My Walleye Project - 70's Sea Nymph SS160 1668

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jvanhees

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Location
Brighton, MI
Hi and thanks to all of you for your build threads!!!!!...as I have been learning a ton so far. The wealth of knowledge on this sight is invaluable! I am a new member, Jared, and have just picked up my new walleye boat...a 70's Sea Nymph SS160 1668.

Picked this up on CL for $600 with the trailer, not a bad deal but it is gutted fully and in need of a total rebuild. Kinda glad it is already gutted after some of the threads I have seen so far....I think it is a pretty solid boat, and is just what I am looking for to walleye fish. I am not sure of the year, as the tag and registration do not specify......ideas?

This boat came with the 2 original live wells, the rod locker peice that fold down over the rods, the side console piece, and another piece I am not sure of. I will also be selling my bass/duck mod v to fund this project . Below are a couple pics to start... thank you in advance for all of your help!

Things I would like to add/modify:

-Front deck with storage for 2 batteries and livewell
-New foot controlled trolling motor
-Side console for console motor - Or maybe tiller I am not sure yet
-New transem
-Restore the trailer
-Outboard - 25 HP ish
-Pedestals / Seats
-New Floor & Foam
-Truck bed liner, gluvit, carpet - not sure
-Radio, aux input, lights
-Bilge
-I am sure there will be more. I would like to take my time on this, and do everything the correct way...which is why I am here! Any and all input encouraged.
 
Well i wanted to see the bottom so my dad and i got it off the trailer today. Boat has all of this crap on it from someone trying to seal it..it is all of the brown stuff.....ImageUploadedByTapatalk1364160960.405353.jpg

so we started burning and scraping it offImageUploadedByTapatalk1364161065.467984.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1364161081.051481.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1364161096.501500.jpg
The seal here (above) does leak, as I found little ice sicles here....how would you go about sealing this? Welding? 5200? This is the back of the boat where the drain plug is. I will need to re-seal this entire area, along with the front keel.
 

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First couple questions...what is the best way to get all of this junk off of the seals & rivets? a stripper product or heat & wire brush?

Once this is all removed, how would you reseal it.
 
The rear area near drain plug, and bow any other area that doesn't clearly need welding: I would re-buck those rivets. there's lots of info on here about that, search it out. basically somebody holds a sledgehammer tight to the rivet on the outside and the guy on the inside whacks it with an air hammer or a small hammer, that's my understanding anyway. I'd also goop it up with 3m 5200 or weld it. it looks like you have a torch in the picture, so hts 2000 might be a good option instead of paying a welder. Totally your call.

looks like a great project. my boat will be a part time walleye rig as well, so I love the walleye builds.

Good luck, I'll be poking my head in every so often!
 
as already said, rebuck first and see how that helps. A couple options for resealing are gluvit and steelflex. A lot of people apply gluvit to the inside of the boat on the seams and rivets. Steelflex is usually applied on the outside (a lot of people on here use steelflex) but I believe it takes a bit of prep work.
 
jvanhees said:
First couple questions...what is the best way to get all of this junk off of the seals & rivets? a stripper product or heat & wire brush?

Once this is all removed, how would you reseal it.
I used a wire wheel on a grinder .It took every thing right off fairly easy. I didn't really have any real bad spots to fix. I just used self etching prime then painted it .
 

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Pweisbrod, thanks for the input...I will try the rivet rebucking, why not. Does that aluminum weld rod stuff really work? I have read a bunch online about how it is a gimmick/cant get the surrounding metal hot enough/sucks...? Alumaloy for instance, they make it look so easy in their videos. Btw, I like your lund, and will be watching that build!


Hsiftac, I will be putting something down on the inside and outside. There is alot of info on the gluvit and steelflex on this site, just not sure (from inexperiece) if that will be enough for a "seal" to waterproof the inside of the boat? Of if you are just "helping" leaky rivets? PLease advise here.


Walleye Joe, I wasnt going to coat the entire outside of the boat, just rivets/seams below the WL and new paint above the water....but yours looks really nice, and now I think I may. Once I apply whatever I will use: 5200/gluvit/steel flex, going over it with a primer and paint may not be a bad idea to protect it more? Or maybe I dont need to? either way it looks much better than the bottom of mine...


Thanks for all the input. I also found out that the SS160 was only made in '76, 77, 78...narrowing it down.
 
jvanhees said:
Pweisbrod, thanks for the input...I will try the rivet rebucking, why not. Does that aluminum weld rod stuff really work? I have read a bunch online about how it is a gimmick/cant get the surrounding metal hot enough/sucks...? Alumaloy for instance, they make it look so easy in their videos. Btw, I like your lund, and will be watching that build!


Hsiftac, I will be putting something down on the inside and outside. There is alot of info on the gluvit and steelflex on this site, just not sure (from inexperiece) if that will be enough for a "seal" to waterproof the inside of the boat? Of if you are just "helping" leaky rivets? PLease advise here.
I found myself over thinking every thing I did on my prodject . It seemed like I aways went back to the first think I wanted to do .Im almost done with mine now I,m pretty happy with what I've done . I can't wait to get on the water . Good luck with yours I'll be watchin :beer:

Walleye Joe, I wasnt going to coat the entire outside of the boat, just rivets/seams below the WL and new paint above the water....but yours looks really nice, and now I think I may. Once I apply whatever I will use: 5200/gluvit/steel flex, going over it with a primer and paint may not be a bad idea to protect it more? Or maybe I dont need to? either way it looks much better than the bottom of mine...


Thanks for all the input. I also found out that the SS160 was only made in '76, 77, 78...narrowing it down.
 
Well, took Joe's advice. Went to Harbor Freight and bought a angle grinder and cup wire brush...will be attacking the old sealant asap. Might throw some paint thinner on there a day ahead of time...what the heck
 
Ok, so I think I have an order of things that are going to be done first...yell it me if I seem out of order.

1) Strip & wirebrush bottom of boat completely clean
2) Get obvious cracks welded
3) Leak test for rivets that need rebucking (maybe switch 2 & 3)
4) Rebuck the rivets that leaked, and leak test again
5) Drill out remaining leaking rivets and replace with new pop rivets & 5200
6) Leak test once more
7) Steel flex the entire bottom up the bumper ribs on the sides of the boat
8) Move to interior - which may include Gluv-it or somthing over the rivets....not sure yet

I really just want to do this right so I never have to worry about it.
 
jvanhees said:
Ok, so I think I have an order of things that are going to be done first...yell it me if I seem out of order.

1) Strip & wirebrush bottom of boat completely clean
2) Get obvious cracks welded
3) Leak test for rivets that need rebucking (maybe switch 2 & 3)
4) Rebuck the rivets that leaked, and leak test again
5) Drill out remaining leaking rivets and replace with new pop rivets & 5200
6) Leak test once more
7) Steel flex the entire bottom up the bumper ribs on the sides of the boat
8) Move to interior - which may include Gluv-it or somthing over the rivets....not sure yet

I really just want to do this right so I never have to worry about it.
Sounds good to me .Let me know how the steel flex works out I almost used it :mrgreen:
 
Well this just made my day! first off :WELCOME: I believe we may have the same boat, which i haven not been able to find another one that is just like mine. The title says mines a '76 but I really do not know. do you have any pics of the inside? if so id really like to see them even tho you said it was stripped already. also what do the livewells look like. mine didn't have any in it when i bought it, and that's what I'm trying to figure out now. you can check out my thread, but its not up to date. I gave 1000 for mine, it came with a 80's 70hp merc, and a 46# foot controlled motorguide. I started stripping it as soon as I got it home. I just used cup brushes on a grinder, I think i may have went thru 4 or 5 after doing the inside and the bottom. then i steelflexed it, still might use gluvit on the inside. I didn't have any keel damage, but I had 178 holes to weld shut in the hull where someone shot screws thru to carry the decks they put in. I tried the alumilloy with no success, it kept warping everything before it was hot enough to do anything so i gave up. we used a tig welder. piece of advice if your going to weld, use a piece of copper as a backer it works wonders filling holes.
 
PitFishin' said:
Well this just made my day! first off :WELCOME: I believe we may have the same boat, which i haven not been able to find another one that is just like mine. The title says mines a '76 but I really do not know. do you have any pics of the inside? if so id really like to see them even tho you said it was stripped already. also what do the livewells look like. mine didn't have any in it when i bought it, and that's what I'm trying to figure out now. you can check out my thread, but its not up to date. I gave 1000 for mine, it came with a 80's 70hp merc, and a 46# foot controlled motorguide. I started stripping it as soon as I got it home. I just used cup brushes on a grinder, I think i may have went thru 4 or 5 after doing the inside and the bottom. then i steelflexed it, still might use gluvit on the inside. I didn't have any keel damage, but I had 178 holes to weld shut in the hull where someone shot screws thru to carry the decks they put in. I tried the alumilloy with no success, it kept warping everything before it was hot enough to do anything so i gave up. we used a tig welder. piece of advice if your going to weld, use a piece of copper as a backer it works wonders filling holes.


Pit thanks for the welcome and the good advise about what you have done/tried! I'll get some pics of the inside.. Also got ur PM. That is a lot of holes.
 
Hey man, great looking start you have there, if re bucking the rivets doesnt seal her up I would recommend jb weld over leaking rivets, hell I would just put jb weld on em period clean the area well and just put about a quarter size covering on each rivet. I swear by the stuff. You can use it on cracks or whatever, sometimes you have to be creative in your application like building little dams to pool it up where you want it etc... it has yet to let me down.
 
have you filled the boat with water while on the trailer to see where all the leaks are??? after you get all that crap off the boat I would suggest trailering it and fill it up so you got a better idea of what your dealing with leak wise and start from there. from what I see you got your work cut out for ya but like you said just take your time and weigh all your options so you don't have to make changes 3 different times to get it the way you want it like I did because I rushed and didn't think a few things out like I should have because I was excited to be done, take ya a lil longer but its all worth it when your done and you can stand back and look at it and say to yourself " I did that" and feel proud! good luck man....
 
Flat Bottom said:
Hey man, great looking start you have there, if re bucking the rivets doesnt seal her up I would recommend jb weld over leaking rivets, hell I would just put jb weld on em period clean the area well and just put about a quarter size covering on each rivet. I swear by the stuff. You can use it on cracks or whatever, sometimes you have to be creative in your application like building little dams to pool it up where you want it etc... it has yet to let me down.

Thanks FB, I could get creative and use that stuff....but how long do you think that would last? I am thinking a more permanent fix...unless that lasts a while...I just dont want to have to be doing this again in a couple years ya know? I have never replaced rivets...but am thinking I will learn. Guess it all depends on how many are leaking.

shawnfish said:
have you filled the boat with water while on the trailer to see where all the leaks are??? after you get all that crap off the boat I would suggest trailering it and fill it up so you got a better idea of what your dealing with leak wise and start from there. from what I see you got your work cut out for ya but like you said just take your time and weigh all your options so you don't have to make changes 3 different times to get it the way you want it like I did because I rushed and didn't think a few things out like I should have because I was excited to be done, take ya a lil longer but its all worth it when your done and you can stand back and look at it and say to yourself " I did that" and feel proud! good luck man....

Thanks Shawn! I have not done this yet...but that is what I meant by leak testing...exactly. I have thought about a bunch of different layouts so far...and like them each in their own way..but for now just need to concentrate on sealing the thing. Hope to work on it this weekend a bit. Was supposed to last night, but the fiance' got in the way of that one. :shock:
 
Well we flipped the boat back over. While I used the torch to clean off PO's JB weld job on the rear bottom rivets, I realized I probably shouldn't have as there is the factory sealant used between the rivets I could have ruined/melted with the torch. Learned that on this site....but after a driveway sloped rear 1/2 leak test....the rear rivets are all good. I will be doing another on level ground hopefully this weekend to test the front rivets. Anyhow here are some pics of the inside of the boat...pretty in tact still.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1364525613.806100.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1364525627.172140.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1364525640.338489.jpg
 
Looks like you got a pretty solid structure to build off of. Do you have a lay out on what your gona to do yet? When I had my boat at the point where yours is... I changed my mind on what i wanted to do 10 times. #-o Good luck nice walleyes btw :fishing:
 
Well did a good leak test Friday evening... :/ besides the crack in the front, found the rest of the leaks. Found 1 other crack, all the holes for live wells and bilge need new seals, rear bottom seal by plug needs some sealing, and probably 30 rivets... More leaking than I had thought...
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1364829334.053930.jpg
Shoved a rag over the main crack
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1364829358.751560.jpg
This crack needs welding and leaks a lot
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1364829391.102475.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1364829421.967238.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1364829433.535201.jpg
Those small ones are from oil ImageUploadedByTapatalk1364829445.601430.jpg


Now here is the main **** area... All marker lines are leaky rivets or seals ImageUploadedByTapatalk1364829520.734777.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1364829562.570285.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1364829573.934884.jpgView attachment 1]]]
 

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