1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

[Celtichawk]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Thanks Celtic, and welcome aboard

Still got a good amount of grinding to do. When they built this, they dumped in about a half inch of resin in the engine compartment, over some heavy cloth. There is alot of air pockets in it, the more i grind, the more i find. Its slow going with the 5" grinder, may have to pull out the big gun..

I personally love the large boats and always wondered what it's going to be like the day I decide to restore my interior as well as rip up my deck and maybe repower it.

Then I look at threads like yours and say to myself not now but at some point I will enjoy this work. Or sell mine and buy one without the needed work lol.

Kidding though keep up the good work I can only imagine the pain and suffering to be one day satisfaction of a brand new older model classic back floating and running with its own personal touch from its owner.

It is quite the challenge I see to even tackle such large vessel.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

I hear you Celtic, you have to make sure you're in the right mind set, as well the financials in place to take on the bigger projects. But in general, im finding the amount of tasks needed arent really size specific, big or small, they are all BIG JOBS if done right. lol...

I try not to look at it as the entire project, just smaller goals, like right now im just looking at getting the underlying structure right, and resecuring the self bailing decks. From there ill chose the next segment, this way it doesnt seem so insurmountable.

Ive been thru many car restorations, and imo, they are way more difficult and tedious. Right now I have a Monte SS Gbody torn down and about to come off the frame, but it will sit til this is done and I gain the interest again.

When you decide to do yours, ill be glad to tag along

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Nice use of the icons! GW....now the reading impaired can keep up lol

 

[GWPSR]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Nice use of the icons! GW....now the reading impaired can keep up lol

Is she a sport, eh? A sport, eh? Does she fancy candid snaps? Photographs? Nude, nudge, wink, wink, yer know what I mean?

 

[Okieboatguy]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

:rockon::rockon::rockon: Long Live Monty Python :rockon::rockon::rockon:

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Is she a sport, eh? A sport, eh? Does she fancy candid snaps? Photographs? Nude, nudge, wink, wink, yer know what I mean?

Classic!

lemme post it here so ppl dont think the fumes have gotten us...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ona-RhLfRfc

Its a full documentaion thread

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Update:
So I got a chance to cut out the lower stringers, using the originals, then angling the 90 degree step downs to an easier ange to glass.



then test fitted them for trimming

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Brought them inside for rounding over and wetting.





Then I cut out the sister boards, which ill glue to the stringers before installing. they straddle two bulkheads.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Nice Fabrication there Mr. Zool!!!!

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Thanks Mike, its basically how it was built, with a few mods....having the templates made it short work.

I received another order from usc, besides more resin, i got some 8.5 oz e-glass for the stringer tops and hull expanses. I also got some off white pigment for the top layer, to use in the hidden areas under the deck.


Gonna try to get out there tonight to coat them...ive been cheating and flipping them onto screw points, to wet both sides in one session, the epoxy takes its time to cure..thats for sure.

I also got a 7" backing pad for the 7" grinder, and some resin disks to get the deferred grinding finished....ill see how that goes Sat. if weather permits.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Yeah I really hate babysitting that epoxy but...It's the nature of the beast.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Update:

I got this set of stringers glued, screwed, and coated. Also made the weep holes.





Thats pretty much the extent of the stringers i need, except for some shelve bracing and tops. Plus the wood strip along the keel. Once these are in, i can put the tank back in, and start figuring how to lay up the 10' firewall bulkhead. That was one piece of ply, but will be 2 pieces laminated together, like the transom.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Got the rest of the center board out, mostly worm food on the bottom. The 7" grinder is making it easier to tame the gallons of resin that look to have been dumped into the bilge.



This has all been ground out now, but we got some thunderstorms, so I left the cover off, to wash away some of the white flour thats everywhere.

Im trying to figure out if, after filleting the transom and tabbing it to the hull, is is best to build out the inner skin 1st?, or tie in the stringers to the transom wood, then build out the skin with the rest of the finish glass lams?.....

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Update:

Well, it was time to pay the piper, spent the better part of the day in a sugar bowl. Climbing in the crawl space where the tank goes, and grinding thru the access holes i cut was im sure equal to waterboarding, i may recover....was a complete dust storm with little to no oxygen to be found lol.



Thats all i have to say about that....

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

After some quick vacuming, final test fit for the stringers.

 

[archbuilder]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

excellent work.....just hang in there when the dust storm is going on, all is better after the dust storm and it makes us stronger, lol!

 

[GWPSR]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

... spent the better part of the day in a sugar bowl. Climbing in the crawl space where the tank goes, and grinding thru the access holes i cut was im sure equal to waterboarding, i may recover....was a complete dust storm with little to no oxygen to be found lol.

That pic sure caused me to have a flashback. I can recall having sessions where visibility was less than 6". I kinda miss those days :facepalm:

Those inner stringers of yours sure are complicated! I'm glad mine have been all straight lines so far.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

That pic sure caused me to have a flashback. I can recall having sessions where visibility was less than 6". I kinda miss those days :facepalm:

Those inner stringers of yours sure are complicated! I'm glad mine have been all straight lines so far.

I altered the inner stringers to allow the wrap around shelving to rest on the stringer, as opposed to the way they did it, with just a wetted cloth brace. Also, the 90 degree step downs were not the best design.



This is how the shelves terminated.

Hell, if I knew you missed those days, i would have gave you mine!

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

excellent work.....just hang in there when the dust storm is going on, all is better after the dust storm and it makes us stronger, lol!

Thanks Arch, no pain, no gain i guess hehe

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Update:

I pulled the outer stringers to drill some pilot holes in the laminate section under the helm where the new stringers will sister the remaining sections. Im gonna use 1 1/4 coated deck screws and epoxy to adhere it. Then tab it to the cabin wall bulkhead, and aft sleeper bulhead, and also the hull. I also had to reshape the ends where they but the transom, to leave extra room to remove the new y pipes if ever needed. I forgot to do that when i made them, i gotta start writing things down, lol.





I ended up trimming them even further, and now they look good to go.

Im about to make some sliding jigs to hold an even spacing and bed them in. Then the clouds rolled in, cant chance rain with wet PB i guess.