Another Project: 1968 Keaton Utility

[Nor*Cal]

Bought another project:


I bought this boat from the original owner for a song. Factory equipped with a 455 Olds, one of only two boats (although I know there are others out there with the 455 so not sure how accurate that is). The boat was originally blue metal flake.

So the rub... While there is a recently rebuilt engine, it has not been installed or had the belt driven accessories mounted. So that will be my mission in the short term.

Not sure if this boat puts out any wake but that's not really the point. Just a cool boat from a Sacramento manufacturer that has some history.

[ridininmd]

very cool. Is that trim tab set up original?

[jjaszkow]

I like it! Good luck with the project.

[Nor*Cal]

ridininmd, no the owner said it was intended to flatten the wake for barefooting but a dedicated forum has several threads about trim tabs for porpoising at higher speeds. Probably a combination of both as this boat is only 17'3" and has a big block. Guessing this little boat can fly.

These are seemingly the most commonly employed tabs of that era for these boats:


Here's a restored one with a wood deck. Not sure if that's original or not but it looks good and this perspective shows more of the curves that the picture I posted

[FlyZone CR]

Cool project!

[kartman]

that is going to be a great project. cant wait to see all the progress.

[hawkster0001]

looks like a nice project, should fly with that 455

[Commodore]

Man, I'm glad you got this project. If I lived closer I'd be over there all the time helping work on it. What shape are the egines in? Are you going to do any testing to the blocks before you put them in?


I'd ditch the "Ski Antique" graphics as they weren't original.

Some of the sexy girls twins:



An exact twin right here, minus the graphics.

[Commodore]

So much want!!!

[Okie Boarder]

Very cool. Looking forward to seeing how it comes out.

[Nor*Cal]

I'm pretty stoked on this. The rebuilt engine looks to be in great shape, I will compression check it soon. The other engine looks to be a donor but its still mostly complete. Once I'm up and running I might consider completing the second engine or just sell it?

Word is that the wood topped boat pictured below is for sale.

There is a Keaton gathering along the river near where my houseboat is moored so I might go check that out this weekend.

[boardordie]

Cool project!

Don't know if I could get used to the steering wheel on the wrong side of the boat though.

[Nor*Cal]

[Nor*Cal]

OK, as to making some progress haugy I agree with the crap name assessment and that will go this weekend. Rumor is my boat was blue metal flake originally. Not sure I would stick with that but who know. I would like to strip the paint soon but don't want to damage the gelcoat, anyone have experience with good paint strippers that won't harm the gelcoat? The interwebs have a lot of opinions on this subject and I would love some wb.com feedback.

[Commodore]

Is it painted? Or are the graphics painted?

In looking at the pics, I never saw one metal flake looking boat. But I'm wrong alot.

Maybe a small blue accent stripe right below the rubrail? I'm loving the hell out of the all white ones. But with your boat a little accent line might help define it. I see some of the older ones have a wood trim piece at the water line. Maybe a small thin blue line in the same spot. Along the waterline.

Maybe, a very strong maybe this. But with blue you have to pick the right color blue. Maybe a deep Navy with very little dark metal flake. So it would be noticeable, but not redneck fishing boat noticeable.



And that wooden one for sale I bet will easily fetch in the high 20's.

[Nor*Cal]

Supposedly it came from the factory as a blue metal flake. It very definitely has some layers of paint on all surfaces including the current graphics. Ultimately I will go mostly white but I want to start fresh instead of dealing with the existing coating that I don't have history with and may have not been properly applied?

The boat you posted is immaculate and I made contact with the owner to get some more info on his project.

One of the thoughts is something like this boat but white instead of red and the graphics as whatever the original boat color is. Though the boat pictured is a 1982 and a different boat mold, same manufacturer/designer.

[Nor*Cal]

haugy, want to share your driver seat idea with me?

[Commodore]

That would probably look good with the all white and the logo on it.

As for the seat, it's nothing even remotely complex.

Find you a fishing pedestal. Yep, that's it. There's the big idea. They telescope up/down, swivel, and allow the seat to scoot forward and backwards. The mount is the million dollar question. But the good (read $$) pedestals have little lockouts that prevent it from random swiveling, a real pain in the ass. And are all gas hydraulic actuated for the lifting mechanism making it smooth and easy to move the entire seat, up/down, forward/backward, and around. Big secret huh?

I'm going to take my mount and make a frame that bolts to a pedestal of a certain height (everyone's will be different), and then either TIG weld the aluminum to the pedestal and then bolt the current bracket to it. Or bold the frame together and to the pedestal. But my guess is TIG will be needed to make it solid. I could MIG it, but I want it clean and properly done.

The seat will come down to a couple of options depending on the dimensions I end up with. If I have room, I would like to have a seat that can recline back. This will allow me to swivel the seat, and tilt it just enough to be sitting slightly back instead of upright. If you look at the skiboat lines and how they sit, if I just turned the chair around I'd be sitting forward.

If I don't have room for it, it will be a fixed back seat like my old Supra and make it look exactly like factory.

Will it work on yours? That seat isn't designed to swivel is it? I know it would make it a helluva lot easier to get in and out, and also to turn it around and relax while looking back.

[Nor*Cal]

haugy, the upholstery in mine isn't original and could probably be replaced. So I'm brainstorming. Probably do a tournament style set up but having at least a swivel drivers seat would be great and one the moves forward and back even better as I'm taller than the average bear. Other than the driver's seat I will probably keep it simple.

Something like this but not $1600 bucks huh?


Looking at the separate components, making something that will look good might take some work, I'm sure you've got a better idea of how to make this work that I'm not envisioning. Will probably wait for you to attempt this.

[9DROZD]

If its got gel coat under the paint, good luck striping the gel coat. Theres absolutely nothing on the market that will strip gel coat. In other words, youd be fine striping the paint off with paint stripper. Youll have to buff it after your done but thats no biggie. Good luck with your project and looking forward to see it restored.

[Commodore]

Nor*Cal, it really comes down to the mount on the boat. Is it a seat bottom with brackets bolted to it? Or are the brackets molded or part of the seat bottom?

If they are bolted, then it's easy as most of the aftermarket ones just have flat base plates that you bolt the seat to. Voila, easy.

If it's molded then you may have to create a frame that bolts or permantly fixes itself in the slides of the seat. Then make it so it has a bolt pattern to fit the new base.

I'll go take some pics of what I find a BPS.

[Commodore]

[boardordie]

Nor*Cal, haugy, Could you get under the paint in an area with a little sanding...if it's already chipped even better...then go nuts with a heated pressure washer to strip the paint off? I've seen paint fly off of cars, trucks, houses, & barns if the water finds a crack or chip in the paint and the subsurface is smooth. Just a thought... less corrosive and definitely faster than paint thinner!

[Nor*Cal]

So the dash has the metal flake which is rough to the touch. I will try to wet sand it but am thinking I will most likely need to paint the whole thing. That's probably a winter project as the goal is to just get this boat fired right now.

On that front. The boat came with a recently rebuilt and unistalled 455 along with the original 455. So while swapping accessories it became apparent that the rebuilder failed to swap camshafts as the marine camshaft has a fitting that spins the water pump. Any advice on a camshaft swap?

[Commodore]

As in how to do it? Or looking for a replacement cam?

[Nor*Cal]

[Commodore]

Nope. Not to do it right. Remove the water pump, then the timing cover. Now mark your indicator marks in the timing pulley so you can place it all back in the same place.

Take off valve covers, and remove the rockers and pushrods for the rocker arms. This will remove anything that directly contacts the camshaft.

Then you should be able to remove the camshaft from the front of the engine. Make sure you mark it's position so the next one can be installed the same way. Pre-lube EACH lobe individually before reinstalling the new cam.

That's the very fast description of how to do it. Dinner is getting cold. But that's how most engines are. Some may have one or two varying steps. But the ones I've listed are camshafts 101. If I forgot anything, I'll add it shortly after I eat.

[Nor*Cal]

That's my plan haugy but I was hoping you had a shortcut. Guessing that's going to blow a Saturday.

[Nor*Cal]

So I picked up some citristrip from home despot just as I read it wouldn't damage the gelcoat. Here are the results after several applications. Originally silver metal flake, then metallic blue, then primer, white, primer, white, primer, white. I think I want to start with a blank canvas and strip the whole boat.

[Commodore]

Wow, that will take some serious work. I would do the same though, strip it completely, and start fresh. Do you have a color planned out?

How's the motor coming?

[Nor*Cal]

haugy, put the motor on the backburner and finally got the houseboat fully functioning, well mostly... Got the houseboat out of the slip 2 weekends ago, just in time for fall. Runs like a champ and finally shifts into forward, neutral and reverse. But after driving around the delta for a bit, I couldn't get the boat to turn off from the helm.

Decided to make this a winter shop project. Engine is on a stand right now but I started thinking that about aesthetics and that it is easier to lift/flip the boat without the engine and velvet drive in. Plus I've been reading up on the 455 and want to order some parts to deal with the oil circulation issues at high RPM. Not going to be drag racing but I tend to be cautious about exposing myself to failures if there are parts to prevent them.

No decision on color yet, part of me is tossing around the idea of veneering the top deck as I REALLY like that other boat. And a natural wood top would go really well with a black, navy, or dark green hull perhaps? Might play around with photoshop and see what it looks like.

Also want to get the boat off the trailer for some modifications, rewire, and paint.

[Commodore]

Yeah, I love the top deck of that one boat. That is just gorgeous. A black or navy with that look would be awesome. The green does lend towards the classical nautical scheme of dark green and wood.

Tough call on color. Good luck.

More pics, man, more pics.

[Nor*Cal]

I will try to take more pics this weekend.