OEM & replacements parts for 1979 crestliner restoration

[eaganboater1]

i am 3 years into a project with my 1979 Crestliner Crusader. Year 2 was about all about the connecting rod of the that spat out the side of the case of the Johnson 100HP. $3500 later beatutiful motor and doing a lot of bodywork aove the belt line. I have a couple of questions:
Has anyone taken an engine this large off their boat with a crane? Second question is, I can get away with an enamal or polyurethane above the belt line, but if i wanted to do a complete color change, the body needs to be put upside down at least if not on some rotisssere. Has anyone done this? Can I build a jog? Where do you support the boat if not totally upside down? I've done alot of street rods, body and engine work on cars, but I dont if I want to approach this or not. The hull appears solid otherwise. It is the gross rootbear cream color. Lastly, does anyone have experience laying down a new coloroed Gel Coat? Any special equipment, processes etc? Finally, I am looking for all of the windshiled gaskets, and various trim, any sources there?

thank you so much!

 

[smokeonthewater]

100 horse outboard.... Eh ... Two big guys can wrestle it around.... I can do it myself.... Admittedly not as easily as when I was 15 years younger...

An engine hoist IE cherry picker makes REALLY short work of it tho...

They sell hooks that screw onto or into the flywheel so you can easily hoist em.

I say get used to the original color and embrace it BUT if you teeter the keel on some big wood blocks you could tilt it enough to do one side at a time and then do the spots that sat on the blocks once it's back on the trailer.