72 Thunderbird Formula w/twin 165hp Mercs

wilkboater

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Jun 19, 2009
Messages
95
After all those pages of stringers, fiberglass, engines, outdrives and all that mechanical stuff....I'd almost forgotten why I subscribed. ;) Now I remember; that's a good lookin' boat! Thanks for sharing the journey with us!
 

Mark72233

Ensign
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
926
Thanks for all the compliments. Yes its nice to start seeing parts getting put back on. Last night I attached the one piece of the rub rail that I was done polishing. Once the 5200 hardened a little I peeled the painters tape off. The wife said it looks sexy.

Here is a before picture.


And an after picture.
 

kcassells

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Oct 16, 2012
Messages
8,721
Wow...Looks Great Mark. Time to get some of those shovel nose lobsters!!
 

Mark72233

Ensign
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
926
Let me see if I can make a list of what I still need to do in no certain order.

1. Finish sanding and polishing the rest of the rub rails and attach them using the through bolts and 3M 5200 on the seam between the hull & cap
2. Clean up the bow rails and associated hardware and attach to the cap again sealing them with 5200
3. Clean the aluminum on the windshield and replace the old weather stripping and possibly some hardware for the small flip up windows at the base of the windshield.
4. Install the 8 rod holders & 6 cleats
5. Install the anchor hatch, the fish cooler hatch and a small hatch on the floor of the cabin
6. Install both chairs
7. Install the bow navigation lights (also run wires) and anchor line bow chock cleats and the bow anchor roller
8. Replace a sheet of plywood up in the bow that will need to be cut to bow curve shape, coated in resin and fiberglass into place. Thinking of making small storage boxes in this piece that can be used for storage up in the cabin. This is the wall that separates the anchor line storage from the cuddy cabin .
9. Finish cleaning all the old glue and blue indoor carpet fur from the ceiling of the cabin. Haven't decided how I am going to finish it yet, probably some type of carpet.
10. Install the glove box and 5 cup holders
11. Install all the gauges in the console & steering parts before installing the console back in the boat.
12. Install the throttles and trim switches and switches into the console and trim switch wires back to the engine bay
13. Attach the fuel fill hose and vent hose and put some gas in this boat
14. Run throttle and shift cables
15. Run the main engine wires from the front to the engine bay
16. Run the battery wires from the battery box back to the engine bay and up to the console
17. Finish making and then painting the step/storage box I made that is at the foot of the co-captains chair
18. Getting some older chrome pieces rechromed
19. Attaching the anchor light to the windshield and running wire
20. Attach the 2 cigarette/USB plugs in the cabin and run wires
21. Fix the damaged fiberglass and plywood on the engine dog box and paint it. Also attach a layer of sound insulation inside the dog box and fiberglass over it.
22. Repair and paint a large panel that sits in the rear of the boat that covers the areas right and left of the engine box. A trim piece.
23. Fix the teak louvered cabin door and along with all the rest of the teak wood that survived get them all cleaned up and attached
24. Fix the metal trim on the fiberglass cabin hatch and paint it.
25. Run and attach all the wiring, fuse blocks and battery switches
26. Make a fiberglass box that will contain the bottom machine that will attach to the top of the console and run all the associated wires
27. Buy and attach a decent compass
28. Buy and install a radio, cd player and speakers
29. Reupholster the cabin and dog box cushions
30. Attach the new Bimini top
31. Put down the deck cover tiles I bought
32. Buy and install windshield wiper motor and wiring
33. And a dozen other things I haven't thought of yet
34. Get trailer tag updated and the new boat registration

That will get me most of the way done :eek::facepalm::jaw::der::faint2:
 
G

Guest

Guest
Wow Mark, She sure is coming along nicely! You're gonna outclass every contemporary boat around when you splash that!

I love those classic Merc outdrives, are you going to use an external tie-bar to steer them?
 

Mark72233

Ensign
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
926
Thanks for the very kind compliment. No I have the stock tie bar that is inside the boat. I managed to get lucky and found one that looks almost brand new and identical to the old rusted out one that was on the boat.

 

zool

Captain
Joined
Aug 19, 2012
Messages
3,432
Yikes Mark!.....when u put the to-do list in numbered points, it looks scary lol.....keep up the great work..its all down hill from here :)
 

Mark72233

Ensign
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
926
Waiting on 1/4 SS bolts I ordered so I can install the rod holders and cleats. So I pulled out the tear drop navigation/running lights to hook up wires and install them when I noticed something.


These lights are designed for vertical mounting not horizontal or deck mounted. Silly me.
 

WOEISMEIGOTTA470

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 31, 2012
Messages
375
Now let me put that crack pipe down and get back to work

:lol: Always good to write down a to-do list to prioritize and keep track of things, as daunting as it may seem. Keep crossing off those tasks! The rub rail looks like it got a LOT of rubbing, haha! Doesn't even look like the same railing! Awesome job!
 

Mark72233

Ensign
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
926
Thanks Woe, yep the rub rail took some doing. Started with 60 Grit on a rotary sander than 220 grit than hand wet sand starting with 500, 1000 and ending with 1500 than on to the power polisher using compound mix and finishing up with polish. Takes about 20 minutes a foot. I have the other 6 foot section done now I just need to do the bow and stern sections which are about 45 feet total length so at best about 18 hours to finish that. I got my 1/4" SS bolts so I was able to install the 8 rod holders and 2 of the hide away cleats.
 

Corjen1

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Aug 24, 2013
Messages
1,237
Mark....when you get to the point of making that list...it means you are close!!! keep up the great work !!
 
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