What did I get myself into “Lowe boat”

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Subsonic762

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Sep 2, 2020
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Location
Gouldsboro Pa
Drove a 7hr round trip for a 2002 Lowe 14/67 and trailer. $800 bucks looks awesome except for the transom.

Transom was rotten so the previous owner had sprayed Bed liner on it without much prep, Ground out rivets, bent the interior transom plate, cut into the aluminum transom with a grinder. Transom was obviously rotten from the shoddy motor mount for his little Honda motor. He had cross drilled into the bottom of the transom cover where it 90 degrees to the attachment below the wood for attachment. Not terrible but he didn’t seal the holes before attaching.

So my options.

Alum weld the holes and gouges or use a aluminum based epoxy. Fill any voids sand prime etc is obvious for the main aluminum hull.

Use starboard or a piece of maple or oak for wood transom?

On the inner transom cover, do I remove and attach a aluminum plate to the transom and foot or do I straighten the old one and clean up the bed liner the best I can do. Sand prime paint and hope for the best?

Main issue besides the work which I can do easily with time is a legality I am worried about. On the boat the HID plate is both on the inside and outside of the transom along with the capacity plate. If I replace the inner aluminum cover will attaching this to the new cover cause a issue?

Thanks guys, I know this a a pretty big forum and hopefully someone can give me a few pointers. I have replaced transoms in the past but never to this extent. It’s been 15 years since and the new options for transoms is also a new venture for me. If I can do it for under $300 I will stay on budget.
 
The HIN plate can be legally riveted on. Just cut around it with some margin if you need to demo that panel.

Per USCG:
Each hull identification number must be carved, burned, stamped, embossed, molded, bonded, or otherwise permanently affixed to the boat so that alteration, removal, or replacement would be obvious. If the number is on a separate plate, the plate must be fastened in such a manner that its removal would normally cause some scarring of or damage to the surrounding hull area. A hull identification number must not be attached to parts of the boat that are removable.
 
Subsonic762 said:
Drove a 7hr round trip for a 2002 Lowe 14/67 and trailer. $800 bucks looks awesome except for the transom.

Transom was rotten so the previous owner had sprayed Bed liner on it without much prep, Ground out rivets, bent the interior transom plate, cut into the aluminum transom with a grinder. Transom was obviously rotten from the shoddy motor mount for his little Honda motor. He had cross drilled into the bottom of the transom cover where it 90 degrees to the attachment below the wood for attachment. Not terrible but he didn’t seal the holes before attaching.

So my options.

Alum weld the holes and gouges or use a aluminum based epoxy. Fill any voids sand prime etc is obvious for the main aluminum hull.

Use starboard or a piece of maple or oak for wood transom?

On the inner transom cover, do I remove and attach a aluminum plate to the transom and foot or do I straighten the old one and clean up the bed liner the best I can do. Sand prime paint and hope for the best?

Main issue besides the work which I can do easily with time is a legality I am worried about. On the boat the HID plate is both on the inside and outside of the transom along with the capacity plate. If I replace the inner aluminum cover will attaching this to the new cover cause a issue?

Thanks guys, I know this a a pretty big forum and hopefully someone can give me a few pointers. I have replaced transoms in the past but never to this extent. It’s been 15 years since and the new options for transoms is also a new venture for me. If I can do it for under $300 I will stay on budget.

Lowe makes one of the best boats around . . . post a few pics of yours.
I'd like to see if yours has a cast aluminum bow plate, cast aluminum transom knee, and cast aluminum transom handles.
 
It has cast bow and transom supports but the knee is bent sheet aluminum.

Been busy with work but I have it about 80% fixed. Decided to snow so I will pay pictures later when it warms up again in a few days.

So I removed all the paint and Bedliner off the aluminum with a wire wheel and 80 grit. Drilled out all the rivets that were bad and had a friend at work tig any holes that were able to be tig welded. Re sanded and cleaned then etch primed. Anything not able to be tig welded was marinetex’d and sanded smooth.

Could not find marine plywood with the COVID crap going on but a friend had a sheet of white oak plywood 3/4 and I used that with a 1/4 sheet of red oak in between. Epoxied together with stainless screws and re coated with 3 coats of marine epoxy paint after coating cut areas with 4200.

Holes drilled through transom and then I took a piece of 3/16 aluminum sheet 14”x60” bought from the local supply and used stainless 1/4x20 hardware to bolt to transom. Removed aluminum plate and used 2 x10 oz tubes of 4200 to adhere to outside of transom and then bolted up tight with a impact set at 20lbs. I also put a piece of 1/4 aluminum 10x10 between the knee and transom.

Have to re sand the new aluminum skin and paint the back. Replace inside of transom skin and re attach both hid warming plate then it should be done.
 

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Even with the trnsom rot, I'd say uou got a great deal. Did it come with the bimini?

What motor are you putting on it?
 
Thanks, yes it came with a ton of stuff. And for $800 for titled boat and trailer that’s the only reason I drove 6hr round trip for it as the rot would have been a nogo otherwise. Has title and reg for both trailer and title along with...

Came with trailer, new hubs/bearings in a box, new led lights and a converter for pin.

Boat had both seats, removable floor, removable casting deck, pump, battery box, wired for lights and lights, switch box, top, and all parts he removed when he took out old wood in transom.

Only thing needed on the trailer is I plan to redo the wiring and replace bunks with trex decking.
 

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