1970 Lone Star 14' semi v conversion

So i joined this forum because I recently acquired a 14' 1970 Lone Star semi-v on craigslist. I purchased the boat along with the trailer and a 30lb thrust minn kota for $350!! The hull is solid and there are no signs of trouble. But it is in need of a restoration and that is what I plan to do this summer and into next fall if needed. I also acquired, at no cost, a 1951 (or 52) John QD-12 10hp outboard that was just sitting in my grandfathers basement. From the picture you can see that it is beyond immaculate for being 60+ years old. That is the original and paint and decals. I haven't had time to start it up yet but I am assuming that 20 years of sitting has taken its toll and it could take a while. So thanks in advance for the ideas and advise, and I look forward to keeping you all updated!

Nice motor! That thing looks mint! Don't forget to change that water pump. You might want to spray some kind of lube in the cylinders before you try to pull it over since there might not be any gas/oil getting in there at first.

murf-in-turf,

You didn't ask me for advice BUT (if it's not a treasured family heirloom) I would advertise it for sale on the classified section of https://www.aomci.org as you likely will be offered MORE for that early 10HP than a NICE & MUCH more modern OB will cost.
(For example a 1957-70 Johnnyrude of up to 40HP could likely be bought in great shape for what an "early 10" in that NICE "cosmetic" shape will sell for AND the later engines are EASY to find parts for and EASY to work on yourself.)

Those early 10HP motors are fairly difficult to find some new "routinely replaced maintenance parts" for.

NOTE: I'm NOT a collector of early Johnsons. - Instead, I'm a "crappie fishing fanatic" and restorer of antique ski-boats of the 1957-70 era.

Just my OPINIONS.

yours, satx

Nice Boat and motor!!
Nearly a year ago a lady in Port Charlotte, Florida gave me this Lone Star as a part payment for some work I did for her. I have been restoring it when time, and of course money, allows. I do have a question, does anyone know what these boats are worth?

English Bob,

IF it was me, I'd post some good pictures of it on the "aluminum boats section" on: https://fiberglassics.com and ask their opinions.

Those folks are the REAL EXPERTS on antique glass, wood & tin boats AND they are "helpful".

yours, satx

Thanks for that satx, I will let you know how I get on!
Thanks
English Bob

Thanks for the compliments everyone! The motor is kind of a family heirloom so there's no way I would sell it, but eventually I would like to get a bigger motor. But for now I'll stick with the johnson. I think I'm going to go worn a restoration based off of Skagbass' 14 footer. I really like the use of wood and I love the gunwale he made. But anyhow, I'll be working on it some this weekend so I will be posting some pictures. Thanks again!!!

murf-n-turf,

UNDERSTOOD.

IF it was mine and a family "treasure", I'd wash it carefully and then give it a good polishing/waxing & put it in the den.

THEN I would start looking for a NICE garage sale GALE, Sea King, Evinrude or Johnson OB to power the boat. = ImVho, that's too nice of an 3HP OB to USE.

yours, satx

So it't been a while, but I've finally had some time to work on the boat. Since my first few posts I added a little more power to the boat and purchased a 20hp Mercury Merc 200. I got a screamin deal on it that I couldn't pass up. It came with a steering cable and wheel, as well as the mercontrol remote and cables. I replaced the spark plugs and water pump and it fired up right away.

I'm still debating the direction I want to go with this build so I've made a prototype center console out of some osb and 2x2's. It's definitely not permanent but I wanted to make sure I liked the idea of a center console before I welded one out of aluminum. So here's the console I made on Sunday afternoon. I want it a little bit shorter but overall I think I like it. If it doesn't do well on the water then I'll go back to the drawing board. In my opinion, it looks pretty cool.


I had a little trouble with the steering at the transom because this cable was originally a splash well mount system, which explains the nylon ball. But after searching my local Lowes and Home Depot I came up with a temporary solution. I used a plate, threaded rod, and pipe clamp that would normally hold a gas line or electrical conduit to attach the steering rod to the transom. It's really solid and will work great until I can find a more permanent solution.


The next step is to get it on a lake and see how she handles. I'm a little worried it might be too top heavy but we will see. There is still a lot to do on this boat. I would like to strip and repaint it, apply steel flex to the bottom, the transom needs replaced and it needs better seating. So I have plenty to keep me busy this winter. I'll keep you all posted with updates! (Sorry for the crooked pictures, for some reason they didn't upload vertical and I don't know how to rotate them. If anyone knows, please let me know.)

So over the weekend I went to my inlaws and my Father-in-law and I got started on the aluminum version of the console. Before I get into that I wanted to show you all his Alumacraft. I don't know the exact model or year and I don't have any before pictures but I just wanted to show off his work a bit.

The boat was originally a simple tin boat ready for a tiller and some fishing. He fabricated the aquaduct transom and replaced the wood. He replaced all the wooden seats and added the extension on the rear seat. He fabbed the console and added the steering cable and linkage in the rear. He stripped and polished the hull as well as the 35 HP Evinrude Big Twin. I was super impressed and the boat runs great. He had a problem with porpoising so he fabbed the trim tabs and that solved the issue.

Now back to my boat. This weekend we prepped the aluminum for welding and cut out all the pieces. We got everything tacked together and then welded the console completely. We then cut out the front door and will be added hinges and a locking latch as well as shelves to keep valuables and paperwork secure. I am also putting the battery in there and we will add louvered vents on the sides in the bottom to keep the battery fumes from corroding anything in the compartment. We riveted a piece of angle to the bottom and then attached the console to the boat with riveted threaded inserts that work amazing for these applications. Its bolted to the seat and one rib that runs parallel to it. The steering cable just arrived today and I am also planning on getting a stainless steering wheel to compliment the style of the boat.








It'll be another 2 weeks before I get back down to the inlaws so after that I will post some more. There is definitely plenty to come! We plan on added the same aquaduct transom that he added to his as well as a t-top canopy and then there is paint coming as well. Stay tuned!

Loving it - thanks for sharing :beer:

Thank you! Comments and suggestions are always appreciated!

Looks great!!!!

Dropped the boat off at a local shop to get sand blasted. The paint that was on the boat seemed to be some sort of bed liner. Nothing would take it off and I tried about everything. Zip strip, sanding, wire wheel, and even a small sand blaster from Harbor Freight that my father-in-law had. It actually worked the best but for $45 at the local shop, the savings in time was definitely worth it. I should get it back sometime this week. It will need a little clean up but I definitely don't mind. I'll keep posting anytime I have updates. Thanks for the comments!!

Great job, love the size and layout of the center console!

Thanks for sharing your pics. Really enjoy seeing others' work. Fantastic job! Keep 'em coming!

Let us know how the sand blasting works out. I was told it would "pit" the aluminum; it would be better to have soda blasting done. Please do post about the blasting.

Again, thanks for sharing. 8) Congrats on your Lone Star! =D>

Keith
Tyler, TX

Well its been a while since I last posted and we've gotten a lot done. The sandblasting worked out really well. Whatever coating was on this boat before I got it would not come off by any other means so sandblasting was the way to go. It didn't seem to hard the aluminum at all, definitely left a dull/rough surface but with some more sanding, the right primer and paint everything should turn out well.

So since my last post, my father-in-law and I have almost completed the fabrication of the center console, finished the transom, and have started on the t-top. I'll just explain everything here and then post all the pictures. I've noticed on this forum that everyone seems to use their boats for strictly fishing and always seem to post the most efficient layouts for fishing boats. Now there's nothing wrong with that but mine is going to be a little different. This little guy is going to be more of a do-all boat. It will definitely see it's fair share of fishing action, but I also wanted to be able to take my wife and son out on it for a day on the lake or take friends out and ride without the sun beating down on us.

So onto the build. Again we stole an old Alumicraft idea called the Aquaduct Transom. It essentially turns your transom into an I-beam and man it is strong. The wood is solid cherry with 3 coats of spar urethane and will show up in multiple places when this boat is finished. I cannot thank my father-in-law enough because he did all the work on the transom. He works road construction and here in Ohio that means you get the winters off.

We had a time finding the right aluminum pipe for the t-top. We wanted schedule 40 pipe for its rigidity, but we needed an alloy that was easily bent on an inexpensive Harbor Freight pipe bender. We found some at a local electrical supply and its worked out great. The top is just over 6' tall and measures 4'2" wide and 5'2" long. It's mounted on the center console as well as the seat in front of it and the ribs below it. We still need to add some supports for the sunbrella top and the sunbrella fabric itself. I'm just so excited with how everything is turning out and I can't wait for spring! Well enough with the explanation, here's all the pictures! Ask any questions you'd like.

Wow! What an awesome job! She already looks pretty again! I love the design of it all. You must know how to draft to scale. I can't thank you enough for posting more pics and sharing. We have yet to replace the transom in ours, but will soon. I might have to "borrow" your idea, if you don't mind. I want to compliment you on the welds as well. Is the material aluminum?

I would also like to compliment you on your post. For a man to consider his family first says something about his character. Hats off to you my friend! The best thing you can do is pray and play with your family. Your son will learn from you, and your wife will grow to love you more and more as the years pass by. Believe me, I know.

Keep up the good work, and remember, Springs a comin'!

Keith
Texas

Very nice! =D>