1957 17' Chris-Craft Sportsman

1957 17' Chris-Craft Sportsman

We’ve done several of these very popular Chris-Crafts, and we never get tired of doing them. Although they are not as roomy as some of the larger CCs, they are still fun to operate and offer ease of storage, towing, modest acquisition price, and overall handling…hence their popularity. This particular boat comes from Houston, TX and pretty much needs everything. New bottom, refinish, flooring, upholstery, engine work, re-wiring, chrome, windshield, etc, etc. In other words, the complete makeover. She comes with the powerful KFL which has the two updraft carbs, providing ample power for this smaller model.



After logging in the many different pieces and parts where do we start? You got it, the bottom. A few surprises, but nothing we’ve not seen before and the new 5200 bottom went on without a hitch.











Once rolled over we moved on to the hullsides and decks. This to me is one of the most fun parts of the restoration process. As you can see the decks were pretty tired and just needed replaced. The owner did not want any plank movement whatsoever…and thus the small hairline cracks that develop in the seams over time, so we pulled everything off and glued as well as screwed everything back together. Remember, when doing this it’s extremely important to make sure all the battens are in good shape. If not, replace them.














I hope you’ll agree that she turned out quite nice. We added a Bimini top to provide some protection from the hot Texas sun and a full waterline cover. There were some other very minor cosmetic changes to meet the client’s specific tastes, but other than that she’s pretty original in her appearance. Now, where is the closest lake???
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