Opinion on aluminum boat modification

[cknadroj]

I’d like to remove the circled part (x 4) so my new floor will fit better. Previous Captain cut these seat mounts down – not me. They were not covered - they are a bit dangerous actually.

Both are stress cracked on the starboard side so they provide no structural purpose on that side anymore.

Please let me know your thoughts/opinion.

 

[fishingdan]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

Personally, I think that hull has been weakened significantly by the previous owner and if you remove the circled structure, it will be worse. Without proper support, the hull sides could simply collapse in.

Those benchs/thwarts are structural.

 

[cknadroj]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

"Those benchs/thwarts are structural.", he said.

He is correct, and it has been comprimised.

I'm gonna take 'em out.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

What do you have designed or planned to replace the support with? You can have those cracks welded and install more aluminum and have that welded or rivited in. I would strongly advise you make a stucture that is supported or the sides will collapse in.

 

[NBE]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

Yes, take them out.........all of them if you want. Who cares? It's your life! :devil:

 

[Mark42]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

Yep removing the bench seat without adding back some alternate support was a big mistake.

If you want the open floor space to use as a fishing platform, you can keep the center section open, and add two Jump Seat style seats to the side that double as supports.

Cut plywood or aluminum triangle shapped braces, say about 20 inches tall, and 12" on the bottom. Make them conform to the hull sides and floor so they can be through bolted to the bottom rib and up along the gunnel. Put two on each side, then add a horizontal seat base to them. You should be able to sit with your back against the gunnel, and still have open floor for walking/standing in the center. This will add back enough support that the sides will not just collapse in when you get two big guys standing next to each other in the boat.

Kind of hard to tell the size from the photo, but my guess this is about a 12' boat, with 5 foot beam, right?

 

[cknadroj]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

OK, you fellers win. I'm going to put an "original" style seat structure back in.

I got it all ready today - cut off the bent part of the remaining structures so I have nice flat surfaces to rivet aluminum sheet to. Don't worry, the aluminum sheet will have aluminum angle riveted on at both the top (for the seat mounting surface to attach to) and at the bottom (for the floor to attach to) to make it nice and rigid.

The seat structure will be about 52" across by 15" wide and about 8" deep. I will either put in foam or use it for storage inside.

Now all I need is two pieces of sheet and the angle.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

Good choice.

 

[cknadroj]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

For what is worth, here is where I'm sort of headed +\- with this boat - '61 Malibu 14'- only a more spartan interior.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

Wow! That is a nice looking boat! Not too many classic closed bow runabouts in aluminum available. Love the 50's - 60's fins out back. That is rare on an aluminum boat. When you look at the boats with fins from that era, they are almost all fiberglass.

If the windshield is shot, a plastics fabricator can make a new one for you. They will need the old one. That would probably be your greatest single expense to restore it. Otherwise, upholstry, gauges, controls and paint won't run you more than $1000 - 1200 if you buy everything new. Plus the cost of fabricating the missing rear seats.

If you rent a sheet metal brake it would be cheap to fix yourself, plus you could build a custom splashwell for the rear or some storage compartments back there to hide portable or permenant gas tanks, battery, gear, etc.

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, I can hardly wait..... d d d

Are you going to bring it back to its original configuration?

I see the boat looks stripped, did you remove all the steering and controls or did you get it that way? Man, that should be a fairly easy restore. Please tell me you're not going to turn that into a platform fishing boat. Its just too nice a design to mangle.

Give us the link shareaproject for your boat. C'mon what are you waiting for?

 

[cknadroj]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

Here is the shareaproject link. Don’t worry, I’m not going to hack it up, even though we use it mainly for crappie fishing. As you can see in the pictures, the boat is complete including the original windshield. Look close at some of the ‘before’ pictures and you can see it already has a splashwell. The only thing I'm missing arethe Lone*Star emblems for the sides - hard to find.

I took it all apart this spring and media blasted every square in of it in preparation for new paint. The paint scheme in the picture is from 1958 – I like it better that the 1961 scheme mine had (at some point in the past).

I’ve already made all new modular (removable) wiring harnesses for it. I will probably go with updated steering rather than putting the cable/pulley system back in. All I really need to do it get the seating and flooring worked out, get it painted, and then reassemble it and it will be ready to go back to the lake. I have the original 1961 40HP Johnson that came with it.

http://www.shareaproject.com/pages/projectTut,p,145,00.html

Here are some pictures of another Malibu that has been restored.

http://community.webshots.com/album/548979678oIsMFq

 

[Mark42]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

 

[Mark42]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

Wow! Nice work! I hadn't seen the project on Shareadprojet before. Must have missed it. You are really moving right along. And the idea of a modular wire harness sounds like a good design.

I think you will really like the feel of a new rotary or rack system compared to the wire/drum system. I see that the blue Malibu has a newer cable system and is using the right hardware to connect to the pre-steering tube motor. I guess the owner couldn't bend the cable tight enough to thread the cable through the original steering cable hole in the fin. I can tell you from experience with fitting the cable to my boat that the cable is stiff and does not like to bend in a very small radious.

Are the seat cushions/upholstry going to be removable?

You mentioned flooring. What did you have in mind?

 

[tistore]

Re: Opinion on aluminum boat modification

i have lone star parts on ebay.