Cool Deal From The Late 70’s. Kinda? To Soon?
It has 320 original hrs. 305 V8 ( Marine Power )225 HP
OK, we are pushing the envelope here in coolness, or lack there of. This 1978 Chris Craft Super Sport on ebay today is right on the edge of the dark ages of Chris Craft coolness. BUT, it only has 320 original hours on it. That’s in its favor big time. Its a time capsule meets end of an era thing. And yes, 1978 was the end of many great things. Kojak was pulled off the air! Who loves ya baby? No one in 1979 that’s for sure.
Who loves you baby?
Anyway I digress… For the right price this could be a cool user boat that over time, like a week, when you decide is the coolest boat you own. Stuff like that happens. Ya aint gonna get any thumbs up out there, and you can go 30 in no wake zones, cause you will disappear into the mass of white plastic out there. Worth the price alone! Anyway, think of all the buffing you could do this winter to bring her back to her un glory of the day.The burning question is, when is to late model for a boat to be considered a classic? Would these be welcome at a show?
That’s real vinyl! take that Ricardo Montalbán. By the way thats 1988
Well I guess you could take it to a show with the intention of towing all the broken down and sinking woodies back to the dock. It would be necessary to paint TowBoat on the side so you don’t get stoned when you 1st arrive (maybe they’ll think you’re already stoned).
I possed the question of “Classic Glass” once and was told 35 years is the magic number.
We also had a good discussion about style not just age making it classic.
http://www.chris-craft.org/discussion/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8161
This boat is exactly like the photo of Kojak above – there is just something that just ain’t right, ya know it but ya just can’t put your finger on it.
Matt – you said it – 1978 was the end of many things… and for a darn good reason. Folks were putting down the bong and were coming back to their senses.
I love how they tried to jazz up the thing by putting white wall tires on the trailer.
whoooooo………
Wait! We were supposed to put down our bongs?
Consider an automotive example…
A 1964 Chev Impala is certainly welcome at any show. A 1978 Chev Impala…. probably not ever, anywhere. It’s more than age it’s more than style. The vehicle has to be taken in context.
Having said that, my latest project is a 1969 Donzi Ski sporter 16. Made between 1966 and 1980. Very similar to the “Sweet 16” made 1990 to 1995…. all plastic and all Classic in my book
Sean, I disagree with you re whether a ’78 Impala will ever be a classic. It already is. My similar vintage ’77 Buick Wagon, the epitome of boring to many in its day, is one such classic. People love to see it: a sure sign. In fact, just last week, the local Episcopal minister in our town flagged me down to tell me he shouldn’t, but he kinda covets it.
P.S. Here’s a photo of a ’78 Impala in “The Fall Guy.” Just look at how beautifully it scoops up the guy’s body in the chase scene!
But seriously, here’s a ’78 Impala coupe. Boring to some. Clean and nicely proportioned to others (me among them).
Please don’t…..be…….offen…d…ed………..snore.
Nothing wrong with super clean glass.
It’s already a classic, and this boat will get the “thumbs up” from those who know great boats. These will become boat show winners of the future.
A friend and I have been working on a 1980 18 foot Donzi for a few years. I think it is all about content, some are cool some aren’t.
Wow, that Donzi is going to turn the world of show boats upside down
Nice Century sign on the wall. Sierra Boat no less.
I say that boats going to be cool. As for the 1970’s cars not being cool…. buy them now while they are cheap. I bought a 68 Impala convertable off this company and they are big time into 1970’s cars and theyre selling. http://www.mjcclassiccars.com
I like it. It’s kind of an imitation Century Resorter.
Okay, what about this???
1971 “Mark twain 20″…. Would Don Johnson be seen in this?
Hey, this could get tike the TOP GEAR “cool wall”!
Believe it or not…there’s an enthusiasts group dedicated just to these boats
Here’s Sean Connery in an Evinrude 16 in Operation Tonnerre (French for Thunderball). If this boat can become cool and a collectible with time, so can today’s subject boat.
Century boat evolved into the fiberglass era with almost identical glass hull configurations of the Coronado, Arabian, and Resorter models sporting the same hardware, etc. as their mahogany hull counterparts. The Century catalogs even devoted separate pages to the fiberglass and mahogany models of the same boat. The glass production started in ’67 or ’68 and continued until 1998. “Classic” seems to also apply here as some of the glass Century’s are 45 years old with even older almost identical mahogany brothers and sisters. I also agree on the Donzi comments above as they will become future glass classics. I am currently the caretaker for a 1996 ’22 Donzi Classic and 1995 Century Coronado.
It’s the sum so many details. The Chris and the Mark Twain both have proper pointy bows (no bow riders), uninterrupted raked windshields, relatively square transoms (the “Euro” look was a styling faux pas IMO, and was eagerly adopted by mfgs because it made the boats easier to lay up by unskilled labor), and are correctly proportioned. All checks in the cool column. The Chris gets additional points for the hot rod steering wheel. The Mark Twain loses points for the rounded gunnels though, which is enough to knock into uncool territory.