1981 Bayliner Victoria 2750 - Restore or Bust

[GT1000000]

Dang GW's, The progress is definitely looking amazing!
Keep up the awesome momentum...

 

[GWPSR]

Lookin good man! :thumb: Got a motor to toss in there yet? After a run in mine, i'd personally never go back to a single small block V8 in a boat this size.. will the volvo drive you have hold up to a big block? Just throwing my $.02 in, as my old chriscraft was about the same size and with a 350 she was a bit of a slug.. and its not all about flat out speed, but more so having the power in rough chop to keep moving forward, and possibly get back in bad weather if you get caught in something... Either way, its looking awesome, keep up the great work!

Thanks! No, not yet. I am keeping my eye out for screaming deals, but it seems that there are a lot more 302's out there than 350's. I could probably get away with a BBC, but it'd have to be mostly complete as the pile of marinized Volvo-Penta parts I have is from a small-block. If nothing drops in my lap, we'll get a reman long block and slap the parts I have on it. I really ought to make room in the garage before I bring home an engine though

 

[GWPSR]

Dang GW's, The progress is definitely looking amazing!
Keep up the awesome momentum...

Thanks GT! That's what happens when we get a 5 day weekend for a holiday. I get cabin fever and have to go 'do stuff'.

 

[Captain Ollie West]

Lookin good man! :thumb: Got a motor to toss in there yet? After a run in mine, i'd personally never go back to a single small block V8 in a boat this size.. will the volvo drive you have hold up to a big block? Just throwing my $.02 in, as my old chriscraft was about the same size and with a 350 she was a bit of a slug.. and its not all about flat out speed, but more so having the power in rough chop to keep moving forward, and possibly get back in bad weather if you get caught in something... Either way, its looking awesome, keep up the great work!

Fist off, the boat is looking great. This thread has helped me understand my Victoria from the inside out. Thank you. I agree with Bigdirty. My Victoria has a 350 with a Mercruiser outdrive. I would rather have a big block. If it doesn't work out that way for you, I am sure a Volvo with a Duoprop will work great with a 350.

With trim tabs I am able to get on plane fairly quickly. Top speed at about 4400 RPMs is about 25 mph (via speedo) and it cruises on a plane at 3500 - 3800 RPMs nicely.

Again, great work. I hope you are able to splash soon.

 

[GWPSR]

Fist off, the boat is looking great. This thread has helped me understand my Victoria from the inside out. Thank you. ... Again, great work. I hope you are able to splash soon.

Thanks Cap'n!

I agree with Bigdirty. My Victoria has a 350 with a Mercruiser outdrive. I would rather have a big block. If it doesn't work out that way for you, I am sure a Volvo with a Duoprop will work great with a 350.

TBone has a DP on his Victoria. Wish I did. Not sure how much torque my AQ280 can safely take. I think if I can get the boat up on plane and hit mid-20 knot speeds, that should be sufficient for getting out of the way of sailboats or getting back in to port when weather pops up. I'm not likely to go too far offshore at any rate, couple of miles maybe.

 

[bruceb58]

We had a 78 and when we repowered, we were thinking about a BBC. At least in our boat, the added length of the engine would not clear the fuel tank.

 

[Tboner7864]

Yeah my boat has the dou prop but it only came with 1 1/2 of a prop I broke off the 1/2 now it is just a single prop:lol: Gwpsr man I cant wait to see that thing in the water almost want to send you the motor I have just to see that happen

 

[GWPSR]

This weekend's work, minus pictures, so I suppose it might not have happened ...

Removed about 5 pounds of stainless bolts and nuts and removed 4 sections of rub rail on the stern and port side, and gave them a bath in paint remover. I'm going to try to salvage as much of the aluminum channel as possible. There are sections that are lightly deformed, and other areas that are crushed or scrubbed severely. One or more PO's played bumper cars with this poor thing. The good news is, there are enough closed-end rivets through the fiberglass behind the rub rail to keep the 1 ton cap on this tub attached.

I also replaced the tubing from the four scuppers in the stern (2 on the deck and 2 in the well of the engine hatch) with 1" ID clear poly. That makes it easier to see if the tubing gets clogged where the clog is.

 

[RoaringRob]

GWP...Awesome work. Have read through your journey a couple of times now and intrigued as to how it went from optimism to possible scrap, back to optimism through revitalization. Really, really good read and makes me inclined to pick up a '78 2750 Sunbridge irrelevant as to whether or not it might need a bit of restoration.

The boat was last in the water in 1999, held captive for eleven years in an enclosed barn, but subject to the weather over the last four years. Barely had time to check out the mechanics on it before being assaulted by swarming wasps (have to figure out how to get rid of them before I can really evaluate the boat). But here is what I do know:

1. Engine is sound (350 Chevy), supposedly. Even though it has not been in the water since 1999 the owner had it winterized multiple times over the course of the boat's sabbatical. The last time was last October.
2. Bimini top has gone the way of the Dodo birds, frame looks fine but canvas non-existent. Hence the cockpit upholstery is all but gone, weather cracked, split, faded.
3. The boat has been stored at 10% angle to maintain a drain pattern...but concerned about transom after reading your thread.
4. Can not get to bilge or cabin due to wasp infestation, but per owner interior upholstery needs attention too.
5. Wanted $1400 for it, but his wife said he'll take $600 for it (cost of the new tires on the trailer).

Granted it is not too pretty, still has the original brown poop color over the French vanilla white with coarse black bottom paint (why did people do that?).

Do not know if I want to delve as deep as you have into a restoration as my wife thinks my other hobbies are too all encompassing. But, a few years ago did a complete transom rebuild on a '76 1950 open bow Bayliner that turned out so good, my neighbor bought it from me. It took a good three weeks of tearing it out, prepping, and finishing...do not know if she would be open to three YEARS.

Question, why did you not put drain holes along the keel in the bow/cabin bulkheads back to the front of the bilge bulkhead?

 

[GWPSR]

GWP...Awesome work. Have read through your journey a couple of times now and intrigued as to how it went from optimism to possible scrap, back to optimism through revitalization. Really, really good read and makes me inclined to pick up a '78 2750 Sunbridge irrelevant as to whether or not it might need a bit of restoration.

The boat was last in the water in 1999, held captive for eleven years in an enclosed barn, but subject to the weather over the last four years. Barely had time to check out the mechanics on it before being assaulted by swarming wasps (have to figure out how to get rid of them before I can really evaluate the boat). But here is what I do know:

1. Engine is sound (350 Chevy), supposedly. Even though it has not been in the water since 1999 the owner had it winterized multiple times over the course of the boat's sabbatical. The last time was last October.
2. Bimini top has gone the way of the Dodo birds, frame looks fine but canvas non-existent. Hence the cockpit upholstery is all but gone, weather cracked, split, faded.
3. The boat has been stored at 10% angle to maintain a drain pattern...but concerned about transom after reading your thread.
4. Can not get to bilge or cabin due to wasp infestation, but per owner interior upholstery needs attention too.
5. Wanted $1400 for it, but his wife said he'll take $600 for it (cost of the new tires on the trailer).

Granted it is not too pretty, still has the original brown poop color over the French vanilla white with coarse black bottom paint (why did people do that?).

Do not know if I want to delve as deep as you have into a restoration as my wife thinks my other hobbies are too all encompassing. But, a few years ago did a complete transom rebuild on a '76 1950 open bow Bayliner that turned out so good, my neighbor bought it from me. It took a good three weeks of tearing it out, prepping, and finishing...do not know if she would be open to three YEARS.

Question, why did you not put drain holes along the keel in the bow/cabin bulkheads back to the front of the bilge bulkhead?

Thanks for the props! "Restore or bust!", that's our motto, and we're still a toss up between the two

At that price, it's hard not to be tempted because parting it out is a money-making proposition if it turns out to be a total loss otherwise.

There is no direct path from the sealed compartments forward of the sump to the bilge in the stern. I probably could have plumbed a line through the bottom of the sump to join them, but one thing stopped me: I did not want to have any possible route for fuel to ever flow forward of the bilge in the event there was ever a leak in the tank or fuel lines or pump. This way the area under the galley and forward berth are isolated entirely.

My goal is to make sure no water ever needs to be drained from the forward under sole area The bilge on the other hand could quite likely see a fair amount of water for various reasons, and keeping it back there so it can be drained.

By the same token, I could also have drained the forward compartments into the sump, but same theory. The sump will see water and the pump will always leave an inch in the bottom, and I'd hate to have it slosh forward on deceleration or when braking on-trailer and leave the sump. So, sealed it was.

 

[gwpjr]

Since GWPSR hasn't mentioned it yet, we spent the majority of this past weekend removing all of the left-over adhesive and carpet backing from the interior of the boat. This thing was carpeted floor to ceiling originally and left quite a mess behind when we stripped it last year. Now the inside is clean fiberglass, ready for paint, carpet, vinyl or whatever we decide to put in. I'm glad that bit is over as I itched terribly for the next three days while my pores expelled all of the foreign bits that I had absorbed. I never had it so bad, even when we were grinding all of the old tabbing off. I think that is probably a combination of the all of the things that I powdered: fiberglass, gelcoat, adhesive, carpet, vinyl, adhesive remover, wood, etc. It was only afterward that I wished I hadn't done the whole thing in shorts and a t-shirt. Folks, remember never to do this when you restore your boat, mmkay?

 

[GWPSR]

gwpjr used up the last of the first gallon of BilgeKote in the engine compartment yesterday afternoon. Very bright in there now. Will clearly need one or two more coats to cover it well and durably.

Just about ready to start repainting the transom assembly and get it mounted.

 

[GWPSR]

Now that the fumes have dissipated, I was able to get in a take a picture, such as it is.

Clean!

 

[jigngrub]

She's looking pretty spiffy down in the hole!

 

[Woodonglass]

It was only afterward that I wished I hadn't done the whole thing in shorts and a t-shirt. Folks, remember never to do this when you restore your boat, mmkay?

All iBoat Newb's getting ready to Grind on your boats should take heed to this experienced iBoater's advice. ALWAYS wear your PPE and Pat yourself down with Baby Powder before suiting up!!!! It's WORTH THE HASSLE!!!!!

 

[zool]

looks great GW!..almost too nice to start wrestling in there with engines, hydraulics and other nasty fluid filled things lol...stock up on some pampers or wee wee pads

 

[GWPSR]

looks great GW!..almost too nice to start wrestling in there with engines, hydraulics and other nasty fluid filled things lol...stock up on some pampers or wee wee pads

The good thing is though, I'll know immediately if anything decides to spring a leak, even raw water hoses. I'm anticipating that every oil change will involve a bath afterwards with Dawn and a sponge.

I can't wait til the whole inside has a coat of white paint before woodwork and such gets installed. Bet it'll look purty!

 

[GWPSR]

The core of the exterior hull wall in the head had deteriorated and I had previously removed the inside skin and all of the balsa mulch, and prepared the area for new core.

I cut a bunch of 3/8" plywood into 2" and 1" squares and glued it to the outer hull skin (to accommodate a slight contour), then filled voids and skim coated with PB.

Yesterday I sanded the PB all smooth and laid a piece of 17 oz biax fabric over it:

In the process, I also was able to fill the mounting bolt holes and coax hole from the previous StoS antenna mount and glassed right over them as well.

 

[Woodonglass]

NIce work!:clap2:

 

[Noltz]

Your posts are very appreciated. Great work and I've learned a ton from you two over the last year. Thanks for keeping this thread alive.