1959 Duratech Sealine 14' restoration - Project Cora

[Maine207]

Hello All So I just picked up this old girl with the intention of bringing her back to life. She is a 1959 Duratech Sealine model S148. She came with the original Evinrude 35 HP outboard. Hard to say if it is salvageable at this point. This will be my first boat restoration so I would appreciate as much feedback as possible. She has a few dents in the bottom hull, but nothing that can't be at least partially knocked out. Rivets look good, but hard to say at this point. Planning on removing all the hardware and stripping the paint first. First question is the possible removal of the epoxy paint on the deck. Is there a stripper that will pull that off or will it require blasting? What stripper do you recommend for aluminum? Is there an environmentally friendly option in a chemical stripper? I plan on posting pics of my progress. For some reason I got an error trying to attach a pic to this post. The interior stripping will be more challenging working around the deck supports on the perimeter and stern. All part of the fun. Next question, is it necessary to polish the aluminum before priming and painting or is stripping and cleaning enough. I hope to learn a lot as I go from the group here. I will need your experience to make this a success. Thanks in advance for the feedback and advice.

 

[jigngrub]

Posting pics of your boat so we can see what you have to work with will help us help you better.

 

[Maine207]

Here she is...

 

[Woodonglass]

Uh Huh!!! If I ever become a TINNER I want a boat similar to this one!!! She's a BEAUT!!!!! I'll be coming aboard to watch this one!!!!:eagerness:eace:

 

[83mulligan]

welcome to Iboats! Lots of great people and advice here. Good luck, I'll be following too.

 

[Maine207]

Started the tear down process today. This is the first attempt at a restoration for me and it was a humbling experience. I quickly learned that screws, bolts and other assorted fasteners that have been in place for 55 years do not like to be bothered. After several hours of effort and a trip to the store for some WD 40, I made some solid progress. I also learned a valuable lesson......never start your tear down while the boat is still on the trailer. I shifted from the left to the right and tipped right off the trailer. Yes, I can be an idiot when I set my mind to it. I still have a few fasteners around the deck before I can pull the transom wood and a little more soaking to loosen the bolts on the horn. Here is the problem. How do I get the steering wheel off? There is a large bolt on the back of the cable hub that is really corroded. Does that have to be freed? Can the wheel be pulled off the axle from the front? From what I have read, getting these loose can be a real problem. I plan on reusing this equipment so cutting is not an option. Here is the back of the steering Wheel Cable Hub...