1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

[Trooper82]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

I see you had a good productive day yesterday...I had to take my hoophouse down pretty quick when I was down in Louisiana...soon as the rainy season was over it got too hot real fast...drink plenty of water...

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

I see you had a good productive day yesterday...I had to take my hoophouse down pretty quick when I was down in Louisiana...soon as the rainy season was over it got too hot real fast...drink plenty of water...

I just keep plugging away Troop...the puzzle part of it looks to be coming to an end...then theres just a million other things it needs lol

I figure since the pastic isnt UV resistant, it will probably be shot come summer anyway...Ill probably have to take the plastic off for the summer and replace it next fall.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

I managed to get some glue on the little stringers, when they cure I can take the shelves back out.

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Looks good Zool...pluging away at it.

The pic's of the center pod/side panels........Funny ..... You are going to have to cut the grass soon in your dream house!

 

[GWPSR]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Funny ..... You are going to have to cut the grass soon in your dream house!

It's a dandelion greenhouse

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

It's a dandelion greenhouse

yea CM & GW, it keeps growing!...ill either have to keep the push mower juiced up, or accidentally spill some chemicals

If it holds together, im still gonna put down some covering, just waiting to walnut shell the bottom paint when I get around to it. The storm this week left it in shambles..it actually lifted up and moved a few feet..got it pegged down now with some pipe and made some patches to the plastic...the wind gusts were over 50 mph

 

[81 Checkmate]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Go green Zool and get one of those electric mowers...

Yea that was quite a storm here too..... Were Lucky here in cincy it's in a big valley and most of the time it skips over us and hits to the north...... Not so lucky for the folks a few states west of here. Thats a bummer!

 

[Kernallklink]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Looking good zool. I'd have to say, u keep a nice clean work site considering all the work that is being done. Keep plugging away, and she'll be ready in no time. Btw, do u keep a fire extinguisher close by? That hoop tent would go up quick if there was an accidental fire.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Looking good zool. I'd have to say, u keep a nice clean work site considering all the work that is being done. Keep plugging away, and she'll be ready in no time. Btw, do u keep a fire extinguisher close by? That hoop tent would go up quick if there was an accidental fire.

Thanks Klink....yea, i have a few abc extinquishers around, but theres not much to this tent, if it catches fire, it will just be a short lived moon fart....the shop building, on the other hand is filled with enough solvents that you will see the mushroom cloud all the way in BC!

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Preliminary Update:

It seemed mild today, so I check the temps by the boat and found 65+- degrees...good enough to fillet some more. I wanted to get the rest of the filleting done between the aft bulkhead and firewall. Then I finish tabbing the outer stringers and bulkheads. Then it wil be ready for paint and mechanicals.







By tomorrow, i should be good to go. Once the area is painted, i can put the cpvc and a new pressure pump in there, then both deck pieces can go back in The engine room has plenty off access with the deck in, and theres a big hatch for the tank and fish box connections later.

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

I brought the helm pod inside so I can get it ready for primer. I also have to make a new dash panel and switch panels. I could probably just use some smoked lexan, or clear lexan and paint the underside, but the panel has a gasketed cover that screws over it, protecting it from weather anyway so I think im just gonna use some 1/4 black starboard and put it all back the way it was.





Im planning to reuse all the old volvo penta guages, to save some coin...

 

[Trooper82]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Tabbing in engine room looks great...nice getting all that free heat eh?

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Tabbing in engine room looks great...nice getting all that free heat eh?

free heat is the way to go troop, but just staying dry is cool enough...today after mixing 2 pints of PB, it started raining, it would have went to waste otherwise..

I dug out my moms old sewing machine, its a 20 year old Singer Merritt with a non walking foot and zig zag to 6mm. Its just missing the power cord/foot pedal, but i found one on ebay...Im thinking of making a recessed table for it, as a permanant tool on the corral

 

[Trooper82]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

You could add a top to one of your benches maybe?

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

You could add a top to one of your benches maybe?

Thats a really good idea...i can make a filler piece for the top when not in use...

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Update:

It was a cold 39 when i went out there today, and upper 40,s by the boat...so I made up the backer strips for the helm pod using the old as templates.


I laid out the water tank brackets and the strips for a few coats of epoxy paint. got one coat on so far.


by noon it got up to 45 outside and sunny.

outside temp=45
bubble temp=70
humidy=30

good to glass!..after this cup of java




p/s please excuse all the thermometer pics, I want to document how far into the winter one can glass in a greenhouse without heat.

 

[Trooper82]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Being able to glass outside when temps are 45...I call that bubble a win!

I like seeing the temp gauge...and good ide to track so others may want to do the same...will be nice to calculate the advantages of spending the extra coin for a similar shelter for those with no other option....

 

[zool]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Yea, I think its worth noting, at least for as long as it lasts...at some point im sure i will be shut down....but pics or it didnt happen.


But for now Im carrying on...I cut some 17oz biax 12 inches wide.



then cut to fit

 

[bigdirty]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

Yea, I think its worth noting, at least for as long as it lasts...at some point im sure i will be shut down....

Hey man, look n good! If you re able to maintain any sort of heat in there as it is, what about a diesel/kerosene construction heater for the days when outside temps drop too much? Thats what i use/have used and it does work well.. they are something like 97% efficient, so fumes aren't too bad unless you spend whole days in there.. I was out glassing my old boat (cabin floor) last winter in my 'shanty shed', which I'm sure isn't as well sealed as your bubble, and it worked well.. outside temps were around 15-20F and I was down in the cabin wearing a t shirt.. took about 3 hours to GET to a good temp in there, but hey.. better than not being able to do anything at all, except wait for warmer weather.. :laugh: ya right, in the middle of February..

 

[jc55]

Re: 1988 Imperial 280sf engine swap and restoration (pics)

This thread is so inspiring! I can't wait to graduate to big boats. Awesome work Zool.