As you might suspect, the one request we most often receive when taking on a new project is to make the boat ‘factory original’. That’s always our goal…to make the boat as visually authentic to the original as possible. That being said, if we actually restored these boats to what they really looked like coming out of the factory their owners would probably ask for a refund and never call us again. Factory original boats, if completely honest, were not all that nice.

I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with Chris Smith, grandson of Chris-Craft founder Christopher Smith, on several occasions about factory finishes and other items. He states boats left the factory with no more than a few coats of varnish. Oh, and sometimes uneven deck seams. What??? Say it ain’t so! Well, it’s apparently true. Talk with anyone who worked in the Century factory during the woody days and they will tell you pretty much the same thing. A few coats of hastily applied varnish then out the door they went. The engines were spray painted with overspray getting on other engine components. No fancy-pretty engine detailing here…just fast production methods. And that’s just what these and other boat manufacturers were doing…mass producing these boats as fast as they could to make a buck and hopefully a profit. A friend and fellow restorer not far from our shop has numerous black and white 8x10 glossy photos from the factory of new Chris-Crafts that clearly show grainy varnish and uneven deck seams on the decks. Who would have guessed?

My point is our standards have gotten much tougher, raising the bar higher and higher as time goes by. No one wants a freshly restored boat with only three or four coats of varnish just to simulate its true original condition. I think the superior finishes today are fine (and important) as long as upholstery, hardware, stain color, power, gauges, and other items match the original article as close as possible. Safety and functionality should always be considered, especially if you’re going to use the boat on a regular basis. We advise owners with 6 volt systems to convert to 12 volt. It’s not truly original, but with the exception of one small wire the engine still appears visually authentic while offering the boat owner better and more reliable engine performance. I also believe properly done WEST or 5200 bottoms are acceptable if they are done in a way that visually matches the original type bottom. Even the ACBS now recognizes this and no longer deducts points for such replacement bottoms. If these ‘enhancements’ do not detract from the visual correctness of the boat, increases safety, functionality, and allows you to enjoy the boat more…then it only makes sense to take advantage of today’s technology.

So, when you ask for a factory original boat…what you really mean is ‘a little better’ than factory original. And that’s just fine with us; we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Happy boating,