1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

[ezmobee]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Looks great. Do you plan on painting that angle iron? Trust me, it gets humid under those seats and those will rust and get nasty in a hurry.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

WOW!!!

Who's boat is that!!! It can't be Micks! I mean look at it. Just Look at it.
Compare this pic.

It just can't be the same.

GREAT JOB MICKS !!!!

 

[micks110]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Woody- that comparison looks cool. If you just look it just looks like maybe paint. But when you look at the date- that says it all It has been a blast up to this point though. I just can't wait to get her on the water! My letters and numbers sets came today so it'll be ready to go when I get her back

I have paint left over ez- I will throw some on. Thanks.

Does iBoats have a vinyl decal out there somewhere- I couldn't find one but I want one so I can tell everybody about this awesome forum and they great men and women who make this stuff possible for people like me.

Seriously guys- there are not enough words to express how grateful I am to all of you for helping me get to this point. Without your guidance I would not be here- Thank You!!!

I'll keep you posted on when I get her back.

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Woody- that comparison looks cool. If you just look it just looks like maybe paint. But when you look at the date- that says it all It has been a blast up to this point though. I just can't wait to get her on the water! My letters and numbers sets came today so it'll be ready to go when I get her back

I have paint left over ez- I will throw some on. Thanks.

Does iBoats have a vinyl decal out there somewhere- I couldn't find one but I want one so I can tell everybody about this awesome forum and they great men and women who make this stuff possible for people like me.

Seriously guys- there are not enough words to express how grateful I am to all of you for helping me get to this point. Without your guidance I would not be here- Thank You!!!

I'll keep you posted on when I get her back.

Just get iboats to sponsor your boat. They can put decals all over it, and you can be a boating advertisement for them!

All kidding aside, The before and after looks great! You have done a A++++ Job! I am really looking forward to seeing some pics on the water!

 

[archbuilder]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

How is it going on the motor Mick? Any updates?

 

[micks110]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

I called the boat place at least once everyday since I dropped it off so they know I am itching. They were supposed to get to it today so I took a drive over there and they had it under the roof with the steering mounts in the boat but they hadn't started on it yet. I went inside and walked around for a while- they were busy!!! They were in the process of selling 3 jet ski's in the 15 minutes I was there. The guy told me they "should" get to it early next week if they didn't get started on it today.

So hopefully they get to it soon. In the meantime I started cleaning up the garage- it needs it big time. Towards the end here I have just been throwing stuff everywhere! I also picked up my minn kota trolling motor today. I was either going to go with the 45lbs thrust or 50 lbs thrust. I ended up going with the 45 because it came with a free portable charger and cause it was on sale. I'm only going to be using it as a back up, and there is a quarry here that was converted to an electric motor only sweet little stocked fishing hole.

I'll keep you guys posted!

 

[seamorewaterVIP]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

good work mick hope every thing goes well at the mechanic. Has the neighbor that you bought it from seen it and if he has what was his response?

 

[seamorewaterVIP]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

name A.T. Asylam we must be crazy to take on projects like this. Take a mental break get away on the lake. Put the key in the asylam and dont come back untill you are better! just some thoughts to help with the wifes "insane" issue.

 

[micks110]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Thanks VIP! Yeh, my neighbor has seen the boat about 6-7 times throughout the whole project. When he saw it up on the trailer before I took it down to the boat place he was pretty amazed! He couldn't believe the difference and was really proud of the way it looked.

Oh, and trust me, once I get it back we will be out on the water! After a couple break in days out with my buddy- remember I never had a boat before- I will be taking the wife and kids out. There are a couple of lakes around here that would be great for day trips but I really want to get to Raystown Lake as well. It's about 3 hours away but I here it is a really neat lake so maybe we can do a couple day trip.

 

[micks110]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Anybody think I can rebuild an engine on my own???

Turns out compression was 90-90-90-40. They took the head off when I was there and the was alot of creosote an some nicks in the piston. No damage to the rings just the piston. They said it would cost about $1500 to rebuild the block with 4 knew pistons and all that stuff that I have no clue about. Or I could just run it this summer and hope for the best. I chose to get it running and I will run it this summer- hopefully with no issues and then I or they will do the rebuild in the winter.

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

I am sorry to hear about the motor mick. That is a bummer. I have never rebuilt a outboard powerhead, so I am really no help with that. I can say that 2 years ago I had a 76 evinrude 125 hp that with compression low in 1 cylinder and we ran it for about 2 months and sold it to a guy who was going to rebuild it. I don't know if i was just lucky or what.

It also seems like $1,500 is a lot, and you could just buy a newer motor for that price.

Once again, sorry to hear about the motor.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Micks, those motors are on CL ALL the time for 4-6 Hundred Dollars. Don't sweat the small stuff. Go enjoy your labors. You will be an Outboard Mechanic next fall and winter. Trust me the guys on the Outboard forum are great guys and have helped me a bunch on my 40 horse Rude'. You will get all the help you need and MORE!! Parts for that motor are still plentiful and there is a guy in Oklahoma City that has a BUNCH of the old eveinrude stuff so if you run into a wall let me or Arch know and we can probably locate it for you through him. Do NOT let his LITTLE bump in the rode rain on the BIG PARADE that you created with your wonderful and successful restore of that BEEEEE-YOU-TTTTTTTTTTTTEEEEEEEEEFFFFFFFFFFFULLLLLLLLLLL Boat of Yours!!!!!!! This is NOT a problem!!!!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately this is what happens when you paint an untested outboard jinx jinx jinx. That's why mine's still ugly.

 

[micks110]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Thanks guys- I appreciate it!

A new motor would be nice but I don't want a new motor- I want the vintage motor so hopefully it get me through the summer before I tear int it.

Their price of around $1500 didn't seem to bad considering pistons are $120 a piece and the would do all 4 plus the rings, gaskets, etc...

I don't know- I was just hoping everything would turn out ok. It's a bump in the road but hopefully it gets me through the summer and fall and I'll reevalute things then.

Thanks guys

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Just a suggestion/Idea. Buy on craigslist a electric motor (i see them for like $50-$100 all the time), That way in the event of the motor quitting on you, you can still get back to shore. I have a 30lb thrust that goes with me on every boat trip. Just a thought.

 

[micks110]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Isaac- Yeh I have a 45lbs. thrust trolling motor for that very purpose!

Thanks EZ- I appreciate the sarcasm I knew going in that this may be the case. But I also knew I wanted to get this thing as close to original as possible. So $1000-1500 to rebuild it compared to $2-3,000 for a decent used non-period motor is worth it to me. A couple of the guys at the boat place said with these motors, once it is rebuilt it will last me a very looong time.

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Surf to this site, www.aomci.org and check for a club/chapter in your area, plus the free classifieds. No offense, but I wouldn't drop $1500 into that motor when you can replace for less than half that and still have yours around as a parts horse. The guys in a nearby aomci club/chapter can help you replace/rebuild that old beast for a lot less...unless you're just married to it.

 

[micks110]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Thanks TM- I'm surfing now I'm going to post in the outboards section- I may want to tackle this on my own and rebuild it. Every motor of that date I have found local is about $300-600 as is. I'm assuming if I can get the stuff I need for $400-500 then that may be a good winter project for me

 

[tmcalavy]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Saw your thread on Iboats forum micks. Try the decarboning advice offered there, but don't be too optimistic. If one jug has only 40 psi compression and the piston is all coked up and scored, there's probably a rebuild looming...but you never know till you down past the gunk. If you can find a good used powerhead, it should be an easy swap...easier than a total rebuild. I know you want a period motor, 62, to match your boat but that V-4 engine design was used into the late 60's with much success...there should be one out there that will work in the 60 to 69 range.

 

[micks110]

Re: 1962 Arkansas Traveler restoration

Got the boat back today

We had her running a few times in their tank and everything is working. We started and stopped her a bunch of times and she shifted gears nicely too.

So that means one thing, well actually a couple things- Get the seats in tonight, get all my cables and stuff back up in the gunnel, fill her up tomorrow morning, and hit the water!!!!

I'll post her with her seats in later. I gotta add some more epoxy to the brackets and then paint them too before I put the seats in.