198? bass tracker rebuild

[oldgrg138]

Hey everyone! I am new to the forum and would like to post my project here with the hopes of it encouraging me to keep up on the build, as well as inspiring others to do the same. I looked around at a few of the other forums and this seems to be the most active one. That being said, I have never taken on a project this big before. I like to think that I have some mechanical aptitude, but I have very little experience on boats and outboard motors. I am going to be relying mostly on the internet for my info. I have never owned a boat before, but I am very excited and I cant wait to get this project done and be on the water. I am very open to input as I work my way through this, so feel free to give me any suggestions you guys might have. Chances are you have more experience than me.

My plans are to make it a solid entry level bass fishing boat. I want it to be reliable and functional with minimal cost. My current plans are:
Trailer-
Sand and repaint the trailer
Replace the bunks and broken supports
Install a transom saver
Boat-
Pull all decking
Replace foam
New seats
F&R pedestal seats
Replace trolling motor
Install fish finders
Possibly paint (it used to be a duck boat)
Rebuild decking, add compartments, extend and raise front deck
Motor-
Have local shop go through it and replace parts as necessary. It runs, but has a miss at full throttle under load. Previous owner rebuilt 1 carb, replaced all fuel lines, and replaced fuel pump.

Here are some pictures of the boat:
https://imgur.com/a/QzrM9

Thanks for checking it out!

 

[oldgrg138]

Sofar, the only thing I have done besides getting everything registered in my name is do some temporary repair on one of the bunks. one side had a bunk support that was missing, and that was causing the boat to lean and rub on the fender. I plan on replacing the bunks completely, and having a friend weld on a new bracket.

 

[dearl]

Welcome,

There's a ton of Tracker mods and rebuilds here, Post some pics of what your working with, you'll get plenty of help.

 

[oldgrg138]

Welcome,

There's a ton of Tracker mods and rebuilds here, Post some pics of what your working with, you'll get plenty of help.

Thanks! I posted a link to a gallery of pictures on imgur in the first post, hopefully it is working. I've already looked around and found some great info. Hopefully the rain will clear up here and I can get things started soon.

 

[nickwb85]

What size is it, length and beam? Motor? That thing's got great potential! I've got a side console as well check out some of my posts and maybe you'll get some ideas there!


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[oldgrg138]

What size is it, length and beam? Motor? That thing's got great potential! I've got a side console as well check out some of my posts and maybe you'll get some ideas there!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is a 16 foot length, and I am not sure about the beam length. the motor is a 40 horsepower, I believe its a 1988. I think it is a pretty sloid base, and I'm looking forward to giving it a face lift and making it my own. I have a friend who is a welder, and he is going to replace the missing bracket under one of my bunks, as well as reinforce the other ones. He is also going to replace square tube that holds the side bunks, since they have no drain holes or covers and have rusted out over time. Hopefully that will be done next week. I want to get everything wrapped up by the summer, so I can enjoy it and get some time in before the winter. hat way I can work some of the kinks out over the next winter, and have it pretty well dialed by that point. Ill check out your post soon, thanks for the info!

 

[oldgrg138]

Well, due to rain and school it took a little while, but I finally managed to make some progress. I knew I had a missing bracket under one of the bunks, which caused the boat to sit sideways on the trailer and rub against the fender. I also noticedvone of the side rails that holds the bunks in place was totally rusted out. I have a friend who is handy with a welder, and I was able to trade him my old snowboard for some fab/welding work. He made a new bracket for me, welded it on, and welded the other brackets on completely (they were only held on with a small weld on each corner). He also cut a new bracket for the bunk on the side, and put a cap on the other side, so it wont fill with water every time I launch the boat. here is an album of the images.

https://imgur.com/a/9R2Ck

Next I am going to replace the bunks. ad strip/repaint/rewire the trailer. I noticed the previous owner had 2 2x4's stacked for the main bunk, but I am not sure that is necessary or normal. it looks to me that it would be fine with a single 2x4. Does anyone know what is normal for these boats and trailers? it is an early 80's boat and trailer. Thanks!

 

[overboard]

Sounds like most things you want to do is the pretty basic stuff that most guys have done on here.
Plenty of help available, just post with a pic. of what area you are working on and someone will help guide you through it if you need opinions or help.
You mentioned 2 2x4's stacked for the bunks, maybe just for strength, or to raise the hull so it doesn't hit the fenders on the trailer since the bunk supports are welded on and not adjustable. You will need to figure that out, every trailer I ever saw or worked on only had a single board.
When replacing those bunks, either buy bunk slicks or something similar to put on them. Cheapest way to do that is to cap them with vinyl down spouting that's cut in half, or vinyl fencepost cover that's cut in half, plus a few other options. You won't be sorry you did that.

 

[hsiftac]

Good looking boat, looks pretty similar to the 1981 I just picked up.