82 Ranger 375V Project

I just picked this boat up yesterday and am really excited to get to working on this as it is my first boat and I love these types of things. This boat was stolen and stripped of everything and later recovered. The guy I bought it off of bought it from a marina that ended up with it (and it is titled!). I don't really know much about fiberglass but am willing to learn. I'll make my questions easier to answer by numbering them:

1. How do I go about patching up the bottom of the cap as seen in the pictures?
2. I plan on repainting the cap, so should I strip all the wood (rotted) and seats first then start sanding?
3. What grit sandpaper should I start/end up with?
4. What type of paint should I use? (will be off white to match the hull)
5. Does anybody have a link to a detailed fiberglass decking thread?
6. Will the cap have to be removed to replace the decking under the consoles?
7. At this point is removing the cap just a matter of drilling out the rivets and lifting it off?
8. The hand rail and cleats etc. are all gone... Somebody patched the holes so I'm wondering how hard it would be to relocate them? The area around the holes was patched too which is why I ask about locating them.

Re: 82 Ranger 375V Project

Re: 82 Ranger 375V Project

Wow, and I thought I had a project...Before you do anything, strip all wood to be replaced. You should be able to get to the wood under the consoles as it will be part of your cap, unless the consoles are removeable. Yes all you need to do is drill out the rivits and raise the cap. with the boat apart, do all your re-wiring and cabling. its soooooo much easier that way. as for sanding, check with your paint supplier and see what is recommended by the manufacturer of the paint your going to use. take everything apart that you want to work on before starting because it would be a shame to finish one area and then have to damage it because of something else that needs to be removed. Mine just started out as a rotted transom and just became more and more as I got deeper into it. Now all the wood and foam is stripped out of my aft compartment and since tomorrow is Fathers day, I should be able to cut and attach all my parts without being bothered.

Re: 82 Ranger 375V Project

So far all the wood (major) that I've found is the compartment lids etc. behind the seats. This used to be a fish and ski and the previous owner built a deck (which is now rotted) but the good news is the deck in front of the fishing seat and under the consoles is fiberglass so that doesn't need replaced. The seats are long gone and I'm still trying to figure out what I'm gonna to replace them. The bass boat seats like the link below are way too narrow. I think I measured 63" between the arm rests so that would leave quite a gap; plus they're pretty darn expensive. http://www.boatingseats.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=114

I got everything you saw plus these gauges/wiring and fishfinder for $500. I think I got a great deal and look forward to this project at hand.

Re: 82 Ranger 375V Project

Depending on where you live , there's probrably a guy in your area that could make new seats for you at a reasonable price. I found an upholstery guy in my area that did a bench on the back of my SeaRay for $185

Re: 82 Ranger 375V Project

I'll look into that Wingedwheel. Does anybody have any tips on how to repair the bottom of the top cap?

Re: 82 Ranger 375V Project

This is the area I'm talking about. Any tips on how to repair it?

Re: 82 Ranger 375V Project

I think I saw a video on youtube about repairing the fiberglass and gelcoat. Pretty much you make it larger than you need it and cut it to size.

Re: 82 Ranger 375V Project

I think I saw that too but I'm wondering how to do that since it's the bottom of the cap. Anybody have any ideas?