1974 17 ft Tri-hull Rebel Bass Boat Restoration

[amatt430]

Hello everyone,

I recently picked up an old rebel bass boat for free. I am certainly no expert, but after looking at it the boat was definitely in poor shape and needs work but there was no damage to the hull. I have no experience in restoring boats, but after spending a week or two doing some research and looking through restoration pictures on this site, I determined that the transom was rotten and most likely the stringers as well. Obviously these repairs seem like no easy task, but I looked at this as a good learning experience and a good start in developing a new hobby.

Well recently I had a friend take a look at it who is no expert but definitely knows more about boats than me. He thought the boat was a piece of junk and not worth restoring at all. While he might be wrong, I was in no position to argue with him and this was a bit discouraging. So I am turning to you guys to get your opinion. I know there are some very knowledgable people on here after looking through some of the post and I would love some more educated advice.

I guess my first question is simply is it possible to restore? I have attached some photos of the boat and a few issues I noticed. The first three pictures are just general pictures of the boat. The fourth and fifth show where the rub rail seems to be separating from the boat slightly on transom. The sixth and seventh show cracks in the top of the transom.

Looking at some other posts I think I would take off the motor, the floor boards, and the cap, and see what the inside looks like. Just looking at the condition of the boat I would guess the transom for sure is rotten and most likely the stringers. From the pictures provided do you guys think this is possible to restore? Im not worried about the time I will put into it, I am just looking for a good first project to learn as much as I can. I just don't want to jump in and start putting money into it if its not even doable in the end. So let me know what you guys think. If there is anything else that someone would like to see or that I should be looking at let me know and I can get some more pictures.

Hope everyone is having a great holiday!

-Matt

 

[Woodonglass]

Welcome to iBoats!

A few questions for you. Do you know if the Motor runs? Do you have a Title? Have you inspected the bottom of the hull? Any Major damage there? Pics for sure indicate that the transom will need to be replaced and that means the deck and stringers will probably need to be done too! If the Motor is Not a runner it could take several hundred dollars to get her up and going. A typical "Total Restoration" of a boat like this runs in the $1,500 to $2,000 range and if your motor is bad it could be another $1,000. If you're willing to invest 200 hours of hard, itchy work and that kind of money, you could turn her into a "Like New" boat that would last you for decades. There's lots of examples here on the forum of members who have done this. Can she be restored...Probably unless you post pics showing some catastrophic hull damage. Is she worth restoring??? It's all about what you want and what you're willing to do to get it. If you decide to go for it, we'll be here to help you all along the way.

 

[sphelps]

Yep I agree with what Woodonglass said .... There is really nothing on this boat that can't be fixed .. Just a matter of time ,money, and effort . But if your one of those guys that just like tackling stuff like this then you have come to the right place ...
Good luck and Welcome Aboard !!

 

[gm280]

I too have to agree with those two top pros on here. They know what they are talking about. I see issues but I equally see some nice lines and a nice boat under all those issues too IF you have the time, abilities AND the money... And for the record, It is going to get worst way before it starts getting better as well. Once you start such a monumental project, it sucks up time and money pretty quickly. But persistence does pay off in the end! I will be watching to see what YOU decide and if that IS a viable project, then I'm in for the long project too.

 

[amatt430]

Thanks for the reply Woodonglass, sphelps, and gm280. I do have the title to both the boat and the trailer. I have not pulled the boat off the trailer but I have crawled under it and the hull seems to be in good shape with no obvious damage.

As far as the motor goes I have not had the opportunity to attempt to fire it up yet. The previous owner said it ran fine in 2005 but it has been sitting since then. I took a look at it and surprisingly it looks pretty good. The starter could be seized up but I cant be sure yet. It will need a new prop for sure. I will have it home and able to try and fire up in about a week.

The time and money will not be a huge issue. I am mainly looking forward to learning from you guys along the way. I am a young civil engineer fresh out of school and would love to take on a project like this. I just wanted to make sure if I put in this kind of time and money it would be possible to restore this back to a boat that could last a long time. That's really what I mean by is it "worth it". I won't be trying to resell it when I'm done. But I would like a solid bass slayer and the satisfaction from restoring it myself!

 

[rickryder]

I'll tag along

 

[Arawak]

If all your paperwork is in order, and you are reasonably handy, definitely worth a rebuild IMO.

Somewhere on this forum you will find the stages of denial. You might want to be fully familiar with that first

 

[Woodonglass]

I had a boat very similar to this one 20 years ago. It was a "Stick Steer". It was a "Bass Catchin Machine!!!!" Very Stable platform. If you like the styling and the motor checks out OK, I'd for sure take it on as a project!!!

 

[IUPapabear]

Going to follow along. Very similar to my situation.

 

[amatt430]

Well I certainly appreciate all the feedback. After hearing what you all have to say I believe I will be taking this on as my first boat resto project (even after reading the stages of denial!!). In the next few days I will be transporting the boat from southwest Virginia to central virginia. Once I have it home I will be able to get a better idea of where to start. I have been reading a lot of posts on here, especially ones from those of you who said they would be willing to follow my project. I'm sure I will have a lot of questions once I get the process started, but it looks as though I definately came to the right place!!!

 

[nurseman]

I will follow along as well.

 

[Woodonglass]

Oh yeah, You ARE at the right place.

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There is no better place on the internet to get help with you boat restoration. We have the best members, best response times, and most knowledgeable people from which to glean information from. If you can't restore your boat with the information you get here...Then it can't be restored!!!!

 

[lugnut1009]

I know this is an old thread, but I have acquired a 1975 Rebel Bass Boat also and have been searching high and low for information on it. What ever became of your boat amatt430? I will have to get some pics of mine, but mine isn't in near as bad shape. I actually got the motor fired up yesterday too.

 

[jbcurt00]

Closed

Amatt hasnt been active in nearly 2yrs, he's not likely to get or reply to your post, hence the 90day inacticity rule.

Ask and post questions in your topic. Little about rebuilding a fiberglass boat is specific to 1 model or make.