1977 15' StarCraft Holiday Restomod

coostv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
230
Stripping sucks, but as I progress it is getting easier.

Yes, I plan to use that tank. Unfortunately you can barely make out what the fuel gauge reads, but I was considering putting a electric sender in the tank. It is fairly heavy even with only 5 gallons in it! I had pondered strapping it down and trying to do a remote fill, don't know if that can or should be done though. I will try to remember to post a picture of the overall tank, it is in great shape.
 
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StarTed

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 14, 2015
Messages
694
I saw on a boat manufacturer's comments that old metal fuel tanks and ethanol 10 fuels can be a problem. You might consider coating the inside with one of those tank sealers that is rated for ethanol fuels. The problem is even worse for old fiberglass tanks.

If it has a plastic or varnished float on the fuel level sender then that could also be a potential problem.

Just a heads up.
 

coostv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
230
Thanks StarTed, I will look into that as well. I wonder if the two stroke oil will or has staved off the negative affects at all? Although coating it would take any worry away!
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
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Jan 12, 2013
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Or you could use non E premium in your boat, that's all I use.
 

coostv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
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230
Whoever painted the transom and sides last decided they would strip it too, with something in the 36-80 grit range. I could spend a copious amount of time sanding the aluminum, but I am just going to shoot it with etch and 2k filler prime over that, sand and then it will be ready for paint. Hopefully after tomorrow it will be ready to prime.

Here is a little sample of their "handiness".

2eye3wj.jpg
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
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Yeah a guy shouldn't go any lower than 220 when sanding AL, what a mess the guy left. I'm not sure how deep those are but I've not ever had any luck with filler primer hiding much.
 

coostv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
230
I think it depends on the primer you are using. This stuff will bury almost anything. It will definitely bury what this boat has to hide! Been using it for years on car projects, it works great for most sanding scratches. You do need a gun that will shoot it though, it took a little getting used to at first.


largeThumb_s2025.jpg
 
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coostv

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Mar 21, 2010
Messages
230
This is the absolute last naked picture I am going to put up. In the coming weeks I plan to have the hull in primer and paint. Not much to say about that so I plan to not post anymore pictures of the boat until it all comes about. I have a bunch of work to do as far as the sides go, I will need to filler prime them at least once, possibly twice. I have become a bit wishy washy on colors as well, I am making no predictions on on that... My guess is I will go white for the major portion of the hull.

2qxyhah.jpg


Trailer still needs to go to the blaster. Been working on taking things off of it as the weather permits. Not much to show, other than this picture before I took the fenders and a couple trinkets off of it.

jinasg.jpg


Is there a baby moon hub cap that will fit this wheel? I have not seen any, I wonder what Tee Nee had on there, they look original. Maybe nothing at all? Just a plain wheel?

2yoopqe.jpg
 

StarTed

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 14, 2015
Messages
694
I'd say a hub cap on a boat trailer would be a good place to hold water.

Then - rust - rust - rust and more rust.
 

coostv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
230
After a day of work she is finally getting somewhere. Picture below is in primer.

igkoc7.jpg


Phase one is complete below. I have the bottom and transom painted white. The next phase will be filler primer and a GM blue I picked out for the sides. it was supposed to just be a stripe on the sides and painting the top side the same blue, but some idiot underestimated the amount of white it would take...

xg0fug.jpg


Like I said, I need to filler primer the sides, should be able to knock that out this week. I am really hoping to be sanding primer next Saturday. If not, I was thinking about flipping it and painting the sides and top all at once. I will see how that plays out .
later.

Not a huge fan of the newish Camaro, but the color I bought for the boat was taken from this.

SC0512-126406_1.jpg
 
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Watermann

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Looking good so far. :thumb:

Hey that looks like a real paint booth! Yeah when buying paint if 2 quarts is thought to be needed, then I buy a gallon. :lol:
 

coostv

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Mar 21, 2010
Messages
230
Looking good so far. :thumb:

Hey that looks like a real paint booth! Yeah when buying paint if 2 quarts is thought to be needed, then I buy a gallon. :lol:

Thanks Watermann! That is the "third stall" of my shop. It is set up as a spray booth for car/side projects!! I ALWAYS over estimate what I need for a project. In this case I under estimated, this is literally the first time I have done that! Oh well, because of my mistake it just took a little different turn in color combo. Since I discovered I need another quart of color, I decided I might just as well do the sides completely in the blue on the Camaro above. Oh well, small delay for a different look!!
 

classiccat

"Captain" + Starmada Splash Of The Year 2020
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Dec 20, 2010
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3,405
Top-notch paint shop there coostv!! :madgrin:

xg0fug.jpg


That camaro blue will be killer!! :thumb:
 

coostv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
230
Thanks CC, I hope it does, I hate picking colors! Too Many choices, so I ended up searching generically by using colors and cars.

I did not realize my phone had those lines in the picture. Here are a couple more shots taken last night. I think a combination of the white and all of my lights were throwing off the auto color balance. I did not spend a lot of time smoothing things out on the bottom, so the pictures make it look better than it does in person. All of the visible areas (when right side up) are looking good though.

2hxqbko.jpg


iy3eqb.jpg
 

coostv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
230
I have temporarily stalled out... Between family obligations ans other things, I had to stop the progress on this boat and focus on one I will be able to take fishing this coming weekend. I have managed to get all parts of the trailer painted except for the tongue. These are the only pictures I have for that progress.

Hanging before paint.
ru8y6d.jpg


After paint of the main frame and spring brackets.
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I stopped to get this ready since I knew I could knock it out quickly... I basically just had to build a trolling motor mount and replace the transom.

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xga6oh.jpg


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beahc2.jpg


fc1wno.jpg
 

dozerII

Admiral
Joined
Oct 25, 2009
Messages
6,527
Cool progress, I guy's gotta have priorities and fishing is one of them:D
 

coostv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
230
Summer is slipping away!! I thought I would be able to get a lot farther than I have by now. But, as life goes I have plenty of other things to keep me occupied.

Over the last couple weeks I have managed to get the trailer done enough to flip the boat back over and set it on it for final painting.

I started my bunk conversion by chopping up the main channels of the original roller bunks and brought them into work to machine the slots into them. For some reason I didn't think to take pictures of the before, just the after paint.

23rn3hl.jpg


I then cut some 2x2x11ga angle to the width of a 2x4 put the holes in and painted them up.

oh0gfo.jpg


Once again, I got rolling and didn't think to take pictures of the "during" process. Just have pictures of the completed bunks. Pictures below also show some of the new hardware I added to the trailer. One of the additions was bending some rod for the safety chains and welding them on below the coupler (EDIT which isn't visible in these pictures...).

2nakznb.jpg


vfw5xw.jpg


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Hopefully the weather will lighten up and we will be able to flip the boat and set her down on the trailer so I can get to sanding the topside and finish prepping it for paint. I have decided to buy some more of the blue I posted a couple posts back and do the complete sides and top blue.
 

coostv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
230
Well as of yesterday she is a turtle no more. Now the real work can begin. I think my phone camera does not know what to do with the lights in this bay.

2cnt5so.jpg


After the picture below was taken I moved the bow stop and winch down one set of holes. Seems to be lined up next to perfect, but I am thinking I might want to lower the boat a bit more on the trailer. Anybody have an idea of fender to boat clearance I might want to aim for as a minimum?

5xredh.jpg


Next up is putting Gluvit in, installing the deck and transom, and then I will start prepping the topside for paint. I want to spray the sides and top all in one shoot.
 

Watermann

Starmada Splash of the Year 2014
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Jan 12, 2013
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Now you can get down to some business, sound to me like a solid plan. Not sure I can tell from the pic the distance the boat sits above the fenders but I don't think there's really any specific number, just think about loading and wave action.
 

coostv

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 21, 2010
Messages
230
Thanks Waterman. I didn't measure it, but I think the clearance is about 6" or so right now (which I think is close to what is was before). Had I been thinking before I blew the whole thing apart I would have measured the distances before hand. I do remember thinking it sat higher on the trailer than I thought it needed to, but the roller bunks were adjusted just about all the way down. I might just leave it and see how it launches and loads and go from there.

From what I have seen in other boats I have had, it looks right in terms of level.
 
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