Silver Fox?

[akjameson1]

My grandaddy gave me his old bass boat and I am going to restore it. However, I can't seem to find any info on the boat. It's a 16' tri-hull and it says "Silver Fox" on the side. There is also a plate on the drivers side that says "Happy Travler Marina" Tifton GA. Does anyone have any info on this boat such as how it was built? I pulled up the carpet to replace it and feel some soft spots that I would like to repair but I don't know where to begin. I have some pictures: http://imgur.com/a/4T9Aa

video here: http://youtu.be/tftx6958M2o

 

[Bondo]

Re: Silver Fox?

Ayuh,.... Welcome Aboard,... I'm guessin' Silver Fox was Grand dad's nick-name...

I'll move this to the Restoration forum for ya...

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Silver Fox?

Post your pics and vids. This WILL generate all the help you can hope for.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Silver Fox?

Nice looking boat and probably a worthwhile resto project. The Evinrude could be a good motor as well. That said, fiberglass boats left exposed to the elements for a while are generally rotted in all their wooden areas (deck, stringers, transom). These issues are repairable but the work is quite labor-intensive and materials to do a proper job are not inexpensive. Up to you whether you decide to proceed or part this one out. If you decide to restore it, there's a number of great bass boat projects going on here to check out so you can see what you're getting into.

 

[akjameson1]

Re: Silver Fox?

Nice looking boat and probably a worthwhile resto project. The Evinrude could be a good motor as well. That said, fiberglass boats left exposed to the elements for a while are generally rotted in all their wooden areas (deck, stringers, transom). These issues are repairable but the work is quite labor-intensive and materials to do a proper job are not inexpensive. Up to you whether you decide to proceed or part this one out. If you decide to restore it, there's a number of great bass boat projects going on here to check out so you can see what you're getting into.

It was stored fairly well. It had a tarp covering it and was kept under a car port. The gas was drained and the batteries removed. I haven't cranked the motor yet. It's been sitting for about 10 years and am replacing the water pump and impellor and checking the lower unit for signs of water etc. I am also thinking about rebuilding the carbs but I havent taken them off to look a them yet to see if they are bad or not. The last time the boat was in the water I was told it ran perfect without any problems. My Granddaddy just got old and didn't like the hassel of taking it out anymore.
I'll check out the other projects for some ideas. I'm not looking to get the boat in the water anytime soon as I have a baby on the way but want to get it running and safe to use a few times maybe this summer when I have the time.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Silver Fox?

You're on the right track with the motor. Lift the motor and bounce on the leg to check for flex in the transom. If she doesn't move You're good to go. Check every nook and cranny of the deck for soft spots. If none then I'd say all that's needed is the cosmetic stuff and get her wet!!!! Let us know if we can help in any way.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Silver Fox?

The soft spots in your deck may be a problem, this usually means that the boat has suffered water intrusion at some point of it's life. The water has seeped through the fiberglass laminate at the soft spot and degraded the plywood beneath... and possibly the foam and stringers as well. The bad spots in the plywood will be much larger on the bottom of the decking than the soft spots on top.

There's no "good" way to patch a bad deck in a fiberglass boat, the best fix is to remove it all and replace it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because it gives you a chance to examine your below deck structure (stringers and foam). We've seen a few cases where the below deck damage was minimal with just small repairs needed, but the majority of cases are bad with a lot of repair needed below deck. Since your boat has been stored mainly in the dry, you may be one of the lucky ones with minimal damage below deck.

This is a thread about an owner that just thought he had to repair a little soft spot in the deck and is a typical scenario for the poorly maintained and neglected boats:

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-restoration-building-hull-repair/first-attempt-boat-repair-579280.html

Whatever you do, keep your boat covered and dry.

 

[akjameson1]

Re: Silver Fox?

The soft spots in your deck may be a problem, this usually means that the boat has suffered water intrusion at some point of it's life. The water has seeped through the fiberglass laminate at the soft spot and degraded the plywood beneath... and possibly the foam and stringers as well. The bad spots in the plywood will be much larger on the bottom of the decking than the soft spots on top.

There's no "good" way to patch a bad deck in a fiberglass boat, the best fix is to remove it all and replace it. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because it gives you a chance to examine your below deck structure (stringers and foam). We've seen a few cases where the below deck damage was minimal with just small repairs needed, but the majority of cases are bad with a lot of repair needed below deck. Since your boat has been stored mainly in the dry, you may be one of the lucky ones with minimal damage below deck.

This is a thread about an owner that just thought he had to repair a little soft spot in the deck and is a typical scenario for the poorly maintained and neglected boats:

http://forums.iboats.com/boat-restoration-building-hull-repair/first-attempt-boat-repair-579280.html

Whatever you do, keep your boat covered and dry.

The transom seems fine. My grandaddy had it reinforced when he put a larger kicker on the boat and wanted to pull water skis with it (the boat is rated for an 85 but originally had a 55 on it). The soft spots are located next to the livewell and by the passenger seat in the back. there are screws that hold the cap to the deck and I am thinking that over time the wear and tear caused these screws to allow water in the holes. this cause some of the holes to widen and come loose. When the transome was reinforced it looks like it was glassed into the cap. Is there a way to repair stringers without taking off the cap?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Silver Fox?

Seems Fine??? What leads you to that conclusion?? The Repair? Need pics of that Transom Reinforcement/Repair. That sounds a little suspect.
In a boat like yours the cap must come off if the stringers need replacing

 

[akjameson1]

Re: Silver Fox?

I'll take some pics of the motor and transom. I don't think i have any good ones from the link on the top of the page. I bounced on the motor and it didn't flex. Is that a good test?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Silver Fox?

If the Reinforcement is the Bulge at the top of the transom which I THINK I see in this pic then Really not sure why that was done. Can you see anything on the inside of the transom?

 

[akjameson1]

Re: Silver Fox?

I mentioned before that when the transom was reinforced they glassed the cap to the transom. Can anyone tell if this is true or not by the pictures? I cant imagine why someone would do that because it seems like it would make repairs harder in the future. Is this common practice when repairing/reinforcing a transom? I'll try to get more pictures when I can get the motor off. I don't have a stand to put it on. I got some memories on this boat. Here is a pic of me driving it when i was younger: http://i.imgur.com/fs64bUs.jpg

 

[akjameson1]

Re: Silver Fox?

I'll take a look when I get a chance. The boat is parked at my father-in-law's house for now. Need to clean up the garage so I can get it over here.

 

[akjameson1]

Re: Silver Fox?

here is a video:

Soft spot in bass boat - YouTube

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: Silver Fox?

I'll try to get more pictures when I can get the motor off. I don't have a stand to put it on. I got some memories on this boat. Here is a pic of me driving it when i was younger:

Awesome:

Well worth repeating w/ your own kid(s) ^^^

Boat motor stand #1

Boat motor stand #2

 

[akjameson1]

Re: Silver Fox?

I am having a guy that I work with come out and take a look at the soft spots. He is right on track with what everyone has been saying on this thread. He has done a bunch of work on a number of boats (sailboats, powerboats and the like). He actually lives on a sailboat.

In the meantime I would like to work on the paint job. Any recommendations on what products to use for heavy oxidation to bring back some of the shine?

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Silver Fox?

The problem with the Large MetalFlake is that once its oxidized there is not a dependable method for restoring it due to the way it's applied. At least I've never heard or seen of a method. Sand it off and re-do or Paint over it. That's what usually happens, or just live with it.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Silver Fox?

What Woodonglass said above is true. The issue with metal flake is that it helps bake the clear finish from the inside in addition to the normal outside UV assault. You can try some pretty aggressive wet sanding and I have certainly seen some brought back (yours doesn't look that bad) but it will be tougher than say a plain blue boat.

 

[akjameson1]

Re: Silver Fox?

Maybe this would work? KC Boat Boys Heavy oxidation removal on '94 Javelin Bass boat, Lee's Summit - Before & after. - YouTube
This guy sounds like a pro so I don't know if I should attempt it or not. Worst case if I mess up I can just repaint another color.

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: Silver Fox?

Yep that Vid is the method you should use. Don't have to be a pro to do it, just patience and persistence with the Wet sanding and then I'd highly recommend you buy a polisher to do the compounding and polishing. HF has em for $30 bucks. If you get good results and Maintain the boat properly it should last for a while.