my first v-drive resto project

[azmedic2007]

Finally got to meet a couple people from here at a Delta event this month. I just picked up my 1969 Sanger 2 weeks ago. It was a craigslist find. I happened to be looking through the ads to find a boat for a friend when I came along this Sanger. The original asking price was $750 and so I saved the ad but didn't call the guy for 2 weeks. I figured by then he would either have sold it or been more motivated, and if it was still for sale, it was meant for me to buy it. So I called him and he said he needed to get $500 for it and it was still available but he had taken the v-drive, rudder, and other misc parts off the boat. So I told him to hold onto it, I'd be down when both of our schedules jived to pick it up. 2 weeks later I loaded up the truck and left Tahoe for Oakdale, about 20 miles east of Molesto. The boat was sitting in a horse pasture surrounded by weeds with 2 wheels on the tandem axle trailer. He opened up his truck bed and there sat the v-drive and all sorts of chrome/polished aluminum goodies off the boat. I told him I only had $450 and would he take that. He grabbed the money fast and his girlfriend didn't look pleased that he dropped the price another $50. I grabbed 4 wheels and tires out of my truck and started mounting them on the trailer. 3 out of the 4 bearings didn't have covers and I was worried the trailer wouldn't make it very far. As I put each wheel on, I checked the bearings to the best I could (he was in a rush to get back to work), then focused on trying to get the boat hooked to the truck. It seems a tractor at some point backed into the trailer and bent the hitch and trailer. I finally rigged the hitch and had to tie the hitch release down to keep it locked. While all this was going on, he started telling me the story of the boat. It belonged to a friend of his dads who both drag raced boats in the 70's and 80's. Sometime around the mid 80's this guy got into drugs and parked the boat, pulling parts of to sell to pay for his habit. He finally od'ed and died leaving the boat sitting where I found it at his mom's house. She's in her 80's and told her son's friend's son to clean out her property for her and sell whatever he could for payment. Somehow the trailer made it all the way to Hanford without any problems. It has a split-case Casale 12 deg v-drive that spins effortlessly. Here are a few shots of what I'm starting with:

 

[Hammer]

What's your plan ? Are you going to outsource the gel/fiberglass work ? If so who is going to do it ? Do you plan on paint or gel ? Looking forward to watching this project unfold and come together ! :thumbup:

 

[azmedic2007]

What's your plan ? Are you going to outsource the gel/fiberglass work ? If so who is going to do it ? Do you plan on paint or gel ? Looking forward to watching this project unfold and come together ! :thumbup:

I'm going to do as much of the glass work as I can myself. It will get painted by my brother who does awesome work. I'm building all new seats to match the originals and a friend is sewing them for me. I have to replace the stringers and will be doing that over Thanksgiving with my uncle who is awesome at glass work. I plan to do mahogany floors and I'm switching from the lever adjusted cavitation to a peddle. I have a 496 chevy going in and should make for a nice, fast ski and fun boat. I haven't decided on a paint scheme yet as that is a long ways off.

 

[Hammer]

I'm going to do as much of the glass work as I can myself. It will get painted by my brother who does awesome work. I'm building all new seats to match the originals and a friend is sewing them for me. I have to replace the stringers and will be doing that over Thanksgiving with my uncle who is awesome at glass work. I plan to do mahogany floors and I'm switching from the lever adjusted cavitation to a peddle. I have a 496 chevy going in and should make for a nice, fast ski and fun boat. I haven't decided on a paint scheme yet as that is a long ways off.

:thumbup: if you can I'd like to see in detail what it takes to replace the stringers , what to be carful of , how to cut them out as well as how to install the new stringers properly. Same with what it takes and a how to with the mahogany floors, prep etc.

I'd really like to take on a project like this but everyone says the work to reward ratio isn't worth it, just pay someone to do the work on the hull.

 

[azmedic2007]

For me, a lot of the fun is in the building process and doing the work myself. With all due respect to those out there that are not mechanically inclined, there is just an appreciation for the process that lacks when paying someone else to do the work. I am new to the fiberglass and floor laying process but with help I will learn it and do it right. The nice thing about having a second boat as a project is, I don't have to rush to get this on the water anytime soon.

 

[Hammer]

For me, a lot of the fun is in the building process and doing the work myself. With all due respect to those out there that are not mechanically inclined, there is just an appreciation for the process that lacks when paying someone else to do the work. I am new to the fiberglass and floor laying process but with help I will learn it and do it right. The nice thing about having a second boat as a project is, I don't have to rush to get this on the water anytime soon.

I agree with you on the building process being fun . I've never worked with fiberglass before let alone replace stringers or a floor. I wouldn't feel comfortable without an experienced glass guy helping me and showing me the proper process as I/we go. Again, looking forward to the build process , thanks for sharing !

 

[hav19]

(Not My Ad) I have no idea if this would fit or is even a direction you would want to go, but I saw it on CL yesterday and thought about it when I saw your project http://mohave.craigslist.org/boa/4129812101.html



If ur restoring a flat bottom this is the seat for u it sits 3 adults and has nice cover over your v drive box with a hinged seat to change gears still its made out of 3/4 plywood all resin and done the right way with gussets and extra wood so it doesn't fall apart 928-230-479zero

 

[azmedic2007]

Thanks but I still have the original seat frames that I will rebuild with new material and since I haven't decided on colors for the boat yet, I don't want to buy something with color that may conflict.

 

[CampbellCarl]

Random thoughts....

By original seat frames, I hope that you're NOT talking about the ones in the pictures. Those didn't come in that boat.....maybe a '67 Chevelle..

Use caution in supporting the boat bottom when replacing stringers. If the trailer is original to the boat, that might work, otherwise you'll need to build a support system that matches the current boat bottom.

The cav plate control in the boat should stay and an 'over-ride' pedal installed. You need to be able to set the plates where ever you want them based upon water conditions and boat load then mash the over ride pedal for instant down when needed.

CC

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Original seats "might" have looked like this.

 

[Deception88]

Can't wait to see what you end up doing to it!

 

[f_inscreenname]

Cant wait to see what you do. Maybe this will give you a little inspiration.

http://supernova19.com/Hosting stuff/1959 Biesemeyer.wmv

 

[Rickybobby]

Nice work AZ, not easy saving the old stuff, could get a new hull layed up for less than what you will have in this, but no where near as cool as saving a classic hunk of glass !!!!

Do the ladies come with the boat ??? just askin

 

[azmedic2007]

actually it's not a bad project from investment point. I'm in it so far for a total of $450 plus the gas to tow it. I will have just about 7k into it when all is said and done. It will easily be a 15k boat if I wanted to sell it. I'm taking my time doing it though and I will keep it for a long long time. I have a 496 BBC going in it, the 12 deg split case Casale will be gone through, it has a heavy duty 10 degree strut, complete cable steering set up. I will be puting in mahogany floors, a rail system for the added support, still undecided as to a tunnel ram with 2-4's or Hilborn injectors. Definitely doin logs with OTE since this never had through transom set up. I'm going to blueprint the bottom, speed coat it, and my brother will shoot the gel coat for me, I just have to pay for materials. I'm rebuilding the original seat except i'm taking out the center seat in the front to make it 2 buckets with a shortened console so the polished v-drives and struts can be seen. Haven't decided on gel coat colors or scheme yet as that's a long ways away. I'm just hoping to have it ready to primer by march.

 

[ka0tyk]

actually it's not a bad project from investment point. I'm in it so far for a total of $450 plus the gas to tow it. I will have just about 7k into it when all is said and done. It will easily be a 15k boat if I wanted to sell it.

lol... this must be your first project.

lookin forward to seeing your progress.

 

[azmedic2007]

not my first and won't be my last. The motor is already paid for and done, the painting will be done for free, just have to pay for the cost of the materials. I'm doing as much of the labor on everything I can myself. I'm building the rail system and seat frames, a friend is sewing them for me. This will be a good 90 mph boat and that's fine with me!

 

[azmedic2007]

made a little progress today. Brought the boat down to my parents' place since all the tools and space is there. Today I started to wash the boat hoping that all the moss and mud/grime would come right off. Not happening. So I had to grab a stiff floor brush and lots of soap and water. Took me over 2 hours but got it clean. I was amazed looking at the pictures seeing how different the boat looks. Over Thanksgiving I will grind out all the bad places on the stringers and re-glass them. If I have time, I will start sanding the outside of the boat down to fresh gel coat so I can start making repairs to the glass before flipping it over and blueprinting the bottom.

 

[GN107]

Good Luck with the build. Post lots of pictures!

 

[ctchndltgo200]

:thumbup: if you can I'd like to see in detail what it takes to replace the stringers , what to be carful of , how to cut them out as well as how to install the new stringers properly. Same with what it takes and a how to with the mahogany floors, prep etc.

I'd really like to take on a project like this but everyone says the work to reward ratio isn't worth it, just pay someone to do the work on the hull.

I tried to do my own, what a joke, that's all have to say about that!!! :yikes:yikes:yikes

 

[ka0tyk]

any updates? how far did you get?

 

[Roaddogg 4040]

Looks like the OP might of discovered how much work is actually in a project like this:yikes

Steve