Looking for answers and tips, just acquired and old boat

I have just acquired a boat, motor and trailer for free. I am very new to boat restoration, but i am very mechanically inclined, and have access to a lot of resources. I know that it will take some work and have been researching on these forums for a couple days now and i have a few questions.

you can see my boat at http://thescottfund.org

1. I know that the deck is rotted out and needs replace, i read that the deck should not touch the hull, can someone share a little bit more information regarding this?

2. The identification tag has been painted over and then removed, i am trying to figure out what kind of boat this is, the only clue i have is something-craft from rogers, ark max hp 55hp this is all that can be read, the motor is a '64 i think the boat is a '77 maybe, any ideas?

3. The hull seems to be in great condition, the boat wont be stored in the water, what kind of paint do i need?

4. The motor is a 1964 40hp Johnson Model: RKL-26R, is there a good place to get parts, specifically a throttle cable, and the ignition switch (they lost the key) for now then what ever else needs replaced, also i read some where that this motor takes special gear oil, any thoughts?

5. The hooks in the back that i use to strap the boat to the trailer, do you think i could ski or tube off of those?

6. If you look at the pictures, the last one is a box of wires, any ideas on what those are for?

7. Can i add in an electric trim for the existing motor?

8. How would you classify the hull, i know its not a flat bottom, and it looks like 3 different V's (V\/V)

thank you in advance for your time and input

-scott-

Re: Looking for answers and tips, just acquired and old boat

1. The stringers should not rest on the hull. It should have a space filled with "Oops peanut butter"search it.
2. ???
3. I would sand/wet sand 600,800,1000,1200, 1500 and then buff if there is gel coat left.
4. Check on this site for parts.
5. The back hooks should be strong enough but if the deck and stringers are rotted, the transom usually is too.
6. Wiring for/to the motor.
7. A trim kit might be availible, but pricey. I just remember them with just the pin adjustment for trim.
8. Its called a tri hull.
HTH I might be wrong.

Re: Looking for answers and tips, just acquired and old boat

I have a couple follow up questions

1. The stringers should not rest on the hull. It should have a space filled with "Oops peanut butter"search it.
>>Will do, i saw a similar boat restored, it did not have any stringers, i read about cutting the deck a little narrower than the hull, do i use the peanut butter stuff to fill in the gap? also if there are no stringers do i use the peanut butter stuff to attach the deck to the hull?

2. ???
>>I do not have the titles for the boat and the tag with the model and serial numbers are worn off, i was just looking for clues to identify the boat

3. I would sand/wet sand 600,800,1000,1200, 1500 and then buff if there is gel coat left.
>>what would fair market value be on a professional paint job, i know you couldn't give exact prices i just don't want to get screwed when i go for a quote

4. Check on this site for parts.
>>i looked around a little, i was just looking for a direction

5. The back hooks should be strong enough but if the deck and stringers are rotted, the transom usually is too.
>>ill check out the transom when i start the deconstruction

6. Wiring for/to the motor.
>>any more information, is this the power pack?

Re: Looking for answers and tips, just acquired and old boat

First things first. Welcome to iboats and good luck with your build. You have a very cool looking tri hull there. There is so much you can do with it. I'm having visions as we speak. And enjoy the free part. It's over. It will not be free by the time your finished..lol. Anyway before you worry if you have stringers or not, you know that you will have to replace the deck and probably the transom. Remove all your hardware, steering, wiring etc. Tear out all the old wood deck and see what's there first. Then you can ask the question. Depending on the year of the boat, HIN numbers (hull identification number) are embedded in the transom. If your looking at the back of your boat, the HIN, if it exists, will be at the top right hand corner of your transom.

As far as paint, you can use a good marine paint such as Interlux, Pettit paint, etc. If you trailer it you can use this on the bottom as well.

The motor questions you should go to the Johnson/Evinrude section with a pic of you motor. These guys are awesome and you will get a ton of info that you need. Before you put any money into the motor, you should see if it's worth the repair. compression test, check lower unit for water, etc. Then you can decide if you want to purchase a power trim unit or not. Maybe be cheaper to buy another motor with power trim already. If you look at my links you will see I installed a CMC power trim unit...and I love it.

Those transom hooks are there for many reasons and yes, you can tow and ski with those. As long as your transom is in good shape, of course.

I hope this helps and it's only a start. Good luck with it and have fun. Take your time and don't be afraid to ask questions. Try to post your pics here. It will make life easier for everyone. I use photobucket for that.

Re: Looking for answers and tips, just acquired and old boat

Thank you, i feel that i have gathered enough information to begin the restoration of the boat. The only reason i am wondering about the identity of the boat is that the HIN is missing, and the titles have been lost (more hoops for me) I can file for a replacement HIN but i need to know the make and model of the boat. I am going to move to the seeing if there is any life in the engine (time to move to a new post)
-scott-

Re: Looking for answers and tips, just acquired and old boat

my fingers are too tired form typing to answer some of this...

click the link in my sig and start reading....everything you need to know is there.

the hull vin is a big thing....you need paperwork on the boat.
you can register it as a u built ...but there is problems with that.

a paint job is 2k... diy 200

Re: Looking for answers and tips, just acquired and old boat

i have started to read through that post before i even registered for this forum (so much information its going to take a while), what an amazing project, my hat is off to you