irab88's 1963 Hydrodyne and Trailer Build-Up Thread

[irab88]

new user making a new thread about his "new" boat... what could go wrong? :lol:

backstory:
my neighbour was getting rid of a boston whaler squall last year, so i decided to take it off his hands. i bought a trailer and hauled it off, along with all the accessories. then i browsed craigslist for fun, and came across this gem. he was looking for a smaller boat, i was looking for a larger craft. after a few emails we met up and evenly traded, boat for boat, trailer for trailer. and that brings us to the pics:

 

[irab88]

Re: irab88's 1963 Hydrodyne and Trailer Build-Up Thread

more pics. as you can see, it really needs a good cleaning

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: irab88's 1963 Hydrodyne and Trailer Build-Up Thread

Even w/ the moss, if this motor fires you got the better of that deal IMHO, but it may have a balsa cored hull, which may be challenging to remove & replace.

14 or 15ft?

Looking forward to seeing it come back from the brink.

Congrats & welcome to the iboats dry dock

Read thru some other resto threads & the threads listed in Don's list:
How To's and Other Great Information

You can't post too many pix, or ask too many or any stupid questions.

Welcome again

 

[irab88]

Re: irab88's 1963 Hydrodyne and Trailer Build-Up Thread

thanks! it's a 15-foot hull, and other than the 1963 mfg date, i don't know anything else about it. i'll keep an eye out on all the repair threads, as i'm sure i'll need to do some glass work. good thing i took a glassing class in school!

the guy said the motor fired fine a while ago, but the pull-cord is stuck out. shouldn't be too much of a problem to fix, though. i'll probably rebuild the carb and replace old/worn hoses/gaskets, too.

and here go my stupid questions: what do i have? i know the manufacture and year, but i don't know what to search for in terms of specific pictures, diagrams, etc. also, are all johnson 40hp motors the same? or are there variations? i'd like to look up a maintenance manual

edit: just surchd and found the answer to my last question. no, they are not all the same, and the model no. should point me in the right direction. i also found out that iboats has some better prices than etrailer

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: irab88's 1963 Hydrodyne and Trailer Build-Up Thread

Enter your serial # here for the Johnson. That'll get you the year

You can look here for a little Hydrodyne info, look thru the ad pix, they show a 1960 something & another year hulls being 'cored' w/ balsa wood. That'll help show how your boat was built & what to look for as you start demo.

Here for more info, but I saw your thread there, so that should get you some Hydrodyne specifics. Iboats is a much more active forum & can help get the boat back on the water safely. A historically accurate resto isn't necessarily the easiest or quickest way to accomplish that. You'll have to decide how you want to proceed.

Getting it cleaned out will help show what it needs. Which will likely be fairly involved. The balsa cored hull may be more difficult then most to repair, but it can be done.

There is probably a cap removal and some deck demo in your near future. The hull will need to be WELL supported (more then 'just' on the trailer) before you start any work. The bottom of the hull should also be inspected very carefully to determine if water intrusion below decks has compromised the structural back-bone of the hull enough to allow it to sag while on the trailer.

All that ^^^ is for after you get it cleaned out & ready to assess it's current status. And for now read thru some resto's to see what lurks ahead.

 

[irab88]

Re: irab88's 1963 Hydrodyne and Trailer Build-Up Thread

yep, i'll definitely read through a few restos. the general direction i want to go with this is a multi-step process: 1) get it useable 2) make it look presentable 3) outfit it with all the bells and whistles.

as for the motor, i'll have to pull the model no. when i get home in a few days. this was one of those "better get it now in case it sells while i'm away" type deals.

thanks again for all your help. i have somewhere to start now

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: irab88's 1963 Hydrodyne and Trailer Build-Up Thread

Hopefully it's in serviceable condition. W/ moss growing on it, it may be more then a bit of work to get it 'useable'.

 

[irab88]

Re: irab88's 1963 Hydrodyne and Trailer Build-Up Thread

popped the top, doesn't look too awfully bad for a 28 year old motor

i'll check that bottom cylinder for water ingress

first on the list: fix that damned pull cord. also, the flywheel seems to have marks from a starter gear. maybe in the future i'll try installing one

 

[irab88]

Re: irab88's 1963 Hydrodyne and Trailer Build-Up Thread

found out that vro is an option, but not without a $400 price tag :shocked:

so i think my non-vro will do just fine for now :becky:

and for my reference:
continuousWave: Whaler: Reference: VRO Fuel-Oil Mixing

 

[irab88]

Re: irab88's 1963 Hydrodyne and Trailer Build-Up Thread

well, i'm all moved into my new house now, and had to move the boat, as well. one of the tires went flat, so had to get a new one at the local trailer suply

also, since it was above freezing today, i cleaned out the flooring a little

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: irab88's 1963 Hydrodyne and Trailer Build-Up Thread

I'd get it under a boat cover &/or the carport next to the garage. No good will come of it being left uncovered.

 

[irab88]

Re: irab88's 1963 Hydrodyne and Trailer Build-Up Thread

yep. not this weekend, but soon.