Happened across a Crapshooter..... Pic heavy

[Aaron Schreiber]

I bought this not knowing anything about RC boats, let alone outrigger racing. It was listed as a Vintage Super 60 Crapshooter. I've been lurking for a couple months on the forums here trying to pick up some knowledge. From what I've learned, I'm more scared than anything to try and run this thing as I don't want to ruin it. I'm not very familiar with gas/nitro either, so this is all new to me.
The boat was purchased here in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan. The seller hasn't ran it since the 80's. It looks to have been cleaned well before storage. It's controls are old Futaba from the era. I haven't tried to power them up. It has an OPS 60 installed and came with a spare OS45 marine engine and some other spare parts. No starter though.
This may be a bigger project than I'm up for time wise. My education is in electronics and I'm decent with mechanical stuff. I think I'm capable but time is always an issue.
Anyway, this is a pretty neat outrigger and I'll be looking forward to your commments.

 

[Richard Hartley]

They were excellent running boats. Had a 45 of that vintage. Put a modern turn fin on it and a current radio system and pretty much go play.
With the solid shaft you have to be sure to grease the shaft as there are probably needle bearings in the shaft log.
If were mine I would mount it on the mantle and just look at it. It looks to be 100% original.

 

[Samuel Hagan JR]

That thing is super clean.

 

[Terry Keeley]

I too had one of those in the 80's plus a 40, Greg Hughey built boats with OPS's.

Get new batteries for the radio and do a range check with the antenna down, you should get 20 paces or more. Tear the motor down and flus out all the dried up oil with mineral spirits, a new set of bearings is cheap and probably a good idea.

Have fun!

ps: do you have any R/C experience at all?

 

[Aaron Schreiber]

I've got limited RC experience. That's why this thing scares me. However it looks like a lot of fun.
A couple questions I have... The turn fin on the right sponson(?)... are these only for right turns? I assume it can turn left at lower speeds but not fast?
I didn't take a photo of the servos. There's two mechanically coupled together for the rudder. Is this common? Also, the cable for the throttle may be siezed up in the plastic tube. I haven't tried removing that our anything else yet.
Also, after starting the engine, where does the starting belt sit... just anywhere it's not going to touch the drive shaft or engine? I'm just surprised that there's no obvious place for it to store when running.

 

[Richard Hartley]

If it is the original turn fin it will turn left somewhat but was designed to turn right. The original fin was straight with no curvature at the bottom and the boat would slide around the corners.The mechanically coupled servos were common back then but todays servos are strong enough that they can handle the load provided you get the appropriate output servos. The starting belt goes exactly as you describe, keep it off the pipe and away from the shaft. As Samuel said that thing is Super clean.

 

[Ron Olson]

There aren't too many boaters left in the GR area that I know of. Walt Radzinski, WaltR in here lives over by the big lake in Fennville. We used to run at Sanford Lake off 28th Street just past the Chicago Drive overpass.
The boat dates itself by the running hardware, the straight shaft drive instead of a flex cable and the rudder.
We haven't used that pond in years but I spend a lot of time now at a campground west of Martin Dragway.

 

[Jeff Lutz]

I bought this not knowing anything about RC boats, let alone outrigger racing. It was listed as a Vintage Super 60 Crapshooter. I've been lurking for a couple months on the forums here trying to pick up some knowledge. From what I've learned, I'm more scared than anything to try and run this thing as I don't want to ruin it. I'm not very familiar with gas/nitro either, so this is all new to me.
The boat was purchased here in the Grand Rapids area of Michigan. The seller hasn't ran it since the 80's. It looks to have been cleaned well before storage. It's controls are old Futaba from the era. I haven't tried to power them up. It has an OPS 60 installed and came with a spare OS45 marine engine and some other spare parts. No starter though.
This may be a bigger project than I'm up for time wise. My education is in electronics and I'm decent with mechanical stuff. I think I'm capable but time is always an issue.
Anyway, this is a pretty neat outrigger and I'll be looking forward to your commments.
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The radio is probably 72 MHz and is illegal to use now for surface . Just get a new radio all together and new servos. The servos are double ganged on the rudder because they have cheap plastic gears that will strip out. Especially if they are Kraft . Growing up in this hobby I saw many days get ruined at the pond because of poor radios and servos. Jeff Lutz

 

[John Beardslee]

The radio is probably 72 MHz and is illegal to use now for surface . Just get a new radio all together and new servos. The servos are double ganged on the rudder because they have cheap plastic gears that will strip out. Especially if they are Kraft . Growing up in this hobby I saw many days get ruined at the pond because of poor radios and servos. Jeff Lutz

Jeff, 72 MHz was never legal for surface use. I’m more inclined to think it’s a 27 MHz radio, many of us used them back in the day. I’ve see people add a strut to the transom and adapt a flex cable but that requires a whole new drive line. Money and time would be better spent on changing out the radio system. JM2C
Thanks John

 

[Jeff Lutz]

John, Yea, I had ‘now ‘ in my sentence. Sorry. It’s something to check though, I saw people as a kid that showed up to the lake with 72 and found out. I suspect some people bought 72 and flew or not, and still put them in some boats not knowing. Back then ( around here anyway ) most people only owned one radio. I’ve heard 27 use to get interference from CB radios in the late 60’s and 70’s , but I don’t know this for fact. Did that ever happen to you back then John ? Jeff

 

[brad nichols]

If you are going to run it as well as checking every thing else change all the fuel and waterlines cracks from age will drive you up the wall.
Nice Boat

Brad

 

[Aaron Schreiber]

If you are going to run it as well as checking every thing else change all the fuel and waterlines cracks from age will drive you up the wall.
Nice Boat

Brad

Yes, that would be the plan and that's cheap insurance. I had to laugh though, in all the extra there were some old rubber bands. They must be real / natural rubber because they are still good! The rubber bands at work go bad fast. Anyway, I think those bands were used to hold the fuel tank in place.