| Original Message |
Paul (no login)
Posted Dec 15, 2008 6:48 PM
These boats look good with the flybridge, but they also look VERY GOOD without it too. The flybridge on a boat this size is a space multiplier and adds to the fun, however the basic lines of the hardtop look much like some of the elegant Ford Galaxies of the 1960s, and the boat is very cool without the flybridge (too). Below are some photos of the 1964 (and a 1963) Ford Galaxie, with that notable roofline that seems to have been used on the 31' Sports Express.
![[linked image]](http://www.riggsboysracing.com/Gladis05-4smj.jpg)
![[linked image]](http://images.mustangandfords.com/featuredvehicles/mufp_0508_1z+1963_Ford_Galaxie_Lightweight+Rear_Passenger_Side.jpg)
![[linked image]](http://www.etvac.ca/images/IMG_4468.JPG)
![[linked image]](http://www.bankmerica.com/PropsOnWheels/images/cars/1965%20ford%20Galaxie%20500%20back.jpg)
![[linked image]](http://www.post-ers.com/63fordblackfastbacklarge.jpg)
![[linked image]](http://photos.webridestv.com/datastore/images/user/20d06685519bfe1477d166eed6eafd16/Ford_Galaxie_XL_500_1964_107046_20080716.jpg)
And now for the marine application of the Galaxie roofline?
![[linked image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/Dogsharks/Commander%20Models/31SE1.jpg)
![[linked image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v472/Dogsharks/Commander%20Models/31SE4.jpg)
The following is from the "PHOTO OF THE DAY" writeup on December 15, 2008.
So here we were, standing in heaven on a pretty day, and we noticed the unmistakable burble of a pair of Chris Craft small blocks. Upon turning to look, we saw a magnificently maintained 31 Commander Sports Express entering the harbor. The boat looked nearly 100% original, and it was a beautiful sight to behold, gliding effortlessly into the harbor, doing a nice pivot turn, and backing up to the dock like the captain has done this before. The captain, by the way, has done this before, and it was one of those rare treats to watch that makes it worth traveling to Huron, Ohio, on August 21 23, 2009, for THE big Commander event of the 2009 season. Not too long ago I saw one of these beautiful SE models cobbled up with enough stainless steel tubing and upper canvas enclosures to sink a dinghy, and the results looked half way between a deer stand and a back yard tree house. Lots of money was obviously spent, but to me the value of that boat dropped like a rock with each new screw hole drilled, especially when put side by side with this beautiful original condition boat.
The mission of this web site is to help preserve the classic fleet, through the sharing of information like this. If you have a brother-in-law in the stainless steel tubing or canvas enclosure business, and you like to fish, please dont try to make a classic Commander something it is not, by adding something that looks like a back yard tree house and would make Dick Avery shed a tear. Go drill on something else! Many of the Commander models were intended for fishing, but this doesn't mean people should be adding some sort of an appendage grafted onto the classic boats that makes the casual observer wonder if Elvis was the designer. We have some very notable examples how classic boats can be upgraded for the most serious fishing duty without bastardizing the boat, and look good doing it too. Bill Millar certainly set a standard on this with his 30' Sportsman, and Jay Meyerson set a standard for total modernizaiton of his 35' Sports Cruiser, all new electronics and new engines, but you can't even tell by looking at the boat. When done with care, upgrades can add safety, utility, and value to the boat. Originality is always going to be prized, however, at the Barrett Jackson automotive auctions, and with classic boats too. Upgraded boats offer many good features, my own included, but well maintained original boats will always be sought after, appreciated, and will always demand a respectable price.
Regards,
Paul |
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