John’s XK Is Most XLNT!

Thanks to fellow Woody boater John Gambill  who over the past years has been sharing the progress of the restoration of his 1973 Chris Craft XK 22. John knows how to make magic for sure. What is so cool here is that when you look at this boat finished, you think, hey, that’s cool..no really cool.. And in the end isn’t that what its all about.. Aboot in Canada! We are starting to see more and more of these cool late 60’s early 70’s plastic boats come out very very nice. Thanks John, not for sharing your great photos and story, but for showing us all how cool it can be when you follow your dream!

I swear she is smiling..

Take is away John,

When I sold the 57 Barracuda just two weeks before the ACBS International Boat Show in Branson Mo in September 2012  she had already been registered for the show so at just two weeks before he show I was boatless and had already made and paid for everything in Branson, hotel, boat registration fees etc. So I went on Craig’s List and found this 73 Chris Craft XK 22 in Loraine Ohio. Julia and I made a Sunday trip to Lorain to see the boat and the poor condition she was in  scared me to a point where we drove home without it. About three days later I drove back to Loraine and bought the boat, as some of you know she was a real mutt!! however, she did run so off to Branson we went . Of course she was in such poor condition that she certainly couldn’t be entered for judging but she did go on display with a big sign taped on her stern that the  boat was just purchased  a few days before the show and that the restoration would start in two weeks. I first week of October 2012 she was placed in the garage and totally stripped out and the restoration began, she was finally finished yesterday 6/6/ 2014 and we are putting her in the water today and going for a spin!

OK, thats about the coolest interior I have seen in a while. I love the dash tack. I have seen these on ebay and on the hood of a GTO, but this is cool.. Nice wheel as well! Sets it all off.

Someone is going to have some fun this summer! Note the ACBS Sticker. Stay tuned for some very cool news regarding the ACBS this week!

It’s been a long hard road with hundreds of hours spend fixing, grinding sanding and filling however I think the final end result has been well worth all the hours and work. She is far from being an original boat, not even close but I really don’t care, she has some sizzle and lots of bling! and so I think she will stand her own and I know she is going to be a blast to run!

Nice! Now, for some the outdrive thing is a tough thing to tackle.. BUT, ride in one… There is a reason that is the go to drive these days. They handle better and ride better.. Maybe it’s time we do some good look’n into outdrives..

Now if all this talk has got you all frothed up about getting a cool XK.. Guess what? Today is your lucky day on ebay! Thats right.. In a strange timing thing, two are on ebay.. actually I think three.. The gold one is very very cool in California.. Sorry to ruin your spouses Sunday.. Someones gonna be talkn and talkn plastic now at the dinner table.. I can see the eyes rolling already..

Here is one of the XK-19’s on ebay today..
Link here.

And here is a cool 1974 XK 22 on ebay. Hey Bell Bottoms are back in? They say all the trends start in California!

Nice, dont be confused, this is a different boat than the one above.. Strange timeing in the gold and California thing.. Link here

Even a cool brochure on ebay! This bronze gold color was quite the sizzle during the day.. It’s one thing to see it in a photograph.. I recall the glow of the metal flake in it and it is insane cool in real life.. Take the leap! We all want to be reunited with our metal flake lust.

Brochure on ebay today link here

Great, just great.. Now I want one of these.. I curse you John, I curse you and your plastic glow of 70’s coolness. WAIT.. wait one second, I have one of these.. Hold on one darn second.. It’s even orange.. And fast, and fun, and has history. I need to make some love to a Pumpkin next weekend!

The gang out on Lake Dora.. Pumkin love!