Lebel Flatbottom resurrection

[lebel409]

I'm finally putting pics up of my project.

Starting with a boat that had been covered but outside for 10-15 years...

[lebel409]

I took it to Don at Pat's Fiberglass in Upland once I realized I was in over my head. Litttle did I know...the deck had served as the mold for the rest of the 18 footers. It was plywood with a coat of fiberglass, a buttload of bondo and gel over it. Don did and awsome job.

[lebel409]

Don basically made a new deck. The plywood was obviously only there as a mold, never a wood decker.

At the end you can see some aluminum...Polished at Rainbow polishing in El Monte.

[lebel409]

In the previous pictures, I got the gauges in, the mushroom cleats, the gas tanks. I got the tanks made at Imco in San Dimas, gauges and cleats at Rex...Drilling the holes in the pretty, expensive gel was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

I had Ron Braaksma rebuild the V drive...72C 12 degree 22 gears. Tall but I can use a smaller prop.

These last pics are getting the bottom in, propshaft, whipstrut, strut, rudder block, fins, etc.

Just trying to beat Art:D

[TBI]

Damn, that thing is sweet! Keep the pic's coming :beer

[justfloatn]

Is this what the term "BLING" means.:D Wow looks great:beer

http://www.riverdavesplace.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=8954&stc=1&d=1205126783

[lebel409]

Bling? I just needed it shiny to set the bar high...so my kid can polish it and keep it pretty:D

I'm hoping to get the motor rails in next weekend and then it's to Parker to get "Outlaw" to put some pinstripes and letters on it.

[RiverDave]

WOW!!! The boat is coming along GREAT!!! GREAT THREAD!! GREAT PICS!

RD <---- taken back a little bit..

[RiverDave]

Bling? I just needed it shiny to set the bar high...so my kid can polish it and keep it pretty:D

I'm hoping to get the motor rails in next weekend and then it's to Parker to get "Outlaw" to put some pinstripes and letters on it.

I look forward to seeing it when it's over there! Let me know when your going to take it up! :)

RD

[Roaddogg 4040]

What a difference! Looking good...

Steve

[Rexone]

This thing is looking sweet. What kind of hull is this?

[lebel409]

Hey Mike, it's a Lebel. Bud Lebel built about 20-25 18' flatbottoms and maybe 10-15 daycruisers. From what I can tell he worked for GD and the Navy, retired, and started building boats. Not a great salesman...if he didn't like you he'd tel you to F off and wouldn't sell it to you...period.

This hull was modified to have the reversed front seat like a ski racer. We're gonna have 4 seats so the drivers side will be back to back, passenger side foot ot foot...with a little room for an ice chest.

My Father in law used his as a drag hull. He flipped one and it went to the dump. His spare boat is his "little boat" now . He has a daycruiser also..as does AZ don. My boat was his spare spare...

Dave, coming down for the association meeting 27-29th, leaving the buttcrack of dawn the 30th. I have some Humbolt Red Nectar to get after that day :D

[RiverDave]

Well I look forward to meeting you on the 28th then and getting a look at the boat in person! :)

RD

[Flyinbowtie]

Beautiful work, I just love taking the cool old stuff and bringing it back to life.
Boats, cars, guns, you name it, I just love the process of breathing new life into the things that made my heart pound as a young man.

[lebel409]

I'm kinda bummed, Outlaw is behind schedule...so I'm not bringing the boat down. I may have a spare 12er of coors light however...:D

[MR. Rvrluvr]

you are doing such a nice job with that boat. Thanx for sharing and keep the pics coming please....What color is that. It looks like a butterscotch..the silver floors really set it off...I hope I can see it in person someday..

[lebel409]

It's called Tangerine. It's a dusty orange. The floor's grey with pearl, then speckled with blue and orange, the clear durtec'd over.

I have the motor rails in (no pics yet) and am putting the steering in this weekend.

[LS6vdrive]

It's called Tangerine. It's a dusty orange. The floor's grey with pearl, then speckled with blue and orange, the clear durtec'd over.

I have the motor rails in (no pics yet) and am putting the steering in this weekend.


got any more photos of the final build?

[78 Continental]

Very cool, nothing like seeing and old flat come together nicely. Keep up the good work.

[RiverDave]

What ever happened to the build? did you get it finished?

RD

[lebel409]

Just a Semi update...

My neighbor got a couple of the seats done...didn't remember that there were 4...so he's working on the other 2.

My FIL has the motor close to putting together. All the piston/crank/bearing/etc. ready to go together. We're going to roller rockers so we'll need some new studs, rockers, poly locks, etc.

I'm taking the two (actually a box of 5) carbs to Racerden for rebuilds, and the intake to make sure everything bolts on correctly...maybe even get the linkage dealt with.

So I'm closing in...slowly...

[ROZ]

Updates? :thumbsup

[waterhorse]

:thumbsup Very nice, can't wait for motor time. Will you be running a 409 dual quad setup ?
Greg

[lebel409]

Yup, factory 881 intake (polished) 2 Edelbrock 500CFM AVS carbs, endurashine...

[Roaddogg 4040]

Just re read this thread. Does anyone know if this build ever got finished? Would love to see some more pictures as the build went on.

Steve

[wrighton]

Just re read this thread. Does anyone know if this build ever got finished? Would love to see some more pictures as the build went on.

Steve

X2 what a great restore:thumbsup

[wishiknew]

????? any new pics