New to forums here. Advice on a winter project. Rebuild 1988 Bayliner Capri 1750

[kwittet]

Hey guys and gals...I am new here and new to powerboating as a owner. I am seeking advice from all you seasoned experts on a project I want to undertake. I know some will question why I want to sink money into a boat that traditionally doesn't hold a lot of value but I like its size fuel economy and for what I use it for and its frequency of use its really perfect for me. I don't mind putting this investment in as I plan on keeping it and when I decide to upgrade I will give it to my son who is also a huge water lover. So this is my first powerboat after years of canoeing and kayaking. I still love to paddle but wanted something to get me further faster and to fish bigger lakes and rivers. So I went out and purchased a very nice little Capri 1750 1988 vintage. It has a 2.3 liter engine and a OMC Cobra drive. So learning a ton in the first season so far its been a lot of fun. I Have had to do some relatively minor repairs myself and a few done by a mechanic but its all been good. But...yes here is the but...I am never happy just leaving things alone so I want to do some upgrades. I will also add that when I take on projects I am a bit of a perfectionist so knowing this in my own head I wont be doing anything half a$$ed. 1: I am going to redo the floor. Looks like quite a job but here in Canada we have hard water season so I have time.(of course I am going to wait until at the very least October so I can hit lake St Clair for some monster muskie fishing. LOL) I wont be putting carpet back in but will be using a non skid material The rest of my ideas are open to comments and suggestions from you guys 2: I want to replace the crappy hard to read gauges with regular gauges. I was looking at 6 gauge sets from Faria . Quality ? Is this easy to do? Wiring and sending unit issues? I know the holes wont line up so I was planning on cutting out the black plastic and making a nice piece of stained wood and screwing it in there to give it a classy look, At the same time I was going to make a piece for the glove box so it matches both sides. 3. When I redo the floor I am considering replacing the seats with buckets and getting rid of the boxes that the current seats sit on. My thoughts are the buckets will be more comfy and this would give me some extra space under them to stuff a cooler or tackle box. 4. When I redo the floor can I enlarge the floor locker size in the floor? 5. In the bow under the seat cushions these is a ton of wasted space under these. Can I cut into these and re-brace them for structural integrity yes be able to make some storage? I have some other ideas too but I have given enough for now. I know it seems like a lot of work for a small boat but I like its size as I never go offshore to far and I like to go to places Like the French River in Ontario which is perfect for its size to get around and explore(and fish). The engine is a 2.3 which was rebuilt 3 years ago by the previous owner so its very strong. My mechanic says its in awesome shape overall Any advice would be awesome. Thanks

 

[Scott Danforth]

welcome aboard.

prior to taking on your endeavor, look at the stickies at the top of the forum, specifically the 3rd sticky. Read links 14, 2, 3, 4a, 4b in that order. below is a link.

http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...r/295740-how-to-s-and-other-great-information

link 14 is the condensed version of Frisco's well documented searay restoration and covers nearly everything needed to restore your boat.

realise that your boat has a few things going against it. bayliner quality in the late 80's has a lot to be desired, and OMC went out of business almost 20 years ago and the ford ranger motor that OMC used for a very short time is not a big seller. put that together, your 1988 Bayliner capri with a 2.3 liter will never be worth more than you paid for it initially

to make sure your eyes are wide open, your hull restoration alone will cost you about $2500 in materials, your gauge upgrade about $500, if there is any interior work, assume $1-2000. on top of this, assume 500-600 hours of labor. when all done, you will have a boat that will last another 30 years, however only has value to you since it is still a late 80's bayliner capri with an OMC 2.3

to do the floor correctly along with the stringers and transom, you will be removing the drive, motor, all the interior, and taking the cap off the boat.

should you decide to jump in, post pictures (there is a tutorial - http://forums.iboats.com/forum/forum-rules-and-guidelines/9938375-photo-upload-tutorial)
we will be glad to help in any way that we can with encouragement and advise.

 

[bruceb58]

Personally, I would pick a different brand, drive and engine to do a restore on. All 3 that you have are not the best.

I owned a 1987 Bayliner since it was practically new. Even with fastidious care, it was a challenge to keep it from falling apart.

 

[Jerry200LX]

I agree with bruceb58 on this one. I had an '89 Bayliner 1750 with an outboard that I bought with less than 20 hours on it. It was stored in a garage and never outside except when it was on the water. An aft section of the floor still rotted and had to be replaced before I sold it. I also had an '88 Bayliner 1950 that I bought cheap because the floor was rotted in it. My son and I restored the boat and put a completely new interior in it. It had an OMC engine and outdrive. When it was finished and looking good, my mechanic and good friend told me the best thing I could do was sell the boat before it had any mechanical issues because getting parts would be a pain. I sold it and actually made a buck. Bottom line is you have a lot of negatives going on with that boat.

 

[Speak]

Only you can decide. I love my 1750 Capri as it gas sentimental value to me. Check my signature on my resto. I've done it all and could still wash out if I want. Just up to u

 

[ctrobk]

Nice work