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72 SANGER CLEAN UP

74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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I thought I would post some pictures of a 72 Sanger 17' 10" I was working on this past year. A family friend bought this boat last year and its a cool little runner but she didn't like the headers and it was getting hot and and and… and yes I said She, this is a cool lady that owns this boat and she even held the woman's bare foot speed record 39 years ago and could out ski 99% if not 100% of all the guys. I am about 12 to 15 years younger then her so I grew up watching them do all this stuff and really was excited to get to know her as a friend now more than just an acquaintance.

She was up at Kings River with us last summer and we have several nice and clean Sangers, she had grown up with one of these boats as did I and this is actually the boat the pulled her back in the day to set her record. Its funny the impression that these old boats leave on Kids, I knew I would have a Sanger one day and so did she. She started looking at the other boats and realized she needed to do some clean up. I told her I would do the work as I knew what she wanted (even if she really didn't have a total idea)

She dropped the boat off in November and i gave it back to her in July... I work slow and travel a lot as well for work work. Our goal was to changes the headers and go thru the transom and add a Velvet Drive. Glenwood had the logs and elbows and we found a Velvet Drive in Sacramento so i had the parts to start. The boat shows up and I really start looking at it and I know I am going to have to pull everything out and re-do 90% of it, it was OK but rough and i know the boats she is looking at and what boats this thing will be floating next to. By all means we are not big time big money hot rod guys, just, in my own opinion, clean old school guys.

Ill post some pics and try to go in order of my discovery, I knew when I found the stainless braided water line zip tied to the hot battery lead that I had better dig in deep :)
 
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74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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LN PICK UPjpg.jpg Here is the 1980 Woman's Bare foot speed record holder, awesome picture and she has the same smile today!
LN PICK UPjpg.jpg
LNBAFEFOOTIN.JPG
 
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warpt71

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I haven't seen a picture of the deck/dash yet, but that looks like a gullwing Sanger, kind of a rare/odd duck. My dad has had one as long as Ive been around. Cool stuff!!!
 

cofooter

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Back deck a bit different that my 17'10. Bitchen boat and super clean inside, looks great. Look forward to watching your upgrades.
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

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Not trying to offend anyone with this thread, so just in case the gent who rigged this thing is on here, different strokes for different folks.

Once I pulled the engine out I started to pull all the engine rails etc. The owner kept telling me to just do the headers and velvet drive, she didn't need everything done, she wasn't worried about billable hours, as I don't do this for a side job this was just doing for a friend. No way, I told her that she is now in the Sanger Family and this is just how we do it. (On pick up she hands me an envelope with cash, we are still fighting about that!) As I am pulling things apart I find lug nuts in my bolts on the bottom of the boat?!? They used them as spacers. I did end up with 3" worth of 7/16 stainless fender washers, they were everywhere. I had concerns about one of the heads as it had a very rough casting and the plug looked crooked. There was bondo on the face of the head and it was textured to look like a casting. The plug was all galled up and gooped in the head with an assortment of fillers including more bondo that I found inside the head. luckily everything cleaned up good! This thing was a tale or two riggers, the floors and gear box are awesome, then the rest was put together. the picture of the strut is pretty dark but those are standard steel bolts with the heads galled into the strut.
57361195286__66A5B994-04CE-45F6-9DEE-9F2965ADBFD7.JPG
ENGINE RAILSjpg.jpg
HEAD 1jpg.jpg
HEAD 2.jpg
IMG_0141.jpg
STRUT SUPPORT 1.jpg
 
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74 spectra20 v-drive

74 spectra20 v-drive
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Drill the holes for the thru transom tips, scary scary… my little template worked like a charm, set it in there put the center back in and de=rill a pilot hole then drill from the out side in :) it was a tight spot to get past the steering and the cav plate rod housing, the tanks are back almost all the way to the transom so it really pinched me in. Ended up coming out right on the money, not touching anything but man I stared at it a long time.
DRILL TRANSOM.JPG
transom 1.jpg
transom 2jpg.jpg
transom 3jpg.jpg
TRANSOM TIPS Jpg.jpg
 
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74 spectra20 v-drive

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I also wanted to play with the pedals, looking at a picture of her driving the boat she was super tight, its not a drag boat, 65' 396 and it looks pretty stock. I am not worried about her flipping this thing so I wanted to move the pedals under the dash and give her some room. It has two pinch seats in it that sat up pretty high as well. I start pulling the seats and quickly find out I need to be a contortionist to get to all the dam bolts. I get the bolts out and find that the seats are sitting on a 3/8 plate of aluminum that spreads all the way across the boat plus another 2x2 piece of aluminum that is under the seats? after I take all that out and the washers galore, I drop the seats almost a full inch in the boat. I made up some simple mounts for the seats, drill tap and heil coil all the hole because I hate standing upside down chasing nuts. I made it adjustable, just an extra set of holes, she has almost 4" of adjustment in the seat. Her brother is 6'5" and he was now able to sit in the drivers seat without eating his knees. Also we are going to make back to back buckets this winter and we can use the same mounts.
seat 5.jpg
SEAT BASE 2.jpg
seat base 3.jpg
seat base 4jpg.jpg
 
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74 spectra20 v-drive

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Shifter arm for Velvet drive, I like to hide and hold all the cables pretty tight, this is very similar to my 77 Sanger but this looks nicer, I may have to redo some things on my old girl. Engine back in, looks clean and I was able to hide most of the braided line. That stuff is expensive and I hide it ?!?
Slide1.JPG
NEW FRONT  VIEW.jpg
NEW LEFT FRONT.jpg
NEW REAR VIEW.jpg
SHIFTER 2.jpg
TRANS SHOFTER.jpg
 
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74 spectra20 v-drive

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I was really nervous doing this, I have never done this for someone, if I screw up my stuff no big deal but a new friend... she was really happy and the boat looks good in the water! I got my Dads approval as well and its his dam fault I got into this stuff.
LAGOON 2.PNG
LAGOON1.jpg
LN PICK UPjpg.jpg
 
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74 spectra20 v-drive

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I did learn a new process for polishing AN fittings. If you have aluminum with the anodized colors, use powdered drain cleaner, I have used easy off oven cleaner for years, this powdered stuff (lye) kicks ass, just make sure you have good ventilation and wear gloves. let them sit in water for about 5 minutes (do a test run) then rinse and I scrubbed with soap and a brush and they come super clean in all the little cracks as well.
AN 1.jpg
AN 2.jpg
AN01.jpg
AN02.jpg
 
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cofooter

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Not trying to offend anyone with this thread, so just in case the gent who rigged this thing is on here, different strokes for different folks.

Once I pulled the engine out I started to pull all the engine rails etc. The owner kept telling me to just do the headers and velvet drive, she didn't need everything done, she wasn't worried about billable hours, as I don't do this for a side job this was just doing for a friend. No way, I told her that she is now in the Sanger Family and this is just how we do it. (On pick up she hands me an envelope with cash, we are still fighting about that!) As I am pulling things apart I find lug nuts in my bolts on the bottom of the boat?!? They used them as spacers. I did end up with 3" worth of 7/16 stainless fender washers, they were everywhere. I had concerns about one of the heads as it had a very rough casting and the plug looked crooked. There was bondo on the face of the head and it was textured to look like a casting. The plug was all galled up and gooped in the head with an assortment of fillers including more bondo that I found inside the head. luckily everything cleaned up good! This thing was a tale or two riggers, the floors and gear box are awesome, then the rest was put together. the picture of the strut is pretty dark but those are standard steel bolts with the heads galled into the strut.
Yikes, with all those washers, might as well just left the strut support off......
 

cofooter

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Awesome work in fast forward, how long did that all take you?
 

jeepdog

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very cool, gave me some ideas for the Hondo... thanks
 

Brokeboatin221

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You beat me posting up but it’s looks great! It was good talking to you the other day!
 

wettrthebettr

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Not trying to offend anyone with this thread, so just in case the gent who rigged this thing is on here, different strokes for different folks.

Once I pulled the engine out I started to pull all the engine rails etc. The owner kept telling me to just do the headers and velvet drive, she didn't need everything done, she wasn't worried about billable hours, as I don't do this for a side job this was just doing for a friend. No way, I told her that she is now in the Sanger Family and this is just how we do it. (On pick up she hands me an envelope with cash, we are still fighting about that!) As I am pulling things apart I find lug nuts in my bolts on the bottom of the boat?!? They used them as spacers. I did end up with 3" worth of 7/16 stainless fender washers, they were everywhere. I had concerns about one of the heads as it had a very rough casting and the plug looked crooked. There was bondo on the face of the head and it was textured to look like a casting. The plug was all galled up and gooped in the head with an assortment of fillers including more bondo that I found inside the head. luckily everything cleaned up good! This thing was a tale or two riggers, the floors and gear box are awesome, then the rest was put together. the picture of the strut is pretty dark but those are standard steel bolts with the heads galled into the strut.
The filler almost looks like J-B WELD
Looking GOOD Cliff, Reminds me of my AquaCraft
Threw the Transom Exhaust is my style Also
Keep up the nice wok
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

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Sangers back! She loved the changes I made last year for her and wants to keep going.

Adding an override pedal and building a coupe back to back seats. The little pinch seats were very tight and she just cruises this thing so she needs a couple more seats and a little bigger cushion Just finished the seats and they are headed to upholstery Monday, now need to bend up a stainless dog leg to get to the outside of that over ride pedal.

Also the steering shaft was a bit short, she hit a wake pretty hard last summer and shoved the wheel down and bottomed out on the post, had shavings all over and could barely turn the wheel.
NEW FOOT PEDAL 1.jpg
NEW FOOT PEDAL 2.jpg
SEATS  2.jpg
SEATS  3.jpg
SEATS 1.jpg
SEATS 4.jpg
SEATS 5.jpg
 
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wettrthebettr

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Looking good Cliff, I almost wish I would of built a Flatty instead of the Campbell. The Campbell build was a blast, But my wife has no interest in boating. maybe I need a girl friend, na, scratch that thought.
New Years Day there is a event for Flattys and Hydros at a little lake called Camp Far West, just above Beale Air Force Base up northern Californy.
Happy New Years To All.
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

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Ill hopefully always will have my Flat Bottom, I like working on them too as they are really simple. Some day my little flat will move to one of my kids and I hope to buy my first Sanger back from my Sister. its that of I cut my 77' up and put a wood deck on her and possibly stretch it :)
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

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The old Cav plate adjustment was a T handle and the rod connected directly under it, with the new over ride pedal I had to move the rod 1.5" to the outside of the boat. Made a 2' dog leg that should work well, just need to cut and put some new threads on the old rod, the coupling will be under the seat bases so you won't see it. Ill wait to put her in the boat and set the pedal where it feels best for her before I cut the rod. These pedals have a 3 to 4 inch range on them and I like to set the neutral position where its comfortable rather than have the pedal straight up, just a cruiser so we can give up some down plate for comfort.
CAV ROD 1 (2).jpg
CAV ROD 2 (2).jpg
CAV ROD 3 (2).jpg
CAV ROD 4 (2).jpg
CAV ROD 5 (2).jpg
 
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wettrthebettr

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Nice off set, you could be a electrical contractor doing conduit off set bends. Looks good cliff.
I set my Aquacraft fatty at 1/8" below the hull for the released position, it worked good for that fatty.
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

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Spring is here and the owner of this Sanger is picking it up in a couple weeks. She has to store it outside so i just kept it in my garage over the winter... We sent the sets to West Coast Marine Interiors out in Perris, they did my Spectra and I was real happy with them. These came out nice, she wanted them the exact colors as the old ones and they nailed that.
Finishing up a fire extinguisher mount for her, this boat is tight especially now with the back to back buckets and I hate having these things at your feet because I always kick them when they are on the stringer under a seat, but need to have quick access. This is similar to where I mounted mine in my Sanger and both of these are very low free board so space is limited. Used the same bolts I used for the over ride pedal and you can see the gauge and grab this pretty quick, just sand and polish now
exting 2.jpg
exting side.jpg
exting top 2.jpg
seats finish 1.png
seats finish 2.png
 

Todd Mohr

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Awesome work there, looks like a killer ski boat/cruiser!!
 

dryhoze1

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Nice job Cliff !
‘Great job doing the Sanger right :)
 

Riverbottom

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Very nice, I have done a few but I really like how you made this a turn key ski boat. They always look good when you follow the KISS principle.
 

wettrthebettr

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Nice work Cliff, Your the man for the job.
I have a question for ya. Back In post 13 what is the size of the Ski tow ?
I would like to install one on my Campbell, But need measurements, cause of Engine cover.
How far up does is top? even with top of Carburetor?
How far out from front of Block?
Thanks, Paul
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

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Hey Paul, that ski tow is made of 1/2 solid stainless rod, pretty standard material, as far as height this will not work for your day cruiser, you would need to build to a custom spec in my opinion. The best ski tows are the ugliest as they need to be high. As you take of the transom digs a hole and if your ski tow is low you drag the skier more than lifting the skier. The tow on this 72' is even with the base of the carb, the one on my Sanger is above my air cleaner. Mine came off my first Sanger that had headers and the ski tow was built so the ropes would clear them. A buddy built a very cool tow for a friend last year, they used
IMG_1077.PNG
chrysler tow 1.png
chrysler tow 2.png
1" or 3/4"stainless tube with a heavy wall, it came out pretty trick. The mounting can really be anyplace you can get a solid foundation. My Sanger bolts the the block and the heads, my Cousins Sanger bolts to the Intake manifold, My Spectra bolts to the transom (but I beefed it up, 5/4 piece of oak glassed under the top deck where it goes thru with an aluminum sleeve thru it and it bolts to a big aluminum base.
 

coolchange

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The ski tow in my 70 Sanger was a trailer hitch ball in the thermostat housing. Worked bitchin and caused people to scratch their heads.:eek:
 

wettrthebettr

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Thanks Cliff, For a Quick Ski tow mount I know I could Remove the engine cove lid and bolt on the ski tow you have, It is only four bolts.
My Daughter and Husband are the only ones That Wake board, and it would only be maybe once or twice a Summer.
I have seen ski tows that mount to the rear of the engine Tranny mounts and intake,
With a pylon like a Mastercraft but now we are talking a major Engine cover Modification, Guess I'll just sit on it for awhile.
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

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These come up on line every once in a while Paul, keep your eyes out and you may find one that works for you. The one on my spectra came off my 77 Sanger , the original owner ran a twin turbo small block and the motor was really far forward. It was 3’ plus tall 2” stainless pipe with the top 12” Being solid stainless . He had a couple stainless rods welded to it and bolted to the block.
 
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Drill the holes for the thru transom tips, scary scary… my little template worked like a charm, set it in there put the center back in and de=rill a pilot hole then drill from the out side in :) it was a tight spot to get past the steering and the cav plate rod housing, the tanks are back almost all the way to the transom so it really pinched me in. Ended up coming out right on the money, not touching anything but man I stared at it a long time. View attachment 791918 View attachment 791919 View attachment 791920 View attachment 791921 View attachment 791922


I did this very same thing. Go from bassett's to thru transom. same sweat running down my forehead. And even with a brand new hole saw, I stripped the gears out of a 20v max dewalt...
 

old rigger

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Great work! Just read the thread and loved how you cleaned everything up but I kept waiting for you to address those butt ugly deck cleats mounted inside the gunnels. A little thing I know.

By the way, when I was rigging I always drilled my dash holes and transom holes the way you did the exhaust holes. Took me longer but I never liked the way the hole saw cut through the glass on the back side, looks much cleaner taking 2 steps.
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

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I hate the cleats!!!! Was pushing hard to remove them especially with the back to backs going in. I predict they will be tossed this summer. My buddy Loraine picked up her boat on Saturday (we never got closer than 6' to each other :) ) The seats came out good, and she was comfy with the override position. I was mad at myself because we had talked about having the upholstery shop make a scoop cover but never did it, I did order her one from Hardin and should be in her hands right now, the towels in the air scoop don't look cool at all.
seat complete 1 (2).jpg
seats complete 2 (2).jpg
seats complete 3 (2).jpg
 

wettrthebettr

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She's a Beauty, You do Really nice work, and it shows.
Cliff how did you set up the cav plate?
1/8", 1/4" up from bottom or ??
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

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We have been chasing an oil leak on this boat, it started at the front cover and blowing a lot of oil out of the breathers. I took the front cover off resealed everything, The owner (Loraine) loves these valve covers, I don't... simple press in breathers that had just an open grommet, I changed the Grommet to one with a side vent in it. Good news is that the oil leak stopped at the front cover and breathers but was now pushing past the valve cover gaskets, I never took them off. Changed the VC gaskets and sealed them up like a mother, I usually just tac them to the VC and let them sit on the head, not this time. Well that leak stopped and we sprung another leak... at this point I am thinking we have way to much crank case pressure, I took a compression test and oh shit, 90 lbs.... it needs to come apart, I am thinking the rings are gone and it just filling the block with pressure.

The engine was in the boat when she bought it, it actually ran pretty good would run up to about 5300, not a screamer but I believe a stock 64' 396 by the head and block castings. Rather than rebuild the little RAT she wants to go bigger so why not put a 496 in the boat. I have been piecing together parts and we have it coming together, I found a 4 bolt block and a really nice set of 781 heads in Visalia right around the corner from my Dad's place. I have a rotating assembly coming and we can get this put together. Not a River Racer build but a solid motor that should scoot pretty good in her little Sanger.

Getting block and heads all ground down, When i picked up the block I took it straight to the machine shop to have it checked, just picked it up on Friday and we are good to go. once I get the pistons it will go back to the machine shop for final clearance and bore.
CLEAN UP 2.jpg
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CLEAN UP 7.jpg
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CLEAN UP 14.jpg
 

74 spectra20 v-drive

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I came across this thread and realized that I never finished it... I ran into parts issues with Scat and they could not get me a crank, this was during covid and I felt they were just not interested in helping me. We had a bone stock 454 that had maybe 15 hours on it under the bench so I just swapped that in place of the 396. Unfortunately early in 22' Loraine lost her battle with cancer, such a loss as she was so much fun and had a infectious spirit. The Boat was sold to a gent who has a place in Parker and they use the heck out of it!
 
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