TOPIC: 1968 Bombardier Sea Doo

“As Playful as a Dolphin” was the eye-catching statement of the new aqua scooter developed by Bombardier for release to the general public in 1968. When I first saw one back in the late summer of 1968, I remember thinking: “Wow…that looks just like a Ski Doo snowmobile, only floating on water!” “How does it move?” was the next thought. Upon closer examination, I found it was propelled by something called a Berkeley turbine or water jet. Too young to ride one and way too young to even think about owning one, the whole experience was filed back into the subconscious to be explored in the future if the opportunity ever presented itself again.

This write up will pertain to the acquisition and complete restoration of the model 320 Sea Doo. First found approximately three years ago, she was started up to evaluate its performance when on its trailer. Powered by a 1968 18 horsepower air cooled Rotax engine, she breathed life quite well however it was decided to eventually perform a complete restoration because of the hidden problems associated with further investigation.





Click the hotlink below for the first start up movie:

smg.photobucket.com/albums/v621/Dr59Elky/Sea%20Doo/?action=view¤t=1968SeaDoo320.mp4

More to come…

Thanks for sharing your project. We look forward to following the progress. If you have original literature, can we add the images to the Library section?

HandyAndy wrote:

Thanks for sharing your project. We look forward to following the progress. If you have original literature, can we add the images to the Library section?

Yes, I doo have the original literature however probably should be scanned in at full resoultion prior to being parked into the library.

Separating the hull required drilling out approximately 150+ rivets. Prior to hull separation, the ignition switch, starter button, steering column and air vent clam shells were removed. It was also noticed that the rear engine compartment vent grate was missing. Note to self...find out somewhere what it originally looked like.

After separating the deck from the hull, it was noticed that the two hull flotation devices were toast. They appeared to be vacuumed formed and heat sealed together air chambers that were cracked with missing pieces. The prior owner injected some expandable foam into the cracked areas that completely destroyed what was left of the functionality of the air chambers. It was decided what to do about this problem in the future. For now the chambers that were glued to the bottom of the hull were pried out. I've always remembered what a friend of mine told me many years ago: "Chris, any of this stuff was really never designed to last 40 some odd years...that's why it was pitched in the first place." It seems that for some reason, I'll rescue items that interested me from my past.

More to come...

Looks like a fun project, we'll be following.
Cal

63 Sabre wrote:

Looks like a fun project, we'll be following.
Cal

Thanks Cal. Nothing like the restoration project of your '59 Herters, but as you said "fun" nevertheless.

Removed the engine and examined the motor mount plate and stringer mounting plates. Because the stringer mounting plates were constantly exposed to water, they were in questionable shape at best...



As the project was further examined, it was determined that a complete restoration was needed not only for aesthetic appearance but for safety as well. All wooden stringers were removed because of wood rot throughout.



Although it was somewhat labor intensive, a pleasant surprise was discovered at a later time. The original gas tank was located. And it was in quite nice shape not only on the outside but on the inside as well…



All new oak stringers were cut from templates of what was left of the original stringers. Set in the hull, measurements were taken for flotation chambers.



Then eventually the stringers were sealed, glued and then fiber glassed in the hull:



This really strengthened the hull:



Stay tuned...

You probably know this, but figured I'd ask anyway. You used white oak, not red oak, right?

Doug Reeve wrote:

You probably know this, but figured I'd ask anyway. You used white oak, not red oak, right?

White oak wood be right.

Because of poor gas vapor ventilation design of the craft, evidently clam shell vents x 2 were added to the deck to aid in greater air flow through the engine compartment. When looking at the original brochure of the craft, the lines were much cleaner without the interruption created by chrome vent installation. Therefore it was decided to delete the clam shells and review other solutions for increasing air flow through the engine compartment for ventilation safety while maintaining the original smooth lines of the Sea Doo.





Eventually the gel coat was ground off both hull and deck:



and weakened fiber glass was repaired. Epoxy coating was later applied and allowed to cure. Pin holes and imperfections within the cured epoxy were addressed next.







Stay tuned…

Now what to do about the defunct vacuum formed floatation chambers??? It was decided to create a buoyant device that would fit within the original stringer dimensions. Several layers of air cell insulation were glued together, cut and then shaped to the original dimensions finally being painted yellow. Should aid in prevention of complete sinking of the craft if ever in that type of predicament.





Restored engine, rebuilt Berkeley turbine along with the battery and updated plastic gas tank were installed for alignment and evaluation of potential problems.





More to come…

Great project SeaFlash, and you're really going to town on it too! Impressive.

Thanks Mark for the feedback. Has been fun...so far???

The artist color scheme rendition included a black painted grit surface for the operator of the craft.



It was decided to follow the same color scheme because of a personal appreciation of the contrasting colors. New Sea Doo decals were produced also.







Eventually clear coated for that shiny new appearance:







Stay tuned...

Now it's time to reassemble the hull to the deck. First a little cleaning:



then apply butyl rubber and finally sandwich top to bottom followed by approximately 125+ aluminum rivets:





Now what to do about the rear plastic egg crate vent that was missing???



Solution...stainless louvered vent was produced and then painted black. I know...overkill, but it seems to fit the ticket producing a clean appearance to the rear of the craft:




More to come...

Haven't seen one of those in YEARS!!!! Didn't know they were belt driven. Bet you can't wait to see the looks on the faces of the modern PWC owners when they see it. Nice work.

That dash board sure looked empty without the accessory speedometer as suggested by Bombardier.



Yet where to find a vintage speedometer with the maximum speed limit of 35 mph??? Eventually a Finson speedometer was located which was in excellent shape and operational. I didn’t say accurate…just operational.



It was installed and looked great…except for one major problem:



Because of its projection from the dash, the seat now officially could not be opened. A suggestion was made of shortening the seat by one inch would allow clearance, but I had a heck of a time having the seat reproduced back to original specs. No way with that idea. The search was now on for a low maximum speed limit instrument with a flush mount. Well, a NOS vintage specific Airguide speedo was located with an accompanying surface kit for flush dash mount. And the maximum speed limit was at 30 mph. That was cool.





Installed it not only works well, but looks cool and allows the correct dimension seat to freely open. It was decided at this time to change the 1968 ignition switch to a 1969 Bombardier electric start switch which allowed deletion of the original separate start button. Further thought revealed that the craft should have a safety tether switch incorporated just in case of the unexpected. All in all, the dash displays cleanly without that cluttered appearance.



More to come…

Moving onto the next problem…of which there seems to be a never ending supply. What to do about the muffler? Supplied with the fan cooled Rotax 18 horsepower two stroke engine was a water cooled muffler. Well, you know pretty much what happened to the internal baffles over the years as the craft set. Shaking both mufflers pretty much sounded like a baby’s rattle tenfold:





The only choice available was to fabricate a new one from what was left of the two originals. After a lot of choice words, the final product fit the bill just right:







Now as I’m sure a lot of you know, this water craft was pulled from the market within two years of its release. Numerous problems developed that were addressed from Bombardier as they arose. Initially the 1968 Berkeley turbine was driven with a multi V-Belt drive (4 belts). Because of slippage problem of the belts associated with water, a mid production solution was to change to a flat belt drive with square teeth.



Cooling problems of the engine, because of its closed environment, were addressed by adding clam shell vents to the deck in the front and rear. Personally, this visually interrupted the original clean lines of the craft and was archaic at best for increasing the cooling capacity of the original problem.





I decided to delete the clam shell vent holes to maintain the original lines. Cooling of the engine and ventilation of gasoline fumes problems were addressed by adding a blower system inside the craft. Air intake ventilation for the blower was somewhat hidden by mounting the vent grill in the seat pedestal near the driver’s leg, creating a less obtrusive appearance:



The blower duct runs toward the engine producing positive pressure within the semi-enclosed compartment which should aid in gasoline vapor ventilation and engine cooling. The blower switch was hidden by mounting it underneath the seat:



Within the picture, one can see an Attwood Sahara Bilge pump which replaced the archaic vacuum siphon bilge tube system. The black bilge pump drain tube runs toward the back and exits through the bottom of the rear engine hatch cover maintaining a clean exit appearance. Hopefully this will aid in better engine cooling and ventilation capacity along with bilge water problems:





Coming into the final round. Stay tuned…

Had some trouble with the wood grain dash vinyl that was eventually incompatible with the final finish. It necessitated complete disassembly of the dash and application of a more compatible wood grain vinyl. Overall, I prefer the new look.





The trailer with which this craft will be towed was customized to fit both the ’68 Sea Doo and the ’59 Volksboat. Took some special words, however they both ride well. Volksboat will be finished shortly.







Final touches were added. The original rub rail was functional however weather cracked. The decision was made to go with 25 feet of new rub rail which finished off the craft nicely. With no clam shell vents, the sleekness of the original design was well preserved.





With over 440 views of this restoration synopsis, I'm happy the viewers have enjoyed the process and hope some of the information will help those who may find and restore one of these historic products from Bombardier.

Thanks for reading.

SeaFlash

Now that is one sweet Sea Doo restoration! A sincere thank you to you Sea Flash for letting us watch, that was a hoot and a half. She really turned out nice, better than new I expect.

I know it's a lot of extra time and effort, but we'd love to watch you bring the Volksboat back too! We have several members here with one of those on the resto list waiting to be redone, I'm sure there would be plenty of interest there as well.

It looks great, I stumbled across this site on a google search, I am also in the process of restoring my sea doo. I have a question about the gell coat. When it was ground off, did you have to build up the surface with the epoxy or just do one coat and sand it out?

Lowbuckskidoo wrote:

It looks great, I stumbled across this site on a google search, I am also in the process of restoring my sea doo. I have a question about the gell coat. When it was ground off, did you have to build up the surface with the epoxy or just do one coat and sand it out?

Welcome aboard Lowbuck.

Glad to hear that you have found one of these infamous watercrafts from the past. Is yours also a 1968???

In reality, two coats of epoxy were applied with the first coat, after cured, being sanded down looking for imperfections and the final coat eventually prepped for primer.

Stay tuned...More to come.

Im pretty sure its a 68, it has the exhuast hole patch in the upper hull like yours did. But it does have the vents and also the push button start. There is no 69 stamped in front of the hull ID tag like Ive seen on some 69's. Im promised myself I'd get mine done this spring after putting the project on the back burner when I turned 16, then driving and girls became more of a priority. 14 years later I think its time. All thats left is the upper half bodywork and paint. I also should have 2 more maybe 3 sea~doos by sunday. I cant wait to compare the hull IDs.

I noticed WI tags in some of your pictures. Is your sea~doo the one that was in Sherwood by the autobody shop few months ago?

Corey

Lowbuckskidoo wrote:

Im pretty sure its a 68, it has the exhuast hole patch in the upper hull like yours did. But it does have the vents and also the push button start. There is no 69 stamped in front of the hull ID tag like Ive seen on some 69's. Im promised myself I'd get mine done this spring after putting the project on the back burner when I turned 16, then driving and girls became more of a priority. 14 years later I think its time. All thats left is the upper half bodywork and paint. I also should have 2 more maybe 3 sea~doos by sunday. I cant wait to compare the hull IDs.

I noticed WI tags in some of your pictures. Is your sea~doo the one that was in Sherwood by the autobody shop few months ago?

Corey

Corey,

Great story. Glad to hear another one saved from the crusher.

A very quick and easy way to differentiate the 1968 from the 1969 model is via the front of the hull. The 1968 had no gas inlet on the hull. Gas was filled by lifting the seat and pulling out the separate gas tank:



The 1969 had a separate black front fill gas inlet:



Feel free to attach images of your progress of your Sea Doo(s) right on this page. It would share info all in ONE place for those seeking further restoration info.

More to come. Stay tuned...

From what I found they made the 320 single in 1968 and in 1969 with the 1968's recalled and updated to the 1969 version (such as the chrome vents and updated exhaust). This is why I question a bit what year mine is for sure. I think some dealers did a better job with mods than others did. In 1969 they also added the 372 which was water cooled and used the new designed hull(the one with the gas cap on nose. It had different bottom also.) Here is a link to a copy of the 1969 owners manual, you can see the two models and the the cutaways of the 320 show chrome vents factory. 1969 manual Also on this page Hull ID tag you can see the 69 stamped before the hull id number Because they are way before my time, most of my info is from the internet. Most of the people I talked to who seen them or were dealers didnt recall much other than "oh ya they blew up" or they were recalled and had the engines cut out and hull crushed.

Lowbuckskidoo wrote:

From what I found they made the 320 single in 1968 and in 1969 with the 1968's recalled and updated to the 1969 version (such as the chrome vents and updated exhaust). This is why I question a bit what year mine is for sure.

I believe I now understand your question. Without you previously stating, your engine is probably a single cylinder model 320 which may have been installed in a 1968 or 1969 Model 320 hull. You are trying to determine if you have a 1968 model 320 or the 1969 UPDATED model 320. In 1968 midyear a recall was performed on the 1968 that addressed the slipping V belts on the 4 drive pulleys. At that time fresh air clam shell vents may have been attached along with updated rear engine hatch problems addressed.

To easily determine which year model 320 you have (1968 vs 1969 ) one only needs to look at the VIN number located on the starboard side of the pedastal above the manual recoil. The VIN plate (for the model 320) will start off with either 68 or 69 designating which year of production. This VIN plate is different than the twin cylinder Model 372.





Hope this helps with your search.

Stay tuned...More to come.

My tag is different from your's which leads me to believe it is a 69 320. But as you can see in my picture, it lacks the two year digits before the serial number. Until I seen what a 68 tag looked like I was thrown off. Thanks

Tried some of the generic covers for PWCs and they just didn't fit tight enough to travel at highway speeds. Decided to have a custom cover made with a soft felt liner next to the painted surface to prevent chafing. Fits like a glove with a ratcheting strap that pulls a strap tight underneath the rubrail. Doesn't slap at highway speeds.





Stay tuned for more...

Finished up a few more concerns with the ’68 Sea Doo…I only hope that I can check its performance out prior to autumn.

Originally, the paddle for the Sea Doo was just placed within the inside of the craft. Didn’t really like that idea for the potential of the paddle bouncing around and possibly jarring or knocking something loose. The solution was to lock the paddle in place via two tool handle holders. The holders wedge the paddle in place on the inside starboard hull without it budging an inch.



The original 1968 Sea Doo came with a vacuum formed plastic tool compartment for holding extraneous engine tools. Well, you all know what happened to the vacuum formed plastic that was new some 44 years ago…it was long gone! Now what to do with carrying some pliers, spark plug wrench, spark plugs and adjustable wrench without them bouncing all over the place. Build an aluminum tool box for the extra tools.

The next question was to determine where to mount the tool box. The perfect place was under the seat plywood, but you all know what eventually happens when humidity and wave bouncing interacts with a somewhat heavy tool box…it eventually pulls the course threaded wood screws right out of the seat plywood base. The final solution was to un-upholster the seat to be able to insert blind mounting nuts (70’s old school terminology) in place of wood screws.



This allowed for a snug attachment of the tool box to the bottom of the plywood seat:



Next procure some gun case sponge and cut some relief into the bottom sponge for the tools:



And then shut the tool box for a secure and rattle proof enclosure thus having the problem solved:



As I stated previously, Bombardier later incorporated clam shell vents into the deck for the dissipation of hull gas fumes which personally ruined the sleek lines of the craft.



The same type of problem occurs when state issued license numbers are required to be placed upon the deck. Personally the numbers and registration sticker somewhat ruin the outward appearance of the clean lines of the craft. Tried all sorts of ideas for non-permanent number placement, such as window sticky film. Too easily peeled off.

The final solution centered upon a removable license number plaque that maintained adherence at full throttle yet was removable for display purposes. A thin piece of flexible clear Lexan with the registration numbers and sticker was made with three suction cups:



Now where to store the license plates on board when displaying the craft??? Solution…build a box for the plates:



And mount the box inside the hull with a Velcro strap to secure the plates when towing the craft:



The license plates attach firmly to the hull without the concern of releasing when at speed, yet are easily removed and stored safely tucked away inside the hull:



I know…overkill with the entire project…but what the heck. Bombardier knew what they were doing with this design, or at least I believe they did. Stay tuned for a video performance (hopefully soon) of this classic craft.

you, sir have taken the bar and, instead of setting it higher, you gave it a chuck norris style roundhouse kick to the face. well done!

Kinda like taking a course in "Advanced Ingenuity" isn't it Riceman!? Awesome job once again SeaFlash, can't wait to see some video of that thing on the water.

hi seaflash,and welcome to fg,i dont know how i missed this post until now,but it seems that you know your pwc s,we are getting this yellow one in the pic,im guessing it a 1960s,i was told it was a sea doo as well,any idea of year?to get a better look at it just click on the pic then click on it again,thank you john

john-gibson wrote:

hi seaflash,and welcome to fg,i dont know how i missed this post until now,but it seems that you know your pwc s,we are getting this yellow one in the pic,im guessing it a 1960s,i was told it was a sea doo as well,any idea of year?

John,

Not a Sea Doo but an Aqua Loop powered by an outboard. I believe that they were manufactured in MN with the most recent that I saw was a 1972.

Del is the resident expert with these crafts. Give him a shout and he'll steer you right.

Hope this helps.

Thanks

wow you are quick,thank you so much,
your thread is awsome and your work impeccable ,just fantstic,i cant wait to see the volksboat resto,thanks again and karma to ya,john

Are you in Waupaca? If so, will the SeaDoo be out on the Chain at all? I'd love to see it in person.

vspeedster wrote:

Are you in Waupaca? If so, will the SeaDoo be out on the Chain at all? I'd love to see it in person.

Will try for a run on the Chain this season. Grew up on the Chain O' Lakes savoring summer and winter activities especially with the advent of the snowmobile height in the late 60's through the mid '70's.

Had a little time recently to check out the ’68 Sea Doo three years later after acquiring it. Fired right up with the turbine ready to propel. Whoa….NO Neutral...wait...NO Reverse either!!! Well, let’s see what she’ll do. She planed right off with all 18 Rotax horses screaming. There is no rudder or stabilizing fin on the hull of the craft, thus being somewhat directionally controlled by the turbine outlet position.



How does she maneuver??? My best description would be somewhat analogous to driving a hockey puck on ice. She slides easily from side to side. Initially, quite the concern, however after applying throttle responses to the unexpected slides, the Sea Doo was quite exhilarating to drive.





Some fine tuning under load needs to be addressed which will occur hopefully in the near future. After that, then I'll record a live action video of this PWC performing on the waters that she last saw many moons ago. Until that time, I’m off to get this classic running at peak performance…

I am in the processof getting one to restore and I think you and me are to become good friends

SeaFlash,

Thank you so much for posting your restoration! I just received my 1968 (overall in great shape, though not running.)

I wanted to let you know that mine had the original plastic vent in the back (in great shape). There is a plastic mfg. factory close to where I live and I'm going to see if they can make me one. Would you be interested in one?

I have a quick question. Mine still has the original seat (in fair shape as well). However, I wondered what material you used to recover yours and where you purchased it from?

I know the 320 motor was also used in the Ski-Doo Olympic. However, I'm located in S. MS and I do not believe these original SeaDoos ever made it to MS. Did you rebuild your motor, and if so, who did it and where did you get parts?

I really look forward to getting mine ready for the water. It was just shipped in last night, and after watching your restoration I was afraid I may have to do the same with mine. However, mine was evidently only used for a few years and then dry-stored away. The stringers look solid, as well as the flotation devices.

One final note... the 68's seem much more rare than the 69's. Do you have any idea what these crafts may be worth? I'm afraid i may have paid too much for mine but i figure you can't put a price on happiness.

I'm currently trying to attain a 69' that's in good shape as well.

James H Williams II wrote:

SeaFlash,

I wanted to let you know that mine had the original plastic vent in the back (in great shape). There is a plastic mfg. factory close to where I live and I'm going to see if they can make me one. Would you be interested in one?

First let me say: Welcome to the forum. My main intention of posting the restoration of this little fiberclassic was done with the hope of others that may have one would not have to re-invent the wheel.

Second, the rear vent was made of plastic and was prone to:

~ breakage and

~ allowing water to partially fill the engine compartment with sudden deceleration from the Berkeley turbine.

It was decided to make a stainless hooded vent to aid in the prevention of water from entering the rear engine compartment.

I have a quick question. Mine still has the original seat (in fair shape as well). However, I wondered what material you used to recover yours and where you purchased it from?

The material I used was a close match to the original vinyl pattern purchased from Goose over on the old Ski Doo Sled board. These die hard vintage Bombardier sledheads are very willing to help out any vintage Ski Doo individual. They can be found by Googling "oldski-doosleds".

I know the 320 motor was also used in the Ski-Doo Olympic. However, I'm located in S. MS and I do not believe these original Sea Doos ever made it to MS. Did you rebuild your motor, and if so, who did it and where did you get parts?

The engine parts fortunately are somewhat readily available due to the vast number of 1968 Ski Doo Olympiques that were manufactured. Once again check with any of the vintage guys at the aforementioned site.

One final note... the 68's seem much more rare than the 69's. Do you have any idea what these crafts may be worth? I'm afraid i may have paid too much for mine but i figure you can't put a price on happiness.

As the old saying goes, it’s worth whatever someone is willing to pay. The prices can be all over the board, however as you stated, “you can't put a price on happiness.”

Ever since I saw a 1968 at the local marina as a kid, I always wanted one. Hence the reason why the detail was expended within this little craft; to help re-live youth from days gone by.





Any other questions, please feel free to ask them and I’ll try to answer them to the best of my ability.

Stay tuned for a complete video, from restoration to performance, to be posted sometime in the future.

~SeaFlash