Shepherd 18' utility, new 5200 bottom, rock solid, 95%complete, dual axle trailer, original Chrysler M47 flathead engine and trans, upholstery re-done, etc., etc. All she really needs is a refinish job and the fittings re-mounted. This one is a keeper...for ME!

WOW !
I've always liked to look of the Shepherds...
I even have a little one. But Jan you'd have to wear a garlic necklace and carry a cross. I have the outboard version Shepherd
A 1957 15-1/2 foot. It's a real wreck too.

Nice find, why can't I find deals like that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob

het jan, are you going to power it with an outboard? lol. nice looking rig, and when your done it will be a winner for sure. frog

I like the way Shepherds ride.

Well...this plan ought to drive the purists nuts! I've been looking for a good boat, reasonably priced, that I can play with. The Shepherd is that boat. (I bought the Shepherd for $1,500 cash!) I'm going to reconfigure it to a rear-piloted racer and power it with a 1948 American-LaFrance V12, 527 CID, 215 HP, 24 spark plugs, four points, four coils, etc., etc. Of course, by the time I'm done tinkering with it, the HP should be considerably higher. I'm going to dump all the original intake/exhaust hardware, the bellhousing and a lot of other crapola that I won't need and that should reduce the weight considerably. The resulting engine shouldn't weigh much more than a Chris Craft MCL. She's going to have 12 exhaust pipes pointing skyward and six side draft YH carbs which will be force-fed by a vintage McCulloch supercharger.

I built one of these engines in 1990 and stuffed it into a 1923 American-LaFrance speedster that I designed/built from a pumper. (Photos) The Shepherd should be an interesting project...if I ever get the time to work on it.

I know what you're thinking but I can assure you, I'm not crazy. I like to think of myself as colorful, possibly a little eccentric, seldom boring.

Nautilus,

I really LIKE your speedster!!!!

Fyi, my Uncle Ollie (in the late 1920s) built a similar speedster (with dual chain-drive!) out of a fire engine.
and
About 1905 built Oklahoma Territory's FIRST motorboat, using the engine/transmission out of a wrecked 1903 Oldsmobile.
(While they are period photos of both vehicles in the collections of the NEOSU library, the fate of the car/boat is unknown.)

My uncle was a blacksmith, gunsmith, machinist and "tinkerer". = In 2007 at the Oklahoma State Centennial Exposition, two of his muzzleloading rifles were displayed with a placard that said, "These two rifles are typical of the best custom work of Oliver Leon Parker, 1874-1961, one of Oklahoma's best Native American artisans. He was born, raised in and spent his life in Delaware County, IT/OK."

yours, satx

Very cool Jan and SATX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob

Nice find! Boy, I would hate to get a project to that point (almost done) and then have to bail on it...
Larry

Well, my American-LaFrance V12 J engine has finally arrived. She's an original 17,000 mile engine and clean as a whistle inside. I have her halfway torn down in order to wire-wheel the crapola off the valves and remove miscellaneous crud here and there. (She;s been running rich.) A gasket set is going to cost me $648 but there's not much I can do about it. I'm just glad they're still available. The engine has two main heads and six secondary heads and I sure can't make my own head gaskets!

I'm getting rid of all the heavy iron intake/exhaust manifolds as well as the original flywheel and bell housing...that's about a 200+ lb weight loss. I plan to run 12 exhaust pipes skyward and feed her with six Carter YH sidedrafts, force-fed air with a vintage McCulloch supercharger. I'll also add a raw water pump and charge the batteries with a GM marine 1-wire alternator.

The trick part will be fabricating an adapter for the crankshaft to mount a GM flywheel, the LaFrance to BBC marine bell housing and the flywheel itself...all do-able but very time-consuming. I'll be using a PCM angled marine transmission which will mate to the prop shaft with a 6" double universal joint.

To me, there's nothing more enjoyable than adapting an unusual vintage engine that I can adapt for marine use. It's a challenge and a hell of a lot of fun and pride of accomplishment. Anybody got an old Liberty engine sitting around they want to get rid of...cheap?

Jan, that's going to be one hell of a setup!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to see it.

Bob

Finally got my custom intake/exhaust manifolds made for the V12. The exhaust pipes are 1/4" thick aluminum. Maybe that will work...maybe not. If not, I'll make another set out of stainless but the thought of boring 31 holes in each of two 1/4" stainless plates is enough to make me have an old folks "spell."

Well anyway, here is the trial fit with the Carter YH side draft carbs in place:





Stay tuned to see how/if I manage to force-feed all 6 carbs with my vintage McCulloch supercharger. It promises to be a plumbing nightmare.

Just wondering...Is the Hokey Pokey really what it's all about?

Wow...
That is going to look real goooooood !!!!!

Here's the V12 with a fresh coat of 1956 Chevy Tropical Turquoise. Right now, I'm trying to save enough money to buy a conversion kit to adapt the engine to accept a big block Chevy marine bellhousing...not cheap! Once I get that, I'll go back to work on it. Haven't touched the boat yet...been away on vacation for three weeks and then sick for two more. Lots of catching-up to do with the business and no time for my G-jobs.

Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!! Glad you're feeling better. Now get back to work! LOl

Bob