1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

[jkjones]

Hello to All,

This is my first boat rebuild. It is a 1987 Procraft 1780 Fish and Ski powered by a 1987 XP150 Evinrude. The motor runs good, but has a miss on the top-end. It is intermittent, so I will look at it later. The boat belonged to my father and I have been around it since it was new.

First a little more history:

I went to help dad get it running last summer so he could sell it. The boat had been sitting for over 3 years. Once it fired up, we let it run for a good 45 minutes to an hour, then put it in the water and took it down the lake. He has a boat ramp less than 1/10th of a mile from his house, and you have to go by his dock to get to open water.

Once we ran it down the lake, we put it back on the trailer and he said take it home.

So a free boat is good. I knew it was rotted pretty badly, but I was going to try and put some plywood over the floor and use it for a year. However, I noticed the floor was so rotten; the trailer bunk was pushing what is left of the stringer up thru the floor.

I know the boat needs everything, but I like the boat, and it was free. I started the tear down and trying to split the cap this summer. It went fine until I got to the transom. This thing would not separate, so I had to cut the splash well from the cap. Oh well, just a little more work to do.

Anyway, I have 5 kids and a wife, so I need to transform the inside a little for more seating. I don't fish, so I am eliminating the live wells, creating a bench seat all the way across the back and more storage in the front.

I also must thank Frisco, GT1000000, Oops and several others as they have inspired me to take on this project.

Please let me know what you think and any advice you may have.

And now the part you guys love the most, pictures:

 

[jkjones]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

More Pictures:

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

Welcome to the iboats dry dock

Make sure you're wearing all the PPE when you start in on the glass grinding.

 

[jkjones]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

And some more Pictures

 

[jkjones]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

Hey Guys,

I did not get a chance to work on the boat today. I have been thinking about a few questions. The cap and hull have several holes that will need to be patched. Is there an easy way to match the metal flake gel coat? I have thought about painting the entire boat, but I really like the finish and colors that are currently on the boat. It is oxidized somewhat, but I can wet sand and buff the finish back to smooth. Is there a metel flake paint I can apply farily easy? Thanks for the help.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

Sorry but to my knowledge there is no quick easy way to shoot metalflake to match your boat. Been discussed here on the forum a lot and to my knowledge it's better left to the Pro's.

 

[Firebolt420]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

Mr. Jones,
Awesome!!!! I fall asleep at the wheel for a couple of days and up you pop. I have the same boat and I am very interested in seeing the completion of this. I also got mine from my Father for the same price The only obvious rot spot that mine has is around the drain on the left of your pic #3 in your first post. Mine is also in need of some electronics updates(stereo is done) It looks as though you are well out of the starting block and in a full sprint in the right direction so I am watching very closely. I was down with some illness for the last 2 weeks so I have not been able to get more boat porn than this yet

Ben

 

[jkjones]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

Mr. Jones,
Awesome!!!! I fall asleep at the wheel for a couple of days and up you pop. I have the same boat and I am very interested in seeing the completion of this. I also got mine from my Father for the same price The only obvious rot spot that mine has is around the drain on the left of your pic #3 in your first post. Mine is also in need of some electronics updates(stereo is done) It looks as though you are well out of the starting block and in a full sprint in the right direction so I am watching very closely. I was down with some illness for the last 2 weeks so I have not been able to get more boat porn than this yet
View attachment 173033View attachment 173034
Ben

Hey Firebolt,

Thanks for the encouraging words. The soft spot in your floor is how this one started many years ago. Dad just never did anything to repair it. I would check the stringers in the ski locker just to make sure as these are the worst part in mine. Hope you are feeling better.

 

[Firebolt420]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

Mr. Jones,
Thanks for the concern, and yes I am feeling better I just need to see a G.I.(I'm not anywhere near smart enough to spell that) Specialist. On to the Boat stuff, I have checked in the locker previously and everything felt solid but I have not done any core samples yet, that will be a job for when I get it inside. The good part for me is that where I am storing it this winter is a friends paint/coating shop(blue building in the background) so any fumes or dust will not be a problem. Not to mention there are several hoists and a fork truck I am going to go the same route as you for the live wells, only I am planning on installing a mini fridge in place of the rear main live well. My other intention is to make it into kind of a camping capable rig. My lounge seats are shot for sure, LoL last time out the Admiral went to the deck because the lounge seat busted flat and she rolled out I also have my work cut out for me with the trailer, new carpet and all the vinyl is pretty much shot. Oh and another question for you, did yours have the full windshield? if it did or didn't what are your plans for that? I was thinking about going with the singles, but would loose the bimini with those and that would be a shame because it is in perfect shape Ok last question for you, so when you got the cap off and had to cut at the splash well after you got it off and could look at it, did you see the light on how to actually separate it?

Have a good one,
Ben

 

[akorcovelos]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

With 5 kids and a wife you better add another few feet and a head to that bad boy, lol. Nice project!

 

[jkjones]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

Oh and another question for you, did yours have the full windshield? if it did or didn't what are your plans for that? I was thinking about going with the singles, but would loose the bimini with those and that would be a shame because it is in perfect shape Ok last question for you, so when you got the cap off and had to cut at the splash well after you got it off and could look at it, did you see the light on how to actually separate it?

Have a good one,
Ben

Hey Firebolt,

Mine does have the full windshield. I am going to keep it as the original top is in good condition. Also, it has another piece that snaps in between the consoles below the windshield. This keeps a fair amount of the wind out of the **** pit area. Good for the kids on a cool evening.

The transom is something special. If you look in the back bilge area, there is a support running across the transom right below the splash well. The splash well is tabbed in to this and also on the sides. I suppose it could be gotten to if I where about 100 pounds lighter and my arms where about 10 inches longer. But also, the back of the splash well is attached to the transom with resin. The first pick in post 4 has a little of it on the left side. When I get home tonight, I will take some better pictures and post them. I don't know if you could get the cap off without cutting the splash well, it is in there pretty good. Kind of funny, most of the boat looks thrown together, however the transom area is way overbuilt.

Talk to you in a few.

 

[jkjones]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

With 5 kids and a wife you better add another few feet and a head to that bad boy, lol. Nice project!

Thianks. I did have that idea, but I will leave the boat extensions to Oops.

 

[jkjones]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

Hey Firebolt,

Here are some more detailed pictures of the transome.

 

[Firebolt420]

Re: 1987 Procraft Restoration: First Boat Build

Thank you Mr. Jones,
So seeing those pics it becomes very clear why the cap was such a bear in that area. I really see what you meant about overbuilt in that area. It almost appears as though these boats are built as one long piece then simply folded over together. I know that they aren't but still.

You are really coming along so well, I am inspired by your progress and I can't wait to see the direction you go in while putting this project back together. I hope to get mine tucked away and on to the deep inspection phase this weekend as well as park the motorcycle next to her and hunker down for the winter. I wont be home from Atlanta till this evening so I can't start till tomorrow. Once I get her inside I know I will be spending a lot of milk crate time on her too, sometimes the best part of ownership of things like this.

I'm sure the pride will run very deep for you once you are done because of the hard and intensive labor that has gone into all of this for you. Once again awesome job and thanks for taking the time to indulge my questions.

Headed for the airport,
Ben