Aluminum 1977 Crestliner Rebuild Finally Underway

[Patfromny]

Happy Thanksgiving iboats friends. Enjoy the day off. On my way to Jersey. Should be 2 hrs there at this hour and 4 or 5 home at whatever hour we leave. Fun Fun.

 

[Patfromny]

Thought I'd update the thread, I finally got some time to spend on the boat and got her ready for the winter over the weekend. First order of business was to get the engine off so the boat will fit in the garage.

I didn't know if I'd have help so I improvised. I used my jack under the skeg to help move it back and forth on the transom to remove the steering cable and to help me lift it off the boat. This new engine ain't the 35 hp I'm used to. This thing is heavy. I was able to remove and install the 35 by myself...not this puppy. She's a heavy one for sure.



My brother showed up to help during the engine removal but I used the jack method anyway. I wanted to see if it would work and bear hugging the engine to steady it was a lot better than lifting the whole engine. We jacked it up over the transom, pulled the jack backwith the engine on it, and slipped the engine stand right into place. We then lowered the jack and placed the motor on the stand. worked like a charm. I had cut a piece of old base molding to fit inside the Jack's lifting pad so I wouldn't damage the skeg. for the reinstall I am going to buy or make the evinrude hoisting tool and use my come along, ceiling joist method. I didn't have enough chain nor the right size bolts to do it that way this time.
I got the boat and engine all tucked away in the garage and called it a day. The worst part of the job was cleaning my garage to fit the boat inside. I had been a bit sloppy this summer with the boat Bay and had just tossed tools and parts into it as I finished jobs. It was a bear to clean and organize and by the time I got the boat inside, I was beat. All my saws and nail guns and the such were put back where they belonged so that was a plus but boy it is more work doing it all at once rather than just putting them away in between jobs.

 

[Patfromny]

Engine on the stand for the winter

 

[mickyryan]

that firebird makes me a sad panda!

 

[Watermann]

Quite the process to put her to bed for the winter but it's nice to have peace of mind knowing the boats safe inside. I dream about having a big pole building with drive through doors to store my boats indoors year round and a big work space for boat restorations.

 

[Patfromny]

that firebird makes me a sad panda!

I know Mick, it was a frame off and everything is new. the motor was just rebuilt and has about an hour on her. all new NOS metal and the car is stuffed with NOS pieces to finish. just don't have 8,000-10,000 laying around to finish her. I have been toying with the idea of putting her all back together and trying to sell. I had a guy stop by (my neighbors nephew) and look at it but I wasn't home. he took a look but I haven't heard back. it doesn't look like 13,000 of work and parts the way she sits. might be worth getting it as close as I can to a driver and sell it. I would love to finish it but I realized years ago that that will never happen. I used to restore them way back when and I never understood people who kept cars forever. Well, I now understand. I also see the uselessness in keeping it so it will be gone one way or another soon. it is just a waste of a cool car right now.

My plan for the FB is to pull the motor and go through it, reinstall and get running, install the metal permanently as well as the window glass etc. Basically, make it look like a car. I left it a shell so that I could have it painted whatever color I wanted and they could jam the car when doing so. Noone seems to appreciate that idea so I think it will just go back together.

I would actually love to put my boat on that side of the garage. The door to the basement is there and it is very wide. we shall see. maybe I'll tag team restore the boat and bird on this thread.

 

[Patfromny]

Quite the process to put her to bed for the winter but it's nice to have peace of mind knowing the boats safe inside. I dream about having a big pole building with drive through doors to store my boats indoors year round and a big work space for boat restorations.

Yeah WM. I wish the garage was 4 ft deeper. then the boat and engine would fit. the doors are too narrow to try and caddie corner the boat too. it sure would be easier to just push her inside. I did have a need to pull the engine this year anyway and will be needing your advice. As soon as Photobucket will release my pictures I will post up some pics of the transom, splash well area for your inspection and opinion. it seems the transom is pulling the rivets that hold the transom and splash well together and they are loose. more on that later, I've got to get ready for work and don't feel like fighting with photobucket. I am getting a virus alert whenever I go to retrieve photo's that says my tablet is infected and to download this software. It won't let me go back to my pics so I have to close the whole thing and try again. big headache. Meanwhile, after checking with several apps, no virus, no problems whatsoever, other than my keyboard deciding not to capitolize anymore. lol

 

[ezmobee]

Does the E-tec have a lifting ring under the hood? I've removed a couple of outboards a number of times and always just used a cheapo Harbor Freight block and tackle attached to the lifting ring of the motor and something sturdy overhead. Even garage door mounts have gotten the job done.

 

[mickyryan]

Yeah WM. I wish the garage was 4 ft deeper. then the boat and engine would fit. the doors are too narrow to try and caddie corner the boat too. it sure would be easier to just push her inside. I did have a need to pull the engine this year anyway and will be needing your advice. As soon as Photobucket will release my pictures I will post up some pics of the transom, splash well area for your inspection and opinion. it seems the transom is pulling the rivets that hold the transom and splash well together and they are loose. more on that later, I've got to get ready for work and don't feel like fighting with photobucket. I am getting a virus alert whenever I go to retrieve photo's that says my tablet is infected and to download this software. It won't let me go back to my pics so I have to close the whole thing and try again. big headache. Meanwhile, after checking with several apps, no virus, no problems whatsoever, other than my keyboard deciding not to capitolize anymore. lol

yeah not many would appreciate the "where she sits" but if I was wanting one id be all over it considering the time it takes to tear one down properly and where it sits now ready for paint and rebuild stage. but I'm too old for cars now I just enjoy boats

 

[Patfromny]

Does the E-tec have a lifting ring under the hood? I've removed a couple of outboards a number of times and always just used a cheapo Harbor Freight block and tackle attached to the lifting ring of the motor and something sturdy overhead. Even garage door mounts have gotten the job done.

Hey Ez, no lifting ring. they sell a ring that you bolt to the flywheel but I didn't buy it because I had planned on having a few bodies to help. as it turned out my brother and I were enough to get it done. I have eye bolts screwed into the ceiling/floor joists that I used to lift the boat when I painted it and I left them in so I could lift the boat this year to rebuild the trailer. I will use one of them to reinstall the engine in the spring. I will either have to buy the lift ring or make one myself. I was happy with the jack method to remove but to put it back on I'd rather have more control of the up and down aspect.

 

[Patfromny]

yeah not many would appreciate the "where she sits" but if I was wanting one id be all over it considering the time it takes to tear one down properly and where it sits now ready for paint and rebuild stage. but I'm too old for cars now I just enjoy boats

HeyMick, we've had this conversation before. I was a car nut. I lived and breathed muscle cars growing up and I think I just got burned out. Now, I can't even see myself using it if I finished it. I'm not a car show guy and my street race days are over so the car would probably sit a lot anyway. I like the building aspect of things but most of that is done on the car. I was waiting to assemble after Paint but the paint is what I can't afford soo...I can't see myself having 7 or 8000 laying around to throw into a paint job and then I would need rims and tires and then exhaust. too much money needed to finish it is really where I stand. it seems that most want it more together so I guess I'll throw it together to appeal to the masses. It will be fun to get it running again. Nothing like open headers and cam 2. Maybe I can use it as a heat source in the garage this winter. warm it up and it will radiate for a couple hours.

 

[mickyryan]

how much would it take to get it to primer stage? I mean if you got all the parts shooting primer and sealer wouldn't be bad
just a good thing you don't live close or wed be putting that sob back together ! lol

 

[Patfromny]

It is all in primer. the rear clip was shot in epoxy primer when the quarters were done, the doors have regular primer after they put the new skins on and the fenders are nos with the black primer on them. I imagine the door skins have the Gm black primer on them too under the grey stuff. wouldn't take much to prime it one color. I would have to empty the thing and take the top off, mask off the dash and windshield. I could spray the inside and out at that point. I do need to work on the hood a bit. it has hood pin holes and that won't do. lol I always hated them.

 

[Patfromny]

Having a buddy to help would have definitely kept me motivated. I had helped at least 4 of my friends with various things on their cars from engine swaps to partial restores in the same bay the boat is in now. when I brought mine home it was just me and the crickets.

 

[mickyryan]

it is always that way for me pat, I had a friend who stuck with me for awhile on cars but he moved back to Maryland and my dad died he was my other partner in crime so I got out of it all together.

 

[Patfromny]

OK, so back to the boat portion of this program. I noticed while pulling the engine that I have a slight problem. the transom skin is pulling away from the splash well. here is a pic.


there are three rivets that connect the two and they are all loose on the one side. they were originally solid rivets and I went back with pop rivet close end aluminium mandrel and was wondering what you guys think. should I go back with the solids or is there a stronger pop type rivet? maybe another option? I'm a bit lost here and am not knowledgeable in the world of rivets. it would stink to have to go back to solid because there are just 6 of them. 3 on each side. doesn't seem like it would be worth the investment in the tools needed. if it needs to be done it needs to be done tthough. in for a penny and all.

here is the transom side with the three rivets running vertically in between the speedo tube and transom cap

 

[Patfromny]

I hear ya there Mick. my dad was the one who sparked it all but we didn't work well together. I was young and he didn't understand that I knew it all. we would work together often to fix just about anything around the house or on his cars but my car was my domain. weird but true. all my close friends were not motor heads. I had car buds and my friends. my friends wouldn't want to hangout in my garage and turn wrenches. they were chasing girls. the car buds would stop by for a beer but they were out cruising and didn't want to hang in my garage if it wasn't their car being worked on. it's a funny world

 

[mickyryan]

I found when I gave up drinking .... I had no more friends who stopped by or helped out lol

 

[Watermann]

I'm not sure why your boat would have rivets that hold the SW to the transom? SC used 1/4" SS machine bolts as you can see in the pic below they are almost in the exact same locations. The bolts go through the outer skin, transom wood, inner skin and SW with washers and nylocs inside.

 

[ezmobee]

I'm not sure why your boat would have rivets that hold the SW to the transom? SC used 1/4" SS machine bolts as you can see in the pic below they are almost in the exact same locations. The bolts go through the outer skin, transom wood, inner skin and SW with washers and nylocs inside.

On my older SS the bolts aren't involved with the splashwell. Spashwell is mostly just attached via a pile of machine screws into the transom wood.