1966 Starcraft Holiday Interior Work

[66Holiday924]

Hi, I'm back, and I'm ready to finish up on a lot of the cosmetic work that's left on my boat. If everything goes well I'd like to spend the next couple of months getting it ready to go to the shop and have the side panels, engine cover, jump seats, and some of the other cosmetics rebuilt/fixed. I hope by the end of December I can have a new floor installed and ready to go. I will not be trying my hand at reupholstering.

With that said, my boat has been performing pretty good since the close of my last project (transom rebuild). It seems to be pretty mechanically sound (for a 50 year old boat with a 30 year old engine in it). One of my favorite upgrades since my last post is my SS Cupholder/rod holders. They are heavy, heavy, duty and come in handy.

 

[Watermann]

Welcome back, deck replacement and flotation foam also address any possible hulls repairs and leaks.

 

[66Holiday924]

I'm going to add a stereo to the boat. I don't want anything that's super loud. Basically a good quality stereo with sound equivalent to a factory car stereo would be great. The speakers are going to be mounted in the side panels when they are re-built. Any recommendations are appreciated.

 

[classiccat]

Welcome back! That looks like a fun cruisin' rig! That paint still has a nice shine to it.

I use a portable bluetooth bose speaker and my smart phone...No assembly required!

 

[66Holiday924]

Out with the old. I spent a few hours today unloading the boat, taking out the seats, engine cover, and I removed my transom cap. My first order of business is the transom cap. It has holes, some pretty good dents in it, and I think I've talked myself into going a little wider with it. It's 14.5"now and I'm thinking about going up to about 30" so it's removed and I'm going to have that rebuilt.

I bought a rivet removing drill bit. It is specifically designed for rivet removal. It helps keep the drill from walking on you, and you can set the depth so that the drill only goes through the rivet head. I bought it for solid rivets but I tried it out on a few blind rivets today. It worked great!

 

[SHSU]

Yep, I have one of those removal tools as well. They work great if you only have a couple to do. Trick for solid heads is to just a drill punch to give it a start. Just helps prevent that little bit of walking when it starts out.

SHSU

 

[Watermann]

Yep, I have one of those removal tools as well. They work great if you only have a couple to do. Trick for solid heads is to just a drill punch to give it a start. Just helps prevent that little bit of walking when it starts out.

SHSU

I use a pilot point cobalt bit that I only use for aluminum, no walking and no need for center punch or special tools. My brazier head solids so far have had a nice dimple in the center. and then there's the Friday shift Stacraftsmanship

 

[SHSU]

I use a pilot point cobalt bit that I only use for aluminum, no walking and no need for center punch or special tools. My brazier head solids so far have had a nice dimple in the center. and then there's the Friday shift Stacraftsmanship

LOL, I think its a requirement that Friday shift does at least a couple rivets on every boat.

The original rivets on ours didn't have the nice dimple, the replacements did. I think it was a difference between 1100F and 2117T4. I think the 2117T4 had the dimple, but not 100% sure.

SHSU

 

[66Holiday924]

A while ago I read somewhere not to fill my boat too much when I do the leak test, too much weight. Instead use a few inches of water, dye it red with food coloring so you can see it leaking, slosh it around, and circle the leaky rivets with a grease pen. Is that still the method people are using for that?

 

[Coulsto1n]

Thanks for the update and quick reply. I'll be sure to keep an eye on this thread MyAARPMedicare Login.

 

[66Holiday924]

I took the old transom cap in to a sheet metal shop yesterday. They're going to re-cut me a new one so I'll have fresh metal with no holes. I'm going wider. it's ~15" now and I'm going to go to ~30". Then, after I build a new support structure, lay out the new cap, and double check it, I'm going to have them punch out the large holes for my rod holders, light, fuel, etc. and they're going to bend me a couple new trim pieces to go across the front and back, that frame the cap.

It was kind of a tough decision to go wider because it's going to make the engine less accessible for repairs, but this is the way I (think ) I want my boat laid out. I'm trying to think of a way to make the transom cap easily removable. I have some thoughts on doing that, open to suggestions.

 

[Watermann]

I would frame the cap with angle AL and make it removable by latches or pins. Only issue to overcome is for it to have that slight curve needed to fit properly over the transom.

 

[66Holiday924]

I would frame the cap with angle AL and make it removable by latches or pins.

I was thinking about framing it with aluminum too. The only option to do that might be to weld it on though, because it needs to be able to lay flush.

 

[SHSU]

I was thinking about framing it with aluminum too. The only option to do that might be to weld it on though, because it needs to be able to lay flush.

Can you lay most of the panel flush with rivets to an aluminum frame and cut out a section over the engine bay to create a removable cover?

+1 @Watermann suggestion for removable cap
Looking back I wish I had thought more about how I secured my corner caps. I was worried about losing them if I used a simple rivet, so I over secured with SS and Nyloc nuts. Didn't think I would want/need to replace the rub rail so quickly.... Let just say lessons learned about the surf and being tied up to tight to a dock.... With that said, because of this getting the caps off will be a pain, but I am confident they wont pop off either. lol

SHSU

 

[66Holiday924]

Can you lay most of the panel flush with rivets to an aluminum frame and cut out a section over the engine bay to create a removable cover?

No it won't lay flush. The transom cap lays on the gunnel... I have a plan. I started ordering the hardware... I guess we'll see how this works out.

I ordered some of these SS threaded inserts:

As of now, my plan is to tuck the cap under the rub rails and then use the threaded inserts to bolt it down across the transom wood and forward support framing. My engine should be pretty accessible to do maintenance on, but for the occasions that more access is needed I'll have to unbolt it across the front and back trim pieces, unbolt the cleats, and disconnect my aft light, blower, and fuel fill, basically everything that is currently involved with removing the cap, but the inserts will allow it to be done repeatedly without hurting the aluminum or chewing up the wood. It sounds like a hassle but I think it's about the best I'm going to be able to do...

 

[SHSU]

...sounds like a hassle but I think it's about the best I'm going to be able to do...

Hassle now, but thought out for the future. I did that in some areas, not so much in others.

SHSU

 

[66Holiday924]

I got a little bit of work done on the boat over the weekend. I cut a couple of pieces of 1/2" marine grade ply to fit under the last 30" of my gunnels. One of the problems I had after my transom rebuild was that aluminum seemed kind of flimsy back there. So I'm beefing it up a little bit, plus they will serve as something really solid to anchor my rear cleats to. I also cut, laminated, and polyurithaned two pieces of the ply for what will be my new forward support under my transom cap. Just waiting on my new transom cap now. It should be finished today or tomorrow.

I have to say, I moved to Michigan since my last project and getting Marine Grade Plywood was much easier this time than last. I got it at a big box store where you can "save big money at". It is the real deal too. It's the same species I got last time, Douglas Fir. I couldn't believe they stocked it there. Boating is big where I live though.

 

[Watermann]

One thing that causes the gunnels to have flex when stepped on while boarding, is the distance without support from the gunnel to the side tray. A support can be added where the step pad is to lessen that give.

 

[SHSU]

While not the same build, my gunnels really stiffened up when I installed the splashwell. So for you, I am wondering if the frame you talked about making for the dog house and such will help with that as well.

SHSU

 

[66Holiday924]

Part of the problem is during the transom build. I had to cut the piece of my gunnels that rests on top of my transom, to slide the wood in and out. So, a lot of support was lost. I'm going to reinforce those corners and I think that's going to help out a lot.