TOPIC: 64' Devil Ray, a few questions for the experts.

I am a new member. I have found a 64' CC Devil Ray 19'. The Boat is very original, but rough. All trim and brightwork is there original evinrude 90S (electric shift) Appears to be stuck but looks like low time. The biggest issue is the transom is showing a long crack just above the floor level. How rare is this boat? It has a cool stepped hull and interesting lines. Is it worth the work to redo the transom? (don't know if rot has gotten into stringers) I build street rods and am looking for a change of pace.
Thanks for any insight you folks can give.

pmead,

WELCOME ABOARD. = Devil Rays are NICE boats & NOT common these days.

As to whether it's worth restoring, without an serious survey, that's hard to say. BUT if you LOVE it, restore it.
(I've seen some REALLY rough boats here, over time, become JEWELS with lots of work, dollars & time. = Most ANY boat can be restored with enough effort.)

BEST WISHES, satx

agree..not many out there i had a 62 devilray as a teen. now own a mantaray. cool lookin boats for sure. as far as replacing a transom..beyond my expertise. ron ::

and i'll third what they said...if you like it...restore it....cool boats and they have some following...personally I like bigger fins....as for worth it, just like old cars....fun to drive, great time at a show...but a lot of restorers don't come near getting their money back....the value is in it's use....john

Thanks for the input. I think I already knew what the consensus was going to be. Given the scarceness of the boat, I would not consider it if it was not so complete. The glass windshield is perfect. I will have to see what the bottom line is. Are there any gremlins with the electric shift engine?

Welcome aboard and good boat choice, I love those. As far as the selectric shift as long as the solenoids are good, then you should be fine. Just remember to only put the correct oil in that gear case it's type "C". It does not take the normal stuff you use in other lower units.

Bob

a better pic of my devilray.paid $695 for it in 1969, i think.

pmead,

Fwiw, most of the longtime members here KNOW that I'm a fan of the boats built by "small, regional & independent builders", rather than the BIG companies. = The rarer a boat is the better that I like them.
(FYI, I have a runabout stored in mother's barn that MAY be the ONLY boat ever completed/sold by one small TX builder. = It's a pretty little 14 foot runabout, built by a firm which failed due to the untimely death of the company's owner/designer.)

Each rare boat that we save/restore is another piece of the puzzle that is the convoluted history of the US boating industry. = Therefore, if you like the design, save/restore it.

yours, satx

talk to dave albertson(cc1000)he is a walking encyclopedia of custom crafts,im surprised he has not posted yet

Thanks for the input guys. I can't get the price down below $1000.00, so I am in limbo. With the amount of work involved I will not pay that much. With a wet/split transom I would bet water has wicked its way up the stringers as well. I don't think it worth more than $500.00 with a stuck motor and bad transom.

1k, much too much for a boat in that condition.

I would have to agree...just don't loose the idea....an old fined boat really looks great behind an old ride at a car show....john

Agree, 1k is too much. I would make the seller an offer of what you are comfortable with and let him know that if he can't sell in a timely manner your offer still stands. That puts the ball in his park. As for the electric shift there were two kinds. One was Selectric where two magnetic coils in the lower unit that did the shift duties by pulling/pushing the shift gears. The other was hydro electric where there is a plunger in the lower unit that worked on a magnet to move the shift dog. Both need type "C" lower unit oil that can be bought at most OMC dealers. I've owned several of these units and never had a problem with shifting although I did have to replace some seals but that had nothing to do with the shifter itself.

If the motor is stuck, it's junk. Even if not stuck, the motor has very little value when considering the entire package. The crack along the transom is likely just tabbing between the floor and transom wall. But do yourself a favor and consider all of the wood in the boat to need replacing. Try to look at the boat as a worst case scenario - that way if things turn out better, you won't be disappointed. The Custom Craft boats are very special - they were fairly unique, so they stand out amongst other boats. In the world of vintage boats, rarity doesn't always impact cash value. The factor that drives prices is how badly other people want that particular boat. If you aren't in a hurry, wait it out & see if the owner will drop the price. Chances are, he won't be able to sell it for what he is asking. Make an offer of $500.00 and see what happens - you just might be lucky.