Glastron Restoration

Fixed and cruising

2011-08-11T11:04:00.000-04:00

I fixed the windscreen a while back, took a lot of time and effort to get it in place. All the custom work I did last time on the arms, connections, etc had to be re-customized. This is cause the plastic is never the same and multiple curves on multiple planes really makes it tricky. I can see why newer CVX's don't have the top frame to remove complexity! This one is plexiglass(R) and shows little heat waves in the bends. But it was a lot cheaper. I went with Edston if I didn't mention that. Last one was Polycarb, cold bent. All in all, no one could tell the difference except me.

Above is a 6 hour tour we did of the lake last month (with a support boat for fun!). It was a blast to check out this boat for such a long period of time. Its fun but waves kill you.

Some more:

Windshield plastic being fabricated

2011-05-05T08:07:00.001-04:00

Well, lots of delay here. First, a guy on Classic Glastron's group offered me a top brace, but disappeared (after I paid him $45). He may come around and pay me back (couldn't get the plastic out of the frame) or send it with the plastic cut. Either way, I had mine re-bent into shape. I got a couple quotes, one from WEMFG out in CA (who did it last time) for $575 plus I have to send the frame in (good for accuracy, bad for shipping costs). Locally, they wanted $1,000 since they had to make jigs, etc. Finally I got a decent price out of Edston, in MI. He's on it right now and has made many, so I don't need to send the frame. Should be back in place in a couple weeks. Our lake is at record high (3 feet above flood) which is amazing considering how big this lake is, so there will be no G-troning for a while anyway.

Top frame bent back into shape

2011-04-09T19:01:00.000-04:00

Outside! Not working on the Jetflite tho. The top frame got back from a Pro metal guy and it looks great. Hard to tell there was a bend in it except for the marks left by some gripping devices. Wow, I'm impressed. I'll cancel the purchase of the top frame from some guy on the Classic Glastrons site (who hasn't sent it in 4 weeks). I paid for it too. Here I am sanding with 160 around the dents, then 260 the whole thing (to get the anodizing off).

Plan lots of discs removing anodizing.
I went thru 6 on this one part

You can see the dents from the tool

Dent flush

Complete with 360 wetsand back and forth for the brushed look.
That way it'll hold the clear I plan to apply.

Nother shot of the finished part. WooWee

Now off to the plastics house (local this time I think) to get some quotage. Oh, btw, the lower frame now looks like poo poo with this new top part. Oh well, 6 more discs.

Removing the windshield

2011-03-26T21:38:00.001-04:00

Rear cannon damage from a boat I was chasing

I've been needing to replace this since Q is on another project. I forgot how tight it is between the dash, the seat and the steering wheel. About one human body width, contorted to an "S".

Looks muscle without the screen

I think we'll try to bend this top extrusion back to shape with some heat. Any tips from the gallery, please, chime in. I may make some kind of bending die.

Alum extrusion (top windshield) bend

Next is take the engine off to re-glass the back deck to hull, but I think I'll wait for warmer temps to do all this in a day.

Man, I keep looking all over this boat expecting to see more damage but don't see any. Weird to think how much snow was on it. One bent windshield frame and a chip out of the paint.

Crunch

2011-02-23T10:01:00.000-05:00

This is the last thing I wanted to do on a cold February day. Seeing the little boat smashed with a mountains worth of snow on top was a downer but with so much in front of me, it was "get to it" time.

The little white tent was no match for 14" of heavy wet snow (probably caved at 6"). Smashed the windshield and chipped the paint in a small spot (the bent frame hit there). Aside from a good thousand pounds resting on it, it came out unscathed. Amazing, really. I have a new (used) top frame coming and I'll check the best place to get a new windshield. Its worth it for this boat. I keep looking at it to see what else is hurt but can't find anything! The picture was taken well after I removed most of the snow sitting on the boat. It looked totally smashed when I came upon it. It's not stored where I live, so it's sometimes hard to watch the snow buildup. Live and learn (but I probably won't).

Moving along

2010-11-19T08:51:00.003-05:00

It's been a couple years (and two Hobie Cat refurbs) and time to get moving on another project. I'll post the new link here in another couple days. It is a boat. It is free. It will be a slower project as I'm in the busy season for sleds. Any guesses? Small.

OK, here it is!

Remember that old Holsclaw trailer?

2010-04-02T13:37:00.003-04:00

A year and a half later (took that long to get him from $300 down to $200) I have the trailer of my dreams. Well, future dreams, with a coat of paint and new carpet this baby will be a chariot. It really is a chariot now in terms of ride. Look at the springs and there's even shocks on each side to boot. It's now fitted perfectly to the many keel rollers, bunk rollers. I cut off a foot on the back, and a foot on the front (was a 17 footer), am working on the bow stop rubber and a broken roller. Not sure when I'll get around to sandblasting the thing but soon! Holsclaw made some tough trailers but went out of business a few decades ago. Thick steel, little rust for the age, very nice ride.

Fly Glastron

2009-07-29T09:33:00.008-04:00

Find more videos like this on HAMMERHEAD SLEDS

Parting thoughts

2009-07-06T07:10:00.003-04:00

I've been told I could get many thousands for this boat I guess based on the classic, uniqueness (pimp my ride) appeal. Of course you couldn't post it on craigs list-- 15 foot '79 Glastron, $10,000. HA! But positioned at the right visual location with high end cars-- maybe more.

This is the kind of project made for busy minds and bodies. To make it fun, it has to be creative. To make it possible, you have to have the space and tools. Not just the basics but things like compressor, tons of clamps, multiple grinders, taps, hole saws, punches, extra log drill bits, engine hoist and snap ring pliers.

Winter is project time, so space in warmth is key. Summer is too nice to work on anything but Cubs games, and Tennis and Corona.

It was fun overall and kept me really busy. I'm thankful to have parents willing to give up space, food and tools, a fiancee to live life simply, be and let be, and dogs who love to hang out while I work. I needed this outlet in the tough start-up business life.

I think I kept to the original philosophy of keeping it true to the roots with an updated appeal. Not as corny as I would have liked but thats a tough one with only one boat to play with. Corn edges on tacky which is not quite what I had in mind. Better to stray on the classy side of tack.

I think some cars are retro'd right (Beetle, Mini) but most are not (PT, Camaro, Mustang). The difference is the detail that was once there in the oldies (cool metal trim for nothing but bling). The Camaro looks like the shape of one old version but there's no chrome, emblems, scoops, stuff! It looks like 69 Camaro that was left on the streets of Harlem for a week. GM, c'mon, follow my lead! This is what people want. Not a shape.

Dunno whats next but I'll fire up something this fall. Ultralight? Glastron CVX 16? House stuff?I'll get a trailer and customize that sometime and start tinkering with the Evinrude.

Thanks for watching, have a good summer.

Dad and I looking at the rotten, holey, bent, faded hulk the day we got it.

What I didn't know then!

Over and Out.

C'est Fini

2009-07-03T21:19:00.005-04:00

Done.

Minor tweaks for sure but it's finished and floated beautifully. Some fuel problems that i'll fix tomorrow (bad connector), and a flakey kill switch. The steer hole in the back needs a flapper to keep water out on fast decelerations.

It goes fast and the acceleration was something I wasn't used to even in planes. Bruce and I on the maiden voyage took a while to get going but once we did.... 45 felt like it took 3 seconds. And like the sled, at a foot or so off the deck, seems much faster.

Seat install

2009-07-03T06:52:00.004-04:00

Hey whats new, its taking three times longer to get the seats in than I planned. One day to see where they go and maneuver, connect the bases and another to get all the nuts bolts, washers, lock washers to do the job, then another to start the install only to find out you have half the correct fasteners you need and the fit is not perfect and so on and so forth. I think I have this rascal beat with 3rd stop at Lowe's for some fender washers (wider to disperse more on the soft base wood and look better), lock washers and more. At the end I will be happy with it (don't want no seat bouncing into the drink). I'm getting very tired and frustrated these past project days not sure if its the boat project finally coming to its max or what but I haven't been able to see problems and solutions clearly. A couple extra eyes is helping me out lately. I would have easily settled on less than perfect finishes in many areas. Oh well.

Maiden Voyage today god willing and the creek don't rise.

Seats back and ready

2009-07-01T08:49:00.008-04:00

Its a very nice job, not perfect, there are some wrinkles, but they don't take away from the coolness of the project or diminish it in any way. I think I can take some out if I want to spend more time on them, its a matter of stretching, adjusting the foam times the square root of my steep learning curve. May even come out over time. The color goes real well with the creme hull and the rug as planned but not so well with the adjusted gold sparkle. (Adjusted at the paint shop for best match with the hull.) Hindsight, I would pick the seat color after all else was in and set. It's still cool. I may add some of that seat gold to the trim in areas to help. Setting them in place showed me I needed to move the throttle once again and that its a glove in terms of sitting in the drivers seat. Reminds me of getting in an F-4 Fantom. But thats COOL!

Stapled my palm last night. Two staplers, one has the handle facing back, the other facing forward, Grabbed the wrong one at the wrong time and happened to brace it with my hand.

Out.

PL 4

2009-06-29T19:26:00.001-04:00

Punch list 3

2009-06-27T19:01:00.003-04:00

Cut out for the steering travel

Stocked the bar

Working on the oil tank tiedown

Misc fixes

Punch list

2009-06-26T21:04:00.005-04:00

Raised engine one hole up since I forgot to do this in the ruckus to get it on. Crud.

Check out the Glastron emblem above

Made rough out of martini glass holder. Note cig light shining on it from above. I'll ID it to make it look better.

Checked the prop measurements

Can't remember what else. Tomorrow I need to make the oil tank holder, stock with Vodka and Vermouth, load up with gear (paddle, life jackets, ropes, etc.).

Punch list

2009-06-26T08:03:00.004-04:00

Another view of the trim

Reconnectified the wires.

Mounted the Glastron emblem (no pic, its being clamped at the moment)

Decided to go with Adirondack seating style

Installed rug trim to keep the rug from lifting near the gas tanks and battery. Drilled right thru the hull. I'm getting fast near the end and cutting corners. Need to slow down. Breath, relax. There. Got it patched and it's unnoticeable with my great expertise now with resin, filler, gelcoat and color mixing.

T minus seats and counting

2009-06-24T21:23:00.004-04:00

Trim is in place for the most part. I need a couple longer brass screws for some thicker areas but its in and looks smart. OK, I give credit to my dad who suggested taking the pearl pickguard material and fab-ing some buttons. Plays off the switch panel very nicely. Of course it took longer than simply buying something. The fabric is punched thru then the whole thing is drilled in place with clamps with machine screws and nuts/lockwashers.

Was I not supposed to drill through the main wiring harness for the engine? Cause if I wasn't I didn't know that.

I couldn't have planned that one better. I mean if I was trying to drill through the cable, the drill would have slipped and I would have nicked good paint. And how did it fall from the gunwale to the exact place I had a button planned? It actually cut into 4 wires and bummed me out a bit.

Interior trim

2009-06-23T20:54:00.004-04:00

Finally getting to the inside trim (again). I think this is our third whack at it. Upholstery is not my fine suit and the trim fit is changing as the boat moves along. I'd suggest not starting this until it's time (second to last item followed by seats). For instance my new warning gauge install required me to cut out portion of the trim. Another for instance is the martini cabinet door needed another cutout that I didn't anticipate. My mom got the hang of it after some experimenting so the cutouts are nice and smooth and unnoticeable from the front. (Don't look behind the curtain!) One more night of heavy trim install and that section will be done. I need to get some brass machine screws and make some button pleats out of the pick guard material, then punch some holes on the fabric/wood, drill in the deck walls and install. Then one or three nights on the seat install. Maybe July 3 for maiden trip with a shakedown cruise this weekend. I tell you if I had another 6 months of this, I'd shelve it and move much slower and most likely finish in time to convert it from "classic" to "antique". There is not enough Full Throttle or Rockstar to keep me going. Although I do look relaxed in these photos.

Out.

Where to go

2009-06-23T08:10:00.005-04:00

Where to go with this beauty once its done?

Naked Turtle

Classic Boat Show in Westport this year.

Old Dock Restaurant MAP

Breakwaters to see my friends band

Ken and Karen's house way up nord (Southern Canada) He wishes his town would secede.

Basin Harbor Club

Last gauges wired

2009-06-22T21:31:00.005-04:00

And they all seem to work (volt meter, trim, RPM). These are the ones that use power from the key switch i.e. turn off when key is off. Wire colors were just as the I-boat forum people said they'd be. I like that site.

Transom Buddy

2009-06-22T21:21:00.003-04:00

You could buy those dedicated, one function transom stiffeners or the new multi-purpose TRANSOM BUDDYtm. Yes, now you can strengthen your weak old motor mount AND store your collection of shot glasses stolen from every bar you visited since you were in high school! Here is the TRANSOM BUDDY in action. Notice the cool, low profile shelf for your collection. Sleek space-aged aluminum forged from 6063 billets provide the strength. L beam shaping creates a very stable platform even in the most demanding Bond application INCLUDING JUMPS! Yes the TB is rated for jumps up to 20 meters*

*Not valid and Warranty void in most all US States and the rest of the world

Controls, engine wires/hoses,/cables routed

2009-06-21T21:09:00.009-04:00

It was pretty quick to get the engine stuff routed and mounted. This is the engine warning indicator that came with the engine. Drilled out a new hole for it. The oil wires were tricky to get off and on (had to get into the pump which is in the tank). Throttle and choke, were pretty simple connections at the engine. Super lucky the lengths were good (long = lots of coils). Small boat meant not much threading. I just threw the wires up and over the gunwales and they rest on the foam in the sides.

Getting the throttle panel on took some work, special screws, two shims to angle it just right and guessing of placement (no seats to check ergonomics, but lots of pics of other boats. I've got it low for best comfort.

The battery wires were a tad tight since I have the battery on the opposite side most boats. It should be fine.

Oil tank is not mounted yet but placed in there. Tach is not wired as is not the trim. Need a schematic fo that. Tightened it all up with wire ties.

Ran the engine! It didn't start right away and turns out I only had 3 problems, one correction at a time. Gas wasnt priming, oil wasnt primed (enough) and finally kill switch wasnt connected correcty (different than the Yammi). Blue smoke to prove it ran.

The size, color and shape of this nice engine make the boat look pretty killer.

Here is the transom bracket to spread out the load of the bolts. I need to sandblast it then install. I decided to mount engine one hole up to start.

Just after I quit for the evening, I decided to tilt all the way out and try the steering. Of course with the engine out all the way, the steering arm rotated 90 degrees and didnt fit in my custom hole. Now I have a ugly, jagged hole and a new trim plate to try to hide it.

It's killin me

2009-06-20T20:48:00.005-04:00

Pretty battle scarred after a full saturday unmounting and remounting the engine a few times. Once to drill the steer cable hole (drill didn't fit), then once again to attach the cable (wouldn't bend enough in that short distance). I also had to drill a hole for the opposite end steering bar travel since the splashwell is too narrow. I guess I could have left it and had only left turn capabilities. In and out of the boat umpteen, no umpscore times. Great calisthenics. Lots of cuts, just missed smashing a finger under the engine clamp, and am now still peeling epoxy off body parts. It's a crazy time this final stretch. I keep saying it 90% done,90% to go. Still need to take the engine bolts out and 5200 them as well as get big washers or better, a transom plate. At least it now STEERS!

I got another hole 2 1/2" for all the cable/hoses drilled and a trim plate made. Strung the cables just for checking length and other issues. They need to come out again for the trim plate. Mounted the control panel and am awaiting some bigger screws for the throttle mounting. The only unknown coming up is wiring the engine stuff. Tach, voltmeter tied to the ignition switch. May be easy, may not. I thought the throttle panel was going to be easy but had to fab a shim to make it parallel to the wall and I'll have to make another for the throttle so it doesn't scrape the side. Even got out the epoxy to seal the new holes and paint the trim piece (pic to come). Too tire to finish this sentan

Johnson strapped on

2009-06-19T20:27:00.004-04:00

This went very easy compared to say, mounting it on the stand. I guess by the third try it gets easier. We clamped the engine to the transom using C Clamps and my centering line then used the engine mounting holes as guides to drill the 1/2" holes through the clean transom. Looking for some big washers to spread the load out more than the standard ones. The engine is currently mounted on the top holes (standard) but I plan to raise the engine one or two holes once I start fine tuning. Bigger engines running faster benefit from this in terms of speed, steering, etc. Some raise enough to have the blades breaking the surface and use a special prop. For now it's fine. DONT DRILL STEER HOLES UNTIL YOU KNOW HOW HIGH YOURE MOUNTING THE ENGINE

Now for the hard work, drilling holes, routing cables, wires and hoses, mounting the throttle control, oil tank, etc.

Just for yucks we dropped it in the water for an official splash down one day early. Hey, I didn't say it had to run! Floated great. We did this really to trade trailers. The boat with engine couldn't be balanced so it kept pitching up like a bad see saw. Now we're good. My dad was so amazed it floated that he forgot to take pictures.

Glued in carpet, marked centerline of transom

2009-06-18T21:27:00.006-04:00

Finally scribed the centerline for the engine. I used a laser level along with getting the boat as level on the trailer as possible, and also measuring from the chines to center. Should be good to mount maybe tomorrow.

I did not simply use the top of the transom for this measurement as it may seem from the picture of laser leveler. As you may be able to see, the transom is not even with the deck. Partially, the deck is not on perfect and the transom top is not level either. The hull is the most accurate for this job.

Cleaned up the transom drain with one more coat of gelcoat closer to the correct color, then trimmed it out with the no skid tape.

Then laid in the carpet with glue. Takes a lot of glue, I didnt have a trowel so used a roller (thick). Went thru a gallon pail I think. It was messy and I did have to clean off lots of glue from the carpet. All in all it went good. We'll see if it sticks. Luckily the seats take up 80% of the visible floor and wall space in this boat.

Use the trowel recommended for the job (teeth distance, etc) It will go much easier!

Hey, here's me on VPR radio yesterday. It's about patents.

Workin to get the engine mounted

2009-06-17T20:34:00.004-04:00

Almost finished with the drain hole- that took me back a couple days and the martini cabinet which took me back another couple days since the door didn't fit after the deck was installed and I didn't figure that out until after it was covered with material. You'll notice I changed the cabinet fabric-- now a black long-haired (ex-spinal tap wig) shag. The black tape near the drain is anti-skid tape I'm using as a trim around the gelcoat I applied. Not the best plan but it will work.

Next project?

2009-06-17T08:10:00.007-04:00

Quicksilver MX Sprint Ultralight
It's all here in the driveway. Wings, control surfaces, frame, engine, prop, landing gear. Just needs fabric, some cables, new bolts, rebuild engine (rotax 40hp 447). Believe me I tried to give it away to no avail. (Don't start calling me cause I'd only give it to someone I trusted to make it airworthy and fly safely.)

"Ran last time I used it, 10 years ago. Should just need simple assembly and a tune up. Turnkey and go fly."

Rub rail insert

2009-06-11T21:00:00.003-04:00

If you wanna inflame your tendonitis or carpal tunnel, put a vinyl rubrail insert in. Too fun. Best to heat it up with a heat gun or tub of hot water and twist it in as you go one inch at a time. I had to saw off some of the bottom of the rear aluminum trim (top photo) to get it to fit with minimal gaps. The nose piece was perfect with a nice piece of alum to screw into behind the hull.

Splashwell drain

2009-06-11T14:00:00.003-04:00

Splashwell drain hole came out a bit too low. It's a tough drill with not much room inside and a guess from the outside. I piloted a smaller hole from the inside but still I couldn't get it straight and perfect. So I'll have to do more glassing from the top and underneath (lovely). Need this done so I can mount the engine.

Also got the metal trim all on in the stern. Now just need to grind the metal corner trim piece to fit my new stern shape. Don't think this ever fit hence all the goop in there over the years but I don't have a picture to confirm. Take 200 pictures of your boat before restoration.

Big Johnson

2009-06-07T09:25:00.010-04:00

The question was, "Steve, how can you see the finish line when the Evinrude is so far from completion [and hopes of it actually working near zero]?"

Luckily I've had feelers out there all winter for a back-up plan (which is now THEE plan). Finally after months of looking a simple wanted ad in the VT Craigs list turned up a decent engine. Price: too good to list; Year: 1999; compression: 130, 125, 130, 125; Nort

hern engine (low hours); No salt; A little big, but hey. Here is the rough find:

Bad trim switch, bad warning buzzer, way too greased.

Loading into the van in Rouses Point:

Unloaded in Charlotte (with tractor, trailer, come-along and hoist, just me and my dad)

(and mom making sandwiches of course).

Cleaned up of the years of grease (seems every dealer that touches the winterization or de-winterization thinks he has to add a tube or grease to the steering and brackets. And no one wipes off the excess). Reminds me of my tractor. Anyway, new lower unit (factory!) Makes my stand seem a little small.

Working on the trim switch (it was a faulty contact).

Seeing the finish line

2009-06-05T08:27:00.002-04:00

Final layout of the carpet

Painted the transom one last time (gelcoat)

Cleaned up the garage quite a bit

Last coat on Evinrude bracket

BEST glastron resto boat project

2009-06-03T13:33:00.005-04:00

Why buy new when you can do this???? A little less work than my project but..

V143 Glastron Jetflite

VT 7796S

2009-06-03T12:57:00.002-04:00

Registered. $40 includes sales tax is one of the lowest cost items so far (aside from mixing sticks). But maybe not I forgot to factor n the DMV drive, wait time, missing paperwork, address change... scratch that.

Expect a knarly looking set of numbers for the bow.

Footrests finished off

2009-06-02T20:50:00.006-04:00

Found some cool aluminum pieces at the scrap metal yard that are ready to go as 60's style pedal-looking accoutrement. First brushed them with a circular brass brush to add some swirls then sanded and spray painted the kick pads with the truck bed liner (rubbery) then screwed in the metal for a kewel looking finish. They look better in real life if anyone has a real life.

Tiki Bar takes direct hit!

2009-05-31T20:26:00.004-04:00

This weekend I was able to apply one coat of gel to the back end, pretty decently matched to the Volvo Creme Yellow on the hull. I knew I'd never get the sparkle matched so this was the best option (the rubberized truck bed stuff was not tough enough on the sample piece). I used some yellow to make the pastel creme color.

Also got the battery tray painted and glassed in, then hooked up the battery. Gas tanks are now strapped down as well with kayak straps sitting around and some 5200 in the

screw holes for security and weathertight to the floor.

Huge storm hit north of us. I heard what sounded like a jet too low but it was the wind and waves crashing on the shore. Wind hit 50 mph maybe more. I wheeled the tron in the garage cause it looked like a tree limb could come down on it, then went to check on the Whaler. Waves were 20 maybe 50' in wavelength and slamming into the side of the boat (on the lift), when I got there, it was full of water just from that. I pulled the plug, wound it up another foot then ran back trying to stay on the dock with both feet and hands. Neighbor dock which is long was smashed to pieces of twisted metal and shards of cedar planks. Of course I didn't have the camera. Never have I seen spray from the tops of the waves 20' in the air in almost 40 years there. Tiki bar took a direct hit and we'll need a new umbrella. There may be some PBR cans down shore as well.

Pics of latest work

2009-05-28T19:42:00.003-04:00

Rev 2.0 of Battery tray. Uh, first one got foam eaten by the wrong resin. This one is epoxy with a wood top (still a foam core). It contours the hull beautifully.Looks bad, but is pretty smooth!

Pretty smooth and even here too. Hours turned into days, days into weeks.
Where its taped is where I'll spray the truckbed liner or gelcoat it.
Some tiedowns for the fuel and the pump

Misc

2009-05-26T09:45:00.004-04:00

I've been working on the back end-- sanding, filling, making the connection from the top cap to the hull nice and smooth. Not much to show in the way of pictures yet. but one more day and I should be ready to paint it and finish the rail in the back, add the rubber and be done with it. Also I've located the tanks, and battery, and placed brackets where they will strap down. The windshield took another hour of work as we found out the top frame was floating and one could lift on my new rock-solid side rail and lift off the top of the windshield. So maybe 8 hours now on that whole windshield. I also tidied up the wires after making sure everything still worked. Of course it didn't so some troubleshooting was in order. Fuses blown, bad cig lighter, the usual. Pump wires and hoses had to be sent all the way to the transom to allow the big tanks to fit in. I locked that in place too without drilling into the transom of course. Looking for some truck-bed paint to use in the splashwell area where all the work is being done and all the oil/grease seems to accumulate in 2-stroke boats.

Reminders for next build:
1. Locate fuse panel on dash or in some place you can get to once the top is on the bottom. Mine was close to being a disaster as it is reachable from the back end but my foam is in the way for clean access.
2. Mark wires even though you know where they go. Snafu's happen.
3. Don't glass in 150 foot rests until the end. They tend to make hull stiff and not necessarily in the correct place. Also you need to get up in there to work while connecting the two parts.

Time to see some working GT-150's

2009-05-20T14:16:00.005-04:00

The girl in the bottom shot makes you realize how small a boat it is.

One foot in front of the other

2009-05-20T09:26:00.002-04:00

Sometimes it's hard to work on the 'tron with everything else going on. The good thing is it's relaxing WHEN you can soak yourself into it for an hour or 5. It's about allocating time, any time even 15 min to FOCUS. Otherwise its not so fun. Last night was just one little thing. But they add up fast when you look back.

Out.

Windshield, side rails in and mega secure

2009-05-16T15:31:00.004-04:00

First I coated the back end of the boat with more thickened resin for fillet and sanding. Then went to work on completing the side rails and they came out better than anticipated. Still looks original and is tough tough tough. Glad I put that thick piece of wood as backer for that big screw.

That whole process took about 7 hours.

I keep thinking I'm getting close to completion and then I can think of about 100 more hours of stuff to do. 90% done, 90% to go rule I guess.

Switch panel in, windshield side bars fabricated

2009-05-15T10:02:00.009-04:00

Don't mess with the controls unless you know what you're doing.

Above is the cut and fit of the side bar made to mate to the cap. Below is the connection I'm using to mate the front windshield frame to the side bars. Since they are different extrusions it's needed as the connector AND the trim. It'll be 10x stronger than the old pair (that got bent from using as grab rail, see Bond exit below).

Connector still needs to be cleaned up, screws picked, drilled, tapped and installed.

Windshield

2009-05-14T01:19:00.006-04:00

Since the windshield arrived back in one piece, it was too exciting not to put it back in place. It looks sweet. It's not perfect- I wish it had the slight bend in the very front and the overall shape is not perfect making the install and fit not perfect. No one could tell but me and a handful of Tron convention attendees. I used some leftover putty designed for Cessna windshields since it was there and this project continues off reduced purchases (glad I saved all the old rubrail screws). The tricky part is the new thicker side braces. I cut two to length and beveled (angled) the far ends (its a compound cut so beware). Now I need to rout out the inner section to allow the glass to fit in. Then bolt it all in.

Dan at WEMFG did a great job on the replacement glass (Acrylic) but the shipping cost was crazy from VT to CA.

It's not as dark as you see in the garage picture, same color, medium

bronze.

Glassing on the back end

2009-05-09T17:30:00.005-04:00

The back end had two problems, the first being the top and bottom not matching very well. Basically it had an overbite that needed correcting. It never was right guessing from the work people have done on it over the years. Back there I basically stuffed lots of long strips of glass to make a seal and good connection. I'll fill the rest with bondo or thickened resin. The other problem was the warped cap from the years of warped transom. I had to cut it all out and start over. Here I layered 2 layers of mat glass then the heavy duty biax , then a layer of nice woven. Of course the layers were bigger as I laid them up so as to "fill the crater". The back end is now locked together. Need to do some serious sanding, filling without dinging the nice paint.

I also started the fabrication of a battery tray. After an hour of figuring on the placement and securement (sure its a word, look it up), it became evident I needed something custom here. I did read other people's posts on this and blew it off figuring there had to be a simpler way. Not. I have it set up for 2x 6 gal fuel tanks back there and the battery. The battery is on the side so one end of the battery can be mounted to the flat wood floor but the other is sitting on the bare hull (which is curved to boot). Can't drill in there for fear of striking water. And screw ends slow down the boat. So its a foam block found in the basement made to fit the hull shape and the battery. It'll get glassed up then glassed in with the straps mounted. pics to come.

Glastron Hookie: Take your dog to work day

2009-05-04T21:17:00.005-04:00

Our history of boats- boats 3 and 4

2009-05-03T16:36:00.000-04:00

The Larson got sold due to lack of use, I guess us kids were on to social things that everyone could do (cars). I think I was the only real boater aside from my dad.

So when I got out of college we soon got a cheap Sea Ray Seville of 1982 vintage. Good boat for the money but under powered and small (17' I think). Really for lake Champlain, you need an ocean going boat if you plan to use it regularly. The screws widen their holes, seats come loose, floorboards creak. That Sea Ray lasted 2 or 3 years

then the Formula came (synonymous with Thunderbird). Yikes, Merc 350 Magnum, thru hull, with SS prop went 60 right on the button (gas was gone by the time you hit 60). LOTS of boating for a bunch of years. It was a claret 1986 206-LS.

I think airplanes were what put an end to boating life for a while. That plus a major storm that took out the dock and crippled the boat lift. I heard the fellow who finally bought it (took forever to sell) missed one drain plug (out of about 5) and cracked the block.

I guess the GT-150 can be considered the poor mans Formula! Or at least the rice burner.

got er done

2009-05-03T11:01:00.005-04:00

Top is on. Good bead of silicone (use something slow curing cause it takes some time to get it all right). I used some extra screws in the places it came loose originally. I figured those were weak areas around the corners, pulling stress. Lots'o glassing coming up. I'm officially at the 3/4 done phase.

Doggy (supersized paws and head):

LuLu

get er done

2009-05-02T20:24:00.002-04:00

Thinking I might have the boat back in one piece tomorrow. I took the top off, did a couple last minute things like run the pitot tube out, grind more for the a switch, re-designed the front backing system for the cap screws (metal plate handling the nose piece screw and the first 2 rub rail screws) and re-did the martini cabinet covering with staples AND glue (didn't like the floatiness of the fabric without the glue). Mostly a miscellaneous day in prep for the BIG day Sunday. Did some work on the Whaler seats, sailboat and painted the rest of the Evinrude parts too-- It's now a good lookin basket of parts. Got all the silicone and some 5200 lined up for the capping party.

Crud, my WRX tranny died or is dying and I need a new used one at like 4k. Geez, there's half an E-tec. But.. got the little puppy today from Alabama so all else is forgotten for the moment. All eyes NEED to be on LuLu 24 x 7 x 2. I looked a way for about a half a nanosecond cause I thought she was sleeping and she was all the way thru the power cord of my neck massager and I need that thing. I plan to lose a tool or two tomorrow during the capping session.

Cap #1

2009-04-25T20:57:00.002-04:00

Two of us were able to get the top lowered and screwed together. It took some careful planning and a makshift jig. The top doesn't just fall into place. It's floppy, inconsistent shape, you name it. The biggest thing we found was that it's simpler to get the front started with accurate original holes, then prop the deck up or down where needed. I used some blocks of wood to hold the deck's front corners up and pushed up on the stern rear quarters hull (= down on deck) . Inside I had to push out the hull up near the front sides. All to make the hulls fit near where they used to be and allow the screws to reach the backing wood. In the very front we used sheet metal nuts as the backing wood wouldn't stay in place for screwing. Took pretty much a full day to get this done (was too tired to do anything else anyway .) Looks good. It could have been even better (two places on both sides that are just not perfect to the expert eye, me). Would be pumped but it all comes apart for silicone and fiberglass.and let me tell you, it needs silicone with the light I saw coming through the gaps. Next weekend after we get the new puppy.

Jazz panel

2009-04-24T20:58:00.005-04:00

Here is my Fender Jazzmaster inspired switch panel made from pearl blue pickguard material. It was drawn up based somewhat on the body shape (more like a characature) then fit tested, then transferred to a stock piece of pickguard, then cut with a band saw then beveled with a belt sander to get the 3-D effect of the materials' layers. I know some people use a router to 45 the edges but this makes it much more dynamic with deeper angles at the ends or wherever. It flows better. Then held it in place for hole locations to be marked, then to the drill press to cut clean holes with Emma's centering expertise.

It's off to the engraver for some labels. (Ejection Seat, Rear Rocket, Smoke Screen, Marbles)

Deck set, checked, lifted, planned out

2009-04-24T08:46:00.005-04:00

OK, got some feedback from the glastron boys at the classic glastron site on what they've done to get this right. I'm going to seat it with screws (rub-rail for hole locations) starting from the front. Drilling holes and screwing moving aft. May need to get inside to push out the hull sides. We'll be able to check what's wrong before silicone. And decide what to glass in on the back before continuing. Then take it all off, silicone and do it again.

In the stern splashwell where I need to glass, we figured it will get painted with the textured tough paint in a black or something. It's the working area kinda like the splash guard area on rocker panels of cars. Too difficult to match the glitter. There's usually 2 stroke oil and lube back here anyway.

Our history of boats- boat 2

2009-04-22T10:00:00.002-04:00

Larson!
18' All-American

1970 model kept through 79ish

Parents were all-american (wasn't everyone back then?) with a pair of Chevy Novas as well. (Now drive an Acura so I guess all are not immune to quality.) (JK)

Pokey the dog sunned on the back engine cover deck and one time (going a good clip then hitting a wave) you know what happened next- she disappeared. She was a good doggy.

So we circled around and picked her up.

Lots of use, lots of big waves.

Good to cap

2009-04-21T22:26:00.005-04:00

As promised:

Switch panel grinded

Transom sanded

Wine cab covered

Next couple days

2009-04-21T10:09:00.008-04:00

Finalizing things before top gets put back on

Sanding the transom of both pieces to glass together
Last minute foam additions
Removed left kick board so I can get up front and push the hull out to screw halves together
Grind out behind switches for my new switch plate (it'll make the panel too thick to fit the switches, so need to grind some material away)
Cover wine cab (ski locker) with fabric (easier now)
Final decision on cap connections (silicone, gasket, other?)

Brucie and others are on call for a Thursday capping ceremony.

Additional picture of the new Glastron Sidekick! Again, Golden Huggs Rescue gets dogs out of the high kill zone down south up here to VT in either foster homes or final homes. Trucks are moving them up to VA, MA, NH, VT every weekend. Crazy. Getting on truck May 1. Wooo hoo!

Life outside restoration

2009-04-20T08:58:00.005-04:00

Sunday was a down day- working on the house, relaxing, etc. BUT working on getting this little dudette from a shelter. She needs to be driven quite a ways but fits the size and personality of what we need living in a burb in a double-wide. Bloodlines, pedigree and lineage all are up to spec: USDA certified Mutten Cake. (Needs to be saved.)

Seat foam, interior trim, badge

2009-04-18T16:05:00.012-04:00

Upholstery is not my gig and if I was made of money (ok, had any money) I would sub this out BIG TIME. Made it through the seat foam. Again, using most of the old foam and replacing the thin, worn out stuff. I used spray adhesive to make everything hold together somewhat before covering.

Started the interior trim and got way too frustrated with that, so punt, think about alternative way to trim this out. I think I can do it now but will need another yard of fabric and more staples (learning curve is tough on staples).

You can see what it used to look like and the process of vinyl, foam, wood pieces, staples. Looks easy huh? Negatory good buddy. Can you wrap Christmas presents? If no, proceed to different project.

I quit early to keep sanity in check.

How bout the badgery on the stern?

Ridin phat.

Get a dog

2009-04-16T10:44:00.005-04:00

Economic recession got ya down? Get a dog.

Some seat shop shots. (Say it once.)

This stuff is pure black magic to me. Lisa is doing a great job so far on the cushions. A super shop with great cutting table and tools is obviously key.

I just need to round off the corners of the wood a bit and they are ready to be mounted. They'll be real tight to look nice and puffy- not dried lemony.

I've been dreading the foam sculpting part but will need to finish it this weekend if I want to stay ahead of her.

Not much

2009-04-15T20:40:00.005-04:00

Couldn't get in gear today. Too many things to do, lots of small things, not too exciting things. I did get the seat frames vinylester resined for protection and added some glass to the thin pieces that the seat cushions rest on. Thought it needed it after a section cracked at a screw. I need to get them to the woman who is making the seats so there is no mistaking what goes where.

Spent most of my time de-upholstering the Whaler seats due to condensation inside, I need to make them stay drier.

Hey, got to sandblast the mid section! Yeah, got most of the crud off now just need a little more off and an acetone bath when it gets a bit warmer for painting. I want to paint outside now.

Seat foam

2009-04-14T21:09:00.015-04:00

Looking again at the seat foam, I decided to use what was decent and not throw everything away. Yeah it smells a little dingy but what the hoo. These seat cushions on left were a bit compressed so I added some foam (blue/green and grey) where needed and glued them together. Funny, the seat makers back when patched these things together with whatever scrap was laying around. The white top is their addition to 3 of the 4 seats. There's nothing "standard" about the seat foam pieces. The seat back foam is a bit tricky in makeup so I'm waiting to find an electric turkey knife.

The fabric/thread/welt/backing foam is in and at a friends house to be

cut and sewn along with the old covers as a pattern. She's just starting with upholstery as a business and hobby but what the hoo, why not learn on my seats? I'm waiting for a nice warm day (tomorrow?) to epoxy coat the seat frames so they have a little protection before we mount the fabric.

Made a box for the windshield to ship off to the experts. Upon formal review, it would be safer to have someone familiar with these windshields make one rather than us try to cut and form one. At least with my limited expertise. I figure it would take two tries to get it right equaling paying someone to do it right the first time (an old motto of a company I once worked for!).

Oh, went to Burton store to get some free stomp pads (o

ld out of date) to use as no-slip bottoms under the drink holders. You figure they are totally tough to withstand outside elements and the boots trampling all over them. They look mighty fine.
I've decided a nice plexiglass panel behind the switches would be cool. As it is they just sit there in space floating around with no frame of reference (see April 10 post). Although they did have that garage modified "Nitrous Mix" switch look to them. But its a cool place to add a splash of color and funky. (SCOPE CREEP :-) Tune in next week same bat time, same bat channel to see what we come up with. Hint: Fender Jazzmaster.
Out.

Steering cable

2009-04-12T18:52:00.005-04:00

Mounted the steering cable and strung it to the rear (where the engine will be). Perfect length I believe, 12' for a GT- 150 using the rotary steering. Rotary, no-feedback system gives just that, less engine torque, but it's not like power steering. A bit messy under there at the moment. It'll get tidied up soon. Not sure if the steering wheel will be centered with the motor going straight but if it's too much trouble it'll remain off center. Picture shows the cable going in on top and the excess coming out below (cap is not on excess cable yet).

Here is the inner deck trim wood cut (before vinyl). The material will be stapled with SS staples with foam padding. No there won't be pleats (don't feel like sewing them) but may have buttons if we can find some outdoor ones that look kool.

Below is the plexiglass windscreen I need to make a template from. This will take a while. It's got complex bends (curved on both planes) the top frame is different than the bottom frame shape, and I have only broken pieces. Lexan or Acrylic, that is the renewed question of the day. Lexan you can bend cold, Acrylic is more scratch resistant.

Lake is cold and dreary. It was snowing again today especially on the mountains. One more day and I move to AZ with Rich and family and friend Todd. JK, no water out there.

Side emblems

2009-04-11T07:44:00.003-04:00

I've been thinking about this problem all winter (not constantly) trying to see if NOS was available (new old stock), or maybe someone programmed these into the CNC machine or something similar was around for newer boats or parted out parts that just needed paint. Since no one programmed them to make nice new strong aluminum ones, my final decision (today) is grab some newer style domed logos (3-d stickers) from ebay. They look awesome.

Buy Local note: Tried to get them at the local Glastron dealer, you know to help keep them in business and have a local shop open to go to for all those reasons. and was told I need a serial number from my boat for any part. and of course they don't make emblems for my boat anymore, but I told him the hull sn anyway so guess what? they don't make that part for my boat. But I want a part for a newer boat. [whats your serial number?] WHAT!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME! I thought that was very funny esp when I told him I was going to EBAY. You can't keep a company alive that doesn't want to be alive. Not that $30.00 would be the straw, but next time when I look, I'll go straight to ebay and tell my friends too. Why not it was sooo much easier. I like the customer driven web based restaurant rater. Owners hate it with a passion BUT it works! One big bad mark will be reviewed in the context of many so the owner may hate it, and feel bad but the end result speeds up the demise of the weak and you're compared not singled out. I think. I drive down the road and look for the skankiest place to eat (better wings usually and cheaper beer).

See it in the ski industry as well. They'll stick to skiing and snowboarding exclusively, see facts every year that say both are declining (skiers are spending 3.5 hours a day skiing, boomers knees are going, etc) won't look at a new opportunity presented on a silver platter and will be nothing but trees in a couple years as the snow goes away.

Deck outfitting 3

2009-04-10T21:08:00.004-04:00

Man. It's not warming up here. Another 39 degree evening in the garage. If I wasn't moving so fast, I'd be inclined to hottub with a glass of martini mix. I locked down the air induction ports with stainless machine screws and bolts, I hate stuff loosening. Reminds me of the old "fix" they used here- plastic blue mollys (used for cheap sheetrock fastening) holding big parts after old screws pulled out. Yeah right.

Glued down the Glastron emblem I painted with some strong adhesive. No sense in back screwing this on since the glues today hold on all car emblems beyond junkyard age. Then..

Steering wheel. Had to drill out the big hole bigger. The one thing I didnt pre-install before paint came back to haunt me. It's tough to enlarge an already huge hole and I didn't fare perfect. It's a bit lower and to the right making the bolt holes close to the edge of the backing wood. grr. more time and mods. It's all in now and looks good. Just need to make a backer plate (over-sized washer) for one nut. Next is cable installation and I don't expect it to be super simple moving to rotary steering from the previous rack system. We'll see.

Deck outfitting

2009-04-09T21:10:00.005-04:00

Back is better but I'm going a bit easier. Almost done the deck so I can hit the hull. Wired in the switches, finished the gauges, began fabricating the new "air induction scoops". Looks like there is a jet engine behind those things. The factory had a simple cheap looking black and silver sticker. UGLY. I found some SS "grill" sheet at the metal junkyard last fall with my eye on this section of the boat. behind the "grille" is some dark grey teflon/mylar like material found stored away in the basement. It now looks like if you stuck your hand near this inlet, you'd be sucked on to it for good.

This is going way faster than anticipated but I know there are some real tricky parts coming (like the hull to deck glassing in the transom area. I think about this all the time.) Next is steering.

Fitting out the deck

2009-04-08T19:59:00.004-04:00

Workin on fitting all the parts to the deck. This evening even though a cold one (30, snowing, windy outside) I managed to get the instruments in and wired (still need to get the switches in place), cleats on, nav lights on, grab handle, cig lighter, drink holders, bilge drain. Got some trim on too. I feel very good about everything except maybe the side (cool looking) trim pieces. I may through bolt them. I need to modify one instrument backing (holder-inner), seems to be too short. I was VERY happy all the tough stuff was done before paint so I had to drill minimal holes and even the gauges were marked inside where they went (I surprised myself). I totally forgot how everything went in a few months ago. They just popped in today. Forgot my camera today but I think my mom snapped a couple of un-posed shots. Major old-man back issues. I wrenched my lower back last night lifting the hull cap off (one and a half people) and thought I was doomed for a while. Today felt decent enough to do simple things until.... I got on the roller bed and spent an hour on my back wiring. Getting up took literally 10 minutes, using almost all arms. Even then it was hard to drive. Advil time again. Super glad I got the new bifocals now for this job, esp the wiring. Ya think this boat is designed to make me feel young again?

Boat back

2009-04-07T20:00:00.009-04:00

Back in, ready to outfit.

Cudo's to Kevin and his staff at Many's Autobod y in Burlington. Keeshond owners! (Fresh off a porcupine attack) More to come unfortunately.

It's a bit cold up here this week- snow today and tomorrow, so I just set things up and started to plan this all out. Need to get on the things that will be hard once the top is on like the front nav, cleats, instruments also the steering is hard to do on your back so that too.

I'll start on the boat in a couple days. This back together stage has been a long time coming. (147 posts to be exact)

Our history of boats- boat 1

2009-04-05T09:40:00.010-04:00

Here's the first big boat we owned in Vermont around 1969. It was used and it ran but never really got that OMC engine to top condition. These days the boat looks very cool (if you're comfortable with yourself). We had it moored out in the broad lake and of course it broke away on one occasion-- only to be found somewhere in NY. Not too fun when you look outside and see the boat gone! I'll post a video of it in action soon. (Need to convert from 8mm to avi.) There's one of these relics around here in blue patiently waiting for a new owner and life restored. Hmm. Note the neat nav lights and headlight. I seem to remember the top was a sliding canopy. This was our waterskiing training boat. Traded that clunker in for a new Larson!

Friday evening at the parts cleaning trough

2009-04-03T20:25:00.006-04:00

Cleaned off this middle unit manifold thing. 3 big gaskets on it for me to clean off of course. One on each side and one on the end. You can see where the exhaust goes down through on the right (back) and in the front is the tube hole for the drive.

Pulled apart the bad trim piston with a new Spanner Tool my dad bought. Cost more than the engine i think. Only to find out the inside is corroded. Looking for parts now while soaking the thing in hopes it will come apart further.

Rebuilding an older engine is not the way to go (have I said this before?). EVERYTHING is corroded and needs to be attended to. This rig definitely has seen salt making it worse.

I'm continuing on cuz its there and I bought it and its a challenge now. I can't be beat. I will not go down.

(but secretly can't wait for a newer engine (YAMAHA) to come along.)

Painting progress day 4

2009-04-03T20:04:00.008-04:00

It'll be done Monday. Here's the top with the 3 coats of glitter but no clear (two coats applied after I left the shop).

Hull with sparkle sprayed (no yellow yet). It's not as mustard as it looks in the shop pics here.

The sparkle gold really turned darker (more orange) against the yellow. Glad I bumped up the yellow in there.

So far I like the outcome and it will get even better with the bronze windscreen and SS decked out parts. Sooo nice to not see the one billion holes anymore!

Painting progress day 3

2009-04-02T15:32:00.008-04:00

Nice to have someone else doing some work but I wish I could have done this part. On the other hand, my job would have been much shoddier- drips, bumps from dust, inconsistent from Home Depot equipment. Just like I spray paint from a can. The gold I chose was more gold (yellow) than the original which was more orange than gold. I saw a glimpse of this color where the sun had faded the glitter only slightly in a spot on the dash. I liked it and it looked much more tacky than the "richer" looking orange or copper. The boat brochure didn't tell anything since they were shot in the late evening making the whole boat look completely different. More like cream and brown. Here is a chip of gel as a reminder of original gold glitter (and big chunks). Slightly over-exposed but you get the idea.

2 PC SET 16'' HEAVY DUTY RATCHETING ACTION TYPE CIRCLIP PLIER SET

2009-04-02T13:53:00.006-04:00

(Snap Ring Pliers) OMC lower unit ring removal. Left one is for inside rings, right is for outside rings er, other way around.

For those looking to add to their tool box. $19. (or $9.50 per use.) Ebay.

Pitbull is in da house.

Holy sound barrier Batman, speed results are in......

2009-04-02T11:16:00.012-04:00

The speed results are in (although simulated in the lab). This boat will go 54 MPH or a tad more.

Weight:
Dry boat= 625
Engine, Batt, Gas, Controls= 320
2 pax =320 (summer, fit weight)
Total =1265 lbs

Then plugged info into the Crouch Speed Calculator which is based on a formula developed by Naval Architect George Crouch who showed that a useful estimate of the speed of a moderate planing hull could be derived from the boat's weight, horsepower, and hull factor. The variables are related by
MPH = [ ( HP / LBS )^0.5 ] x C
where C = a constant ("hull factor") that depends on the hull form.

Crouch proposed that C would have a value for various hull types as follows
PLANING HULL SPEED CONSTANTS--MPH
C Hull Type

172 Average runabout, cruiser, passenger vessel
218 High-speed runabout, very light high-speed cruiser
240 Race boat types
253 Three-point hydroplanes, stepped hydroplanes
265 Racing power catamarans and sea sleds

I used 203 as the conservative Hull Factor, 90 HP (newer engine, same as an older 135), and 1265 as weight. Presto. Now I'm confirming Batboat top speed just to make sure....
I was trying for 55 DOH!; why you say not 60? The boat hull is not designed for that, I could have reshaped the hull (lay a pad in the back end, straiten out the strakes, take out the hook) and it's definitely doable but not worth it in my book. Get the CVX16 and do 60. Too fast and then you can't just hand over the keys to someone else.

Mid section, Lower unit, Carbs, Paint updates

2009-04-01T20:19:00.017-04:00

Lots to report tonight. First, the lower unit. "Pit bull" circ pin remover came in from Ebay seller at a super special deal like 20% of what most cost, hmmm. I flew downstairs to the waiting gearbox. Anyway it worked with some minor adjustments to the pins. Looky here 2 ring clips outin the floutin.

then everything came pouring out, the drive gears, prop gears, lots of bearings, shifter and things. (the main driveshaft had a bolt) All clean and grind-less. saweet. All in a box now waiting to see if we need a new driveshaft. I say no, dad says yes. They are a bit temperamental, a divit can cause a break at high speed and that sucks. Plus the key is still frozen in there. Bummer, they are like $300+ (or another lower unit).

Next on to the mid section. It all came apart but not easy. Lots of cleaning to do here plus a few new parts (water hoses, gaskets). Note the missing left piston on the trim. As Middle Aged Man said: I'M WORKIN ON IT!

Of course

lots of gaskets in here. Parts are now in bins to clean or fix or replace or forget to put back in.

I'll sandblast and paint some parts next cause it looks like I'm actually getting somewhere that way.

The boat is moving along, they sanded the

primer and primed again- I told the guy I didn't need showroom finish, but my guess is he does all paint jobs that way.

Talk about going from not much to do (without engine and boat painted) to full tilt boogie, I'm going to be busy this spring especially when the boat comes back. Right now I feel very scattered with tools, parts everywhere and thinking what to do next. Luckily no matter where I turn there is a part that needs something.

Check out the carbs. Full rebuild of course. Too simple and cheap not to. My dad is working on these.

See what 6 Redbulls and a $20 ring plier can do for you? Out.

Tilt/Trim work

2009-03-31T19:32:00.002-04:00

Well since I had some time while the paint is getting done and a couple parts came in, decided to try the hydraulic tilt unit again. With the new switch and cables/solenoid things worked a bit better. Looks like one stuck piston (trim one with the resistor). Took it out but can't get it open (no I'm serious). Everything else is great. Motor, lines, tilt cyl, fluid. New pistons cost more than you can imagine so its on with the newest challenge. Soak it in PT Blaster?

Hull/Deck in for paint

2009-03-31T09:58:00.011-04:00

As promised I'm now moving on the classic 1979 Glastron GT-150 as referred on the blog title. Remember that? So long 76 Evinrude Starflite (for now). I'll get back to you, just wait. And when I do....

Dug out the hull and trailored it to the body shop last night on the sailboat trailer now wired for light. On the lookout for the fuzz, why? you always do pulling a trailer. Somethings gotta be wrong, lights, blinkers, registration tag, registration papers, inspection, overloaded, and who inspects these things?

The paint guy never called me back after our initial planning mid-winter... until the winter car accident season ended this month. All of a sudden, he's looking for work. Yeah well, price goes down now (a little). Actually it went up a tad since he's seen it and it needs primer on the top and sealer on the bottom and a bit of block sanding.

Regarding paint, you may recall I'm going with Polyurethane two part as a very good compromise (everything is a compromise when you compare to dreams). Imron- too expensive for a boat unless it was to win awards and its too toxic to the environment. Some of complaints about Awlgrip.

I looked at the glitter test piece he did. One, two and three shots of glitter. Three was the only way to go. You have to put your ZZ Top sunglasses on when looking at this in the sun or your cornia will burn out. (we'll be ridin bad and nationwide soon.) Compromise #2 is the glitter size. Unless you want to pay for a custom shop to blow .025 chunks out (like creemee sprinkles), be ready for the smaller, less cool stuff and more coats of it. The backing color is similar to make it look thicker. Clear goes on after everything is shot and is the mixer medium for the glitter. The hull (main) color is Volvo Creme Yellow 2007. Forget all the planning with the PMS color chart, when you go to the high-tech shops, manual color mixing is gone. If ya dont have a "number" ya dont have a color. It gets punched in and out comes a mix. I had to run through the paint book quick and pick something close to it. I would have used yellow and added some white until it looked right.

Here is the cap primed and the last test sample of gold glitter. Yes there are some dings and bumps still on the boat, this is not showroom quality but dang hot.

Uh, More engine work?

2009-03-27T19:35:00.004-04:00

You guessed it. I'm getting sick of seeing engine part pictures on the Glastron GT 150 Resto Blog so you must be too.

OK, new direction. Back to the boat starting next week! Yep. Put it back together and FAST. At the present rate, we'd have splashdown in 2 years. The period Evinrude was a nice thought but not sensible for my rebuild plans. I'll finish it I think, but in the background and with less pressure. Spent an hour cleaning off gaskets among other things.

Electronics: Full Rehab

2009-03-25T20:22:00.006-04:00

Replacing everything under $200. I'm sure most of the stuff was not working or ready to kick the bucket. Some wires were chaffed so bad a fire would have erupted and ground wires were not making much connection anymore with all the corrosion. Started to replace the combustion electrodes, particle unit, johnson rod wires, and electronic bearings. We're in some deep doo doo batman and I'm not sure this is gonna ever work again. Here is a new shock combobulation 2000 unit next to an old one. I got all four replaced to mil spec with the usual "Out the Door Guarantee".

A new (old) cowling gasket, more painting: seat bases, engine tray

2009-03-25T15:56:00.004-04:00

Superfun night!

2009-03-24T20:16:00.004-04:00

I meant Superfund. Took all the time I had this evening to clean out a 20 year old degreaser unit. Degreaser fluid with the bottom sludge layer of what looks to be coal-tar was tough to handle and of course I had my street cloths on. I didn't call the EPA, but probably should have. The sludge and old fluid is in a bucket now to go to the toxic dump and the unit is ready for some cheaper Kerosene to clean all the nasty greasy engine parts. I actually got some done including some lower unit parts, the bottom engine case and some misc parts that I can now paint. Tomorrow I should be back at a nice pace, the weather is warming and the garage is clear and clean.

Gotcha!

2009-03-19T20:00:00.005-04:00

Here is the cause of some major distraction in the quest to restore a Glastron.
Took some more time soaking and more heat then it pulled out nicely. Seems to be in fine shape aside from the divits I took out of the back side with pullers and stuff. I have a lot of parts waiting for the degreaser machine.

Made a quick check of the engine tilt/trim unit to get a feel of what may be needed. (It's always good to end the evening with something to ponder, review, study, research.) Who wants to Guess the Trim Unit Condition? These are your choices:

A) Works beautifully up/down, with strong motor and good hydraulics, fresh oil and smells like rose pedals.

B) Works but slow, maybe simple leak in hydraulic system.

C) Nothing works right, one piston goes down but not up, the other is stuck, the motor sounds funny, and the cables/ wiring and switch is in dire need of replacement.

If you guessed A, you have just tuned in to the Glastron GT 150 Blog site and should never start a resto project. If you guessed B, that is optimistic and you get an A-. If you guessed C (cause you read the posts), that is too pessimistic (but correct) so you get a C+

The Engine head is sitting there, I need a comment from the motorheads out there. How to decide if I should crack the block open? As I mentioned, the comp was 60 all cyl with tons of marvel's mystery in there. What to do? Put the whole thing back together and see if we can crank them back to life?

PT Blaster comes through

2009-03-17T20:28:00.006-04:00

Update on the gear case hub. The monster puller was grinded to fit into the small slots but once in place never really got enough good bite on the hub. So we bailed on that and soaked more. Tried once or twice with the old puller and heat to no avail, then tonite after cleaning out the garage and getting ready for some outdoor work, I went at it again with torch and torque. Boom, it broke free. But it's still in there tight, and after trying to turn it out, the only non-aircraft grade bolt that wasn't upgraded on the puller snapped. No injuries. So more soaking. (and replacing that bolt with a stronger one.) No pics, of that- here are some of the vaca on Little Cayman.

Grouper behind coral

"Good Diving" signal

Coconut Bowling (not much to do on that island)

Sound proofing cowling

2009-03-15T19:58:00.001-04:00

Found some leftover aircraft engine soundproofing for the hood. This is the start of it.

Going big

2009-03-15T12:15:00.004-04:00

Not for the feint of heart. BIG Boy puller AND PT Blaster As Seen on TV!

Last night I took a turn on the puller and added more heat. Snap.

One of the puller bolts broke. it was a bit too long- a result of the jerry rigging.

Looky here. Honker puller and the magic fluid Tom from the marine shop recommended. So long, Rabbit!

Seat frames and bases complete

2009-03-14T19:46:00.016-04:00

Wow, we knocked off the rest of the seat frames and bases in a couple hours and had time to talk to a friend about upholstering/sewing, check out the trailer again (and another boat wreck) and go with Susie and Brucie to get a new foster dog.

First was cutting out the rest of the plywood and 2 by's and misc wood pieces, screwing them all together per the templates. The most important (custom) pieces were the base frames. They fit the hull shape and i would guess vary by boat. So we copied these with the jig pretty close. Each of the 4 pieces are different. I have them at home to paint (since they are touching the floor).

The rest are being left alone as far as covering. Our job was much better than the factory in terms of fitting and fastening (screws instead of staples and nails). Pretty solid I think. Ready for a James Bond jump entry from a sprint on the dock to get away from the Bayou boys. Uh, I did work too, I was the photographer so am behind the camera.

Measured foam needs so I can shop/scrounge for newer padding. Some 2" pieces for the main parts, some 1" pieces for trim and filler, some 3 x 4 block, 3" pieces for seat cushions, etc.

Brought the seat vinyl masters to a Friend of Bruce's for a quote on and give us ideas.

Looking at the trailer again, snapped a picture. Also found a Wahoo 16 for Bruce to work on if the Price is Right!

Here is Toby from Golden Huggs Rescue, and organization that ferries neglected dogs from down south like Alabama where the kill rate is high and they need to get them out. Sue and Bruce are fostering this (Newfie mix) mutt until a home is found. We met them in the local park and ride where lots of doggies were let out of the cars and vans after long trips. Lot's of people there to receive them too. Says something about VT for sure.

More torque, more heat

2009-03-14T08:15:00.003-04:00

Added a little more torque to the wrench and tried some more heat. Nothing yet.... So far, the tractor brakes that Eric and I removed one spring were worse.

It's a Pull'n problem

2009-03-12T19:08:00.007-04:00

Two pullers, first one home-made, pulled the threads out, next one off-shelf modified for length. Neither worked so far and with some pretty good heat. I left it on tight just in case she decides to break free overnight. Next meeting there will be more heat and more pressure. Who's gonna win? This is a hardhat designated area now.

Looking for a trailer

2009-03-12T13:45:00.013-04:00

Went to the local used boat lot-- looks like a land marina (after a hurricane) to talk about a deal on one of his "gently used" trailers under one of the "gently used" boats. (Nevermind that most are not register-able.) Either this is tongue-in-cheek marketing or there's a fine line between "gently used" and "boneyard" boats. But Tom is a nice old man who gave me a list of boats to look under-- if I could wade thru the mud to get to them. He also gave me a few tips on removing the bearing seal on the Evinrude. Said there might be two clips in there. Not sure but maybe. He'll also lend me his tool if we need it.

I found 2 that are useable with minor mods and two that are usable with sand/paint and more mods. One of latter is an old Holsclaw, not in business any more but a classic in 60's overbuilt technology. Springs AND shocks and super rollers. These photos are from the web, not the one I looked at in the mud, obviously.

(We'll see what he wants for them and no, I won't take the gently used boats sitting on top of them.)

Makin Copies. The Brucester, Stev-o-rator, Steveorama

2009-03-12T10:06:00.021-04:00

A good wood shop and dude who knows how to run the machines. Thats how you make good seat copies. It's not re-building them at all, its making new ones with templates. Tough stuff especially when you look at the foam and upholstery.

But we're tough and won't let a bit of "sewing like Nancy" get in our way.

We got the seats ripped apart, marked, and most new wood cut in the short evening. Then reminisced about the more peaceful times in Little Cayman.

First, rip off the old fabric (tons 'o staples, couple injuries). They used stainless staples I believe and there must have been a sale at the staple warehouse cause they were used liberally. Inside the vinyl was a nice plastic film covering the foam. The foam was loose for the most part but formed a bond to the wood in certain places. Chisel that off. Then pull the wood apart AFTER marking each side and mounting positions. The wood was dry rotted which was the only place where the boat was actually getting lighter over time! It was regular cheap plywood (different types even) and not protected. Looked like one owner threw some paint up in there to protect against water from the floor migrating up. Foam was in good shape but compressed. That is the current question-- was the foam in square blocks and the fabric cover compressing it to make the shape or was the foam custom cut? I think a mixture of both but we'll have to investigate further. Much of the replacement wood was cut. The seat frames are very odd with the main back pieces like a rhombus (I think thats the word for a slanty rectangle). At least all 4 were the same.

Impeller off, now prop shaft

2009-03-10T21:15:00.006-04:00

Taking out the prop shaft (which comes out before the main shaft) requires the hub bearing (28, above the prop in pic) to be removed and that is another job requiring lots of beer, er work. So far soaking, flame and a makeshift puller have been used only long enough to strip some threads then break a bolt off in one of the puller holes. The auto parts "gear puller" that we have is too short but if extended can reach in to grab some surface area. So why not quit early to get the right (sorta right) puller, re-read the posts on Evinrude/Johnson repair site and re-think entire reason for doing this (jk).

Water pump impeller takes weeks of persuasion

2009-03-08T16:44:00.007-04:00

1. Tons of WD
2. Weeks of soaking
3. Pounding/prying
4. Cut rubber
5. Dremel grind
6. Heat
7. Full Grinder (Brucie's)
1. Remove (the key is still in there)

Pretty much sucked my allocated time today of restoration and coming off a 10 day vaca, it wasn't motivating. But it is advancement. Vacation pictures to come!!! Sharks, Rum, Sun all packaged up in a way too long film. You know, when the Cessna Caravan pilot has to look both ways before crossing the main road to park and unload you, that its gonna be good. out.

What we really bought here

2009-02-23T16:43:00.004-05:00

When I got the Glastron dropped off way back when, there was a sembance of a GT 150 cool looking boat. At it's worst stage, I realized what I bought, a cool shape. The engine is worse (if you look at it as bad). Here I bought some rusty metal with some places to put wires. I mean the engine is not that hot, even when put back together (at least not GT 150 hot). Apples to steak, I'd have the new technology here in the propulsion department.

But, factor in the price/time, it works well. I had the time in the winter (not too much boat work, still waiting for paint) and $$ is only available in small spurts. I believe this will be reliable once back together. I wouldn't have that confidence only fixing obvious things. Getting in deep, there is this sense of ticking time bomb on its last tick that I avoided.

But wait a minute! I bought into a PROJECT. Something to do with my brain and expertise outside the normal work and socializing. In fact it replaces socializing! YES! The perfect Activity/Sport. Lifting, cranking, walking, reading, organizing, with a result. What do you get from knitting? A hat. But still, its something!

"DONG. The captain has turned off the no seatbelt sign ; You may recline your seat back and the attendant will be by to serve you"

Out.

3 big parts now

2009-02-22T20:38:00.011-05:00

Head, mid section, gear case. Of course there are a lot of little parts now too like the water pump, shifter, cowlings. I thought sanding, filling, sanding was slow but I didnt realize how many hardened gaskets there are on this engine. Plan on mucho-time prying these off then razoring them clean. Took me some grrrr time to get the head/mid cleaned off. My dad is off ordering the kits and some electrical (lives in virtual world now). I'm on hiatus in Caymans (Little to be exact) for a bit while I recuperate mid-sled season. Last weekend was another 3 events in 2 days marathon. It was cold and there was lots of driving not to mention many people to entertain. Thanks to Bruce, a trooper assisting this winter sled-drive-fest. Some day ask us about the lowest common denominator factor (LCDF) regarding sledders.

A bunch of us are staying at a friends house on the beach and I'm using frequent flyer miles to boot so this is a good one. Yes we'll be diving bloody bay wall. Oh yeah turning 50 there too. Almost too old for a runabout like this one I guess.

Sorry about the trippy pictures, the Nikon is on vacation too after 2 solid months of wet snow, condensation, dropping, and general bad treatment. I used this little GoPro video cam normally used on the front of sleds. Real cool but wide angle.

Out for now or call me at 1 800 coconut

For Nina 1997-2009

2009-02-17T12:45:00.010-05:00

One step closer to head removal- mine

2009-02-15T19:14:00.009-05:00

A shot of what the whole thing looks like today. Using the hoist to lift off the power head. The strap is to lift the lower unit while jiggling it back into correct position.

Here is where the head comes off the mid section at the rear (exhaust manifold end). We can't remove it quite yet because the lower unit is partway off. Slight problem but plan B or C should get around it. Not sure what that is, but plan D will be to just keep on takin screws out till it falls on the floor.

I like this picture- a shot of the bucket 'o parts. Looking at this will get me closer to an E-tec.

The engine could take as much time as the whole boat, so I evaluate each day. Parting out may make sense since my winter this season is much busier than I anticipated.

Reminder, summer comes to VT

2009-02-12T22:12:00.007-05:00

Here is a picture of friends in their Whaler. Nice evening to ride home. Hard to believe this patch of water will be skate-able in a couple weeks.

This next shot is another calm day with blogger Steve and Nina waiting for that front to come through. Electric fan is about to come out. Waves can get to 5 feet out here, again, hard to believe. Boat is a Chrysler 75'ish Buccaneer. Pretty quick boat.

Engine demolition

2009-02-12T21:39:00.007-05:00

I should have been getting ready to head to ultra northeastern Quebec (Rimouski to be exact) tomorrow but I have fans who expect great things from me in marine engineering. Forget that I should be cleaning the house for Carolyn who returns from FL Sat (Valentines Day), oh and forget Valentines Day, I'll be working the other job at Mont Comi. It's all for you!

Check out the puller on the flywheel. Worked without too much trouble and a little WD, 40 that is, Black Gold, Texas Tea. Basically started ripping stuff off in not much methodical order. Since we found out there is a bolt that needed to be removed up top near the head BEFORE the lower unit could come down, it had to be done this way. The bolt was pulled down unreachable (we think), so rip it all apart since thats what we're doing anyway.

Next, check out all the electronics ripped out in one fell swoop. They look much better than the actual condition they are in. Almost a complete

replacement I think. Might test and keep the big things like stator, control box. Harnesses are expensive but I need one. Don't wanna get stuck half way to the Old Dock with hungry chick.

Now check out the condition I left it in. Oh yeah, this is gonna be hard to get everything back together in the right order. You see the tightness of this engine = bolts that can't be reached without so and so off first. New engines are definitely tighter but with CAD systems, they are smart enough to make sure the parts are accessible for removal. It was about 40 today until i closed up shop when the temp just started falling. Should be 20 tomorrow.

Back at the engine hard with the heavy tools

2009-02-11T18:35:00.003-05:00

Did I totally misjudge the complexity of simply taking apart a 34 year old engine? I'd say by about 33 years. Complexity wise, its not so bad- carb connected to a intake manifold. Rust wise, it took all of last night to get off just the flywheel nut and the 4 bolts holding on the lower unit. BIG pipe breaker bar needed for both jobs. Thats after couple weeks of WD40 prep work. Did I say 4 bolts to remove the lower unit? Hohoho There are FIVE! and half hour of prying didn't clue me in but the last 10 min made my dad go inside and check the manual. There is this hidden bolt way under the anode cavity for all you that are thinking about taking on this type of relaxation hobby. Just like yoga only with a club and prybar. One bolt actually took the pipe persuader to completely remove it. I think i need to reset the splashdown timer once again *sigh*. Now winter in a garage is not helping one bit. It takes 2x more time to set up, find things, and generally move around. The heater thawed out clumps of mudflap slush, you know the oil, muck laden stuff that used to be snow? So it was walking around in that mess. Of course Flea comes in and just has to jump up to say hi. Next time I'm getting the Carharts out and just going with it. Actually I'll just move everything outside, can't be that much worse. Inside the lower unit looks interesting. More to come.

Oh, Joel (Mangoman) from FLA and Glastron 150 restoration fame stopped into VT to take his family skiing at Stowe. We met on his way out but he managed to take a couple Hammerheads out to the local sled hill for some different fun. We didn't have much time to chat since I was off to a resort that day.

Hood Handle

2009-01-18T10:10:00.004-05:00

It needed a drill out of a rusty screw and new tap. So I made it silver. Not much work these days, it's cold up here- like there's no temperature at all (0).

Hood painted and striped

2009-01-13T16:10:00.004-05:00

I used decal striping after all. Just easier I guess and it was off-shelf so I didn't pay "Evinrude Decal Set" pricing. The scheme is a bit different (simpler but I don't care). Still need gasket and fabricate latch, and top handle fixed and sound proofing.

Painted prop

2009-01-13T12:50:00.003-05:00

Hey, it's something!

Woulda taking way too much time to polish if it could even be done.

Peace out.

Prop off

2009-01-11T15:01:00.005-05:00

Me breathing fire. Actually just breath humidity in front of a light while turning the cylinders over.

First off was a bit of Marvel Mystery oil in the cyliders to loosen up any stick rings. Lots of hand turning. Got the pressure from 10 to about 60 lbs. Getting there. Let it sit a couple days.

Yoo Hoo. Prop off. Little persuasion tool and few days of soaking. It is SS and not too bad shape (few fixes here and there but solid. I'll re-use it. I glass beaded it a bit to see how it would shine-- its gonna take a while.

Took some electronical stuff off. I dont know what it all is YET. Condenser like things, power pack maybe, something that looks like a capacitor. Need to get the flywheel off. Looks like a special tool.

Before I quit for the day I started the draining of the lower unit oil. No metal stuck to the plug (it's magnetized) so good sign there (maybe the gears are ok). Guess how slow oil drains in Vermont in January? At least its down hill. Should be out by next time i get there.

The cowl is painted. Just needs some polishing. Looking for some cheap pin-striping. Red White and Blue 1 1/2" wide. Of course there are broken latches, a screw to be drilled out and sound deadening material to be added still.

Cowling cover cleanup

2009-01-08T19:13:00.003-05:00

Took off Evinrude nameplate emblems thinking I can just clean them up as opposed to re-painting. (I learned from painting the bow emblem.) They're very cool- esp the "135". Wonder if i can find some "200"'s. They were attached with plastic locks on the back side that were in amazingly good shape. As usual, each one was an operation to remove. Emblems washed up nice so then I wet sanded the cover in the bathtub but spent more time cleaning the paint off the tub. Insulation is out. Went over to AutoZone and picked up some blue and silver paint. Who knows the standard outboard mfg colors?

Evinrude: Grey primary some blue

Merc: Black

Yamaha: Dk Grey Sparkle (very elegant)

Suzuki: Dk Blue

Johnson: White

OMC: White I think

I'll tape later this evening and try a coat out.