My dad pulled this think out of an neighbor's barn, he had a 60 dodge truck painted the same red and white. The Tadpole! This is what I know... Its all aluminum, with float (air) tanks in the back and middle. Direct-Drive with a Willy's flat head 4 & dual carbs. Home Made trailer, has stickers from 65, 66, 67 Really cool boat, and it's set up for skiing! Anybody know about these old things?
Looks like an old crackerbox, but someone moved the controls forward. I have seen crackerboxes with flat head V8's, but I don't recall one with a 4 banger like that. You can still buy vintage plans, perhaps the aft pilot position scared the builder? Seems like the hole is still there for the cockpit. Not really a Vee drive, but a direct drive from the crankshaft to the propeller with a long shaft. Some more info: http://vintage-crackerbox-boat.blogspot.com/ B.
Thanks B - Yes, look similar, yet I'm not convinced. I'll have to look it over closer to see if it was changed or built this way. And yes you would be correct, direct drive.
being it's all aluminum I'm not so sure it's a cracker box they are built from wood only aren't they ? I have seen boats with forward cock pit mid engine and rear passenger cockpit like this but those were also wood!I've seen a number of boats built like this with mid engines and most were straight 6s with direct drive and just a forward/neutral/reverse lever just 1 speed both ways.Does it have a car steering column/box with a rod that runs back under the flooring to the rudder ? that,s how the boats I saw out here were built same for the pilot being on the front left side.
You really should restore that thing, it is beautiful. You would be the envy of every other boater on the water, it is just plain cool. Restored boats have a huge following and some guys tow them to shows behind their hot rods. Don
I've not seen one,but it looks pre-war. Most builders put the hull# on an engine stringer, start there. Are you sure it's Willys engine? Hercules or Continental were the most widely used. You've already been told it.s not a V drive, so I'll leave that alone, but if it has a transmission,probably a Paragon, it's not direct drive. . I have Bob Speltz's "The Real Runabouts" books, when we get home I'll do a little searching and try to help you ID this beauty. Brian
FYI.....There's no apostrophe ( ') in Willys.....An apostrophe denotes possession...i.e....Bill's car, Joe's face.
Crackerboxes were generally hand built by individuals, as little hot rods. Some were under 15 feet with V8 power. The plan sets have been around a long time, and the design would lend itself to an individual doing a version in aluminum rather than wood. The shape is established with a series of frames, then skinned with thin flexible wood... or aluminum sheet in this case. The trailer looks like the rig was built by a skilled fabricator. I would expect similar construction under the skin on the hull. Great attention to detail at the intake. Clearly some work was done to keep both carbs level while the engine has the classic aft tilt. The choice of a flathead 4 banger is unusual, but perhaps it is all the builder had on hand. Please post some more detailed pictures of the inside. I would like to see how the bulkhead frames look & how the aft opening is finished. What do the stringers look like? Nice find. B.
Probably not a crackerbox. The keel at the bow on yours is way too deep. Most vintage crackerboxes had an almost flat bottom up in front. The rear and the transom look more like an early cracker though. The pics are from a 1948 vintage boat.
Since the steering is on the left, I was going to say Anglia (whole driving on the wrong side thing). But, the intake is on the wrong side as well.
the boats like this I remember here used American car units it just depends on how the tube link to the rudder connects depending on which side the connection is made at the rudder it would push or pull differently Grey Marine had a flat head 4 but I'n not sure what side the intake was on.
Very cool. I have a vintage Johnson outboard here that will either find a boat or get sold in the classifieds.
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