First Boat Fixer Upper

showstoppr88

Seaman
Joined
Jul 24, 2017
Messages
67
Hi All! I'm in the process of buying a four wins 1985 horizon 190. The biggest issue with the boat is the lack of interior. I'm pretty well versed in restoring things like my 79 Pontiac Trans am but this is my first venture into boats. If you guys could point me in the right direction to a spot that has used but good interior I would REALLY appreciate it!! Thanks and look forward to talking with you all.
 

chevymaher

Commander
Joined
Mar 29, 2017
Messages
2,914
Score another boat like mine. Check the transom and stringers mine were wasted. And the deck was solid. But nice boats.
 

Scott Danforth

Grumpy Vintage Moderator still playing with boats
Staff member
Joined
Jul 23, 2011
Messages
47,306
welcome aboard

start by reading links 14, 2, 3, 4a, and 4b (in that order) http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat-...at-information

unlike your 1979 transam which was a cake-walk compared to what you are taking on, restoring boats is purely a labor of love because there is no resale value

you have to re-upholster your interior. in many cases rebuilding all the wood. if you pay someone to do it, expect to pay up to $3500
 

briangcc

Commander
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
2,090
First off, from one TA owner to another....have a '78 Y88 here,....Welcome!


As for the interior, if it's MIA then the sky's the limit. You can setup the layout any way you like. Iboats has options as do many other online retailers. You could also check out your local Craigslist or Evilbay to see if someone has a setup you might be able to use. My only advice there is know what is under your floor before you start drilling holes to mount things. Last thing you want to do is drive a screw right into your onboard fuel tank.

But that does beg a question...why is the interior missing? Someone start digging into your project boat before you and find out the floor and transom require some serious attention?
 

showstoppr88

Seaman
Joined
Jul 24, 2017
Messages
67
Yea the boat I am looking at needs a lot of new upholstery. Is it difficult to find new covers? I cant sew so that's not an option haha. I'm trying to get acclimated to what to expect under the floor on one of these boats with where to expect water to come in and reside with the bildge pump etc. I'm very green so trying to just pick up what I can with trying to get out on the water next spring.
 

briangcc

Commander
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
2,090
Here's the factory brochure on your boat:

http://www.fourwinns.com/uploads/2017/2/1985catalog.pdf

Scroll down to the last page as it lays out what you're about to find under the floor - wood stringers, wood floor with foam. Unless this boat is a time capsule that spent it's entire life in an indoor showroom, I'd be willing to wager you have a much larger project on your hands than just the interior.

So....I'd start by reviewing the structure of the boat before diving in on trim work as boats rot from the bottom up, not the top down. Make sure you have a sound base to install all the trim. Knocking with a hammer won't cut it here. Drill samples in the stringers as low as you can go. Same goes for the transom but don't go through the outer hull! Hopefully you get clean shavings which you can then fill back up with 4200/5200. Anything else, and its going to be a stopping point where you will want to consider if you want to restore the boat or not.

As for finding original interior...you're probably better off going with all new unless you find someone with a mint boat who's about to haul it away to the nearest dump.


Post some pictures up after your 3rd post, you're at 2 now so try after your next one, so we can all see what you are working with.
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
If you haven't bought it yet perhaps you may want to reconsider. If the interior is missing it's a good chance the boat has rot. And fully rebuilding one properly is a big job and the materials are expensive. Most who do it either got the boat for free or super cheap or it's a boat they already have.
 

CrazyFinn

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Dec 12, 2016
Messages
357
If you haven't bought it yet perhaps you may want to reconsider. If the interior is missing it's a good chance the boat has rot. And fully rebuilding one properly is a big job and the materials are expensive. Most who do it either got the boat for free or super cheap or it's a boat they already have.


What he said. I bought both of my boats for cheap (for far less than the value of the trailers they were sitting on) - one with minimal interior, the other completely stripped inside. Both rotten. Except I knew that when buying them - especially with the second boat - with the intent of re-building everything anyway. The missing interior was a bonus - it just meant that I wouldn't have to tear it out to get at the rot!
 

showstoppr88

Seaman
Joined
Jul 24, 2017
Messages
67
The deal fell through but thanks for the advice :) I ended up getting a Raven bow rider 2100 br and it has interior lol
 
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