TOPIC: High Class Disco Glass!

I just got home with my first boat, a 1977 Cobalt 19BR. It has the OMC 235HP (Ford 351 Windsor), and the Hobbs meter shows 377.1 hours. The floor is solid as a rock, and the interior is in good condition (albeit with some fading). There are a couple of spots on the port side where someone has done a spray-can touchup (I suspect from hold-downs on a road cover), but the hull is solid and should buff up nicely. It'll probably take me all winter to clean and oil all the teak.

This boat is a big departure from what I started out looking for. I wanted a boat and trailer package that weighed no more than 1500 pounds, so I could get it out of the water with my car. I also really wanted something with tailfins. Unfortunately, I couldn't have what I wanted and take the whole extended family out too. I'd been admiring a Cobalt locally for a couple of years, so when this one came up for sale, I jumped.

Here's the fun part. I asked the seller for 6 weeks to pick it up, and he agreed. He lives about 750 miles from me, so it was going to be a trip. As it turned out, he was going to be in southern Missouri, 250 miles from me, this weekend. He brought the boat along for $100 to cover the extra gas, and it turned it into a day trip for me.

Congrats on your "new arrival" as they say. Can't wait to see some pics of your new Cobalt, sounds nice.

now thats a sweet deal!.....post some pics!

I'll get some pics posted as soon as photobucket starts cooperating.

The previous owner hadn't ever used the bimini top, and didn't believe it was the original one. Turns out it is the factory top, and in addition, I found the factory bow cover, side curtains, and rear curtain stowed in the engine compartment. The rear curtain and bow cover appear to have never been used. One of the side curtains needs a new zipper.

This Cobalt has the optional seating arrangement, two captain's chairs with a rear bench and sundeck instead of the two small rear buckets and the back-to-back lounges. The rear bench is very comfortable, and plenty roomy enough for 3 adults. The bow will also seat 3 comfortably.

I have to say this, however. Just knowing how long 19 feet is didn't prepare me for the sheer size of a 19' deep v boat. This thing is freakin' huge!

You will love the 351W. Powerfull- but very easy on gas. We used a 19' Marquis with the 351.. and we could pull 2-skiiers all day on 11-12 gallons.

That's what I wanted to hear about the engine. I've always been a fan of the Windsor in cars, so I figured I'd like it in the boat.

I spent a few hours aboard today, playing with the top and covers, and sifting through the parts collection. I also pulled the hatch over the gas tank to find more good news: it's aluminum. I know the gas in it is horrible, and I was worried about rust in a steel tank. All the hardware on this boat, aside from the convertible top, is absolutely first class.

The trailer is a tandem-axle 1977 Rolco with surge brakes. It has 13" wheels with baby-moon hubcaps. They have holes in them for bearing buddies (stamped, not cut), and 2 of them are missing. Hopefully I can find a couple for a reasonable price. I'll rewire the trailer and switch to LED taillights during the winter, but for now all the lights are working. It's a very well-built trailer with decent paint.

I played with the gelcoat a bit the last couple of days. The white will hand polish to a mirror finish with just the Meguiar's fine-cut cleaner. I'll have to work some of the deeper rub marks a bit, but aside from some rash from a tie-down on one side of the deck, all the topside gelcoat will be beautiful.

The blue stripe is a different story. I'll have to color sand it to bring any depth back, but it'll be worth the effort. As for the spray touchups on the bottom of the port side, I'm going to leave those alone for now. Once I have the rest detailed, I'll probably order some factory-matched gelcoat and touch those up right.

BTW, my niece played aboard the Cobalt this afternoon and had a ball. I can't imagine how much fun she'll have when it's actually on the lake.

Yep, its a Cobalt. Big, heavy, SOLID, lots of wood trim. Not many, if any, strakes on the hull. Designed for a soft ride, like the big Cadillacs of the 70's. The seating arrangement you have was usually chosen by people who preferred cruising on larger bodies of water, as opposed to back to backs for inland lakes where skiing and tubing are more common. But I believe your passenger seat swivels to face aft, in case you do pull toys, and don't want your observer to get a stiff neck. BTW, isn't that 351 a Modified? Might want to be sure before getting parts.

Nope, it's definitely a Windsor. I wouldn't buy a boat or a car with a Modified, I hate those engines.

The passenger seat does swivel to face aft. The bottom of the hull has strakes.

I went ahead and removed the rear bench seat and engine cover/ sundeck, and they're stored inside till I finish the mechanical work. All the cooling hoses need to be replaced, and I'm working on getting a fuel pump. If I get a chance tomorrow, I'll file the points, prime the carb, and see if I can start the engine. The gearhead in me just wants to hear it run, even if it's just for a few seconds. One plus is that the outdrive already has the hose adapter kit installed, so I can start it with water going through it.

I've saved an ebay search for the surge brake actuator. Mine's blown, and they seem to go really cheap when I'm not looking. I figure I have months before the brakes need to work, so I might as well save money where I can. I also need to make a run to the Interstate battery warehouse to see if I can get a deal on a deep cycle battery or two.

I poured some Marvel Mystery Oil down the carb and turned the engine over by hand to make sure it coated the cylinders. I then filed the points (they were new since the engine last ran, but corroded), primed the carb, and the engine fired right off and sounded good. I didn't have any real doubts that it would, but it was nice actually hearing it run. Now to get a fuel pump and a set of bearings for the intermediate driveshaft. I already have a new outdrive water pump kit and thermostat kit.

I found someone on ebay selling stainless deck fill keys for $2.99 shipped. I picked one up, and it works fine on the Cobalt gas cap.

A big unexpected FedEx envelope arrived the other day. It was from the previous owner of my Cobalt, and included a new Clymer manual for the OMC outdrive, an owner's manual for the outdrive, and the original Cobalt owner's manual for the boat in mint condition.

Hi Karma:

Mercury Marine Had a very short run (1976-77) on a mercruiser 351 cid. "marine" block that had similar sized heads as the Ford 351 windsor, but it is by no means an automible engine so I'd refrain from the term "widnsor" for marine speak; unless it was transplanted from an auto which can come with a host of challenges.

If it is a mercruiser 351 cid, it should be rated at 233 hp, not 235 unless som modifications were made to boost it. A pic of my engine is attached which should match up.

Cheers!

Kevin-

Opps, Here are the pics. When I purchased my 1970s Hydrodyne Tournament skier +14 years ago, I ordered the engine shop manual through Mercury Narine (Fond du Lac, WI) upon purchase. They had some difficulty tracking it down due to the short production run of the engine.

With it's stock two barrel Rochester carb, it is a mieser on fuel. However, mine (and I assume yours as well) requires premium 93% octaine. Don't forget to purchase and use a leaded gas addative (CR-12 or something like that) as these heads are built with soft valve seats and will shread with unleaded fuel.

Take care,

Kevin-