1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

[bdbuster]

I've been reading posts here for a while and I must say....damn, you guys know your stuff and I'm hoping you will be willing to help me as you have so many others.
I have a 1979 17' Ranger with a Mercury 115 tower of power on the back. I bought this boat back in June for $850 and thought it was a great deal, if it sank tomorrow I would say I already got my moneys worth out of it. After using it a few times I noticed that I needed to use the bilge pump a little too often and after a little inspecting it was easy to see why. There is some damage to the keel as if it has either hit something in the water or been dropped off the trailer. I got underneath to do a quick patch job (put a bandaid on a broken bone) and discovered a very pathetic attempt at a fiberglass repair. I did put a little bondo-glass over the area to get me through the rest of the fishing season knowing that this winter I would have to do it right.
I have never worked with fiberglass, I have however worked with wood since age 15 in the construction industry doing everything from simple framing to building custom cabinetry. I currently work at Lowe's so this project will give me a good excuse to use my employee discount on some cool new tools I've been wanting anyway.
Here's where I need the iboats dry dock expertise. Should I plan on doing a cap off repair? It is my understanding from reading other threads that Ranger's are extremely hard to separate, but I want it done right. If the leak is in the center only, will I have foam and stringers to replace as well? What tools will I need to get other than the basic wood working tools I already have? What will be my best choice for resin and how much should I need? The boat also has the original very thick gel coat that is cracked all over so I will be sanding the entire top down to the glass and probably painting because I have more experience with paint than I do gel coat, which by the way is none.
Okay guys, have at it and lead me on my way to the boating promiseland.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

Welcome to the Iboats dry dock, bdbuster...

We will gladly help with any and all info you need to make this a successful restoration...

Your first homework assignment is to read and then read some more...

It will take awhile to figure all this out, so don't feel overwhelmed at first with all of the info...

Here are a couple of really important places to start reading...

These are a couple of the how to's for posting pictures, pick your poison...we are junkies for pics...they help us see what you see...

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=533219

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=288451&p=3721972&viewfull=1#post3721972

These two will get you all wet with the in's and out's of fiberglassing...tons of reading, but you can kind of skim to the pictures and read through them to sort of understand what's going on...

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=510077

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=234392

All of the above are located here.

Look to the signatures of the guys who respond to your thread...a lot of them have links to restorations that are either done or in progress, or links to really good how to's on specific items...

Till next time, Have Fun!
GT1M

 

[emoney]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

Good for you (hey, I"m an optimist, don't shoot me)! You get to hone your skills at fiberglass work. Not everyone is that lucky, so make sure you appreciate this opportunity .

If it were me, and I was going to have to tear into the deck, which you will in order to repair it correctly, I'd jump in with both feet and make this puppy right. Sure, it'll be a lot of work, but hey, the boat's already paid for itself so you kinda "owe it" a little attention. Guy's like GT here and tons of others are HUGE sources of information and help and the great thing is, they've "been there/done that" and don't mind sharing, so good luck.

Oh, and not to chastise, but if you've spent even a few minutes here, you know the Cardinal RUle (which you've broken already, btw) is: Pics or It Did NOT happen!

 

[bdbuster]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

I have read those threads and a lot more, some of the restorations on here are truly amazing. I do realize I have broken the cardinal rule, will try to post some pictures tomorrow of the way it is now. The only problem is, it doesn't look that bad. The floor is very solid through the whole boat, there is one small spot bubbled up on the casting deck but the gel coat looks awful between the oxidation and the cracks everywhere.

 

[Trooper82]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

welcome bdb...these guys can talk anyone into anything.....they all convinced me I could do fiberglass....started out slow, but it is starting to work...have fun...but remember to be safe too....

 

[bdbuster]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

Sorry it took so long but here are some pics of what I'm starting with.





I have about 2 months of fishing left then it comes apart. You can't see the issues with the keel because like I said before, I put a temporary patch job to get me through the rest of the season. I getting excited about starting this project and look forward to what everyone has to say.

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

New & Improved thread, now w/ pix

Welcome to a pending stay in the iboats dry dock Keep a close eye on the temp patch & enjoy the fishing!

 

[GWPSR]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

Before you launch and retrieve the next time though, be sure to turn that bowstop on the trailer so it actually faces the boat. Otherwise I shudder to think of the grinding going on betweenst steel and fiberglass every time you hit a bump in the road.

View attachment 170849

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

bdbuster, First thing I noticed is the plate on the transom. This is usually an indication of a "Band Aid" attempt to fix a Weak transom due to rot. If the transom is bad then chances are that the stringers will have issues too! When you take the cap off, Expect the worst and Hope for the best.

 

[bdbuster]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

GWPSR, the boat is actually resting on the rubber, the pic looks worse than it is but that is one of the items on the repair list.

 

[bdbuster]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

I figure the transom is probably bad as well as the stringers and you just used my philosophy of life, I always hope for the best and expect the worst. I must say, I do feel honored to have an iboats legend jump in on my thread, after reading so many threads on here I already know that you are the man when it comes to fiberglass repair and restoration. I'm getting really excited about this project even knowing how much work it will be. Unlike some others, I'm expecting 3-4 months instead of weeks for this project and hope that mother nature cooperates this winter.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

Well, I am only an Old Dumb Okie that helps when and where I can. Be sure to post plenty of pics and ask a lot of questions when needed. There's a LOT of great knowledgeable guys here on the forum to help you. I'm just one of MANY!!!! You can PM anytime you feel you're not getting the help you need. A lot us have day jobs and sometimes don't respond in a real timely manner. Doesn't mean we don't care just takes time to get to all the posts!!!!

 

[Seasonally.boating.jon]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

I'm expecting 3-4 months instead of weeks for this project and hope that mother nature cooperates this winter.

Hey bdbuster, I'll be following along with ya and I hope ya can get it done in 3-4 months, that would be great. Unlike myself, its been a year already. :redface: I don't know of anyone who has done a complete restore in a couple of weeks. I probably missed it being that the basser threads are the threads I like to check out.

Have fun bdbuster, cann't wait to see your progression.

 

[bdbuster]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

So I'm sitting here thinking of what's going to take place when I tear into this project and I'm ready to start making a list and have a few ideas running through my head. First things first:
What will be the best type of resin to use and how much should I get to start with?
What size and type of material will I need for the glass?
What other chemicals will I need? i.e. for PB and anything else I will need.
I know about the plywood (working at Lowe's will help with that)
Will I need to plan any extra reinforcement for the transom because I'm planning on mounting a jack plate?
Will the dry boxes and livewells be hard to separate from the hull when I decapitate her?
That's all I can think of for now, any help will be appreciated greatly.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

With the onset of winter you'll prolly not get to do a lot of glassin so I wouldn't order the resin stuff yet. Concentrate on the tear out and grinding and prep work first. Why are you planning on a jack plate when you are going to install a new transom? Your dry boxes and livewells MAY be attached to the cap. Some are some are not. If they are typically they do not glass them to the structure but..Sometimes they do and that can be a major issue. Sawzall is about the only way to get em loose. Based on your pics I'd guess they WON'T be attached and the cap should come off fairly easy. When the time comes for resin and glass you'll prolly need somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 gallons of 435 resin from USComposites, 20 yds of 1.5 oz CSM 10 yds of 1708 Biaxial Cloth 10 qts of Cabosil 1 lb of 1/4" chopped strand fibers, a Fiberglass bubble roller, Lots of latex gloves, 1 qt plastic mix containers 5 gallons of acetone. That's a good start for sure.

 

[glenn property of pam]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

good thing the transom is shot as that will making getting the cap off easier.

to woodonglasses list add paint brushes with brissles not the foam type pref the cheap one type use about 20 to start with a 4.5" grinder with 5 flapper disks and ppe for grinding including googles a cartridge type resperator and if you dont want to itch a few tylex suits and baby powder

 

[bdbuster]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

WOW!!! You guys are quick. I appreciate the info and will start gathering materials soon. Wood, I'm in northern Va. so the winter could bring temps in the 40's - 60's or could bring 3 feet of snow, I'm hoping for the best. I'm also putting something together to keep out of the weather and have heat.
The jack plate is mainly for a little better performance and control of the old girl. In it's water logged condition it runs 54 mph, it should do a little better once I get her rebuilt and that's kind of fast for a 17' boat that isn't very wide. I also have some prop torque issues and have to figure out how to remove and replace the trim tab that the bolt is stuck in and somebody before me stripped the head on.

 

[bdbuster]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

Just wanted to check in and let you guys know I'm still about 2 months away from the tear down...the fish are still biting.

I'm starting to gather tools and I've got my son onboard to help, he seems as excited as I am.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

Nice Bass! what time for dinner...?...I'll bring the beer...

 

[mrdjflores]

Re: 1979 Ranger Bass Boat needs help...and so do I.

i understand about the fish biting still....i was in a dilema yesterday.....start tabbing in my transom, or go fishing.....
my neighbor had catfish for dinner last night, so which one do you think i ended up doing

we'll all be here for you to answer questions and walk you through any issues that may...will....come up