Want to redo my spectrum 1700

I bought this boat last yr and plan on starting a major renovations on it. I was wondering if anyone can tell me if there is anyway that I can cut the back off where the rails are on each side it's fiberglass. I want to cut it down and make a rear deck with battery storage and storage.
I would like to make it something like this.
Many thanks in advance.

most certainly you can cut the back to your needs.

BUT - BEWARNED !!! if you do not have a thorough understanding
of the fiberglassing skill, you could open up Pandora's Box big time.
altering and modifying a fiberglass boat does not take special tools.
the common sawz-all, jig saw, skilsaw, etc will do the job.
make a plan - make some drawings - don't just hop at it and hope for the best.

have you visited the forum "Fiberglassics" yet? the people there are more
in tune with what you are wanting to do. Go join, look at past threads. do your homework.
https://www.fiberglassics.com

I've done a few fiber glass boats restorations and it's a bunch of work that has to be done, this would be a giant job because the strength of the transom is in the splash well the bulkhead hold the transom and if you go cutting it out it will weaken it the other boat looks like a aluminum hull much easier to work with,

I think you just want to have more room so getting rid of the well will free up some space but at what cost, that build could set you back a bunch of money and time. If it was me I would fix it and sell it find something better it could save you in the long run.

Hard to tell from the pictures but is that an aluminum boat with some fiberglass panels?

Yes it is an aluminum hull boat just the back area is fiberglass.

In that case I would think you could redesign the rear as you like it but you really won't know until you get it disassembled. Just keep some sort of splash well.

do you think you can you remove the rear fiberglass part all in one piece ??
I think that would be the best approach.
then if you can get it out, you can cut it up and do your modifications with sheet metal
and plywood, cut the fiberglass to keep the splash well and put it all together.
like 2smknbrls said, it will be best to keep the splash well if at all possible.
or - fabricate a new one that suits you.
try not to break anything...... it is a modification project - not a demolition.

please keep us in the loop

Yeah if it's a aluminum hull you can do that, glass can be a pain to fabricate support for the transom because they have to be wrapped with glass, and sometimes you end up boxed in against the hull trying to lay glass big pain.

With aluminum tubes you can have the strength and get it done quickly, I love aluminum never going back to glass boats.

Also if you can get to the back of the transom to see if any of the floor stringers are aluminum and is the knee braces aluminum they come from the transom to the stringers or a bulkhead. Taking the slash well of in one piece is the best way, angel grinder works great along seems just watch how deep you go.

Take some photos of the inside of the transom and post them, people on this form will help advise you on the best way to approach this project.

Thanks for all the help so far everybody. I have to redo the floor also some weak spots but I want to lay it out more to the way I want it set up. What kind of fiberglass and epoxy should I use and also I want to repainted the outside what kind of paint should I use? It's my first boat so please be gentle. Lol

there are two types of Polyester Resin for laying up glass cloth and mat.
waxed: is just that - the resin contains a small amount of wax that floats
to the surface before the resin sets up - preventing a full cure of the top
2mm of resin so that additional layers will bond properly. it is not recommended
for the final finish coat. very hard if not impossible to sand down smooth for paint.
This is what auto-body shops use for repairs. Bondo filler is a polyester resin product.
so Bondo will bond securely to waxed resin - then the Bondo becomes the sealer.
after it is all cured, sanded, primed and painted properly, it becomes one very strong product.
unwaxed: is just that - the resin does not contain any drying or curing inhibitors that
will interfere with sanding and finishing after the proper cure.
Polyester Resin is not UV tolerable and must be either coated with a gelcoat or primed and painted.
it provides an extremely hard and rigid product. Used in fabricating boat hulls, parts of boats,
shower stalls, sinks, bathtubs, etc.
if there are wood stringers in your boat and they are soft, be prepared for a long hard road ahead.

Epoxy is for bonding similar or dissimilar objects together. it is far more flexible than polyester resin.
it is also difficult to sand after the proper cure.
also it is not UV tolerable and must be primed and painted if exposed to the UV rays.
Gelcoat: after it is all said and done, you have the option of a gelcoat finish or
primed and painted to match your boat. If you are not into maintenance,
a primed and painted finish will suit you best.

it is very easy to marry exterior plywood and a fiberglass object together if done correctly.

Once you have your project underway and plans made, come back and the gallery
can help you address any of your concerns.
there are literally hundreds of good threads on building, fabricating, preservation and painting
your boat in this forum. just use the "search" feature.
if you google epoxy vs polyester resin, you can gain a lot of education prior to
messing something up. also, the good old YouTube has good tutorial videos.




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That was a great post Johnny, I couldn't have explained it better, If you post some photos it we could help you so much easier.