Author Topic: Jetstar boats  (Read 33698 times)

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Offline enginuitytriumph

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #30 on: July 21, 2013, 10:52:22 PM »
Just to give a brief update...  new 3.4 engine fitted a treat, more modifications than I was expecting, but hay-hoe !  all in & fired up first turn on Friday, engine all sounds good, new flushing pipe seems to be working well, alternator light on & off ( brand new alternator) but seemed OK until I tried to turn the engine off. The alternator back feeding the ignition & won't turn off until I unplug the alternator.  then new electric fuel pump leaking ( no cam to run the old mechanical fuel pump on the new engine ). rubber exhaust tubes both collapsing... headers really hot... b@#*!y sea water pump not working !!!  it's only 2 years old !!!  GOT to get the boat on the water for next weekend, RRRRRUUUUSSSSSH  Mark  :-[
If you don't know where to start... start somewhere, the rest falls into place.

Offline BN

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #31 on: July 22, 2013, 08:36:31 AM »
Fantastic, but the usual hiccups with mods, best of luck.
1953 Albatross
1958 Dowty Turbojet
1965 Mitcham Jetboat
1968 Mitcham OB

Offline keenimeeni

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #32 on: January 24, 2014, 01:45:07 PM »
Dear Alanr, if you could help me I would be most gratefull. I think I have a jetstar, but I think it is pre Bluebird Marine as it has a cold form ply hull, with a teak deck.
I have up loaded a picture of one similar, (still havnt figured out photosizer on this site yet). Also a newspaper clipping which corresponds to the photo. I beleive I have this actual boat & trying to complete providence.

Offline alanr

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #33 on: January 25, 2014, 04:05:58 PM »
Apologies to disappoint you but your boat is not a Bluebird Marine Jetstar. The only wooden boat was the 13 foot prototype which the GRP production Jetstar 400 was based on. Alanr

Offline ChrisB

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #34 on: June 26, 2014, 08:36:01 PM »
Hi Alan

I've got a bit of a odd Jetstar 520 as far as I'm aware, as it doesn't appear to have ever had a jet unit fitted but a mercruiser leg installed or the jet was removed and an outdrive leg fitted, but if that was the case I would have expected to have seen some sign of the old jet unit fixings still visible unless it was done very professionally of course.

Was a mercruiser leg conversion something that your aware of, are there any tell tale signs if it ever had a jet fitted or were there a number ever produced with the mercruiser leg instead of the jet ?

I've never seen one with a leg

Cheers

Chris

Offline alanr

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #35 on: June 30, 2014, 06:18:18 PM »
Hi Chris,
 We did both a mercruiser and a bmw powered 520 as one off boats. The bmw one was exhibited at the 1974 Earls Court
boat show. We never got much interest in either of them as our customers all wanted jet boats. It was an interesting
comparison though as both boats were powered by 140 bhp 4 cylinder engines and attained 40 mph as against the
Essex V6 140 bhp with Castoldi 05 jet which did 45 mph.
 Alanr

Offline ChrisB

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #36 on: June 30, 2014, 07:53:40 PM »
Thanks for coming back to me on this Alan

Mmmmm I wonder if my 520 is one of those two  :o

Don't suppose you can remember if the Merc one was a Red one by any chance ?

Chris

Offline alanr

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #37 on: July 01, 2014, 10:27:20 AM »
Hi Chris, sorry but I can't remember the colour of the Merc boat but the bmw was blue and white.
Alanr

Offline ChrisB

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #38 on: July 04, 2014, 08:20:06 PM »
Ah well, I'll never know if it was one of those proto types  8)

I've been doing some more cleaning around the rear of the out drive area and I think its a conversion as there does seem to be some sort of fibre glassing around that area on the inside of the transom, its well done mind, thats unless the boats where all produced with a hole in the rear for jet unit ? I don't think I've ever paid attention to the rear of a 520 that's got a jet, not that you seem many of them these days.

Offline BN

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #39 on: July 05, 2014, 08:10:08 AM »
It is difficult, because both versions rely on the bolting of the final drive to something very solid in the boat, so the transom is not as thick as normal?

The Dowty transom is paper thin and from the limited few Jetstars that I have seen, theirs is not that thick either, so additional fibre may be the clue to a modification sadly?
1953 Albatross
1958 Dowty Turbojet
1965 Mitcham Jetboat
1968 Mitcham OB

Offline ChrisB

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #40 on: July 06, 2014, 10:05:44 AM »
Oh that surprises me, not that I'm a Transom connoisseur  :-[

My Jetstar seems to have what I'd have thought was a fairly decent thickness to it, well it has up round the where the exhaust hole is  and exits, you gota have that open exhaust burble  ;D

Offline alanr

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #41 on: July 06, 2014, 10:19:09 AM »
If the transom has marine ply all the way across it then it is the original boat
and not a conversion. Jet drives rely on the hull to take the thrust so the transom
was just grp and did not require strengthening. Alanr

Offline BN

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #42 on: July 06, 2014, 10:38:54 AM »
If the transom has marine ply all the way across it then it is the original boat
and not a conversion. Jet drives rely on the hull to take the thrust so the transom
was just grp and did not require strengthening. Alanr

Normally I think, the transom is about 2" of more thick if it is not a jet drive or stern drive (or rowing boat  :D), so a few more things to examine. I hope it is an original build, but until you can determine the stern construction, it will be difficult.
1953 Albatross
1958 Dowty Turbojet
1965 Mitcham Jetboat
1968 Mitcham OB

Offline ChrisB

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #43 on: July 18, 2014, 09:10:39 PM »
Sorry for the delay, been playing with other toys.

Right I'll investigate the transom in more detail then, I'm pretty sure its ply all the way across, I cant imagine it coping if it was just grp with a outdrive hung on it otherwise.

Mine is/was a bit weird, cos when I bought it 30 odd years back it had a straight six Jag lump in it  ?

Offline BN

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Re: Jetstar boats
« Reply #44 on: July 19, 2014, 09:25:07 AM »
Well if it is potentially ply clad with fibre, then you may have one of the rarer ones ?
1953 Albatross
1958 Dowty Turbojet
1965 Mitcham Jetboat
1968 Mitcham OB