1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

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Pmccraney

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Jacob:
You've got this rig coming back together nicely... You are making me have second thoughts about not converting mine to a center console (oh well, that will just give me an excuse to do another boat when I'm done..)....
 

64osby

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Jacob:
You've got this rig coming back together nicely... You are making me have second thoughts about not converting mine to a center console (oh well, that will just give me an excuse to do another boat when I'm done..)....

If you check the record - You should see that I voted for a CC on your project. :lever:

But when you start on it I'll be watching and cheering. :high5:

I love my CC :bounce:

:focus:
 

jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Jacob:
You've got this rig coming back together nicely... You are making me have second thoughts about not converting mine to a center console (oh well, that will just give me an excuse to do another boat when I'm done..)....

You see, that is the way to look at it! "Just have to do another one". I am thinking of finding another one to start working on once this ol girl is complete.
 

jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Hope everyone had a good Christmas out there. It was a busy weekend, lots of bad weather, and cold. I didn't get to work on the boat but did manage to get in there and look at it. This is going to be a long stretch of workless days unless we get a weekend in the 50's here and there. I was thinking about things I need to get done by summer and also had some questions for anyone out there who can answer.

1. Build a lean post
2. Decide what to finish the floor with
3. Frame in bow seats
4. Frame in the cooler in front of the console
5. Have cushions made for the bow seats and lean post
6. Sand the hull
7. Paint the hull
8. Fix a gas leak in my outboard
9. Bondo and paint the console
10. Cut port and starboard panels for my forward gunwales where I'll mount rod holders on each side
11. Finishing touches on paint.
12. Test drive to the dry rack for the season.
13. Rewire the trailer
14. Break a bottle of champagne over the boat.

My question is, what do I paint an aluminum boat with? I know not to sand it down too much.
 

jasoutside

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

My question is, what do I paint an aluminum boat with? I know not to sand it down too much.

Well, that kinda depends on your skills and your budget. My budget is shoestring and my paint skills are marginal on a good day. So, I like to do a light sanding on the hull with say 220, clean, etch, prime, paint with Rustoleum Pro.

There are a hundred different methods and opinions for painting an alum boat. I kinda think the most important piece is doing your best to leave the original paint on the hull and do a light sand. Going to bare alum then trying to paint over is trouble, alum just doesn't like paint stuck to it.
 

jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Happy New Year!!! This is two weeks straight now I haven't worked on my boat. Starting to feel like I don't even own one anymore.
 

jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

This past Saturday was a beauty for mid January in Cleveland. We hit 64 degrees, and that means I was out on the boat working hard.

IMG-20130112-00185.jpg
 

jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Starting off this weekend I decided to take the old interior side panels and see if I could re-use them. I previously cut speaker holes in them over the summer, I just trimmed off the end on the table saw and recapped the aluminum trim and we were in business. I had a little help from my co-captain bringing the white back out of these 40 year old pieces. They ended up looking pretty good. She also did a great job on the rear doors that close off beneath the splashwell. We'll have to trim them a touch since the plywood floor is thicker now, but that is cake.

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jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

So with the whole lean post idea fresh in mind, I decided I was just going to go at it and see what I came up with. After firing up the table saw for the 2nd time in my life (without Dad's help), I was on my way. I just put together a 90 degree "L" shape which I'll pad and finish with some vinyl.

Rocky River-20130112-00192.jpgRocky River-20130112-00193.jpg
 

jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

I took it a step further making a "breadboard" model. I just threw some wood and PVC together to see how it would look, function, and fit in the boat. From there I thought I'd head to Lowes to look for some material to make it. Or take it to work and have our model shop weld something up.

Everything felt great standing / sitting on it. It's 30" wide, enough for two fit individuals, and about 28" high. Just enough to get your butt against it while motoring or sit up on while at no wake speeds.

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jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Sunday I went to Lowes and saw 4" PVC piping. I figured this stuff was strong as can be. I tried to make it fail when I got home, I'd have to hit it with a 20 pound sledge to make that happen. I bought some flanges as well, I don't think they will hold the weight of two people. I have another idea to mount this to the floor, I'll post some pics when I'm done.

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jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Got work a little more on how to attach my lean post to the floor to try and avoid side to side racking and also to avoid breaking at the flanges. We dumped the flange idea and decided to lag bolt (and screw into our wood enforced stringers) with a platform base of 3/4 plywood. From there, we'll stack two colums of 3/4 ply about 6 inches high up the 4" posts. This will eliminate the weak spot where the flange will bolt into the floor.

Basically, each level of ply will be adhered and screwed to the previous. Using 5200 of course. At the end, there will be one long bolt going through the base of the leg to keep it from pulling up. Same idea for the cushion to attach to the top of the posts.

Fairview Park-20130119-00231.jpgRocky River-20130119-00230.jpg
 

jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

What do you do when it's only 23 degrees out and boating season couldn't seem further away? You upholster a pad for your lean post in the warmth of your home with a 12 pack of Black Label.

We cut up some old bow cushions, reusing the padding. After a trip to Jo-Ann Fabrics for some supplies we were underway.

Cleveland-20130120-00238.jpg
 

jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Here is how the padding looked before covering it up.

Cleveland-20130120-00239.jpg
 

jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Now comes the hard part. We added a layer of batting per a helpful lady at the store who said it would protect the vinyl.

Cleveland-20130120-00240.jpg
 

jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Next came the tricky part. I have never done this before, nor has my co-captain, but she is crafty. We had to figure out the corners and cut on the fly. For a first try, it doesn't look too bad but I'd like to give it another shot down the road if I end up keeping this boat very long. It looks like death on the underside, but the rest isn't too bad ... you know ... the part you can see.

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jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Where did everyone go???
 

jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Had a chance this past weekend to get home and put the lean post together. I slid each piece of plywood down the PVC tube and attached it with 5200 and screws. Each piece uses a longer screw and it connects through all the pieces before it. Everything is attached using 5200. I even went as far as mounting it inside the boat. I hope it holds up.

Next step is to cosmetically fix up the lean post and frame in the bow seats. After a floor, of course.

Cleveland-20130126-00282.jpgRocky River-20130126-00279.jpgRocky River-20130126-00280.jpgRocky River-20130126-00281.jpg
 

jacobmeyers

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Re: 1972 Starcraft Super Sport 16' Conversion to Center Console

Was thinking of purchasing some flooring this week or next. Looking at some type of vinyl to coat the floor with a spray adhesive, any opposition to that?
 
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