TOPIC: Johnson DELUXE 17 in PA - Someone better snag it!

$ 400.00 no reserve auction

The looks of the 17 aren't for everyone, but I've always thought they were very cool. The face only a mother could love. The design of these was way ahead of it's time, and they were extremely expensive to build. The rear seats were removable, so they could be used on shore, the tempered glass windshield had motorized power tilt, it had a modified step - hull for efficient operation, the fiberglass is as strong as steel, The dash was set up just like a car, and the hull could support 5 adults when it was completely swamped. The seat cushions were even designed to serve as flotation cushions for emergency use. The hardware and hull fittings were all custom & the boat was designed from the ground - up as a custom unit. The OMC trailers were masterpieces, they used twice the steel necessary to support the boat. In short - this is truely an underdog Glassic. It's still a sleeper. If something of this quality & design were built today - I'd guess it would sell on the $50K range.

Fot those who've never seen one in person - these are a substantial boat. It's larger than it appears to be in the photos. It is sized on a scale similar to today's wakeboard boats - much larger than the traditional glassic.

It's waiting for someone to save it & it looks VERY complete.



cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1963-Johnson-Motorboat-All-Original-NO-RESERVE-/260716223753?pt=Power_Motorboats&hash=item3cb3e5dd09

SHHHHH I am watching it!!!!

www.omcboats.org/page2.html
omcboats.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=340

Very cool old boat. The first time I saw one of those OMC boats, I thought it was UGLY... But the looks have grown on me, and now I think it's one of the more interesting looking designs out there. Plus, they've got a lot of really cool hardware on them, too. I'd love to have one- But, alas, there is no room at the inn...

-Andrew

Peter or anyone else- How does this particular model ride, especially in chop, torn up water, crossing wakes, etc. When I was a kid, a family friend had one of the bullfrog ones with the helm way at the front, and as I recall it pounded horribly! I've always wondered how one of the Deluxe 17s rides.

Bruce Gerard wrote:

Peter or anyone else- How does this particular model ride, especially in chop, torn up water, crossing wakes, etc. When I was a kid, a family friend had one of the bullfrog ones with the helm way at the front, and as I recall it pounded horribly! I've always wondered how one of the Deluxe 17s rides.

Bruce,

I've never ridden in one, that will be Peter's expertise.
As for the "bullfrog" one, I believe you are talking about an Evinrude Explorer or Johnson Frontrunner. I've put a season and 1/2 on mine & I don't really believe it rides that bad. The weight absorbs the pounding. You do however get a bit of a "roller coaster" effect because you have lots of vertical travel when sit that far forward.

I will sell you mine for $2500 and you can see for yourself.

Jim

Ok did anyone here win the boat? To far do drive for that one for me,,,,but I really like it,,,

I got sniped at the end. Have a friend that lives 60mi from there and He could have kept it.

I've yet to take one out - last season I ran a '66 Sportsman cathedral hull...which was itself a hard ride in rough water.
I can say this:
The reason they have the shock absorber seats in the front position was to offset the hard ride. That from Ralph Lambrecht - chief engineer on the project.
They originally had the front sponsons at a more aggressive angle for better performance but Ralph Evinrude thought they caused a rough ride so they changed them - but it didn't change the ride.

There is no better ride than this boat. We ran one at Chalk's in the 60's to deliver folks to the islands when the big boat wasn't needed. It was an amazing boat.

CAPRICE .?? Anyone $500 rough , but just jumped up right in my neighbor hood tonight , ad LINK , Also Johnson , not Chevlolet ! chattanooga.craigslist.org/boa/2167644904.html

I have one, they ride like a battlewagon in anything larger than a 18" chop! good thing they have their looks! very stable if you have a calm lake though.

My parents had a 1969 Explorer with the forward windshield. It could take a beating like a champ. I remember driving it through some 1.5-2 footers on Lake Powell at WOT just skimming over the wavetops. With its 155 hp V-6 we pulled 5 skiers up at once. It was a tank. Dad paid about $5,400 for it new and sold it for $4,500 in 1983. I loved the pushbutton shifting controls.

I owned a Johnson Sportsman 19' for many years. Using it on Lake Washington and Puget Sound in all sorts of weather, I would recommend it - except when going into a 2' chop at full throttle (solo - no weight onboard) for several hours.

I had to do this to make an appointment to scatter my dad's ashes in Hood Canal. After the first 15 minutes, I had to stand up like I did when desert racing my old Ducati 250. With my knees bent, the only permanent damage was an addiction to Preparation "H".

However, the boat stood up perfectly well to the severe punishment. The Chev 140 motor ran like a top, sipping sparingly from the tank.

In honor of that boat, I am now restoring a 16' Evinrude Sport.

From this . . .



To this (I hope) . . .

Is this boat still for sale do you know or os the owner willing to part it out?

The Caprice is the Johnson version of my Evinrude Playmate. Cool boat.