where to start?

Just bought my first boat. Because of reason to leangthy to explain I decided to go with an older boat and do some of the fixing up myself. It is a 1981 MonArk McFast v-16 90 hp Johnson. Started the motor with ear muffs before purchase. It sounded good no serious or obvious problems. Interior is real ruff and the shiny is not shiny anymore, LOL!. I will do my best to get a pic up here and let you guys tell my where to tackle this thing at first. Other than the obvious of getting everything stripped off and out of the way.

Re: where to start?

Welcome to iBoats!

You've done the first step by making sure she's a runner. What are your ultimate plans for her? Leave her like she is and just do some "Spit and Polish" or are you gunna do some modifications? Does the Deck feel strong or are there soft spots? Have you yanked up and down on the motor to check if the transom has any flex in it? There should be NONE! Not even a little. If it does flex then you have some work ahead. Trailer appears that it could stand some sanding and paint but looks like a nice one. Check all the rollers and make sure they're all good cuz they can damage the hull, QUICK!!! We're Here to help so just keep posting pics and askin questions and we'll be obliged to help you as best we can.

Welcome Aboard!

Re: where to start?

Howdy and welcome to the drydock, wags...

Nice lookin boat.

Depending on what you are plannin to do to it, will determine where to begin...

Are going for the full restoration or just a cosmetic clean up?

Check the Johnson Engine forum for all the proper maintenance items to take care of, to insure a long and happy life for that motor...

Since you are already pretty sure the engine is in good shape, my next and biggest concern would be to look for wood rot deep down in the bowels of the boat...near the bottom of the transom and stringers...99% of all boats that are that old, usually have some form of wood rot...unless of course it was kept in climate controlled storage.

To check for the rot, you will have to take some core samples by drilling into those areas...if the drill comes out with nice light, dry, new looking wood shavings...you win and there is no rot...you can then seal up those core drillings with some PB[peanut butter, a thickened fiberglass paste], and move on...

More than likely your core samples will come out with what is affectionately known around here as 'Mulch'...dark, wet, nasty wood shavings, or maybe nothing at all, meaning the rotten wood has been washed away over time...

I certainly hope you are one of the lucky ones and find nothing but good clean solid wood, but if not, you are in the best place to find out all the info you will need to fix it...

Best of Luck,
GT1M

PS- kinda made it late to the response party, I see WOG got here while I was scribblin...:redface:

Re: where to start?

I havn't found any soft spots in the deck so far and I have checked for them pretty good I think. I did check the transom before purchase, thanks to this site I knew to do that, I saw or felt no movement or flex at all is seemed solid. I am of the mind right now to just do the spit and polish things. The seats and carpet need replaced. I used to own an upholstery shop and specialized in auto interiors so I think I have that part covered. I did start sanding an area to rid the boat of the oxidation, again thanks to the reading I have already done on this site. Surface is like sand paper to start so I am being pretty aggressive wet sanding from 600 to 2000 in 200 grit increments. seems to be doing the trick.
Thanks for the questions hard for you guys to help me if I don't tell you where I want to go with this thing. Main abjective make it look fairly nice and get some fishin done. Doc says you better quit putting things off and get them done while you have the chance so here are LOL. It'll be fun.

Re: where to start?

Hey thanks for the imput wasn't trying to put anyone off by taking so long to repond, just been sharing my time with the doc. Great advice and did check alot of those this out. Seem structurely I may have gotten lucky. Everything seems solid except for one very small soft spot in floor right between 1 of the floor drains and the bench seat total area about 1/2" wide 2-21/2" long. Never know it's there unless you step just right. Transsom seem real solid I can not see or feel any movement at. Wire does seem to bad has some not so neat work done but easy to redo. bilge pump does seem to work. Just need to do more sanding and polishing to bring that gell back to life. Having some difficulty camoflaging screw holes tho. it Silver metal flake boat and just am not gettting to the can not see where hole was. I was hoping to be further by now but oh well it is what it is. It's getting almost time to find the fish after I learn to run the boat. So after check those idea you filkssuggested I think we can get here cleaned up some more make sure engine and running parts are working good. Then fix it as we goo and I will have some fun this next winter fixing some of the other stuff. Hang in the guys with I am sometime slow these days but I sure LOL TIA

be forwarned my English and spelling leave a lot tobe desired.
wags_44

Re: where to start?

Could anyone tell me how to get the shine back just a little more in some spots. I have tried several things I read here and amjust not quite gettting there. If you look in pic it's like when you take a picture down in your house to paint the wall, you can see where the pic hung. That's what I have in a few spots after sanding to 1500 and compound buffing with Sears buffer machine. Polishing gets some of the spots real close but it just misses and some spots are as goos and some are good. Am I not sanding quite enough or not bufffing properly. I don't at present have new photos but will if you really need them. the first pic dipict the problem pretty good though if that helps. TIA

Re: where to start?

Well, get the shine back (equally) can be a tuffy on an older rig. The sanding you're doing is the proper way, but my expereince has been it takes more than just a "swipe" with the buffer. I've compounded and buffed the same area several times before getting the really good shine back, and somtimes there are cases where it just won't ever come back and match up properly, especially if it's a place where a decal or somthing has been.

Your equipment is important, if you're using a car buffer (one of the random orbit kind) you'll never get the deep gloss you want. You need a rotary buffer and some good compound, (3M Finesee, Aqua Buff, etc). Now make sure you wash the surface good after the wet sanding as often times some of the grit from the sanding is left of the surface and then the buffer just works that grit right back in. It's not an easy task, but can be done. Just takes some work. Good Luck

CW

Re: where to start?

Cadwelder said:

Well, get the shine back (equally) can be a tuffy on an older rig. The sanding you're doing is the proper way, but my expereince has been it takes more than just a "swipe" with the buffer. I've compounded and buffed the same area several times before getting the really good shine back, and somtimes there are cases where it just won't ever come back and match up properly, especially if it's a place where a decal or somthing has been.

Your equipment is important, if you're using a car buffer (one of the random orbit kind) you'll never get the deep gloss you want. You need a rotary buffer and some good compound, (3M Finesee, Aqua Buff, etc). Now make sure you wash the surface good after the wet sanding as often times some of the grit from the sanding is left of the surface and then the buffer just works that grit right back in. It's not an easy task, but can be done. Just takes some work. Good Luck

CW

Click to expand...

Thank for thereply CW I really was afraid what you said about it may never get there was going to be the deal. I am using a Craftman rotory buffer and 3M compound and polishers. I bought the boat for fishing but also wanted it to look as good as possible also. I was just hoping there might be something I was missing on the site it get that last litttle bit. I think I have sanded the Gel about as thin as I dare or we will be into a paint job as well and it's time to go fishing might have to experiment more this winter. I do wash the surfice betweeen all saanding and use denatured alcohol before buffing.

Now for my next quuestion. As you can see trailer needs to paing, not sure about rollers yet. I read on this site or somewhere the best way to get the boat off the trailer without putting it the wate is to let the tongue down as far as you can , block up the transome and raise the tongue until the boat is off the back of the trailer a couple of inches, then block the front of the boat in the front area and let the boat back down so you can pull the trailer out from under the boat to work on it. Is this method safe and is the boat going to sit there with out wobbleing and falling off ? Now I do understand it makes a difference in how good you block things up but being a v hull and all do I need to build some to hold boat still or will it set on blocks in the back and say a 4"X4"X8' post under the front somewhere.

I sure do appreciate the feed back I have recieved.
TIA