Identify Your Chris Craft
Runabout Hull Numbers
Chris-Craft 1940 - 1942 23 ft Custom Runabout
The 23' triple-cockpit barrel-back was produced for three years. The 1940 boats had the antique looking bugatti windshield, while the 1941 - 1942 models had the more modern folding "v" windshield.
Some of the 1940 hulls had walnut stained covering boards, others were red-mahogany overall. We are often asked if the walnut stained cover boards are a different species of wood, and the answer is "no," these boats were skinned with all Philippine mahogany. All years of this model had a split cover board.
All of the 23' Custom Runabouts had birds eye maple dashboards, stained blonde.
The gauges were separate, not in panels. In 1940 the colors were blue and cream. The 1941 model sported silver instruments, while 1942 hulls were outfitted with the familiar black-faced gauges, as seen in later years. The two large center instruments are a tach and a clock. The four smaller gauges are oil pressure, ammeter, temp and fuel.
All three years featured leather seats and crash pad. The four storage cubbies were lined with leather. The seats and cushions with stuffed with Kapock and horse hair. The seat backs had twisted kapock along the borders, which was stapled down, and horse hair padding, which was more to the center. The cushions were kapock and horse hair. The seat bases were fashioned with coil springs.
We have removed original white pyramid vinyl flooring from some of these boats, but the pyramids were smaller than what is available today.
This boat gets up on plane very nicely with the 160 h.p. W engine, and the ride is surprisingly smooth, even in rough water.
| Length Feet | Year | Model | Hull Numbers | Wood Color |
| 1940 | Custom Runabout Barrel-Back Bugatti Windshield |
or varnished mahogany, blonde dash and walnut cover boards. |
||
| 1941-1942 | Custom Runabout Barrel-Back Folding V-Windshield |
Pictured above is a 1940 23' Custom Runabout, driven by Mitch LaPointe on Lake Minnetonka. "Likety Split" is powered by a Chris-Craft 6-cylinder W engine.
Pictured above is the dual carb 200 h.p. WB engine out of "Likety Split." This is not the original engine, as the original would have been a single carburetor 160 h.p. W engine. Other than the carburation, W and WB look alike.
The factory original dual electric horns above are operated from the horn button in the center of the steering wheel. The 6 bumper cleats are original, as are the 6 step pads with black rubber inserts. The bow light has a one inch opening for the mahogany bow pole.
Wood grain should show through the black walnut stain, but it was a little darker than original on this boat. After these pictures were taken, the boat was stripped and restained in our shop. We will take some new pictures in the spring and post them here.
"Likety Split" has blue and cream instruments, as do all hulls built in 1940 of this model. Note the bird's eye maple dash board with blonde stain. The rest of the interior of the boat is red mahogany, the same as the exterior. Note the chrome plated brass floor shifter for the Paragon transmission.
This boat has black ribbed rubber flooring, but we have removed original white pyramid flooring from several of this model, so the black rib is probably not original.
See some bigger pictures of this boat here.