Restoration Of A Barn Find

Chris Craft Cavalier - Hull number V15-2667

What to expect in restoring a barn find -

Their is no real business case for restoring wooden boat. When it's fully restored, structurally, mechanically and cosmetically, it may bring $8,000. If you do most of the work yourself, you may get your out-of-pocket back, but not much more. If you have the time and the skills, here's how I recommend moving forward. There are two big things to check first: A. Is the engine seized? and B. Is there rot in the frame or hull? The outdoor setting of the photos has me scared about both these things. Before trying to turn the flywheel, pull the plugs and put a tablespoon or so of Miracle Mystery Oil down the plug holes and let it sit for a couple days. Then, with the plugs still out, try to rotate the flywheel clockwise using a hand crank or socket wrench. You may even be able to rotate the flywheel by hand. If it's seized, you'll need to pull the engine and dismantle it to get the cylinders freed up. (Machine shop can do it, but get an estimate, because you could quickly lose money.) Restored mechanically and cosmetically, the engine could bring between $2000 and $2500, in my opinion.

Check the hull and frames for rot, get yourself an awl or icepick, or a very pointy, thin-bladed knife and poke around the inside of the transom near the bottom, up front along the keel inside, and various places wherever water may have gathered. Check the bottom in various places, too. If the wood is soft, it is rotted and will require replacement. If the frames are rotted, you'll need to remove plywood first, then replace the rotted section of frame. Plywood-on-frame boats were built for the budget conscious, and are less desirable today to collectors than solid mahogany-planked boats, so unless you love woodworking, I would pass on this boat if there's rot, especially frame rot.

Finally, if you decide that the engine is OK and the boat has no rot, you'll need to consider how suitable the plywood is for finishing. It appears that the deck in particular has a very checked surface, which would need to be replaced unless you decide to fill the cracks and paint the boat. The original paint scheme has painted gunwales, with a paint stripe along the top of the freeboard, but the rest is varnished. Varnish highlights wood flaws, while paint covers them up.