lonestar cadet

[lonewolf8814]

Well hello everyone, I'm not only new to iboats, I also just got me a classic boat. She's a lonestar cadet (no idea what year) and is going to need plenty of ressurection/restoration work, all of which I plan to share with everyone as I go, hopefully gaining some tips as I go since this is the first boat I've ever owned. I can't wait till I show up at the lake in my '66 chevy c20 pulling my purdyfied cadet, matching paint & all!! AAAHHH.... gonna be a long journey! As you can see she has been sadly unloved! I have searched far & wide online & haven't found a single cadet that has a rearend like mine [eg. the aluminum back pan is integrated fiberglass on every other cadet I've seen]. Does this mean it's just older than most or what? Anyone know what year model she is? I've s/n searched already= no dice!

 

[lonewolf8814]

Re: lonestar cadet

Man, I just realized how lame those cameraphone pics are!!! I'm gonna get some better pics on here asap folks, promise!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lonestar cadet

yes you do, that is a fantastic find.

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: lonestar cadet

I cant see anything in those pics. Even when you open them they look like thumbnails.

 

[lonewolf8814]

Re: lonestar cadet

I'm gonna go pick up a sync cord for my digital camera today, should have good pics on here tonight! I'm very pleased with the find myself tashasdaddy! $150 for the boat, $50 for the trailer, & a painfull $100 for the puny little wheels & tires for the trailer!LOL! All & all an awsome bargain, since shes not badly destroyed (I could drop her in the water right now & be good!), just needs a whole lotta cleanup work! She'd been sitting in a junkyard holding mud & water for god knows how many years! That & whoever was using her before did some terrible fixing up/customizing work on her! Just about bring a man to tears to see such an assault done to such a beauty (notice the center cut out of the windshield! That's gonna be a doozy to fix!!)

 

[lonewolf8814]

Re: lonestar cadet

Okay folks, here they are! I even threw in some nice dash candy!!You may be able to make out the "lone star" tags on the dash plate & the bottom of the dock tie brackets! SWEEET!! These pics were taken after I'd begun stripping her down so she looked much better before. I'ts gotta get worse before it gets better. LOL! Note: even though you can't see it in the pics, I also have the original (& quite stylish) adjustible length stern light. http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m76/lonewolf8814/lonestar/

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lonestar cadet

that is about the only thing, that can't go back to original, but is extremely convenient. the windshield was an option at that time. in the engine faqs i have directions, on how to install the existing cable pulley steering. i remember very well replacing the transom wood in mine. need help just ask.

hopefully fiberglassics.com will be back up soon. they have great pictures of the original lonestars.

 

[lonewolf8814]

Re: lonestar cadet

Yeah, I know original is out of the question, but I prefer custom classics anyways. Just like to retain as much of the antique style as possible. So the various original "lonestar" dodads & such being salvagable are pleasing to say the least! I have seen some pics of cadets with the split windshield, but trust me, this was a home made job, & a shabby done one at that! My idea for the cable pulley steering Is this... once I finish the transom wood in her I'm going to run some light weight wood around the whole inside hull, and wood tiles on the floor, waterproofed & stained well of course, And where the cables come through the wood at the stern I'm gonna use those brass pully inserts that were on some old ballast window frames. It should look mega sharp! Think that will work? Do you know if cadets had wood walls along the inside? Gonna keep adding pics in the same photobucket link as I go.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lonestar cadet

no the did not. the had little wood on them at all.

found these links in an old thread.

http://homepage.mac.com/davidkrommes/PhotoAlbum13.html

 

[lonewolf8814]

Re: lonestar cadet

Yeah, I see what you mean from those brochures, Thank's a lot for that link! It also shows me that the cadets must not have came out till the 60's and were the offspring of the capri! The styling is identical! I was nearly convinced cadets were a 50's child. Think I'll scrap that woody idea, it'll likely mess up my weight distribution:redface: ... back to the drawing board

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lonestar cadet

Lonestar was one of the first to build a trailerable boat, they were so innovative, they had to build there own trailers to go with the boats.

 

[lonewolf8814]

Re: lonestar cadet

No doubt! I've found detailed photos of a lonestar trailer catalog, gonna reproduce me a "road prince" or a "road mite" once I get the cadet up to snuff! I can't believe I'd never heard of lonestar before I got this boat! I've since learned that they pioneered both fiberglass boats & foam packing, they're the godfather of most boats today! They were way ahead of their time in boat tech!! I feel blessed that I found this boat, the guy I got it from had no clue what he had! I've searched all over the internet & haven't found a single genuine lonestar cadet, only later chrysler cadets dressed up as lonestars! Are they truly as rare as it seems? I have narrowed the year model down to between 62' & 65', thanks to that link you found me, and again, thank you for that, it's proved invaluable already!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lonestar cadet

yes, they are as rare as it seems.

 

[lonewolf8814]

Re: lonestar cadet

Well, in that case I think I'm gonna get it as close to original as possible! I can get pretty close, it has most of the original accessories, emblems & such. Any idea around how much it would be worth in well restored shape? I've seen some of the chrysler cadet's dressed as lonestars going for a pretty penny!

 

[lonewolf8814]

Re: progress

Re: progress

Well, I've nearly got her stripped down to the bear bones. The stearing collumn is giving me all kinda grief, but it's original so I gotta be real easy & carefull with it cause I'm gonna fill in the cracks in the vinyl & keep it on the boat. Gonna have to replace all of the wood except for the floor under the front (is that called a hood or what? I don't know the nautical terms!:redface. That's gonna be fun, since I'm working outside (ain't got a shop) & the foampac is holding water like a sponge. It's obvious to me, since you can see the rot spots started in all the places where the protective layer of fiberglass was penetrated by screws & such, that I have to set sealed screw/bolt seats anywhere I plan to penetrate the new cover layer of fiberglass. Otherwise moisture gets into the wood through those points & the fiberglass keeps it from evaporating before rot begins, undermining the protective layers apparent purpose. Also, the choke button is wasted! It was corroded into a solid clump! Gotta find a good stand in for that part.

 

[lonewolf8814]

Re: lonestar cadet

I'm also going to have to rewire the whole thing. Anyone have some schematics decipherable by a layman I could work from? Oh, by the way, I've been over all the proposed safety measures pertaining to fiberglass grinding & it seems to me that such an expensive onslaught of gear is only needed cause of the large disk grinders that everyone uses, which of course has terribly high amounts of far & fast flung discharge. Would it not be possible to accomplish the same thing with a good oscilating/vibrating sander loaded with rough grit emory cloth? The glass cloud that would produce would be miniscule at most, easily dealt with! Granted, it will obviously take alot longer to do it that way, but I've got far more free time that money!LOL!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lonestar cadet

just found this, http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/16-L...015QQitemZ250380843153QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

2 threads top of the electrical forum, on wiring.

bow, is front of boat, stern is back of boat, the flat back of the boat is the transom. when looking toward the bow, port is left, starboard is right. always.

 

[lonewolf8814]

Re: lonestar cadet

Yeah, I knew the basic terms, I was talking about the bow "decking". That was the term I wasn't sure of. Thank's for the wiring direction, That should work, with a little alterations. Wish I could find more details like that on this cadet! The void of lonestar details available are killing me!! LOL!! What about using a sander instead of a grinder? Is that feaible?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: lonestar cadet

i just find a grinder easier to handle and get into tighter places.

 

[densvxer]

Re: lonestar cadet

If you need more pics of a comparable make model, I picked up a 61 Lone Star Cadet? last year for $500 Plan to float it this spring See pics at www.photobucket.com/densvxer

Cheers to this lone star group Thank You
Lots of info to be found

Densvxer in Littleton,CO