The boat restore , the project, the nightmare, and wheew when its done

[Fogy]

Looks like a lot of work but when your done you will have a great boat and know you did it all yourself.

Looks a lot better and thanks for the continued photos!   

[NRG]

Ok Guys and Gals .. small update on the progress .. Weather stopped all progress on the boat until the last couple days, Rain, Rain, Rain, and more Rain, then COLD COLD and coldest, more rain  ,

That and 1st week of Jan I got laid off  .. Ive spent most of my time last 3 weeks lookin for work, and have been lucky enough to have a few interviews, 2 of them may be a yes early this week. 

Any way on to the boat ..

I haven't done anything to the boat since I finished up the wood work , floors etc .. I let the top back down on the boat, and covered it up there it has sat for about a month, we had a warm spell this week, was 55 Thursday, and has been in high 40s to low 50s since then and sunny.
So I got back to work on her .. I  ran all new drain lines, installed new livewell pump and bilge pump, replaced the freshwater pump, was a 500 GPH now its a 1100gph and added a new bigger spray head and 1 1/8" hose for the bigger pump.
Finished up some odds and ends that hadn't done yet .. remounted the circuit breaker for the trolling motor , removed some wires that went no where, removed an old transducer that apparently had died and wires cut, new one added they left the old one epoxied in the hull.
Put wire wraps mesh wraps on all the loose wires that run thru the battery / gas tank compartment , so now no more wires running all over in a birds nest.
Did some dry fitting so when I get a 60+ day, I can finish glassing the splash well to transom and the cap that covers the top of the transom, and glassing top down to the floor in the "woops" pit area.

All I have left is tidy up some more wires, and a few other small things then wait for a warm day .. shouldn't be much longer its almost February usually get a good bit of warm weather in Feb. Bass here generally start staging late Feb into early March here as the water warms back into the 50s .. its in the low to mid 40s last few days.

Then after the glass work is finally wrapped up and I finish screwing the top back to the bottom and reinstall rub rail, and rub rail rubber. The motor will be next to get overhauled , new Thermostats, new Impeller, water passages cleaned and checked for debris, new plugs, carbs cleaned, then fire it up , then mount on  jack plate and do some test runs on the lake, then the paint work will start after boat in good running order.

Here is pics from today
my 6 yr old took the one of me standing in the boat!

[Bassinkorea]

Great to hear you could get a bit more work done on the boat. I'm really enjoying seeing your project all coming together 

Real sorry to hear about you losing your job, and I hope those interviews turn into jobs 

[Marc132]

awesome boat and good luck with the job thing.

[NRG]

Another update, and another milestone in this project

The top is officially glassed in and screwed down, all I have left to do is wait for one more warm day , today was 63 and sunny so I glassed in the splash well its curing now, also removed the foam rubber on the dash it was cracked.

 I liked the look of it but it wouldn't hold up for the long haul anyway. Removed the gauges and switch panels , scrapped off remaining carpet.

I still need to glass over the transom cap, and glass down the top cap where meets floor, didn't have enough resin to do it all today, will need to get one final gallon to finish.

[Bassinkorea]

Here's the other photo that was missing a ]   

Great progress NRG, I'm looking forward to seeing more photos 

[NRG]

Here's the other photo that was missing a ]   

Great progress NRG, I'm looking forward to seeing more photos 

OOPS !  I fixed it though

[Sig Equinox]

Sorry to hear your were laid off.Being from Chattanooga and seeing what you are doing on your boat you must have been in the boat biz. I heard that they shut down a bunch of plants in Knoxville.I am in the boat biz (Yachts 150' +) and was laid off end of year 08 and have  alot of people i know from Hatteras and Sea Ray that lost their job.I'm still looking down here and nothings happening.

Nice job on the boat.The Hydra Sports looks like the same console and configuration as my 85 Stratos V-T Rocket i rebuilt.In Bass and Walleye boats this month there is a editorial on rebuiding old boats and they had showed a Hydra Sports.

[NRG]

Sorry to hear your were laid off.Being from Chattanooga and seeing what you are doing on your boat you must have been in the boat biz. I heard that they shut down a bunch of plants in Knoxville.I am in the boat biz (Yachts 150' +) and was laid off end of year 08 and have  alot of people i know from Hatteras and Sea Ray that lost their job.I'm still looking down here and nothings happening.

Nice job on the boat.The Hydra Sports looks like the same console and configuration as my 85 Stratos V-T Rocket i rebuilt.In Bass and Walleye boats this month there is a editorial on rebuiding old boats and they had showed a Hydra Sports.

Nope not it the boat biz  Ive done about everything else, mainly Computer Tech in the last 15yrs , last 2.5 worked as assembly tech for resistance welding manufacture ( T.J. Snow Co, ) building and repair of robotic welding cells , spot welders, press welders, butt welders.

My grandfather had a antiques , repair, restoration business, did that off and on for years, Ive always been one to take stuff apart to see how it works, and usually was better after I  put back together than was in the first place  Ive also been a butcher   

For fun other than boat work and fishing, I make sculpture,  balsa and hardwood crank baits ,and other artsy fartsy stuff 

This is about boat 7 that I have redone for myself, and this one will be the best one Ive ever done ( most bling and finish work ), at the moment fundage to do all I want to do has been hit hard, so some things on the to do list will have to wait.
Right now just getting the glass work finished up , painted, carpet, seats recovered and mounted and the motor mounted and water ready is the most important so I can go fishin.

I still need to find the cash for the primer, and clear coat 100-200 and spray booth rental, $50

The whole state has been hit hard in the boat buis. I have friends in the buis, Tn Trailer here has closed until March, tons of others have closed till march or drastically reduced staff at all the boat manufactures here in TN.
Only the strongest leanest will survive. If I thought I could make money doing this I would do it for others. there is only one shop left here in Chattanooga that does glass work over the last 15 yrs the rest have retired.

[Sig Equinox]

NRG,

I was moments away from moving from South Florida and heading to Vonore TN.and working at the Christensen plant.I ended up becoming a Grandpa and changed things.It all worked out as the housing market just started to go south and if i had moved out i am sure i would have been one at the new Christensen plant to be let go.At least i am in the area that i have worked in the biz for 28 years and when it picks up will be one of a lucky few to get back in the boat biz.

I'm letting God run the show and sitting back finally enjoing it.Amazing what a little grandbaby will do for ones mind.

I loved your project and have memories of me tearing the old Stratos apart.

PS as you know it's never done.It's been 11 years and getting ready to do a spiff up of the ole girl.I have pictures of it in the Stratos gallery.
http://www.ultimatebass.com/bass-fishing-gallery/thumbnails.php?album=lastupby&uid=3020

[NRG]

Feb 7 2009 68 degrees!

Today I glassed 1st layer on cap that covers transom, did some repair work, fixed some cracks on top cap from previous owner slamming into dock , and a few holes I made getting the top loose, I have one more layer tomorrow to do on cap on transom, and glass the top to the floor, and I'm done.. then onto sanding, and paint prep.







here is what gel coat looked like pack in 1987 when I removed the dash pad

[NRG]

Well the transom is completely done now, top glassed to floor, and also fixed a crack on front deck I found about 6 inches long , under the last piece of carpet I removed from the front deck.
I also hooked up a 6 gallon gas tank to the motor, and fired it up .. cranked right up Varoom Varoom 
.. then bogged down and died , it cranked right back up , same thing .. carbs need cleaned, though I'm not surprised.

And also had water out of the tell tail hole .. good sign 

Thats it for today!

[JayPea2006]

Man, how cool. Wsh I had the patience and space to do something like that. Great job, can't wait to see the finished deal! Keep the pics coming!

[The Bassmeister]

Great job NRG, can't wait for the next update.  It's pretty cool that you can do all that yourself.  I would be afraid to even attempt it. You ought to think about career change, that is truly awesome!

[NRG]

Great job NRG, can't wait for the next update.  It's pretty cool that you can do all that yourself.  I would be afraid to even attempt it. You ought to think about career change, that is truly awesome!

If you can get me boats to do , Id be happy to change careers and do this for a livin!
As a matter of fact right now any job would be ok as long as it pays enuff .. been unemployed since Jan 7, and I doubt that many are spending money on boat repairs or restores the way things are.

But if anyone in the Chattanooga, TN region wants it done Im here!! well as soon as my boat is done 

But the folks that can pay for it probably would just go buy new boat, its very labor intensive to restore a boat.. cost to do a 17ft boat if I had to pay to get this done would be 4000 - 5000 maybe more , but still cheaper than new boat! including the paint , upholstery or new seats.
Transom replacement on most bass boats is 800 -1200.

[NRG]

Did some more work today , thought previous owner had put on clear coat too thick in passengers side rear corner and half up the side.  ... but nooo as it urns out that area has been repaired at some time.
Gel coat is what is was really thick and not done right at all, cracked and chipping.

I dont know if the person or shop who did the repair got it too hot ( too much harder ) or didn't clean under it properly and sand properly or what ? I put some remove-all on that area .. and remove-all bucket looked at me and laughed 
So I whipped out the out grinder and D.A. and went to town on it .. there was body putty under parts of the area, and while sanding got back done to original gel coat and flake, so apparently was a repair of some sort.. just really crappy work.

But now the crazing, stress cracks , and chips are now gone.. had to go down to glass on alot of the area to get rid of the mess, gonna have to get some poly fill, to fill pin holes, before priming.

But some one did still ut on some kind of clear coat on part of it you can see brush strokes up front around casting deck , and its flaking off like dead skin   

Its gonna take more sanding than I anticipated before ready for primer now   

Oh well its gonna be slick when done!

[NRG]

OK Guys and Gals its been a long time since Ive made any progress on this Project ..
But where near the finish Line now.

all those who started following my boat project from Sept thru Sometime in Febuary when I last posted a real update .. over the last 2 weeks or so Ive made great progress... Im close to done maybe another 2 weeks Ill actually have it in the water

Ive bought a new steering wheel
to go with the newly remade boat, and have new carpet

Here is the pics

The Motor .. bought it for 400 maybe 350 cant remember .. I had been in salt the steering arm was shot rusted so thin was dangerous, I found a whole mid section for 100 bucks, found a tilt trim motor for 100 the old motor didnt have trim/tilt does now..
The old motor was turquoise blue sorta color yuck!! and peeling!

I swapped the motor and foot over to new mid section, and replaced the water pump while in the process, and sanded the whole motor, and primed part of it .. more work to be done on motor later..

I havent been able to touch the boat since about the 2nd week of March too busy fixing every one elses boat.. its been slow lately so I jumped back on mine..

I finished all the glass work ( cosmetic ) and filled pin holes etc .. then sanded and prepped to paint, this eve I primed it with epoxy, lil wet sand in the am , and I will spray the base and clear..
Pics to follow after paint done






















Till next time
Later

[Bassinkorea]

You know, I was actually thinking about this re-build a few weeks ago. Glad you got around to getting some more work done and thanks for posting these photos.

It's coming on great 

[blake711]

I had never seen this thread.  Pretty amazing to read the whole thing at once.  This is great you are a real craftsman.

[NRG]

Paint finished .. have to wait till Monday after clear dries to get better pics