(='_'=) Posted May 15, 2012 Posted May 15, 2012 hopefully this is the right forum for this.... as some of you may know because of my previous questions, i am restoring an old bass boat... the boat was given to a friend and me last year, with a broken lower unit, a Johnson (or Evinrude?) 85HP motor that didnt work, no bilge pumps, thorn carpet, thorn seats.... the only thing that worked was the trolling motor.... but it floated and most important, it was free... after some work, we replaced the lower unit, fixed the motor, hooked a bilge pump, and began fishing.... right now the boat runs great, we even use it for skiing when we cant go fishing.... but it is not as pretty as it should be. so, the plan for this summer is to make it beautiful again, so we are going to do a full restore. this is what we have right now: as you see, its old and small, but for the lakes around here, we dont need much more than that.... this is the only pic i have on my FB account, i will look for more of the current status later.... the plan is: - recarpet - fix the upholstery - paint inside - paint (or wrap) oustide - paint motor - add a stereo and speakers - add authomatic bilge pump switch - rebuild rod locker - install flush pedestal seat mounts we are also thinking about extending the front casting deck a little bit, but since we also use the boat for skiing and just hanging around in the water, we havent decided what to do yet.... this is the first time my friend or i try to accomplish something like this.... and we have limited time, as fishing season begins by the end of june and we need to have the boat ready by then.... the only progress we have already done was to remove all the old carpet, and we are beginning to remove everything we need in order to begin sanding and preparing the inside for painting, including the trolling motor, hand rails, etc.... i plan on using this thread to post the progress and get comments from people who have already done this.... this is my PB, a little over 5 lb... this year i will try to catch a bigger one, but if i cant, at least i want the boat to look good while trying.. Quote
Super User Nitrofreak Posted May 15, 2012 Super User Posted May 15, 2012 You have already made a huge improvement with the girl you put in the boat, LOL !!! I wish you all the best of luck, a complete restore is difficult but worth the investment, take your time and I promise, you will enjoy the end result. As far as a wrap goes the bottom of your boat takes a lot of abuse, it may not be a wise choice, the top part (above the water line) however works well. When you recarpet, use tack glue instead of carpet glue, carpet glue can ease up through the fiber and leave stains if you are not carefull. I for one can not wait to see your progress, good luck !!! Quote
Traveler2586 Posted May 15, 2012 Posted May 15, 2012 this is my PB, a little over 5 lb... I'd say your PB is a whee bit more than five pounds, and a fine catch.... Congratulations. Quote
Ima Bass Ninja Posted May 15, 2012 Posted May 15, 2012 I am looking forward to seeing the progress. While you are fixing it up don't forget to spend some money on protective measures like a keel guard and transom saver. Quote
(='_'=) Posted May 15, 2012 Author Posted May 15, 2012 thanx everyone for the comments!! Traveler, i forgot to mention, those are about 5 pound... each hahaha i wish.... Ninja, the transom saver we already have, but i dont know what a keel guard is.... i forgot to mention, i live in Mexico, so, besides English being my second language and me not knowing the terms for some specific words, that has some other implications, like lack of supplies (closest Academy is in El Paso Tx, a 3 hour drive one way).... so most probably you might see some redneck or improvised fixes, but that is mostly because it is difficult and very expensive to get the proper materials or supplies where i live.... but i will do my best to make this boat not only a bass catching machine, but also a girl catching toy... if i could manage to get that girl in the ugly boat, hopefully things will improve with a nicer boat.... one quick question regarding hand rails.... i will remove them to paint or wrap the boat, should i put them back in place or leave the boat without them?? im leaning towards permanently removing them, but want to see some opinions, as we use the boat also for skiing and pulling a tub.... Quote
Ima Bass Ninja Posted May 16, 2012 Posted May 16, 2012 This should help ya. They sell em at academy. It will be my next purchase for my boat. http://www.keelguard.com/ Quote
(='_'=) Posted May 16, 2012 Author Posted May 16, 2012 thanx, ill look for it in Academy next time im there.... meanwhile heres another view of the boat as it was last year, with the tow rig.... hopefully ill take some pics tomorrow of how the boat looks like without the carpet... Quote
(='_'=) Posted May 16, 2012 Author Posted May 16, 2012 thanx Michael!! i have been working on it since 2007, everything was done by myself (bumpers, tube doors, cargo racks)... that proyect is almost over, so now its time to work on the boat... heres a rough schedule of the new proyect: 1) preparation for paint/wraps (sanding, remove everything that can be removed) 2) analyze if we are going to extend the front deck or add more storage space (for this i will post more detailed pictures of the inside of the boat, for you to help me decide on the layout.... its worth noting that i have never even seen another bassboat, all i know about them is from the internet, so i have a rough idea but dont really know what would be best considering this boat is not only used for fishing) 3) build the storage space if needed. this includes installing stereo, speakers, cup holders, rebuild the rod locker... 4) paint the inside of the boat 5) paint/wrap the outside 6) recarpet 7) Miscellaneous. this includes: a) fix the upholstery (my grandmother is doing that for me as soon as i get the materials. im still debating over colors. im thinking about gray as a main color, with the details electric green or blue.... what right now is white would be gray, and what actually is red, would be green or blue, including the carpet, what do you think??? b ) paint motor... the lower unit we got is gray and it looks nice, so the motor will be painted the same color and then maybe i will get some Johnson decals to put on it.... im thinking maybe a decal that says something like "85 Starving Ponies", since it WAS 85HP when new.... c) add authomatic bilge pump switch (already got it, really easy installation, so it will be done when we have a chance) d) install flush pedestal seat mounts (havent got them, but i would really like to have them since the original pedestal mounts take up too much space when not using the boat for fishing) e) install recessed trolling motor foot pedal (i dont know about this one, since i dont know what is under the deck, maybe a flotation device i dont want to cut into.... i have to check, but i think it would be a nice add on....) im sure i will learn a lot with this project, and hopefully help someone avoid the mistakes i may be doing... today i will take some pics of the inside of the boat and post them tomorrow to ask for opinions on the storage/deck.... Quote
Shawn Dompierre Posted May 17, 2012 Posted May 17, 2012 Nice, I like this list, under your floor is usually foam, you can cut it out, of course you have to be sure to have enough space to actually put the pedal inside ( don't just make a random hole ) Take your time stand on the boat and see where you'd like to have it. But in the end its worth the upgrade. Cheers Quote
(='_'=) Posted May 17, 2012 Author Posted May 17, 2012 Nice, I like this list, under your floor is usually foam, you can cut it out, of course you have to be sure to have enough space to actually put the pedal inside ( don't just make a random hole ) Take your time stand on the boat and see where you'd like to have it. But in the end its worth the upgrade. Cheers i am assuming you are referring to the recessed foot pedal, right?? so, if under the floor i find flotation foam, can i just remove it and i wont have a problem?? and yes, since it´s a small boat, i have to check if i will be able to go deep enough to fit the pedal before i reach the bottom of the boat.... thanx!! Quote
Shawn Dompierre Posted May 17, 2012 Posted May 17, 2012 Yes and yes for the removal of the foam part. Quote
(='_'=) Posted May 17, 2012 Author Posted May 17, 2012 ok, thanx Shawn!! i was worried about removing the foam.... another thing, i am assuming the tray must have a drain... where should it go?? or i can just make it somehow removable and pour it once in a while.... anyways, yesterday i worked a little bit on the boat after work... i spent 2.5 hours in removing about 30 bolts, they were so rusted i had to cut most of them off.... but i finally removed the handrails and the pedestal bases.... here are some pics of the boat as it sits right now: one of the front deck: one shot from the rear deck... i have to replace that steering wheel... it is so small because the PO is about 230 pounds, and a little bit more than 6 feet tall, so he didnt fit with a normal steering wheel... another one of the front: one more from behind... here you can see on the lower part of the picture, where the passenger seat is located, and the livewell between the seats: one from the front deck where you can see both livewells and where the 2 seats must go... finally, here is a rough (very rough) diagram of the inside of the boat... the decks are not pictured, only the floor space.... i am having a hard time deciding what do to... i would like more storage space and a bigger casting deck, as sometimes we are 3 fishing from the boat, one on each deck and the third one on the livewell in front of the console.... on the other hand, i am worried about the extra weight of the wood needed to extend the deck, and, about seating room for friends when we just go out to hang out in the water.... if the boat was just for fishing i would extend the deck to be flush with the rear part of the console... but i dont know what do do, what do you sugest?? Quote
Shawn Dompierre Posted May 17, 2012 Posted May 17, 2012 Hi, I would build the desk flush to the console (like most bass boats today) The weight issue is all in how you build it and with what type of material. I would cut into the storage compartment in your front deck and then build the frame like he did.then if budget allows get some aluminum lids made. Or use plywood, 3/4" is great but 1/2" does the job but needs to be supported. (good for small lids and areas that are well supported) Quote
(='_'=) Posted May 17, 2012 Author Posted May 17, 2012 thats exactly how i would like to do it, just leave enough space for the seats... when we ride 3 on the boat, the third person sits in the livewell between the seats anyways... however, since we have the lake 10 minutes from my house, sometimes we will get the boat just to cruise around and have a couple of beers... and on these times we are 5 or 6 people in the boat.... where would i put them?? most of them are girls so i cant just say no to them haha Quote
(='_'=) Posted May 17, 2012 Author Posted May 17, 2012 besides i have to consider the rod locker, which is on the left side of the boat... if i extend the deck, i have to do it in a way which still enables me to use the locker... Quote
Shawn Dompierre Posted May 17, 2012 Posted May 17, 2012 Here's your new option, create only a rod locker, this will create a "fish and ski" style of boat. The rod locker will act like a long seat. Quote
(='_'=) Posted May 17, 2012 Author Posted May 17, 2012 where would you put that rod locker?? the boat already has one, seen in the pictures, on the left side of the boat... it could be used to store rows, ropes, etc, and put the rods on the locker you suggest.... Quote
(='_'=) Posted May 17, 2012 Author Posted May 17, 2012 what do you think about this sketch?? the pink part, what is now the rod locker, could be used to store the oars, ropes, emergency kit, skiis... things that dont get used much.... and the brown part would become the new rod locker... for this i would have to cut into the current storage compartment... i would have to check the lenght to see this configuration would work for 7' rods.... and the rest of the deck (orange area) would have acess doors to several comparments for more gear, equipment, and it would have a cut to put a cooler flush with the deck... what do you think?? i think for fishing it would serve my needs well, but for skiing and just hanging around with 4 or 5 friends?? is there something im not considering?? Quote
Traveler2586 Posted May 17, 2012 Posted May 17, 2012 Question.... How do you pronounce (='_'=) ,,, just in case we meet on a Road Trip or something. Also, if your going to have friends on the boat you need to think about a cooler, or where to put a carry-on while your running WOT. Cheers, Eric Quote
(='_'=) Posted May 17, 2012 Author Posted May 17, 2012 hahaha, its pronounced "Daniel" or as you wish.... and about the cooler, i was thinking on putting one in the space between the front livewell in the deck, making a slot in the plywood to insert one that fits flush to the deck.... Quote
Traveler2586 Posted May 17, 2012 Posted May 17, 2012 hahaha, its pronounced "Daniel" or as you wish.... and about the cooler, i was thinking on putting one in the space between the front live-well in the deck, making a slot in the plywood to insert one that fits flush to the deck.... Hi Daniel, The cooler slot could work. One thing to keep in mind as you plan your project is weight distribution throughout the boat, i.e. gas, batteries, driver, live well water, cooler, seating, anchor, tackle, etc. Start with the current unmovable items, batteries, gas, driver, then offset new items to keep the boat balanced; otherwise the boat may want to steer in one direction better than the other. Look at your plan; if the gas, batteries and driver balance each other out (and they should); you'll through yourself off balance when you fill the forward live-well, so you would need to offset that in some way. Do you have a layout of what is under the seating and deck? Quote
(='_'=) Posted May 17, 2012 Author Posted May 17, 2012 Hi Daniel, The cooler slot could work. One thing to keep in mind as you plan your project is weight distribution throughout the boat, i.e. gas, batteries, live well water, cooler, seating, anchor, tackle, etc. Start with the current unmovable items, batteries, gas, driver, then offset new items to keep the boat balanced; otherwise the boat may want to steer in one direction better than the other. thanx Traveler!! that is really good advice, something i had definitely not considered.... if i decide to extend the deck, i will plan the storage spaces to distribute the weight as evenly as i can.... Quote
(='_'=) Posted May 18, 2012 Author Posted May 18, 2012 Hi Daniel, The cooler slot could work. One thing to keep in mind as you plan your project is weight distribution throughout the boat, i.e. gas, batteries, driver, live well water, cooler, seating, anchor, tackle, etc. Start with the current unmovable items, batteries, gas, driver, then offset new items to keep the boat balanced; otherwise the boat may want to steer in one direction better than the other. Look at your plan; if the gas, batteries and driver balance each other out (and they should); you'll through yourself off balance when you fill the forward live-well, so you would need to offset that in some way. Do you have a layout of what is under the seating and deck? did you modify your post to include this part?? because i missed it yesterday.... here´s a basic description of how the boat weight is distributed: starting on the rear compartments, the gas tank is centered... on the driver´s side i have the batteries and a small tray with a couple oil liters and carb cleaner. on the passengers side, we have a bigger storage box, that we use to store our backpacks with extra clothing, so its really lightweight. now, under the driver´s seat there is a small storage space, you can see the empty hole in the pictures... that space we use to store the food, sandwiches, etc.... and on the passengers seat storage, we have a tray full of tools and miscelaneous parts. however these are really small storage spaces so the weight is not considerable. on the left side we have the rod holder, which normally holds, besides some rods, the oars, so again there is almost no weight in there.... and under the front deck we have another storage space, which holds the straps we use to tie the boat, a tarp, the lights, another backpack, and miscelaneous things, again, not really heavy.... the tackle bags we generally put between the front livewell and the deck, but im thinking a better location would be besides the console, right in the middle of the boat.... Quote
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