73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

Hibbitz

Cadet
Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Messages
23
Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

Tj,

You have to love an $8 score off Ebay. I'll hopefully have some time next weekend to see how it goes.

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K
 
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Last Mohican

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Messages
573
Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

That was a great score on that converted pump Kent. Personally I would run that stainless AA and see how it performs. A lot of big heavy boats run a AA to help get the boat up on plane. There are 2 reasons to run a AA, 1) you are making some serious power and you need to get the RPM down. 2) you have a heavy boat and you need some low end grunt to get it up on plane. Your boat falls in category 2. I had a AA in my 26' Sleek with the stock motor. It worked very well for that boat. It does not cost you anything to try that AA out. If you do not get the results you want it is easy enough to change it later. Just my .02

Glad to see you are still working on the project.
 
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Hibbitz

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Jul 12, 2012
Messages
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Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

Thanks for your advice on the impeller. It is because I have everything apart that I am trying to figure out the best route. I know it isn't a bit deal to switch it later but if I can get the right sized alum unit for $250 (and possibly sell the current AA unit) I might consider it.

I've made some progress and finally go the stringers in. After reading a number of builds online I decided to bed them in with PL. It worked well and I am now putting done the first layers of 1708 to tab them in.

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Hibbitz

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Jul 12, 2012
Messages
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Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

It has been a while but I'm certainly overdue for an update. I've been plugging away at rebuilding the stringers and floor and when I can't be in the garage.... surfing the web. Well it just so happens that I did a quick search on Craigslist for Slickcraft and find another 18' for sale.

I found a photo of this one (below) a few months earlier and thought to myself that is the cap that I want to build for my current boat. Why not see if I can grab it for cheap?
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What is better than one non-running Slickcraft I ask my wife..

A complete and running (last season) boat with a trailer for $900 and the key is that is has the enclosed rear section that I wanted to build and is only an hour away.

$600 later and it is sitting in my driveway.
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Could I be so lucky that is is a dry boat and all I need to do is drop in my small block and cut a hole in the bottom for the jet intake? We did some investigation prior to purchase and I had a good idea of what was under the carpet but it was time to find out.
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Not looking good so it's time to cut up a section of deck......just what I thought.
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I had planned for this so it was time to take the parts I wanted for my existing boat like the cap, gas tank, etc and sell the engine and outdrive... oh, and there is that nice trailer it came with.

With some help from a few friends I swapped the caps, pulled and sold the engine/outdrive, and sent the old one on its way.

Back to the build with a much improved topside. All the gauges and dash are much better thanks to the mooring cover.
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Hibbitz

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Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Messages
23
Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

I got the replacement engine mounts I made lined up.
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Hibbitz

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Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Messages
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Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

More progress to report..

Engine mounts are in with 4 layers of 1708 and then capped with some CSM. I tied them into the new bulkhead I made.
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I moved the bulkhead forward 4" to give me more access to the engine. The old setup had just over a 1" between the lower crank pulley and the floor. I pulled back some of the rotten wood to get access to it and the alternator when testing the engine before removal.
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With that engine mounts and bulkhead in place I started to move forward. I am going to use the new Moeller 34 gallon poly tank from the donor boat and mount it where is was in that boat. This will let me use the space under the bow where the alum tank was in this boat for storage.
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Everything is tabbed in and I've got some more fiberglass work to do but once the cleats are installed I'll be ready to cut and fit the deck.
 
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bvetter

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 2, 2013
Messages
263
Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

Lookin' good!
 

Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
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Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,924
Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

How are you gunna mount and secure the tank?
 

Hibbitz

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Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Messages
23
Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

The tank from the donor boat was mounted on several blocks that were glassed to the floor. This kept it up and allowed any water to drain down into the bilge. It was secured in place by two stainless steel straps held down under the second and third blocks.
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I made similar blocks this weekend and will glass them in this week. This will support the tank and allow any water that might get in this area to drain directly into the bilge. I used a pice of PVC to help seal the hole in the bulkhead.
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I still need to cover the sides of the tank compartment with a layer of CSM.
 
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Hibbitz

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Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Messages
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Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

Quick update:

The pads for the tank are glassed in and I covered the sides of the tank area with CSM
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I made the pad for the bilge pump and glassed it in
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Next will be sanding and prepping the area for an epoxy primer and bilgekote. Once the tank is in I'll put down the first section of the floor.
 

Hibbitz

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Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Messages
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Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

A little work on the transom. Needed to plug a number of holes. I removed the swim platform that was on the boat. I expect I'll put it back on at some point but I am not sure if it was at the correct height and I plan on painting the hull so I'll fill them for now.

I drilled out each hole with a 1/4" bit, squeezed in some epoxy, and then hammered in a section of 1/4" dowel.

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Hibbitz

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Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Messages
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Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

A little more tansom work while I'm waiting for some epoxy to harden in the tank compartment.

I was on the fence about the existing fixed tabs that are currently on the boat. There was some silicone around the heads but a few of them were a bit loose. I decided to investigate by removing them for a closer look.
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10 plugs later on each side is a small price to know that these are now properly filled and I can always add some tabs at a later point if needed. More grinding and filling to go...
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bigdirty

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 4, 2013
Messages
652
Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

Just checked out this thread, thats some nice work you're doing there man! :thumb: Never actually seen fixed tabs before.. maybe a 'quick fix' kinda thing, but Id say go with hyd. trim tabs or nothing.. I actually dont know much about jets either, but had a crazy thought at one point about converting my bayliner to a 454/jet drive.. :rolleyes:
 

Hibbitz

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Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Messages
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Re: 73 Slickcraft Jet Boat Restoration

bigdrty - thanks for the comments and I just decided that a jet would be really cool to try. From my research depending on the type of jet that is used, some of them can require a lot of power to equal that of a conventional stern drive when in boats over 20-22'.

I've been working away at little stuff and trying the get the first pieces of the deck down. To do this I need to finish the tank well and get everything squared away so I can lay the deck.

Sanded, prepped, and 2 coats of InterProtect 2000E
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I finished it off with 2 coats of Bilgekote and dropped in the tank
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Next up will be putting down the deck so I hope to have some updates in the next week or so.
 
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