My first restore project

[mdeshon]

Hello everyone, Long time lurker first time poster here from the great state of Kentucky. Last year I bought myself a 1973 Rinker Runabout (I think thats the model) with trailer and 65HP Johnson for $300. Well shortly after i got it we had to pack up and move to Kentucky so I never got started on it. Well Now I am finally starting on it and wanted to start a Topic so I can track my progress and get help from everyone here. I do know as of right now, I will need to replace the deck and the transom, both are very rotted. I will be starting the demo this weekend. I will post pics and more info this weekend, since the boat is being stored/worked on in Indiana since we have a bigger garage up there.

So far I have tons of info and the repair manual for the motor. It actually runs great so far.

For the boat its self all I know right now is that I believe its a 1973 Rinker runabout. I can not find any info on older Rinkers or even pictures that match my boat so info has been hard to find, I did have a pic of the plate with model number on the boat but i since got a new phone and lost my pics. I will have pics and more info posted this weekend and probly tons of questions.

 

[alldodge]

Howdy and :welcome:

Always good to here from a fellow KY guy. Look forward to your posting of the restore.

Make sure to take lots of Pics, we all like to see'em

 

[mdeshon]

Thank you. Ill have tons of pics very soon. I hope my pics can help everyone identify exact model etc of my boat. I hope to get it all done for the spring crappie spawn

 

[mdeshon]

Here is the only pic I can find of my boat. Ill upload tons this weekend.

 

[mdeshon]

 

[52FordF2]

Welcome aboard to iboats dry-dock and Kentucky:welcome:

What part of Kentucky? I'm out of Louisville, KY and also Bloomfield, IN.

 

[harleyman1975]

Congrats on the project and welcome to the forum!

 

[mdeshon]

Thanks everyone. I'm in Lexington and I work in Louisville.

 

[gm280]

Well welcome aboard mdeshon. Always nice to have a new iboat member. If I am understanding you correctly, you already have your boat project finished? That is a first, at least for me. Usually a new member is just starting their boat project. Anyway, we still need to see progression pictures. :thumb:

 

[mdeshon]

Thank you GM. No I am not done yet. I have started but have not completed.

 

[mdeshon]

Pics of the boat.

 

[mdeshon]

While we were there, I got the head gasket replaced on the motor and she runs great now, and my boys helped me pull up the carpet and old rotten deck.

 

[mdeshon]

More pics. Sorry for picture bombing, but you all said you like boat porn















That was all the progress for this weekend. Time to go back to home and to work. I will have more pictures of progress and probly tons of questions in two weeks. For I will finish cutting the fiberglass deck out and i will be removing the old rotten stringers, taking the motor off, and start sanding down the hull.

 

[alldodge]

Not bad for a boat of its age, and the motor is running, sounds good. You plan to take the top off?

And yes we like boat porn

 

[mdeshon]

I am not sure just yet. I know deep down I should/have too, but I just havnt convinced myself yet. Im worried it will end up being alot of work to get off.

 

[alldodge]

The hardest part is lifting it off, getting it ready to lift isn't that bad. Remove the rub rail insert (pulls out) then take a drill to cut the top of the rivets off. Then remove the metal part of rub rail. Now drill the rivet heads behind the rail and push all the ends of the rivets out. Now lift it off.

Putting it back on you will need a 1/4 rivet gun.

Can probably do the transom without removing but will be harder. Could also cut just over the transom but then you need to reglass and match color. But if your going to redo the whole outside matching color wouldn't be an issue

 

[mdeshon]

I am going to repaint it but not wanting to reglass anything thats supposed to look pretty since Ive never done fiberglass before, but I am thinking that it would be easier to remove the top than reglass the outside doing the transom

 

[mdeshon]

In regards to removing the cap, is it fine for me to leave the hull on the trailer for support with the cap removed? I have seen in other projects on here that alot of people build a cradle for the hull. I dont really have the place to store the trailer and cap, so my idea is to leave the hull on the trailer add additional supports as recommended by everyone here and im goign to support and suspend my cap to the ceiling of my garage

 

[gm280]

In regards to removing the cap, is it fine for me to leave the hull on the trailer for support with the cap removed? I have seen in other projects on here that alot of people build a cradle for the hull. I dont really have the place to store the trailer and cap, so my idea is to leave the hull on the trailer add additional supports as recommended by everyone here and im goign to support and suspend my cap to the ceiling of my garage

Of course you can do that. Just make sure you use enough side supports so when the cap is removed, the hull doesn't splay out of shape. Take a lot of quality measurements (and pictures) and plot them down on a sketch so when you get ready to replace the cap it fits back on again. But that will work well. If you are going to just hang the cap over head, make sure it is both well supported so it can't possible fall, and make sure it is high enough so it isn't a head knocker. JMHO

 

[mdeshon]

Thank you GM. For supporting the hull will ratchet straps work?