1984 Basstracker II Restoration

[Murloc]

At this time I am not sure if I need to do a full restoration until I dig into the boat a bit more...boat sat outside for two years in SD weather so I am not expecting it to be too pretty. The boat has a bassmotor, electric anchor, lowrance fish finder, and a 35 HP Merc...4, yes 4 batteries and in my opinion electrical bird nest throughout the boat. Most of the carpeting and seating is rotted, and the plastic console is cracked right down the middle from front to the back. The trailer is in "ok" condition but needs some love. I guess my first question is....where do I start?? I will probably have many more questions as I proceed...and will prob post pics as needed. This is my first boat restoration so any tips / advice on getting started is appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Teamster]

Re: 1984 Basstracker II Restoration

The first thing I would do is make sure I could register it with no problems,...

Then make sure that the motor runs good,.......

Then get the boat off the trailer,....

Get the trailer in good order while the boat is off,....

Then the boat,..................

Other opinions may very,.....

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1984 Basstracker II Restoration

Yup, Teamster is correct, the registration is your primary focus. With out it no point in going forward. Once you have title and registration in hand then the motor should be next. You may or may not need to remove it from the trailer. Pics always help us to help you. We need to be able to See what you see. Open a Free Photobucket Account, Upload your pics, then use the IMG Code to paste your pics into your iBoats thread. If she's been out in the elements for 2 years I'd hope for the Best but be expecting the Worst. A total rebuild is probably in your future.

 

[gm280]

Re: 1984 Basstracker II Restoration

First of all welcome to iboats :welcome: good to have you aboard...

Yes there are many different opinions to tackle your restoration issues. But seriously everyone will bring you to a completed project and a nice boat to use. So it really doesn't matter which portion you tackle first or second...to some extent. I too am working on a complete boating project myself. And I usually work on whatever I can with the available parts while waiting for new parts to arrive. One day I work engine, then next maybe the trailer. So it isn't one over the other but more of what can I do while waiting for addition materials. Since I have so many things to repair and fix there is always something I can work on while waiting for more parts and materials and supplies... But making a scheduled plan has its place. So try to schedule how you are going to do everything and prioritize that list and get started. Also read and read some more on here about others doing the same type work on their projects for good ideas and suggestions too. Post pictures and your progress along the way and of course ask for assistance in areas you’re not sure about. There are many many pro’s on these forums just waiting to assist and answer your issues. In fact post your project boat for starters now… We all would love to see what you are dealing with. And remember two things, we cannot see what you are talking about and we can’t read your mind, so pictures help convey those issue to us when you do ask questions. Secondly there are no dumb questions (or I would have asked them all by now, I can assure you)…

 

[Murloc]

Re: 1984 Basstracker II Restoration

Thanks for all the inputs!! I purchased the boat from a very reliable person who even offered to pay for the engine check plus whatever costs associated with engine repair / tune-up as needed. Getting it registered should be simple since it was registered for this year already...next week I will be getting that done. I think getting the engine checked out is pretty high on the list so I am going to try to charge up the battery (s) and see if they will hold a charge, then get some fresh fuel and then get a local marine shop to run it up. I will work on getting pics uploaded to this thread and then pick your brains for ideas / inputs. You guys/gals are my lifeline so I appreciate the help.

 

[Murloc]

Re: 1984 Basstracker II Restoration

registered boat and awaiting title...I'm not too computer savy so posting pics is a project in itself so I will tackle that soon. What I am asking about before I take the boat in to a shop for engine check is regarding the electrical "bird nest" that clearly needs to be cleaned up. Since it has an electrical key start and elect tilt, I am assuming the only "mandatory" circuits are start/charge/tilt correct? I see two wires (black and white) coming from the engine into a connector and then on the opposite side of the connector, the two wires (green and blue) go into a plastic box with about 8 other wires going in and out (three of them are part of the tilt). Is that black plastic box a distribution block? I tried tracing the wires from the ignition switch back to the battery area but they are routed through a aluminum section behind the driver's seat that is riveted shut (along with the steering cables and throttle cable) so I loose visibility...back by the battery tie downs there is a grommetted hole but instead of two wires from the key switch I see four or more...there was two batteries so I assume the second battery was a back-up, and instead of using a selector switch it appears they just wired them in parallel somewhere..the question is, where? To sum it all up, what dang wires do i really need to have if I plan on just using ONE battery? There was a bass motor and fish finder but they were wired to two batteries in the bow area (removed to help eliminate the confusion). Anyone that has redone the wiring on an older/smaller boat like this probably knows exactly what I am talking about...thanks

 

[GT1000000]

Re: 1984 Basstracker II Restoration

Hi and welcome, Murloc...
The electrical can be tricky, especially with a bird's nest of wires...
Before you start tearing into it, do the following...
You are most likely going to be starting from scratch with the wiring, so my first suggestion is to get an inexpensive 10 dollar, 12 Volt test light.
Next, disconnect all the batteries and charge one, or more, up until it is fully charged and in good condition, meaning that it will hold a charge...you can verify this by going to most auto parts stores or a local mechanic and have them perform a load test on it...
If possible, fully charge a couple or three of the batteries you have and take them with you for testing, just in case one of them is bad...
Then make sure you have fresh fuel and oil mixed to feed the engine, if it is a two-stroke.
Install MUFFS on the engine and turn on the water...
Connect one of the batteries back into the boat and using the key, try to crank the engine...
If that doesn't work, reconnect the same battery to the other set of cables and try again.
Report back...
Get your pictures sorted out and posted...
Also, I read you removed the two front batteries...If you are planning to use this boat as a fishing machine, you will most likely want to keep the trolling motor and the two batteries to power it and use as a back up...
I am restoring my bass boat and will be using a total of four batteries in mine...Primary Engine Start Battery plus a Back Up...The 3rd one will be for the trolling motor and the fourth one will be a House battery to power most of the electrical equipment and lights at night or while fishing.
Good Luck and have fun!
GT1M