14' somethingorother v build...V1 almost complete!

[wingsnhammers]

Alright guys. I am putting this build here so I can kinda keep track of it and maybe contribute a little to this great forum. What I have is a cheap project of a craigslist boat. It is 14.5' long and 57" wide at the transom. There is no nameplate, HIN, or any other kind of identification on it. It was registered as a 67 model boat though. It came with a trolling motor, anchor, new gas tank, early 60s Johnson Seahorse 10hp, a good trailer, a new battery, and a few other little doodads. This is what she looked like when I picked her up.

 

[wingsnhammers]

I think I have decided to go with a "simple" build. My version of simple is to strip all 5 layers of paint off the boat, squirt it with a self-etching primer, roll on an enamel paint, and cut and carpet new bench tops. I may add a front deck, depending on time constraints. I really want to get this thing in fishing condition. There will not be anything groundbreaking about this boat. I will primarily use it to fish and hunt out of, so I may add a few functional items.

I did water test it and found out there is single leak right above the drain plug hole. I believe it is leaking from a broken off screw that hold the rear handle on. I didn't find a single leaky rivet! =D>

I've got the boat off of the trailer and flipped right now. I almost have the entire outside stripped and ready for primer. I have a feeling that the inside will be a bit harder to strip.

I want to get this boat moving, but I may not make great progress. I have other duties to tend to during the days and have to keep up with 3 online classes. It seems like I don't get much time to work on it between classwork, bad weather, and whatever else has to be done. Anyway, here is a progress picture.

 

[Pweisbrod]

Looks good so far! Most of us have slow progress

 

[wingsnhammers]

I have the entire outside stripped of paint. Once I figure out a good way to get the paint out from under the railing, I can flip it and begin again on the inside. I'm thinking of blasting the interior with glass beads. It's either blast the paint off, or apply a chemical stripper and then pressure wash it off. Either way, it has to be better than using a grinder with a brush cup. The grinder worked great for the exterior. The interior has all the same joints and quite a few more tight places to contend with.

 

[Action762]

Looks good so far. =D> You have to post more pictures. I actually just bought my Aero Craft 14' Q-14 V bottom yesterday. I got it for real cheap and thought I ripped the guys off. When I got it home though I noticed there were a few soft spots on the bottom of the boat. My assumption is that it is an old boat and the guy just hadn’t used it in some time. He told me he got it from his buddy that owed him money and it has been sitting and not in the water for about 2 years. So I guess my assumption was correct. My question is about the soft spots. Are there anyways to fix them (i.e. patch kit, weld etc.) without ruining the boat? I will be posting pictures and creating a post for the build when the weather breaks. I have the boat leaned up against my house right now.

 

[wingsnhammers]

I will be sure to get more pics in the future. #-o I need to either buy or rent a pressure washer so I can strip the interior. I am curious about the floor in your boat. It's to hard to say anything about it without seeing it or at least pictures. I will be on the watch for your build thread.

 

[Action762]

Hey Wings,

Well I am having issues posting pics? I may have to do it from my home computer. I will take a look at it tonight when I get home. I am at work right now but I created a new post for my boat so you can take a look at it probably tomorrow because for some reason I am unable to post the pics. Probably just the work computer I am on. I will be able to also take more pictures this weekend. The pics I have I took from my phone and that could be causing the issue as well. Anyway back to work... Talk with you soon.

 

[wingsnhammers]

Here are a few more pics. I am surprised this boat is as straight as it is. Sure, it has a few dents and dings, but nothing overly obvious.

You can see where I still need to strip the paint that is under the rails. I will get that area with a chemical stripper and will hopefully be good to go.

 

[wingsnhammers]

Well, I've gone and done it now. The water pump on the pressure washer needs some attention, so I decided I could at least get the trailer taken apart. It is actually in very good shape. It looks like it is rusted all over, but it is just faded (red) paint. There is very little actual rust and even then it is only on the surface. Even the hardware was still in good shape and I will be able to use all of it after a little attention with a wire brush. I already have the consumables to restore the trailer, so I figured I might as well get it out of the way.

 

[Pweisbrod]

Oh boy, things are getting exciting now!

 

[wingsnhammers]

I'm just jumping all around with this build! When I ran the boat earlier, the motor was having a skipping issue and just generally wasn't running right. It is a 1959 johnson Seahorse 10hp. A good friend is a boat mechanic by trade and offered to take a look at it. Well, we threw it in a barrel, and ran it for a few minutes. Then we took the carb off and gave it a good cleaning. We ran it a bit more and got it purring like a kitten compared to what it was doing. Then it started kinda skipping a bit and I found this. This is a crappy picture, but in person it was easy to tell that it was arcing out of the insulator on the plug. We even swapped plugs and tried it to see if it might be the boot. Nope. Looks like I need a pair of new plugs and will probably go ahead and get a carb rebuild kit. The cork float doesn't have any of the protective coating on it, and I am afraid it will either soak up the fuel or the particles will make it through the carb and jam something up.

Anyway, it looks like good weather for a few days, so I am going to try to get the trailer done. May even flip the boat and start on the inside if I am feeling froggy.

 

[wingsnhammers]

A little more progress, but no pics. I pulled the bearings and hubs on the axle. Cleaned everything, repacked the bearings, and reinstalled the hubs. This is the first trailer I have bought that didn't need new bearings or races. I'm happy about that! That's just more money that can go into the actual boat! :mrgreen: If I can get a few good weather days, I will get the trailer cleaned and painted. In the past few days I have gotten carpet, registration, new spark plugs, carpet adhesive, staples, and a few other little things. I am getting there...slowly but surely. The main issue lately has been the weather.

 

[z0mbie f1sherman]

Your boat looks very similar to my Elgin boat. I have no idea what year it is, but mine is definitely an Elgin, it had the original stickers on the back before I re-painted it

Your's is actually the only other boat I've ever seen that looks like mine.

Here's a photo, you will see the side "ribbing" looks the same, but the bottom is different. Also, your seats are different than mine, but maybe it's just a difference in years?

 

[wingsnhammers]

I have no idea what this thing is. :mrgreen: It does look similar to yours though. You can see it in the sides. This thing has got to be a pretty rare old tin. The flare of the sides leading to the bow, the bow "plate", and the shape and style of the benches makes me lean toward saying this is MAY be an Arkansas Traveller. The previous owner had it registered as a 67 model hull, but it could actually be just about anything. The previous owner did have a reputable boat dealership "rate" it for a motor and they recommended 25HP or less. There really is nothing that positively identifies this boat. I can't find a matching boat and I've googled pictures of Richlines, Arkansas Travellers, Starcraft, Alumacraft, Polarkraft, Sears, Crestliners, a few others, and now Elgins. :shock:

I think I just came up with a name for this boat. How does "Enigma" sound? :lol:

I do like your boat, Zombie. I was very, very close to buying red and white paint and painting this somewhat similar to yours. But, I will likely use this for duck hunting as well as fishing. Duck hunting has a way of ruining paint jobs and nice carpet. So, I guess I will stick to "sand bar brown" as it is a great color for a multi-purpose rig.

 

[wingsnhammers]

I was able to get a good bit done today. I got all the trailer hardware cleaned up and ready. I got the paint underneath the rails the best that I could and then flipped the boat. Here is a nice surprise. The floor almost has no paint on it. What paint there is, is flaky and comes right off. The paint on the inside walls of the boat is actually on there! =D> I will be able to knock this out in no time at all. In the pic, you can see where I took the wire cup all over the inside of the boat. For the most part, another half hour with a new wire cup and it will be ready for hole filling and then a good pressure washing. You can also see the high quality floatation that was in the front bench...

I took a few actual measurements today, too. Transom is 16" tall and 60" at it's widest. Floor is 50" wide at transom. Total length is 14' 1". At the front bench, the height from floor to rail is 24". At the brace between the front and center benches, the boat is 63" wide.

I knew that this boat was shaped kinda funny, but I wasn't expecting that.

 

[TimRich]

She's coming along nicely! Keep up the good work!

 

[wingsnhammers]

I got my carb rebuild kit in, so I spent a day rebuilding the carb. The spark plugs I bought were to long, so I need to take them back and get correct ones. Still, even with the one plug still arcing, this motor runs great! Throttle response is actually much better than I would have guessed it could be and it even seems to idle great. We just had it in a barrel. Only time will tell if it will run that good on the boat. I'm not expecting it to be a speed demon, but I would like it to get on plane. Tomorrow is supposed to be great weather. I plan on finishing the wire wheeling, patching a few miscellaneous holes, and getting at least part of the boat in primer.

 

[wingsnhammers]

Got most of the inside in primer today. Also got plywood for the benches. I really wish I had a barn or garage or SOMETHING that I could work in. I hate having to rely on good weather days to work on stuff. Anyway, The boat is close. I need to primer the outside and then I can start rolling on the paint.

 

[wingsnhammers]

Well, no pics today. I was actually too busy to take any! :mrgreen: I got the bench tops cut and test fitted. I will start applying Helmsman tomorrow. I attacked the trailer with the grinder. It's 90% stripped. I should be able to get it painted tomorrow and reassembled Friday. I am also hoping to get the boat painted tomorrow, also. I have a friend calling me every day wanting to know what I am doing to it. That's just his way of letting me know that he wants to go fishing. :lol:

I have slightly altered my plans a bit. I am just getting this thing ready for the water with a kind of minimalist attitude. Here in a few months, when the crappie aren't biting and the bass aren't spawning, I will go back and add a deck, maybe some flooring, rod rack, and a few other mods. I have a few ideas that will keep the boat less cluttered and more useable while still looking clean. I will get some pics tomorrow. When the paint and dust settles, maybe I will have a boat and not a project!

 

[wingsnhammers]

Alright, I got a bit done today! I got the boat primed with self etching primer and the trailer primed with regular stuff. I also got a first, thin coat of paint on the boat, and most of the trailer is painted. I'm about to put carpet on the bunks. I also got 4 sheets of blue 1/2" rigid insulating foam board from Lowe's. It looks like I will be able to fill the insides of the benches and still have a tad bit left over. I've actually already got 3 sheets cut and placed in there. It's going to be tight, but I believe I will be able to put this on the water this Saturday. Here are a few pics.

Here, the trailer is in primer and the boat is about half primer and half paint.

Here is the color difference between the self etching primer and the paint I am using.

And here is a shot from the deck showing a mostly painted trailer and the boat.