Search results

  1. T

    1987 Power Play XLT-185 - floors, stringers, and upholstery

    Last October, the transmission in my tow rig (1999 Suburban C1500) started making bad noises, so I parked it. Besides my boat, I also use the truck to tow my race car. The truck had a stock 4L60E in it, and after dropping the pan, I confirmed that it was dead. Initially I thought I'd just...
  2. T

    2000 Stingray 190 RX Restoration

    It cleaned up well. To get those deep stains out, you'll need to wet sand and buff. The gelcoat has already started to oxidize, so cutting through all that should get the staining out. As stated above, you should be able to use a similar vintage automotive V6 as a starting point - you'll just...
  3. T

    My 84 4winns horizon 195 project.

    Boating may seem far off right now, but I can honestly say it feels like yesterday that my boat also looked like that
  4. T

    hull repair needed along lower rake

    Epoxy and the 6782 is overkill, but it's your money and your boat. If you buy your resin from a dealer who does a lot of business, you'll always get fresh resin and you shouldn't have any issues. Roving can be more of a pain to deal with than 1708, as it isn't stitched like 1708. Whatever...
  5. T

    Bought my first boat to cut, gut and rebuild from bow to stern, including engine. Killed my back and suffered the wrath of the fiberglass demons

    I went with thr Blue Sea mini-ACR and dual battery switch and wired them in per the diagram that came with them.
  6. T

    Bought my first boat to cut, gut and rebuild from bow to stern, including engine. Killed my back and suffered the wrath of the fiberglass demons

    It's beneficial to have a "start" battery and a "house" battery in a boat. The start battery's sole purpose is to power the starter. The house battery powers pretty much everything else - blower, horn, bilge pump, lights, stereo, etc. This way if you take your boat out for a nice day on the...
  7. T

    hull repair needed along lower rake

    I would use 1708 and polyester resin instead of carbon fiber or woven roving.
  8. T

    Tacky Gelcoat

    Both Scott's and stresspoint's methods will work. Choose one.
  9. T

    Stringer install

    Just use PB. That way all your layups and adhesive joints are the same material, and you don't have to even think about material compatibility.
  10. T

    21 foot fiberglass boat

    I used two 16-lb kits of 2-lb density foam on my 19 ft boat restoration. That's under $200...surely a drop in the bucket relative to the rest of the money you spent on the restoration. I agree with AD - just go ahead and do it.
  11. T

    Restoring 1988 19’ bayliner capri

    Is your boat on a bunk trailer or roller trailer? If it's a bunk trailer, you can probably get away with leaving it on the trailer, pulling the cap, and just taking width measurements to make sure the hull is in shape before you do each structural glassing session. I originally wanted to cut...
  12. T

    My 84 4winns horizon 195 project.

    Yep, you need to do a full transom replacement and glass the inside of the keyhole on the new transom.
  13. T

    1990 MasterCraft 190 TriStar hull repair

    Based on pics you posted plus the description of being 1 ton overweight, I'd let this one go to the dump and look for a different boat. You could pull the engine and working components to keep or sell, or try to sell the whole boat for parts. I'd probably opt for the latter, as that way you...
  14. T

    My 84 4winns horizon 195 project.

    Just beware that the "screwdriver test" only works if there is no fiberglass over the deck (this would be bad) or if the fiberglass is very thin. The deck on my boat was rotten, and the top layer of glass was so thick there is no way I could poke a screwdriver through it by hand to test the...
  15. T

    Bought my first boat to cut, gut and rebuild from bow to stern, including engine. Killed my back and suffered the wrath of the fiberglass demons

    I used 2 lb density pourable foam from US Composites. I bought all my glass, resin, gelcoat, filler, and foam from them. If you can have it shipped freight (to a place with a loading dock), you can save some cash.
  16. T

    Sanger v210 Keel Hull damage

    Starting here, you can see how I fixed similar damage on mine. I put a Keel Shield over mine after doing the repair, so getting it glass smooth and matchy-matchy wasn't my goal.
  17. T

    Bought my first boat to cut, gut and rebuild from bow to stern, including engine. Killed my back and suffered the wrath of the fiberglass demons

    Regarding a cradle - I just did mine on my bunk trailer (2 bunks per side, 4 bunks total) with no additional supports. Immediately after pulling the cap, I marked the hull in increments of 1 ft from bow to stern and measured widths at each mark, then drew a sketch of the boat and wrote those...
  18. T

    Bought my first boat to cut, gut and rebuild from bow to stern, including engine. Killed my back and suffered the wrath of the fiberglass demons

    Click the link in my signature to see my restoration beginning to end with lots of pics. It took me 18 months. Harbor Freight tools are your friend. I used a Black & Decker 4.5" grinder to do my entire boat, and it survived and I still use it today. $35 on Amazon. Use 40-grit flap discs -...
  19. T

    Boat stringer size.

    Stay with 3/4". It's lasted 30 years (probably longer than it was intended to) and you don't want to add unnecessary weight.
  20. T

    1985 Beachcraft Cuddy Model 240C rehab

    Marine plywood is a waste of money for most fiberglass boat restorations. Exterior grade ACX works just fine. That transom wood looks suspect.
Top