Practical Boat Owner – August 2019

would have been thrilled to pay full price!
The boat had been sitting inside a dry
stack marina for 11 years without being
touched! Our parents thoroughly rebuked
us for our folly. “Didn’t you learn your
lesson? Boats are nothing but trouble.”
Despite their admonishments we
pressed on with the project. In just a week,
we stripped the old Regal of its engine,
outdrive and wakeboard tower but kept the
trailer and stainless steel propeller, which
were near-perfect matches for the new
boat. But instead of fitting the Regal
engine, we sold it – together with the
outdrive, transom assembly, wakeboard
tower and the hull – for a grand total of
$2,200 – meaning we’d made $100 on
what was a terrible purchase!
Next step, after towing the Chaparral
10-hours home, was to test the ‘blown’
engine. Luck would have it that the old
5.7lt GM V8 and Yamaha sterndrive
sputtered to life. What a jubilant moment.
Though the road to the boat ramp
would be full of potholes, we seemed to
have caught a break, if only for a minute!
Despite running, the engine was in dire
need of an overhaul. It had never seen
fresh water, and was a rust bucket.
Fortunately, I came across some
anecdotal evidence to suggest GM cast
iron engine blocks are extremely thick and
take over 30 years to rust through.
Hopefully the ghastly appearance could
be ameliorated with some elbow grease.
Over the next two months we overhauled
the engine and replaced the battery, along
with all rubber fuel lines, which were brittle
after 20 years. I also added a battery
switch and a second battery.
While the engine was partially
disassembled, I scrubbed it with sand paper
and degreaser before hosing it down.

We tried to start the boat using flush

muffs to check everything was working

before heading to the ramp. To my

dismay, the engine would no longer start

• despite having run the month before.
  Though it turned over, it wouldn’t fire up


• even when dumping fresh fuel straight
  into the carburettor.
  After some research, we determined the
  culprit was most likely the old Quadrajet
  carb and a rebuild kit was ordered. I
  commissioned a local auto mechanic to
  rebuild it over the course of a week, giving
  me time to do a much-needed deep
  clean. The boat was now glimmering and
  begging to be taken to the water!
  Summer 2014 was now coming to a
  close and it was time to head to the water.
  The engine fired up and roared to life on
  the trailer. Cautiously, we headed to the

boat ramp and put the boat in the water.

The engine idled smoothly and we felt

comfortable enough to pull away from the

boat ramp. However, as we shifted into

reverse, the engine died so we pushed off

the dock before engaging forward gear.

“A boat that only goes forward is not

such a bad thing,” we remarked.

Though the precise details of our early

voyages evade me, I do recall getting her

on the plane a few times. Unfortunately,

slow zones on the ICW abound and, as

we came off plane, I remember vividly

how we stalled for 30 minutes, eventually

drifting to a private dock where I was able

to get the engine restarted. Back at the

boat ramp our trim system stopped

working causing us to drag the skeg on

the concrete while retrieving the boat. In

order to head home, we had to remove

the trim ram and tie the outdrive to the

boat’s cleats, a less than ideal solution.

Ironing out the kinks

Over the coming weeks and months, we

gradually worked the kinks out of our boat

by replacing the mechanical fuel pump,

alternator and anti-siphon valve: a safety

device to prevent fuel from emptying into

the bilge in case of a fuel line is severed.

The new fuel pump mitigated a periodic

stalling and vapour lock condition that we

experienced early on and the new

anti-siphon valve alleviated a high-speed

fuel starvation problem that had caused

the engine to die upon crossing the

3,500rpm threshold. With our problems

resolved, our 1995 Chaparral proved to be

a wonderful and reliable vessel that we

enjoyed for a year and well over 100 hours

of engine run time.

For the first time in my life, I was able to

sate my yearning for the water. Avery and I

n Oil and filter

n Spark plugs

n Circulating water pump

n Impeller

n Exhaust manifolds and risers

n Distributor cap and rotor

n Gear lube

n Rubber fuel lines

n Battery switch

Engine maintenance

checklist

PRACTICALPRACTICAL

LEFT Coolant inlet

riser was cracked

and clogged with

rust so needed

replacement.

BELOW Polished

chromework makes

the Chaparral 2130

SS dazzle