1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

[scorpioctober]

Alright, so this is my first first thread, first post, first boating forum, first restoration, and first boat; so forgive the landlubber lingo, as this is a learning experience for me.

I'm looking at a 1973 30' Silverton Sedan. It's practically a giveaway, but that's mostly because she requires a complete restoration. I don't know if I'm going to be the lucky guy to take her home yet, but I figured I'd get my toes wet and see what y'all say I should do.

About the boat:

• 1973 Silverton Sedan, 30'
• Needs engine work: Twin Chrysler 318 inboards, unknown hours, port engine has cracked heads.
• Needs extensive interior work.
• The plywood deck has extensive rot.
• Halfway sunk 3 times in the past two years, with water up to the deck, but not completely submerged.
• It floats, as it is currently in the water.

Plans:

1. Pull the boat out of the water to fully inspect the hull.
2. Check the hull of the boat; make sure there are no holes or cracks.
3. Check the through-hull fittings; make sure they are intact and the seals are okay.
4. Check hoses and clamps for cracks
5. Once sure that there is no point of seepage, check for infiltration points in the deck.
6. Once I know the shell is all-around waterproof, the real work can begin.
7. Grind, sand, patch, clean, and paint.
8. Replace seals, gaskets, latches, etc.
9. Once sure the boat will not take on water, interior work can begin.

I plan on totally stripping her down to the fiberglass, disassembling the engines, cleaning, restoring, and putting them back together. Run new wiring, replace ruined gauges, controls, and other electronics, replace flooring, build furniture and cabinetry, etc. A full restoration from the ground up.

I'd love to hear any input, ideas, advice, stories, etc. from you guys her on iboats.

A couple questions I'd like addressed are:

What do I need to do before I can launch her and keep her in the water? Will she float after I take her engines out? If not, are there temporary measures I can take to keep her afloat while I work on the engines? I don't have the money to keep her in storage at a marina full time, and I won't have a trailer for her, so I need to do in the first couple weeks on land what I can't do in the water, and then launch her and keep her afloat until I can afford to take her out again. I know this process will take a long time, but I'm in it for the long haul, and although I know she won't be finished, I want her to be operational by the 2013 season.

 

[Bondo]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

Alright, so this is my first first thread, first post, first boating forum, first restoration, and first boat; so forgive the landlubber lingo, as this is a learning experience for me.

I'm looking at a 1973 30' Silverton Sedan. It's practically a giveaway, but that's mostly because she requires a complete restoration. I don't know if I'm going to be the lucky guy to take her home yet, but I figured I'd get my toes wet and see what y'all say I should do.

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,....

All I can say is Wow,....
Talk 'bout Jumpin' in with both feet,...
Yer divin' in head 1st into a dry pool.....

I sure hope yer Pretty Handy,....
with alota Tools....

Bein' Inboards, you oughta be able to pull it, 'n do all yer extrior hull, 'n runnin' gear fixes, then drop it back in without the motors...
There'll be seacocks that'll need to be closed...

I'd count on both motors, 'n All the wiring to be nothin' but Scrap,...
Find a couple of GM motors to drop back into it,...
You'll be Way ahead....
Or better yet, Diesels...

Bein' in Saltwater,... Don't forget Fresh bottom paint too...

 

[scorpioctober]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

I sure hope yer Pretty Handy,....
with alota Tools....

Lol yea I'm actually a laborer, so being handy with tools is a part of my job.

Bein' Inboards, you oughta be able to pull it, 'n do all yer extrior hull, 'n runnin' gear fixes, then drop it back in without the motors...
There'll be seacocks that'll need to be closed...

That's definitely a good thing. My buddy has a pier that I can keep it at, along with three boats that he offered to tow me around with while I'm motorless...

I'd count on both motors, 'n All the wiring to be nothin' but Scrap,...
Find a couple of GM motors to drop back into it,...
You'll be Way ahead....
Or better yet, Diesels...

That's a shame... I know a place I can get same-model remanufactured engines for $2100 a piece, so I'll probably do that when I have the money, and see if they'll take the old engines and knock a little bit of the price off for me. Even a couple hundred dollars a piece would help a lot. I definitely can't afford brand new engines right now, and especially not diesels. My buddy's family owns an electrician company, plus my kid brother is an apprentice electrician as well, so I'm lucky to have help in the electrical department.

Bein' in Saltwater,... Don't forget Fresh bottom paint too...

Yea, I think Step 7 addressed painting as well...

I really appreciate the advice, and I hope you can follow along throughout the process... I'll put up pictures when I can (assuming I get the boat, of course).

 

[scorpioctober]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

Good news, everyone: Looks like I'm going to be the lucky (insane) guy that gets to take her home!

I created a photobucket album, in which I will photo-document the entire renovation. You can see the before pictures now at http://www.photobucket.com/thefuturemyirishlass if you don't trust links on here, you can always just copy and paste it to your search bar; don't worry, I wouldn't Rick-roll you guys...

As you can see from the pictures, there is a lot to do. In order of importance for me, waterproofing the hull comes first, as I am going to have her in the water during most of the renovation, followed by waterproofing the deck, and then the actual renovation part starts. I know it'll be one hell of a project, but with a little money, paired with a lot of patience, time, elbow grease, and love, along with the advice and support of y'all here on iboats, I know we can do it. As the SEALs say, "The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday."

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

Congrats! Cool project. Got any more overall pictures? I'd love to see the complete boat. Also, I'm sending you a private message that may help with your motors/project.

 

[Yacht Dr.]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

Cool project mate..

I was just wondering what kind of insurance you can get for the boat.

I would hate to see a ton of work and a good amount of $$ go down the drain if 'something' were to happen.

Also .. are you married ? .... well you ARE NOW lol

YD.

 

[scorpioctober]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

EZ, I PM'ed you back. I don't have any more pics at the moment, but I will post some more next time I go see her.

YD, I'm looking at either BoatUS or Progressive. I will probably get a minimal coverage policy for the first year and then up it when there's a bit more to her. I still have to strip her down to the glass and rebuild just about everything (decking, cabinetry, engines, wiring, etc.), so I don't see much point in putting more insurance on her than I've put into her, not yet. Once she's done though, I'll insure her for probably $10,000+ more than I put into her, just because if anything happens, there goes my home (she'll be my home someday, lol). As for being married, I'd rather have a girl that loves me for the love I've given her than be stuck finger-banging Miss Mary Jane Rottencrotch (lol).

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

Having a similar size and age boat, my advice is to replace all the through-hulls and seacocks below the waterline. Mine were so thin and brittle that the slightest hit would snap them right off. The wood backing plates are probably shot even if the thru-hulls are OK.

I'd also side with Bond-O and recommend you look for a couple of good used GM 350's. There are usually several on Craigslist at any given time. All you should have to change mechanically is the bellhousing adapter to the tranny, which are also readily available. (I got mine on Ebay)

That's a real project there. I'd say 18 months minimum. Good luck with her!

 

[scorpioctober]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

Having a similar size and age boat, my advice is to replace all the through-hulls and seacocks below the waterline. Mine were so thin and brittle that the slightest hit would snap them right off. The wood backing plates are probably shot even if the thru-hulls are OK.

Yea I planned on replacing all the through-hulls anyway. I think I'm gonna get the hull number and then send it to Silverton so I can see if I can get the blueprints. I also want to see if they'll tell me how many through-hulls it is I'll be replacing, what kind, and (I don't know if there are different measurements for the same kind of through-hulls) but those as well if applicable.

I'd also side with Bond-O and recommend you look for a couple of good used GM 350's. There are usually several on Craigslist at any given time. All you should have to change mechanically is the bellhousing adapter to the tranny, which are also readily available. (I got mine on Ebay)

I'm going to pull her, refinish the sides, pull the engines, replace the through-hulls, rebuild the deck, and pull the interior, then splash her, keep her in the water while I replace the wiring and interior, and then pull her again to either re-install either the re-manned engine or the new engines (that were professionally re-manned). I will probably get the professionally re-manned ones, as I know a place I can get them for $2100 a piece, maybe less if I trade in the old ones...

That's a real project there. I'd say 18 months minimum. Good luck with her!

Yea, should be quite the adventure, especially because she's gonna be my home away from home... At least I won't have to drop a solid chunk of change on her, as I will just be doing what I can when I can afford to do it... And thank you! Hope you can tag along for the ride.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

HELLUVA way to get ur feet wet....

I think you have the attitude to succeed BUT I highly suggest that you LISTEN to what the folks here are suggesting.... this isn't your typical ford vs chevy vs dodge argument.... GM is THE choice for marine inboard or I/O gas power. I'd take used gm engines in a boat ANY day over new or reman chryslers even if they were the same price... Many of us here have been there and done that and some have done it hundreds of times.

If you shop aggressively you can find a pair of good running gm powerplants for the price of one of those remans you mention

You are dealing with a boat that will get 1 MPG or LESS! Unless you have really deep pockets, don't plan on putting hundreds of hours on the engines and wearing them out.

 

[scorpioctober]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

I think you have the attitude to succeed BUT I highly suggest that you LISTEN to what the folks here are suggesting.... this isn't your typical ford vs chevy vs dodge argument.... GM is THE choice for marine inboard or I/O gas power. I'd take used gm engines in a boat ANY day over new or reman chryslers even if they were the same price... Many of us here have been there and done that and some have done it hundreds of times.

I don't take sides as far as branding goes. I simply assumed it'd be the easiest to replace them with the same engines. I know a place I can get remanned GMs for the same price, which I'll look into doing instead. Thanks for the heads up

You are dealing with a boat that will get 1 MPG or LESS! Unless you have really deep pockets, don't plan on putting hundreds of hours on the engines and wearing them out.

Yea I really don't plan on putting a whole lot of hours on them, as I will mostly be using her as a liveaboard, so the engines are a last priority.

Thanks for the advice, I hope you can tag along for the ride.

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

getting remans would require also getting all accys, pulleys, and external engine components (many of which COULD be bad on the chryslers anyhow)...... used would be FAR cheaper and there are deals out there..... When I did my montecarlo project I was looking at a pair of early 90's merc 230 mie's complete with closed cooling in great shape for IIRC around $1000.... ready to drop in and go.

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

Scorpio: I can tell you what you're going to need for thru-hulls:

(2) 1.25" thru-hulls with scoop strainers and seacocks for engine cooling (1 for each engine)

(1) 3/4" thru-hull with scoop strainer and seacock for head flush and possibly deck washdown pump

In my opinion that's all you should have below the waterline. Above waterline you're going to have a bunch of them for sink drains, bilge pump drains, deck drains, etc. but they can be the cheap plastic ones as they're not so critical.

 

[scorpioctober]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

getting remans would require also getting all accys, pulleys, and external engine components (many of which COULD be bad on the chryslers anyhow)...... used would be FAR cheaper and there are deals out there..... When I did my montecarlo project I was looking at a pair of early 90's merc 230 mie's complete with closed cooling in great shape for IIRC around $1000.... ready to drop in and go.

Well, I will definitely do some shopping around before I make a purchase. Being on the Chesapeake, there tend to be a lot of deals around, so when I spot one I like, I'll jump on it. As far as right now goes, the engines are one of my last priorities, considering they're going to be one of the single most expensive parts to my restoration, and, as I'm using her mostly as a liveaboard, I don't need the engines right away. My buddy offered to tow me back to his place to dock and work on her, so I'm not to worried about engines at the moment.

 

[scorpioctober]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

Scorpio: I can tell you what you're going to need for thru-hulls:

(2) 1.25" thru-hulls with scoop strainers and seacocks for engine cooling (1 for each engine)

(1) 3/4" thru-hull with scoop strainer and seacock for head flush and possibly deck washdown pump

In my opinion that's all you should have below the waterline. Above waterline you're going to have a bunch of them for sink drains, bilge pump drains, deck drains, etc. but they can be the cheap plastic ones as they're not so critical.

Thanks for the info, Luhrs. If all I need for below the waterline are those few, I should be able to count the rest (those above the waterline) from the pier or the deck, so I'll know what I need to get before pulling her. I want to have her out of the water for as short a period of time as possible, so I want everything standing by and ready when she gets out, so if I do have to make a trip to West Marine, its not going to slam me with too many surprise charges.

P.S. The Silvertons (especially the older ones) I've read have notoriously thick hulls (sometimes upwards of .5" of glass). Do you think siding her with bond-o will really be necessary?

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

The bottom of my '77 Luhrs is 5/8" thick, at least in the areas I replaced thru-hulls. The sides and transom seems to be less, like 3/8"-1/2". I don't understand what you're saying about "siding her with bondo-o".

By the way is your transom fiberglass or wood?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

not sure what ur talking about with the bondo .... I can't think of any reason at all to use that on the boat...... There could be a few other thru hull fittings.... There could be a pickup for an A/C system, washdown pump, Some heads flush below water level, heck even a livewell of some sort. No telling what p/o's have added over the last 39 years.

Best advice I can offer is plan on it being out of the water at least a couple of weeks, pull the existing thru-hulls the first day and order them. Then you can get started cleaning, scraping, and painting the hull and inspecting/ repairing the props, shafts, rudders, etc, There will be PLENTY of work to keep you busy while you wait for your fittings to arrive.

If you have thruhulls that you don't need you get to make a choice of either glassing the holes or capping the fittings....

ALSO consider that (while I doubt it) you may find that they don't need replaced.... heck they may have been replaced more than once since '73

 

[scorpioctober]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

not sure what ur talking about with the bondo .... I can't think of any reason at all to use that on the boat......

I got things mixed up. In a previous post, Luhrs said he'd side with Bond-O (referring to looking for GM 350s) and I mixed that up with the compound Bond-O as opposed to the person 'Bond-O' up at the top of the post. My bad. I was completely confused when I read it and it took awhile to realize what he said.

There could be a few other thru hull fittings.... There could be a pickup for an A/C system, washdown pump, Some heads flush below water level, heck even a livewell of some sort. No telling what p/o's have added over the last 39 years.

I know the previous owner didn't do much with her, used her very rarely, etc. I think she was a bit of a 'trophy wife' for him (before she partially sank, of course. lol). That being said, I don't know what the other owners have done, as I know he bought her used.

Best advice I can offer is plan on it being out of the water at least a couple of weeks, pull the existing thru-hulls the first day and order them. Then you can get started cleaning, scraping, and painting the hull and inspecting/ repairing the props, shafts, rudders, etc, There will be PLENTY of work to keep you busy while you wait for your fittings to arrive.

Yea, that sounds like a good plan, thanks . As I said, this is a learning experience for me, and your advice is very highly appreciated.

 

[Friscoboater]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

sounds like a cool project. Lets see some pictures.

 

[scorpioctober]

Re: 1973 Silverton Flybridge 30' Sedan Renovation

sounds like a cool project. Lets see some pictures.

Check out the photobucket link in post #4, those are the pics I have right now, I'll update next time I get to the dock... here's the link:

http://www.photobucket.com/thefuturemyirishlass

Let me know what you think. I hope you can tag along for the ride, Frisco.

~Scorpio