TOPIC: restoration project make/mode/year unknown

Been following this and I have to agree. The deck needs to be white and paint the hull whatever color you want except lime green!
Just kidding lime green is fine if you like but keep the deck white!
Or you could paint the hull really dark brown and the deck lime green and call it a Cuba Libre ! Hey Nautilus....that is a rum and coke with a squeeze of (you guessed it) Lime!

I went back and forth a while on color selection but I finally settled on the whole boat will be white base with some variation of a bright green accents (LIME GREEN), maybe just a racing stripe down the middle. I think it looks good on a car.



I have to ask, Why does the deck "have" to be white? I'm getting the feeling it is more than just an opinion. I know it is my boat and I can do what I want with any color combination I like. In the end it has to be something that some one else will like because I probably wont keep the boat forever and will want to be able to sell it eventually. May have a hard time if it was a dab green with multicolored polka dots. This boats factory colors was very simple, a white hull while the cap was a medium to dark blue. it don't appear there was any graphic or design to it, just split at the rub rail.

White is the most refletive color, coolest to the touchand so the least likely color to fade. Painting the topsides a different color, especially a dark color, makes the boat look top heavy. I am of the opinion that green, dark green, only goes well with antique mahogany boats. Screaming green looks OK on a race car or race boat, I suppose, but pretty stupid on an average car or boat. You should also consider resale value. It could take awhile to find a buyer with bad taste.

That makes sense. Keep in mind I am going for a "Race" look. The bow reminds me of an old Mustang hood. Bad taste or not, I am wanting something that stands out a bit but not too insane. Sure I could go with the standard black stripe but that would be too plain IMO.

Bottom line: Make yourself happy.

Nautilus wrote: Bottom line: Make yourself happy.

Don't tell me how to live my life!

Merry Christmas Jan.

Paint it what you like.

Ya know, it is so frustrating doing hours if not days of research looking at old fiberglass boat images trying to find out what I have. I have gone over every square inch of this boat inside and out and find no numbers anywhere. I didn't think that I would have this hard of a time figuring this out. Came across a few different makes that share a similar hull style and or bow/deck shape but nothing with the faux scoop on the deck of the bow. Well nothing the same as mine anyhow. I guess I assumed boats was like any other large investment like a car or motorcycle, and would have some kind of numbers on it but guess that is not the case before 1973. I got all excited when I noticed a nameplate on the center of the steering wheel. It was difficult to read but it said TELEFLEX. Sigh, it seems to be a marine OEM and aftermarket steering supplier.

Only thing more frustrating is the fact that my orbital sander found a new home in the garbage can. It just died on me starting on the cap!

Did you get a title with the boat? (If not, that will cause you problems later on.) If so, what was it called on the title? Did it have registration numbers on the bow? If so, call the DNR and get the information they have on file.

Boats are not an investment, they're an expenditure...a BIG one. Boat restoration is basically a labor of love and after you finish and add up all the time you spent, you'll find, when you sell the boat, that you'll be lucky to recover the cost of parts and material. Your labor? Forget it.

The trick is to invest all that time and money into a boat that is worth restoring, at least from the standpoint of resale. An ugly no-name boat costs the same to restore as a desireable and sought-after classic. You gotta pick your fights...with the idea that you're sure to win.

You have a boat that will never return your "investment" however, you're getting a lot of experience, which is the name we give our mistakes. Making them on this boat will insure that you don't make them on the next one.

no title. a title is not required here for any boat under 20 foot. previous registration stated 0000 SIMONEAU. Michigan secretary of state had a problem with the make and year when i went in. I have it registered now in my name so no legal issues here. The original Bill Of Sale from an auction states 1977 make unknown (dont know where they got the year from). It seems to have had the same MC numbers shown in photos for some time as i could see the imprint of the old stickers when stripping the paint down. I was given new HIN numbers when I registered it and was forced to pick a year also. I just went with 1977 as that is what the bill of sale stated.

I will have to check on the DNR route using the MC numbers but I would find it odd that it was once registered properly with the make then to a year 0000 and a make Simoneau. Prior years in Michigan you could put anything in there for make and year. now you must have something. i was lucky to get away with "Unknown"

boats not being an investment, I get it man, but just like autos and motorcycles you have to "invest" in it to keep it going and most lose value down the road. when I sell it I will just have to find someone who will love it as much as did when I took on this project. wish me luck there.

Thanks as always Nautilus, your wise words are always appreciated.

Lenny: The email you have listed with Fiberglassics is a dud. Write to me: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You have probably already found this, but if you search for Boatworkstoday on YouTube, Andy has a ton of fiberglass, gelcoat, and roll n tip examples that show videos illustrating what theses Fiberglassics experts have been sharing with you already. They helped me visualize the expert advice you get on this site. Just another resource that might show how slow or fast to do something that was explained here. Good luck moving forward. I am also learning from the expert advice you get and will also learn from your pictures and results so thanks to all. That is why this site is great!

Nautilus wrote: Lenny: The email you have listed with Fiberglassics is a dud. Write to me: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I have changed my email to my main email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I try to send you a email through this forum and I got this message.

So in a last ditch effort to get more information I dug out my paperwork I kept when purchasing this boat and looked up the name of the previous owner, found his phone number on line. Very nice people but was not able to get any information about year make or model.

The history of this boat goes something like this:

Previous owner and his son-in-law purchased this as a project boat. The seller had done some work for someone else and was never paid. The seller took the boat as payment. I believe the boat was then registered with just a bill of sale then loosing the information on the registration. (I would think this was a failure on SOS part as they should have had all the info using the MC numbers on the boat.) The son-in-law was the buyer of this boat but put his father-in-law's name on the registration (most likely due to the fact he lived out of state and would be leaving the boat here in Michigan.) They used the boat on the great lakes and did some work on it but sat in the father-in-law's back yard for some time. the decision was made to get rid of the boat. They ended up donating it and it was sent to an auction sight. The person I actually purchased it from, bought it from the auction with plans on working on the boat for himself, but after a bit over a year he had never got around to it and pulled it out of storage to sell.

Not the info I was looking for but now I know a little bit about the boat. I chatted to the original owner and his wife for over 20 minutes. Such a friendly couple. I was glad to talk to them and they seemed surprised and happy to hear from the new owner of their old boat "GO BLUE" that is what they called it, Michigan Wolverine fans. I giggled when I found that out mentioning that I am going to paint the boat green and white. (Michigan State Spartan colors, Here in Michigan, for college football, you are either a Michigan fan or a State fan) Now I wonder if I should change my green color selection to the college color and place the State logo on the bow deck. The couple asked me to keep them updated on my progress and I shared with them the link to this forum. Maybe we will get some new members!

It has been a while since I have updated so I thought I would jump in and let yall know whats up. Still been working on sanding the old paint on the cap. This has been a real PITA due to the fact I feel I have to strip it down to the original gelcoat. There are places that the previous paint jobs have pealed up so I really would worry that if I just scuffed up what is there I would have more issues down the road. This is a slow process as there is a really thick layer of dark blue paint, then white, then a primer to get through before I hit the original gelcoat. Also work has been keeping me pretty busy. Covid really hitting our employees hard and have some major absenteeism. I have only worked on small sections at a time when I get home if I am feeling it. I would say I am about 3/4 done sanding/stripping the old paint off the top portion of the boat. (this is by far the worst part of this project so far for me, I hate sanding.) I have found a few more spider cracks that I will have to tend to along with filling old mounting holes that will not be reused. After I get any fiberglass repairs needed done it is time to get some fairing compound and see how it goes from there. I can't wait until I get to move on to more fun parts of this project.

The spider cracks need to be ground out with a dremel tool as seen in this photo.
I fill with this: www.jamestowndistributors.com/product/product-detail/97775

thats going to be fun!

Took a few days off from working on the project to do a few things around the house with the wife, catch up on some tv shows I have missed, and try to research and reach out further on the make and model of this little boat with no real answers yet. That being said I think I am going to name her "Knot Sure" I think that will be fitting for her. If we eventually discover her origin, well I would keep her name the same and have a short story on how she got it.

For anyone out there that wants to share, what are/where your boats names and how did they get them?

well seems no one wants to play the name game so back to the project.

After removing the previous finish on the boat I am seeing many spider cracks along with hundred if not thousands of tiny cracks in the boat. I understand how to take care of the long spider cracks but what to do with all these tiny issues? Will the primer fill these and dont worry about them or do I need to treat these just like the spider cracks and grind every one down? Or just cut my losses and just paint it as is. It will look much better than it did. (from a distance LOL)

Since your boat will be a "beater," not a show boat, just knock all those little spider cracks down with 120 grit on a palm sander, fill with primer and sand fair. (You might have to do it twice.)

As for names, boats are generally named for women, at least that's the tradition. Over the years I've had Enchantress, Temptress, Ladyhawke, Elvira, Matriarch, Sea Shelly, Debutante, Aughra, Nannie Dee, Liquid Wench, Retro-rocket, Cotton Blossom and AARP Express. Our current boat (Sea Ray) is Sea Wife. I'm in the process of stuffing a supercharged V12 into a 1954 Chris Craft Riviera. I'm going to turn it into a racer and name it Rivvy Error. That ought to piss off the Chris Craft purists!

That engine is spectacular!
What do you estimate the engine/drivestrain weighs for your project?
What RPM will it turn?

maybe a dumb idea but would thinning down some resin into a penetrating resin and "squeegeeing" a very thin layer over the surface help this situation, and seal up these little cracks? I noticed when wiping down the boat with a damp cloth, water seemed to go down into these cracks. My thought process is that doing this the resin will go down into there and fill the void. I know there is probably some dirt in there that may cause some adhering issues but like you said, its not going to be a show boat but I want her to look as good as she can without me spending 3 months on prepping for finish.

Larsspar: I figure the engine/trans weighs about 1,100 lbs. A Chris Craft M engine (what the boat had originally) weighs 940 lbs. I bought a scale to weigh it but haven't gotten around to doing it. The engine turns 3,600 RPMs and should have about 240 HP but the torque is way up there. I'll need to experiment with propellers.

Lenny: That should work but I wouldn't thin it too much.

About time you go to that project Jan! LOL

Bob

I had the V12 running last week. She sounded really good and I got her to idle way down around 450-500 RPMs...sweet. I'm going to start on the hull as soon as the weather breaks. First thing to do is fit the engine and that won't be quick, easy or fun. You should drive up and give an old man a hand. I have beer.

Sweet! You'll have to start a thread in the wooden boats or project forum. I don't want to hijack Lenny's thread.


Bob

Fatlenny wrote: maybe a dumb idea but would thinning down some resin into a penetrating resin and "squeegeeing" a very thin layer over the surface help this situation, and seal up these little cracks? I noticed when wiping down the boat with a damp cloth, water seemed to go down into these cracks. My thought process is that doing this the resin will go down into there and fill the void. I know there is probably some dirt in there that may cause some adhering issues but like you said, its not going to be a show boat but I want her to look as good as she can without me spending 3 months on prepping for finish.

High build primer is your best bet. Easy to put on and easy to sand. Can be put on with a brush if you're really good.
roadsumo.com/high-build-primer/

Good morning everyone, again work has been keeping me from working on this little boat much but I did finally finish the removal of all the old paint. I also have gotten distracted by trying to construct a short windshield from a piece of 3/16 polycarbonate I had laying around. I love the idea but am having a hard time forming it to the shape I need and about to just give up on the idea as I cant get it perfect. This is another reason I would love to know what year make and model this is to possibly find a windshield to fit it properly.

Next step I am going to take is to flip the cap over to do some repairs on the supports under the bow as the original fiberglass has separated in a few spots. I am waiting for my wife to feel a bit better to give me a hand flipping this over so I can get this step done. Then flip it back over and attack filling all the old mounting holes and grinding the spider cracks on the topside, fair, prime and paint my base color.

I think I will next set the cap aside and try to decide how to attack the hull. I am not sure if I should flip that back over, fair, prime, and paint that first or attack the reinstall of the stringer, transom, and floor first. I am leaning toward getting finish done first as the hull will be much lighter to be flipping over to make fairing and painting much easier.

I will add more photos soon. We only have a few more months of cold weather, I have to get busy. I cant wait until I am cleaning up the motor and getting her ready to put her in the water.

With her name going to be "Knot Sure" and everything coming back this boat is a "Splash" of a Glastron hull, I spent a few minutes playing with a Glastron logo. Looking at getting 2 made for her.

Love it. Keep coming with those ideas and you'll make Jan jealous.
A 3D printer would be perfect for that project.

Awesome idea there. I didn't think of that. I know someone who might be interested in taking on that project.

A member over on a Glastron forum suggested making a "Splash Special" emblem for the dash. This might be something to have 3D printed.



I did get sidetracked a little on the project and decided to work on getting the mini wind screen fitted before I flipped the cap over to work on the underside issues. I have purchased some Twin-Flap Vinyl Deck Channel and have it mounted. Now I can flip her over and get to work on the underside of the cap.



And Jan should be happier with my final color choices. She is going to be white and Blue. Something like this. Not set on exact paint lines, this is me just playing with ideas when I am too whooped to actually do any work on the boat.



I have also picked up an old basket case of a 1971 merc 800 that is in need of some TLC. seems to have great compression but needs a lot of rewiring. There is a lot of brittle wires on this powerhead that is in desperate need of replacement. Had I noticed this issue when looking at it in the sellers garage corner I may not have bought it or talked him down a bit more. I got it now so I am the one to bring it back to life now. That project will most likely be down the road after we get her in the water with the Johnson.

I think winter drains the energy out of all of us in the north. I live across the lake from you and could really use a warm sunny day.

I think the old Merc would be great for your boat. I bet there are a couple members on this site that could help you with a remanufactured wire harness if interested.

Would love to see a picture of what you have.

Its odd because it looks like it is a short shaft with a long shaft extension. Has a small extension for the lower, and extensions for the Exhaust, water tube, shift shaft and the drive shaft. or is that a normal thing for these old mercs? I have all the parts for it, just have to put it back together. seller bought the motor in hopes to use the lower unit but it was not a match for what he had and never put it back together. He said the motor ran when he bought it. I didnt ask how long ago that was but it looks like it has been sitting a while. He was unsure of the year but looking at the numbers it is a 1971

I have the same year 6 cylinder with that same extension that can make it a long shaft. Mine had it all put together as a long shaft… I took mine apart and made it a short shaft with the help of the Merc experts on here. If I find the thread, I will post it for you as it was tricky for me to remove the short main shaft extension stuck up inside the motor. The experts gave me many ways to remove it. If you keep it long shaft, you won’t need to worry about that. I have the same wiring insulation issues as you mentioned and the Merc guys warned me about. I bought some marine wire, but haven’t gotten back to that project yet. I was thinking about replacing one wire at a time unless someone makes a new internal harness that would save me a ton of time. I will watch your thread to see if you you find a source or get expert advice to take care of the crumbling insulation/ re-wiring problem.

I was wondering about what "kind" of wire to use. There is a special marine grade wire?

Guess good ol google answered my question quick... sailingmagazine.net/article-1008-is-it-necessary-to-use-marine-grade-wire-.html

You are right on this… yep, doesn’t break down with exposure to oils or fuel exposure. I see the experts also saying to use care on terminations by using the marine compression lugs with the heat shrink skirts as they say you don’t want anything that creat a spark under a hood that has fuel/ fumes.

fiberglassics.com/forum/mercury-outpost/132218-115-lower-unit-changes-started.html Here is the link to the lower unit extension removal if you need it. Hopefully the link works when I submit this.

That looked like it was a PITA project. I think I will leave it a long shaft (I have a 20 inch transom) but the shaft extension is already out so if I did that I wouldn't have the issues you had. All that work, I am surprised you didn't just pull the power head. In hindsight wouldn't that have been much easier?

I had a 1970 50hp Merc with that extension and it worked fine for years.