Here we go again - '83 Bass Tracker Tournament Texas Rebuild

[AggieCollin10]

My Grandfather gave me his 1983 Tournament Texas. It has not been cared for. The Suzuki DT60 that was on it was a lost cause, it's parts now. The boat sat in the boat house for many years, then sat in the woods trailered and uncovered for many more. After some research I decided this boat (maybe just the hull) was worth the time and effort to restore. Warning - I have zero boat restoration experience, hell I have almost zero boating experience, but I'm experienced in carpentry and metal work and this project doesn't scare me, I just don't want to make an expensive screw-up because I'm on a tight budget and trying to make use of my welder's ingenuity. I do, however, want this boat to be reliable and last many years.

Condition when I got it -

I've worked on it for a few weeks now in my off time and finally have it totally stripped down. Here is the current condition-

There are a few issues. There are rivet holes EVERYWHERE (I probably drilled and ground down a hundred rivets). I'm going to have to do a new transom, and there is (what I'm hoping is) minor hull damage. I'm going to try to mimic rook's Flats Tracker project and convert it to a center console.

So, on to the issues-

Issue #1, the transom. I've removed the old transom in one very deteriorated piece, I should be able to trace a template and make a new one fairly easily, and I can weld aluminum, so reconstructing and sealing everything back up won't be an issue. I'm just not sure about the type of wood, epoxy, or hardware I should use to reinstall it, the bolt holes are intimidating, and I have no idea what to do about replacing the jack plate.

Issue #2, hull damage. It looks like grandpa hit a stump. There is a raised/bent portion of the hull along the keel that extends bow to stern across three lateral braces, stiffeners, whatever y'all call them, and three popped rivets. I assume I can just beat things back into shape and seal and replace the rivets, but I've never done this, so if that's going to screw something up, please let me know. Also, what should I seal other new rivets with? I've got some above and below water line. Hull damage shown here-

Issue #3, corrosion. Here in Northeast Texas we have very iron rich soil, and this sediment seems to have made its way into the boat. There were a few iron-ore-like pieces in the corrugated ribs of the hull that broke loose while cleaning, but there seem to be some rusty areas left behind that are stuck to the aluminum. It was easy to chip away, but I'd like to treat and get rid of this corrosion without compromising the hull's integrity. The corrosion can be seen in the hull damage pics.

Issue #4, marine wood and carpet. This part is overwhelming and looks expensive. I'm going to need probably 3 sheets (4x8) of plywood, enough carpet to cover it, and adhesive. Where do I buy this stuff for cheap?

Issue #5, all this dang ol foam. I'd like to get as much foam as possible back into the voids of the boat, what product would y'all recommend?

My plan is to use LumaBright on the interior and exterior of the boat, then paint the bottom with steelflex. I'm a railcar mechanic so I have access to Hempel liners, some of you may recognize this as what they paint ships with. We also paint railcars with it, so I think it might be a good choice for a durable paint.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated, and I'll be sure to keep y'all updated on my progress.

Tight lines,
Collin


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[Big_ug_chevy]

Check my build out, 14/48 center console. I might give you some ideas. Aluminum is the way to go for frame and decking material. Half the weight and it will never rot. As far a floor covering, is carpet a must? Real boat carpet is very expensive. I did mine with total boat And I'm very pleased.

 

[jparrishbt]

Im doing a similar build right now. Just about done with the trailer. Excited to start on the boat. If you have any questions feel free to ask and check out my build. These boats are fun until your done with it. Youll have a blast rebuilding. I don't know what you are planning for the flooring but check out the vinyl they are putting on boats now. I am really considering putting some on mine. Good luck

 

[AggieCollin10]

Check my build out, 14/48 center console. I might give you some ideas. Aluminum is the way to go for frame and decking material. Half the weight and it will never rot. As far a floor covering, is carpet a must? Real boat carpet is very expensive. I did mine with total boat And I'm very pleased.

I hadn't even considered using aluminum for the decking, it might even be a cheaper option. Do you just use self tapping screws?

What is total boat? My wife and daughter will be cruising with me on occasion, so the deck getting too hot for bare feet is a concern. Also, I figured I could hide any un-clean edges with carpet and give everything a nice finished look. Is there some kind of trim you can rivet in to finish off joints? I'm going to need some anyway because the old interior side sheets won't be long enough to work with the new layout, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to build a new rear bulkhead.

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[AggieCollin10]

Im doing a similar build right now. Just about done with the trailer. Excited to start on the boat. If you have any questions feel free to ask and check out my build. These boats are fun until your done with it. Youll have a blast rebuilding. I don't know what you are planning for the flooring but check out the vinyl they are putting on boats now. I am really considering putting some on mine. Good luck

I haven't seen the vinyl mentioned but I'll check it out. These companies are WAY too proud of their carpet, so I'm very interested in cheaper options.

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[Ebug]

Collin, it's great to meet you and learn about your project.

I spend a week each summer up at Caddo lake and a few days in Edom each year with my wife and sons...so I am very familiar with that red dirt you are talking about. It literally takes me a half dozen car washes to get it off the sides of my tires when I return home each year.

Like was stated above, I am a huge fan of aluminum construction and would never consider wood in part of my build. I'm just a do it once kind of guy on heavy fab work. I would personally extend this policy into the transom work you are needing to do. Figure out a way to use heavy aluminum tubing in strategic locations within the transom to support the motor and forget the wood. Dura Craft used to make an all metal transom boat and still might for that matter. Brainstorm and you will figure out something that works.

Fixing that dent in the bottom. I would not worry with it unless it is leaking or is preventing you from finishing some work in that area. You will have more dents before it is all over. No one will see that dent unless you are running over them....and they are not going to be interested in telling anyone after that ordeal!

Carpet, never understood why any boat manufacturer would use it in a fishing boat. Fish slim and blood is just a bear to get out...especially if left for a couple of days. Not to mention that most water ways have bacteria in them that will start to smell after a couple of days if left un-neutralized. I prefer either some sort of spray in liner or any of the mat style products currently out there.

Fit/finish when using aluminum. Spend some time at any tin boat dealer and get some ideas. I know Tracker is currently producing some very nicely finished metal boats that have minimal gaps and such. Most use a combination of welding and large aluminum rivets for holding the decks in place. Again a couple of trips to a dealer will give you a wealth of knowledge.

Corrosion. I always value my time highly so I look for the fastest way to handle problems like this. I start with plastic media blasting. It is actually not that costly, especially when you realistically look at the hours and material you will spend on hand correcting it. Another option is research some of the chemical solutions. I have seen post out there so I know there are some that work.

Last bit...spend much time planning out your project and be prepared to deal with some setbacks. Just nature of the beast.


Welcome to the site.

Rob

 

[jparrishbt]

And if you rent a media blaster, or just a high powered pressure washer, you can probably get another 10lbs of corrosion and dirt and grime off of your inside hull. And it will clean it up.

 

[jparrishbt]

Carpet is awesome on a bass boat. The fish slime and blood is rare occurance from a gut hook or a night out with too many cold ones and a catfish lands on your lap. It pressure washes out easy and then you vaccum the water right out of the carpet with a wetvac. Super simple and doesn't smell. Based on your needs, I would go with carpet. I have a ranger for bass fishing. I do all my tournaments and such out of that boat. This tracker I am building is one for up in the mountains catching trout in the summers, catfish at nights here in the desert, and cutting ducks during the winter. I need easy cleanup in this one.

 

[AggieCollin10]

I'm just a do it once kind of guy on heavy fab work. I would personally extend this policy into the transom work you are needing to do. Figure out a way to use heavy aluminum tubing in strategic locations within the transom to support the motor and forget the wood.

BINGO! I want to do this work one time, do it right, and be confident that I don't have to worry about it again. The aluminum tubing idea is awesome, and it's not something I had even considered was a possibility. I wanted to over-build the transom, and this sounds like a great way to do it.

Fixing that dent in the bottom. I would not worry with it unless it is leaking or is preventing you from finishing some work in that area.

The leaking is my concern. While rinsing out the interior of the boat, I noticed that water readily flows in one rivet hole and out the others. I'm worried that means I've now got water in between the hull and the keel reinforcement strip that's riveted to the underside of the boat (what is that thing called, anyway?).

Carpet, never understood why any boat manufacturer would use it in a fishing boat. I prefer either some sort of spray in liner or any of the mat style products currently out there.

My original plan was rhino liner, but my wife brought up the issue that it might be too hot for little one's feet, and wouldn't be very comfortable for stooping or bending down. What are these "mat style" products you mentioned?

Fit/finish when using aluminum. Spend some time at any tin boat dealer and get some ideas.

This is exactly what I'll do! Now to find an aluminum supplier...

Corrosion. I always value my time highly so I look for the fastest way to handle problems like this. I start with plastic media blasting.

I might be able to talk my boss into letting me sand blast the boat and trailer at work. However, it'll be the media we use for blasting Hempel off of rail cars. It's gritty enough to remove weld spatter and actually smooth out the interior welds on hoppers to allow good liner adhesion for quick unloading. My concern is that the media (it's the black silica stuff, I believe) will be too coarse for thin aluminum, and I don't have blasting experience so I'm worried I'd just eat thin spots and possibly holes into the hull.

...be prepared to deal with some setbacks. Just nature of the beast.

Being a railcar mechanic, I'm totally ready to run into some serious snags. Nothing some ingenuity and perseverance can't fix.




Thank you for the warm welcome and all the insight, Rob!

 

[AggieCollin10]

Carpet is awesome on a bass boat..

It's also a little out of my price range for quality carpet, And I want something more permanent. If I can find a deal on scrap carpet, however, I think I may stick with that. I think it definitely gives a more professional, finished look, but I'm not that concerned with making this boat look like it came off of a showroom floor. I would enjoy telling people I renovated the boat myself from the ground up if they ask where I found that model, though.

 

[Big_ug_chevy]

Check my build out, 14/48 center console. I might give you some ideas. Aluminum is the way to go for frame and decking material. Half the weight and it will never rot. As far a floor covering, is carpet a must? Real boat carpet is very expensive. I did mine with total boat And I'm very pleased.

I hadn't even considered using aluminum for the decking, it might even be a cheaper option. Do you just use self tapping screws?

What is total boat? My wife and daughter will be cruising with me on occasion, so the deck getting too hot for bare feet is a concern. Also, I figured I could hide any un-clean edges with carpet and give everything a nice finished look. Is there some kind of trim you can rivet in to finish off joints? I'm going to need some anyway because the old interior side sheets won't be long enough to work with the new layout, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to build a new rear bulkhead.

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Check out my build as it will answer most if not all your questions. As far as the Total Boat getting hot, it hasn't so far.... I will let you know after a 90 degree day. That being said, reviews on the product say it doesn't get hot to the touch. I tried to stay away from self tapping screws as much as I can as they strip out more than not. On the decking that I have no intention of removing I used rivets (best thing ever invented). On the decking that I might one day have to take up I used a tap and die kit for machine thread bolts with a hex head drive. I also add a drop of lock tight to each bolt for added security. As far as trim goes, yes there is marine trim that you can get, I used it on my flooring, hatch lids I made, hell, I used it on just about everything lol, which you can see in my pics.

BTW, for sealing rivets, holes, bolts or anything marine for that matter you will need to invest in a sealant called 5200. This stuff is a beast!!!

 

[Ebug]

AggieCollin10...the boat I have now came with BearHide coating on the interior which is rubber like with texture to it. It is indeed hot in the summer...like through your shoes hot. I am researching what 'Mat" I want to put on the front and back deck to relieve some of the heat.

A couple of the choices I have found is...

https://styx-river.com/products/?category=1&subcategory=6

https://www.gatortraxboats.com/boat-accessories/floor-covering-hydroturf/hydroturf.html

There are several others that can be found via Google.

If you are interested in a rubberized coating to go under the mats...there is a Gatorhyde installer up in Paris TX.
https://www.gatorhyde.com/gatorhyde-marine-coatings/


Black silica....be careful with that stuff on aluminum. I am sure that you can penetrate the hull in short order with it being so abrasive. Great for removing weld scale and such, but pure pain on aluminum.
Like was mentioned earlier....you might be able to rent a blasting rig and do it yourself. I know if I was going to do that I would solicit every person I can find to split the cost and make a weekend out of it blasting my project along with anything else that can be drug up. Trailers, inside of pickup beds, engine compartments, cast iron patio furniture. Play your cards right and you might actually make some money doing it.

Rob

 

[jparrishbt]

Carpet is awesome on a bass boat..

It's also a little out of my price range for quality carpet, And I want something more permanent. If I can find a deal on scrap carpet, however, I think I may stick with that. I think it definitely gives a more professional, finished look, but I'm not that concerned with making this boat look like it came off of a showroom floor. I would enjoy telling people I renovated the boat myself from the ground up if they ask where I found that model, though.

Bassboatseats.com has the cheapest carpet. The 16 oz carpet is indeed good quality. 20x6 ft roll should be able to do your boat. only $140. That's the option I might take. Still looking though