Mach 1 Sportster questions (data tag)

[makeitnew]

I'm new to the site but not to boats. I haven't owned one for over thirty years but I came across a neglected 17' Mach One Sportster. I never heard of them either but I was hoping somebody here could pass on whatever info they might have. This thing looked really bad! I took a chance buying it for next to nothing and fully expecting to start a search on how to get rid of fiberglass boats. (recycle) After getting it home I got the engine running. Somebody installed a new coil but had it wired wrong. After a little prime it fired right off. Considering the fuel was likely a few years old it ran rather good. It's a MC1 Mercruiser with the 170 HP MCM170 engine.

I knew the floor was shot. That didn't scare me much as I've taken on much larger projects than that. No surprise. I'm in the process of replacing it. The bottom polished up rather nicely but the top I'll finish after the floor is repaired. The transom seems to be solid with no sign of rot.

Not wanting to overload you guys with questions, (I'll get to that later) right now I would be content if somebody could help me with the basic information such as number of people, seats, weights, etc. of this thing. The data tag is no longer readable or missing. Hard to tell which. How does one go about getting a new data plate for a boat that no longer is in production? There is some history online of this company but very little with no contact information to be found. I'm not familiar with the requirements of having this info on the boat and who wants it there. But some references mention fines for not having it. I'm sure it's not like aircraft and the FAA. No data tag, no aircraft! But I like to make things as right as possible.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[jbcurt00]

Might look thru the boats listed here
http://boatspecs.iboats.com/Mach_1/bp/20br1262

but I didn't see a Sportster model

 

[kcassells]

https://www.smartmarineguide.com/boats-for-sale/mach-1-mv800-sportster

https://www.smartmarineguide.com/mach_1-boats-for-sale

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=boat+mach+1+sportster&FORM=HDRSC2

 

[zool]

With the MC-1, its most likely 1983 or before. Maybe not a Sportster but a Super Sport?

 

[kcassells]

I'd say you are right. I just like people digging into more so they get to understand their boat. There's a lot of info out there.
But of course you know I'm a Richard.

 

[zool]

I'd say you are right. I just like people digging into more so they get to understand their boat. There's a lot of info out there.
But of course you know I'm a Richard.

Im confused, youve always told me im a Richard! :lol:

Once the Op gets a few more posts, we can get a pic, that should help alot.....

Makeitnew, with a bad deck (floor), you most likely have other issues underneath, with the stringers and transom....

 

[kcassells]

probably water and aeration issues related to foam install. man I wish someone could fix that?
zool … really I don't recall that specific moment. But generally yea.:joyous:

 

[makeitnew]

Thanks for taking the time to help out. Guess I bought into a rare boat. But not discouraged.

 

[kcassells]

Their all rare diamonds in the rough. Time to get choppin. Post some pics, measure everything 2x, save all the info, you'll need it.
Lots a good guys here to help you out.

 

[makeitnew]

I apologize for the slow or lack of response but I tend to spend most of my time in the garage. (Boat) To answer some of the posts, it is a Sportster II. That is clear. As for the floor, the deck was totally rotten but this boat was so well constructed under the floor that I could not find a bad stringer and the transom. I'm not a boat expert by any means but I cannot envision a better way to construct a boat. Even if the plywood was completely disintegrated, (no sign of that) I believe these stringer would be more than adequate. Several drill holes found nothing but good wood so if there is something bad hidden in there I don't feel its a wise move to rip it all out for a few square inches of rot. Maybe the next guy perhaps twenty years from now will have a different story. But as of now, I think it would be more harmful to tear it all out.

I can't explain why the MC1 is mounted on this boat as I agree Zool that every reference to these units seem to indicate 83 was the end of the line. Perhaps somebody changed it out. Or more likely the folks at Mach 1 either had or found a surplus drive someplace and put it to use. But the good news is after tearing it apart everything looks as good as new. Even the lube oil looked like it was changed the day before.

So to date, here's what I have accomplished.:

The boats registration is complete and the ownership has been established since new. the missing data tag has been replaced as per the original.

The rotted floor was removed, one chip at a time. It took several weeks to dry this thing out as it was left outdoors uncovered for several years. There likely was three to four years of accumulated maple leaves from the tree it was parked under. They still crawl out of crevasse every once and a while.

All interior upholstery was removed and will be replaced. Seats have been tossed.

Fuel tank removed, cleaned and replaced.

New gimble bearing and bellows installed. One bit of caution to pass on here. If you purchase the cheapest trim sensors on Amazon, you may come to regret it. The gauge sender was DOA. I did take the time to ohm these our before I installed it and they seemed fine but it was soon discovered it was defective. They did replace it but who would want to go through the entire process of tearing the bell housing out to get at the bolts to replace it. To save me that nightmare, I simply took the new pot disc out of the replacement sender and installed it in the unit had previously installed. I don't have a lot of confidence as the disc is very fragile and likely to fail again. A new water pump was also installed.

The bottom of the boat has been buffed out. And it's about what one would expect. Looks like a thirty year old boat. All of the fiberglass will need to be addressed later. All of the grab rails, steps, swim boats etc. have been removed. I/m considering painting the boat using the roll and tip method. There seems to be a lot of positive YouTube video's on this and it seems to be something worth trying. Anybody care to chime in on this feel free.

The new floor is in and ready for glassing. But I need to wait until it warms up a bit. I have no desire to do this in the garage. While I'm waiting for mother nature, the wiring need attention. (badly) Some folks can really hack wiring up. It's bad enough that I'm looking for a new harness. So far, no luck. I disassembled the tach and re-attached the needle. that required cutting the case to gain access as it was totally sealed. If it works fine, nothing lost if it don't but I've done this sort of thing before. I'm really more interested in keeping the gauges matched.

So, that's what's done so far. I'll try to add photo's and updates as time goes on. But a "Friscoboater" I am not. And my boat is not a Glastron. Just a project to keep me busy. Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[kcassells]

Bummer no pics?

 

[makeitnew]

Once again, sorry for not contributing more. I just get going on these projects and forget about most everything else. I thought I would upload some photo's of the boat and the progress so far. And, as this is the first time I have uploaded photo's to this site, I would guess they may be a little out of order. But that's the way I found them. I think you can figure out the sequence.

So far, I have made a lot of progress. Removing the old floor, carpeting on the side walls, (I found using a Dremel oscillating saw with a dull blade takes the glue right off the fiberglass very cleanly) replacing some bad bulkheads around the fuel tank, removed and cleaned the tank, installed new fuel lines before installing the new floor.

This was the first time I had done any extensive fiberglass work and some lessons were learned. Don't mix too much being the first. I spent about a half hour chopping my roller off the floor. The gel coat went on very well and the end result was a very solid floor. I chose to use a cabinet grade white plywood from Lowes. I had used this on other projects and it worked well. Very few voids and it takes paint and resin very well. I covered all sides of the plywood with resin prior to installing it and I think the end result would be as near waterproof as one could make it. They also use very similar plywood in constructing FRP trailers and aircraft floor decks. And it was easy to find. I'm not a believer in so called Marine grade. Besides, I couldn't find it in the Chattanooga area.

Also installed a new bilge pump and blower along with ducting to the outside. Completely replaced the wire harness with something a bit better from a local boat repair shop. (Junk yard as they were once called) I purchased two fiberglass engine covers and used the one that fit the best. It needed some modification. Sold the other. Apparently these are in demand as it sold in minutes on Craigslist. None of the instruments worked and after a few days and the new harness they all do now. I had to buy a new tach. The original worked for a minute or two and then quit. I think I mentioned that above.

After spending a few days visiting upholstery shops I decided to take a whack at this myself. Having not much to do in retirement I drove over to North Carolina (160 miles) and bought a sewing machine that would do the job. I watched every video on the Sailrite web site and figured it was something I could do. And save 10 to 15K in the process. Half the fun of these projects is learning. Usually what your limitations are but so far so good. I'm about half finished with it and I can live with what's done so far. The folks at Sailrite are amazing to work with and the pricing is reasonable. Most importantly, there is little question about buying or using the correct material.

I did order and install a helm seat and lounge seat that is likely temporary. I really would like to build and install a long bench seat along the port side but I would also like to get it on the water sometime this summer. Maybe a winter project. Winter in the Chattanooga area being low water in the reservoirs as the water don't freeze here. (I think!)

As I said, I'm getting anxious to see of this thing will float. It won't be long now. To date I have about $2500 invested in this project. If it sinks the insurance should take care of that. Hopefully the engine is a solid as I think it is. Reading some of the posts here are not all that encouraging. Seems to be mixed feelings about the 170 Merc's.

Don't expect posts to flow like the "Friscoboater" but I'll try to post more often. Thanks for all the helpful posts from all of you.

 

[Woodonglass]

Uhmm cabinet grade plywood is not a very good choice for boats. The laminations are glued with a Non waterproof glue and if and when water gets to it, it will quickly become mush!!! Your work looks good, but choosing the correct materials is very important

 

[makeitnew]

I certainly agree. But at my age I don't intend to be boating all that much longer. This is really just a pass time and I prefer to use what's available locally. (Not all that much) Over the years my experience is not so much what material but what you protect it with. Good resins, good paint. well encapsulated upholstery, a good cover and hopefully kept under cover for the rest of it's time with me.

Without a doubt Mother Nature will reclaim what's hers sooner or later no matter what we build it of. The book value on this boat is about $2500 bucks. I will have less than that in it. I doubt if it will hit the water more than a few times per year but I also believe in being honest with people. If it's me that someday sells it, (or more likely give it away) it will be for whatever it brings with the buyer being fully aware of how it's put together. But it certainly is no worse that than what the boat factories put out these days. And I didn't pay $45 G's for it. Certainly no worse than what this boat came with thirty years ago.

The other issue is the motor and drive. It runs and sounds good in the driveway. The outdrives seems to be solid. But not knowing exactly what life it has left I just wouldn't want to invest a ton of money. I do this for the experience and pass time. It was a mess when I found it, the owner wanted it gone, and it gave me something to do. With that in mind, the material really didn't make much difference. In my mind it's shame that so many otherwise sound fiberglass hulls are sent off to who knows where? We are a throw away society to say the least.

Please don't take my comments the wrong way. I appreciate all who contribute the positive advice on these blogs. But for those who cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars on a fancy boat, perhaps seeing a "cheap" project will encourage some to take on something like this and get their families on the water for something not requiring second mortgage. And rid the countryside of a few of those fiberglass hulls left to rot.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Start reading on the mercruiser 470 motor. You will have your share of issues with it