1962 lonestar salem restore?

[lonestar man]

hey guys and galls I have been a Iboats surfer for a few years but this is actually my first post. Here is my situation/question. I recently picked up a 1962 lonestar salem on a trade equal to 440.00 dollars. I had all intentions of pulling the motor and controls to use on my 14 ft aluminum vhull and selling the rest. well of course, I missed one significant detail that affects my plan. The motor is a long shaft and will obviously not work on my 16" transom. I really like the lonestar and would not mind fixing it up but its condition is a little rough(floor and transom seem pretty solid) and I know nothing about this boat or fiberglass for that matter. I guess my questions are

1. Does anyone know anything about this model, especially if lonestar used the foam PAC technique and what that means if I decide to replace the floor.

2. how to repair the spot on the hull where the gel coat has chipped and the fiberglass gives alittle when I push on it (see pictures)

3. Is this thing worth investing money into?

I have done alot of searching on here and have not been able to find out much information on this boat, or Foam pac.
after reading many posts on here I am comfortable repairing the minor scratches and chips but am worried about the spot in the picture. Thanks guys for any help you can provide.

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

Great classic lines on that craft...the big el smasho in the hull can be repaired, but I would suspect that due to its age, all of the structural wood used inside is probably rotten...I could be completely mistaken, but you would have to do a Biopsy and check for your self...by drilling some inspection holes as far back, and as low down as you can in the transom and stringers...if the wood shavings come out nice and dry and light colored, you WIN...if they come out dark and mushy...decision time...

If you decide to restore this classic old boat, there are a few Lonestar restorations throughout the forum...just type in Lonestar in the search box and start looking...plus there are a bunch of guys here that will help you with all the info you need to put this fine little craft into better than new shape...

As far as value...only to you and the pride you will have in owning and operating...even though it is a cool classic boat, it is still a 50 year old boat...

Cost to restore, can vary from a few hundred to a few thousand...way too many variables at this point to make a good determination...if the engine is 100% sound, that is a big plus...trailers can be refinished with a bunch of your free labor and minimum cash...

We'll be here to help any way we can whatever you decide...


Have Fun!
GT1M

 

[lonestar man]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

I will go drill a couple holes in a few to check the status of the transom. regarding the big ding in the hull, Im assuming this is to big for a marine tex fix? Should I sand it down and use a layer or 2 of glass to strengthen this area back up. If so will poyester resin work for this job and would yall recomend cloth or CSM for the fix.

 

[lonestar man]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

well I drilled a couple holes in the transom(the inside just above the floor) and the wood shavings came out dry. Could it be? a 50 year old transom that is not rotted? Im still skeptical. Also the wood shavings had a reddish tint to them. Any idea what kind of wood they used back then for transoms? Is it possible the wood may have been wet and has dried from ebeing out of the water for so long? thanks for the help guys I am already starting to get excited about this restoration!!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

Welcome to iboats.

I love the old Lone Star boats. My Dad had a 63 Lone Star Mustang all black but the spitting image of your boat and he had a 65 V-4 on the back. That boat was fast and fun. Great memories for me.

That hole is absolutely a fiberglass and polyester resin repair from both inside and out. The marine tex is really not the right material for that. The rest of the hull appears to be in great shape and that is a good motor!

I would fix it and not look back!

 

[sphelps]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

Welcome aboard ! You may just get lucky with the transom . I think Woodonglass's Lonestar had a good transom .
It looks like the PO shimmed up the motor trying to get better performance from the long shaft. If it's a problem you may want to rethink the project.Have you had it in the water and run it yet? Just a thought..

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

Outstanding, if the wood shavings came out looking that great and the rest of the hull is in fairly good shape, I agree with Bob_VT...go for it...

The repair on the hull is fairly easy...polyester resin, CSM and 1708 biaxial cloth should do the trick...

You'll need your PPE and a 4.5" grinder with some 36 grit flap wheels, Acetone, and some miscellaneous other materials, like mixing cups, rags, and so on...

You need to have access from the inside...get some good pics of the inside and outside, both close and backed away... so we can get a good look and guide you to a successful repair...

 

[lonestar man]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

I have not had the boat in the water yet. I am going to get the tags updated on monday but I am still skeptical about putting the boat in the water with the big ding in the hull. I noticed they had the engine shimmed up but I honestly did not put much thought into it. The motor fires right up on muffs and goes through gear good so I am hoping it does good on the lake. What do you mean by better performance and what kind of problems should I be looking for. This way I will have a clue as to what to look for when I get it on the lake.

 

[lonestar man]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

as soon as I tear into it I will start taking pictures. also does anyone know what exactly the foam pac technique is that lonestar used.

 

[sphelps]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

I went back and looked at the picture again and it appears to be set at the right height. I am no expert but I think the cav plate needs to be pretty much even with the bottom of the hull . If it's to low I think it will cause it to drag and to high it will cavitate ..Like I said I'm no expert but the shims are there for some reason..
Glad your restoring her these old classics deserve a second chance !

 

[lonestar man]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

I went back and looked at the picture again and it appears to be set at the right height. I am no expert but I think the cav plate needs to be pretty much even with the bottom of the hull . If it's to low I think it will cause it to drag and to high it will cavitate ..Like I said I'm no expert but the shims are there for some reason..
Glad your restoring her these old classics deserve a second chance !

I must say you had me scared for a minute, so are there any pros on here located in the OKC area in case I run into some trouble with this thing

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

Well, I'm no pro, but I just restored a 61 Lonestar Flamingo that's very similar to your boat. I live in Broken Arrow and come to OKC a lot so, I'd be more than happy to lend you a hand any way I can. Don't think I know what you mean by the Foam Pac method. First I've heard of it. My boat does not have any foam in it. Hull is completely hollow. The scrape on your hull is a straight forward fiberglass repair and I can for sure help step you throught that process. Let me know if I can be of assitance. My transom was also in great shape. Did not have to replace it or the deck or stringers. I just Painted the hull and the top cap and redid the interior. You can click the My Flamingo link below to see my rebuild.

 

[lonestar man]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

hey thanks woodenglass, its good to know I have someone nearby with some knowledge and skill. well, bad news...I drilled a few holes into the floor and the only thing I found was rotted wood and waterlogged foam. I guess this will be a all or nothing resto. I figure I might as well fix it though because there is no way I could or would sell it to anybody else so I guess its time to start cutting floor and digging foam. I just hope the stringers are in decent condition but I am doubting that will be the case. wish me luck

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

Take and post plenty of pics. Take and record a lot or measurements. Wear your PPE. You'll be fine. We will ALL help you through this. When you're done, she'll be a thing of beauty.

 

[Willyclay]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

also does anyone know what exactly the foam pac technique is that lonestar used.

FoamPac was the name LoneStar gave their design feature that used injected foam between the floor(deck) and the hull as the structure instead of ribs and stringers. I believe 1962 was the first year it was placed into the production process but may not have been used in all their plants and/or models. If used in your boat, expect the floor to be bonded to the foam. My 1965 LoneStar Medallion II aluminum boat had the FoamPac feature. Good luck with that great old boat!

 

[lonestar man]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

Alright guys here we go... I started to pull some of the rotted wood and fiberglass out to see how bad the deck is. well its bad in most places. so far all of the deck is wet and is rotted pretty bad towards the back of the boat. on a positive note the fiberglass is so thin on the deck it is just peeling off in large sheets which is making the process alittle easier and when I start cutting atleast i wont have fiberglass dust blowing everywhere. attached is a couple pictures of the deck and the really thin fiberglass that was covering it. once I get the rest of the fiberglass peeled i will start cutting through the wood. thanks for the help so far.

 

[lonestar man]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

FoamPac was the name LoneStar gave their design feature that used injected foam between the floor(deck) and the hull as the structure instead of ribs and stringers. I believe 1962 was the first year it was placed into the production process but may not have been used in all their plants and/or models. If used in your boat, expect the floor to be bonded to the foam. My 1965 LoneStar Medallion II aluminum boat had the FoamPac feature. Good luck with that great old boat!

hey willyclay thanks,Thats pretty much what I thought it was but thanks for clearing that up for me. If they used this method and since I am going to have to rip the floor out when I go to replace it am i going to have to build stringers and ribs or try to copy thier method with something like US composites 4 lb foam.

 

[sphelps]

Re: 1962 lonestar salem restore?

Now it starts to get fun ! lol!
You should open a free photo bucket account so you can post big pics without having to click on an image..
Makes it easier to follow along and they look like this ..

Good luck and stay safe !