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Chris Craft and Quality Control

If it doesn't pertain to metal, wood, wire or fabric—but it is about vintage Chris-Crafts, ask your question or give your advice here.

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motoryachtsoco
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Chris Craft and Quality Control

Post by motoryachtsoco » Wed Oct 07, 2015 2:48 am

As my 1956 Capri comes along I've come to the conclusion that while Chris Craft built great boats, that today are loved and cherished by many, the quality control aspect of the company might have been seriously lacking.

Christopher Smith might have borrowed Henry Ford's production line processes and introduced those ideas to boat building but supervision of those processes and ideas seems to have been lacking.

My 1956 Capri has a great look and wonderful details. The process of disassembly offers an insight into Chris a Craft culture, and taking apart the work is is easy to see how the built process was managed.

Three battens and two ribs needed repairs because during the assembly someone drove screws off the mark splitting the wood. But on the port side where a screw missed the mark someone did a repair by backing the offending screw out and filling in the hole.

Bungs along one section of the starboard side are perfectly matched as to color and grain. While elsewhere they were just stuck in without any care.

I removed a split bung from the covering board on the port side to discover no screw. Curious, I removed the bungs on either side and found no screws. Turns out there are seven holes on each side with no screws.

Ditto with the crash pad instal. Starboard side tacks are placed with notable exactness, while the port side tacks are lacking the same machine like skilled quality. I suspect the master craftsman working alongside the apprentice.

Maybe my Capri was a Friday built?

The battery box is perfect example of quality craftmenship. While 32 inches aft the plank covering the staffing box and shaft looks like a ten year old made the cuts.

Don't get me wrong I love the boat, but I to find it interesting the numerous flaws.
Chris McIntire

boat_art
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Re: Chris Craft and Quality Control

Post by boat_art » Wed Oct 07, 2015 6:21 am

There was a quote of Chris himself in his later years...maybe someone remembers the details. Essentially, when asked why one side of a hull measured higher than the other, he said "the guy on that side was a lot lighter than the other guy when they sat on it installing screws"
I have always been intrigued by the oddities I have run into on CC's. Your experiences dont surprise me at all....in fact its kind of fun opening up another boat and seeing what is inside!
http://www.boatartgallery.com
1956 CC Connie 47'
1959 Caulkins bartender
1965 Cheoy Lee Frisco Flyer
1953 Chris Craft Holiday
1941 Chris Craft Deluxe
Plus 8-12 customer boats at any time
God don't count the days spent messing around in wood boats.

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maritimeclassics
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Re: Chris Craft and Quality Control

Post by maritimeclassics » Wed Oct 07, 2015 6:59 am

With all that you found wrong it is amazing it lasted this long.
Family member of Chris Craft founder
Owner of Maritime Classics
http://www.maritimeclassics.com
Ph# 231-486-6148

Restoration Projects:
1936 25' Gar Wood Custom
1947 Ventnor Hydroplane
1957 17' Deluxe Runabout
1948 25' Chris Craft Sportsman Twin
1959 19' Sliver Arrow Hull #75
1929 26' Chris Craft Custom Runabout
1937 25' Chris Craft Custom Runabout

Greg Wallace
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Re: Chris Craft and Quality Control

Post by Greg Wallace » Wed Oct 07, 2015 7:41 am

Compared with the present the Manufacturing quality standards (and control) of the day were not any where near what they are today. Consumer expectations, however, were also lower. Unfortunately the dealer and ultimately the customer served as final quality inspector. As a Dealer, getting compensation for warranty work from the OEM presented additional challenges.
Most dealers came to accept the fact that the OEM considered the Dealers time less valuable than their own and compensated accordingly. They also expected the dealer to perform repair faster than they could (based on allowances).
Greg Wallace 23 Custom 22166 former Chris-Craft dealer Russells Point, Oh.

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Bilge Rat
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Re: Chris Craft and Quality Control

Post by Bilge Rat » Wed Oct 07, 2015 8:51 am

The old adage "price is the whip that drives the horse" certainly relates to the cost of the labor to construct these boats in a competitive world. Chris Craft used semi-skilled and unskilled labor including farm hands that would be out of work in the winter. I'm sure there were quality control inspectors as the Chris Craft literature says, but realistically do you think a boat was totally rejected when coming off the production line and destroyed? That would hit the profit line hard in the accounting department and would not be acceptable in their business model. Plus, as stated in the book View From The Bilge; "Chris Craft was not known to pay their minions well".

I am sure the old rule-of-thumb where acceptable tolerances were often the width of a person's thumb applied throughout the construction process.
1966 Lyman Cruisette 25 foot "Serenity Now!"
1953 Chris Craft Sportsman 22 foot "Summerwind"

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