1150SS. 15" Identification

[oldschoolnc]

Going to look at this motor again. I posted it here a while back and was told that it may just be a XS cowl.
What should I look for, number or letter wise, and where? It's on '67 Carlson
Challenger.
THANKS.
Happy Screaming and Flying.

[SS170]

Two things that I can think of, low water pickup on the gearcase, the letter “J” on the block right by the serial number. Sometimes it’s upside down and a little hard to see.

[WaterZebra]

Going to look at this motor again. I posted it here a while back and was told that it may just be a XS cowl.
What should I look for, number or letter wise, and where? It's on '67 Carlson
Challenger.
THANKS.
Happy Screaming and Flying.

Carlson Challenger and Contenders were all short shaft boats. If that motor checks out to be a 1500XS it's a keeper. Make offer on the whole rig!

[oldschoolnc]

Yeah, If it's not an xs, I've got a 15" Super Strangler mid and lower. I have a xflow 140 pwr head laying around.
It'd be something different either way!
Old guys got two gold metal flake sidewinders, one 16' o/b model, and an 18' 455 jet. I may try and score the whole lot...

[skialot2]

Going to look at this motor again. I posted it here a while back and was told that it may just be a XS cowl.
What should I look for, number or letter wise, and where? It's on '67 Carlson
Challenger.
THANKS.
Happy Screaming and Flying.

The title says 1150SS but that is a 1500 cowl

[oldschoolnc]

At first I posted it as an SS... Then changed it to XS, post changed, but title didn't. I thought the louvered cowl indicated at least an XS cowl. I believe when I looked at it last year, it said XS somewhere. I'm mostly interested in the hulls.
Funny, I wrote "old guy", I'm a just feeling young in my 60"s...lol.
The guy has back problems and is selling most of his collection.

I think this is what i saw. Year may be different.

[WaterZebra]

At fist I posted it as an SS... Then changed it to XS. I thought the vented cowl indicated at least an XS cowl. I believe when I looked at it last year, it said XS somewhere. I'm mostly interested in the hulls.
Funny, I wrote "old guy", I'm a just feeling young in my 60"s...lol.
The guy has back problems and is selling most of his collection.

I think this is what i saw. Year may be different.

As per a previous posted reply, look for "J" in the block serial number and a low water pick up on the gearcase bullet. These are dead give aways its a Merc 1500XS. The Carlson hulls were made in two versions. The Challenger and Contender. The models were identified by which metalflake color the hull had. Either red or blue. I can't remember which but the blue one was shorter. I've seen the blue ones come up from time to time but not the red ones. There's a blue one atop a shipping container in a Bremerton WA boatyard spending its final days in the sun rotting. Yours is in far better shape.

[1978allison]

Where is it located?

[oldschoolnc]

It's in Eastern NC, near Clarkton. A little W of Wilmington.

[KIRCHNER]

ran with a bunch of them had a new contender/ gold my bud, a challenger with x115 omc, a green 14 110/xs. i ran a v490. they came in all colors. the 16 was just as fast as the 14. made in garden grove,cali, Art Carlson then merged with glastron. fantastic boats, they also made a twister canopy boat, but never took off. i remember the full page color chart. max recc horsepower-75. both 14 and 16 had a racing fin/factory installed. and needed it. the original bucket seats were killer. grab that 16....

[WaterZebra]

[QUOTE=KIRCHNER;3457387]ran with a bunch of them had a new contender/ gold my bud, a challenger with x115 omc, a green 14 110/xs. i ran a v490. they came in all colors. the 16 was just as fast as the 14. made in garden grove,cali, Art Carlson then merged with glastron. fantastic boats, they also made a twister canopy boat, but never took off. i remember the full page color chart. max recc horsepower-75. both 14 and 16 had a racing fin/factory installed. and needed it. the original bucket seats were killer. grab that 16....[/QUOTE

The catalog and color chart page must have been in a stand alone Carlson brochure? The Challenger and Contender were merely a half of a page in the Glastron catalog with no color options? The Twister canopy boat was on the cover of this booklet but never mentioned anywhere else?

[25ss]

By looking at the lower trim cylinder it looks like a short mid but the lower has a square back.
All XS low water pick up lowers were rounded back. The square ones were newer and i have never seen a short one.
Some one could have shortened it. Still could be any power head 115-140-150-150XS.
With the XS band and short mid its worth buying.
Ive had a challenger and a CT15 for many years
The challenger is fun gets on plane fast but with the flat botton rides bad on rough water.
The CT15 is full tunnel and likes rough water but being single seat gets old fast.
Dale

[oldschoolnc]

I guess im gonna try and get the package. I've always been an OMC guy, and I've got a 15" Super Strangler mid/lower. I do have a V4 pwr. head to stick on it, the mid has a Ray Nadahl adapter plate that may be for a V6? I was contacted by someone on the site that makes a stub driveshaft adapter. A little more research is necessary. It would definitely get some looks? at the ramp.
Thanks

Happy Screaming and Flying

[KIRCHNER]

my era was pre-glastron, carlson was carlson. yes not a rough water boat, the sensation .of speed in a challanger was great, i thought the 16 had a 20'' transom? my color was marigold. best times ever! Artk

[oldschoolnc]

I'm going to get another look at it. I saw it when I was there buying a motor, didn't look real close then... He also has a Sidewinder 16' ski/speed boat i want to see again. Also has a matching gold flake 18' sidewinder w/455 jet. His back is bad now and wants to sell. Any info on Sidewinder? Looks like a Baja... probably nothing special.
Thanks for your comments.

Happy Screaming and Flying