New to Spectra Marine

[stickman07]

WOW, simply amazing. Maybe I shoulda spent five years instead of two on mine. What an AWSOME piece.

 

[Flyinbowtie]

Wow.
If those pics don't bring the goose bumps up then you are dead.
I can imagine the excitement you are feeling to get moving on the rigging.
I hope you are saving all of these pics so you can do a real "Build Book" on the boat for the future.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

with the way this build has gone it is not surprising to me that we backed up again, hell I tore down my house and built a new one faster than I have built this dam boat. We were playing around talking about colors and addind this or that and one thing leads to another and well....should be done in a few weeks and start working on rigging.

 

[spectra bash]

nice cliff. good talking to you the other day.

 

[Rickybobby]

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[SPECTRALEN]

I know too well what you mean.

Looks great.:thumbup:

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

looks the same but we now have a defined Silver stripe outlined by light blue. Put white down last night, now tape that off for a 1/4 inch line between the dk blue and almost ready to clear. The bottom is done as I left the dark blue alone there and just added the stripe.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

A little progress, dark blue is back on top deck, the dark blue is a two stage has a bluish silver under it, the pictures are out of order but you can see the silver on first. Now do a little cleaning up and clear goes on tomorrow and then my favorite thing to do, I get to sand this thing again so we can buff and make it shiny.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Got the Clear on, next weekend cut and buff.

 

[doubleeagle]

Wow really like the paint, great job. Looks like your getting down to the home streach. I got the chance to talk with Debbie the other day going to try and catch Ken at a good time.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

I havent seen ken in a month or so, trying to do Breakfast with him at least once a month, I really miss seeing him at the shop.

 

[specrocz]

I would love to see your boat and SpectraLen's alongside each other. They seem to be tracking a similar path to completion. Both boats are looking awesome!:thumbup:

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Second time around, back on the trailer headed North tomorrow to hang out with Dad and start rigging.

 

[doubleeagle]

Really came out great Your on the down hill side now

 

[SPECTRALEN]

Looks real nice. I like the color where the non skid was. :thumbsup
Maybe I redo just that area on mine?:rolleyes

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Officially started the rigging process, drilled almost 60 holes in the boat over the weekend, the first one was the hardest. Underwater gear is ready to go, didn't install everything, did not want to run into the corner of the plates and crawl over all the bolts in the floor.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Tried to do a little polishing last night, think I will have the plates done, a little big for my tools here.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Got the gear box bolted in, came out great, 1 finger behind the prop and you can push her right into the coupler...

 

[nrbr]

What are you doing for seats in this?? Looking great btw!

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Two Bukets up front and a bench in the back with an engine hatch over the back resting on the back bench

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Did a little polishing tonight, I picked up some new buffing pads, Zephyr pads, they work great! This bell housing is a prety rough casting but came out pretty nice.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Finished polishing engine rails, my rudder support, trans drive line safety guard and floor all monut to these as well.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

The bad thing about this project going stagnet during pait is that I am questioning all my notes and measurements... I was working in the central valley this week so I stayed at my folks place and worked on the Spectra a bit. My memory and notes are jiving, changed mounting points for the Vdrive so good thing I didn't make these yet! Got some good idea started on plumbing water and coolers etc.. Hoping to get back at it Presidents weekend. My brother in law has kicked out a lot for me so almost all rigging is ready. I just need to actually do something rather than shooting the bull with my Dad, but that is too fun and we really get som egood ideas.

 

[spectra bash]

hey cliff did you get my text.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Finally finished the gear box, still need to finish polishing mounting brackets but good enough for under the floor. This thing was a pain and I keep having sand scratches show up.... I am done with it, my wife layghed at me because I was veryt dirty from polishing and she said at least you like polishing things, the correct statement is i like polished things, the act of doing is not my favorite any more.

 

[alohajeff]

That must have been hours and hours... looks bitchin'

Aloha

 

[vdcruiser]

Yeah, that v-drive looks good, how did you get into all the crevices?:thumbup:

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Getting between the fins was a pain, I have always wanted to watch a professional shop do one of these. I used a variety of cones sizes and grits and then these buffing pads i picked up are very cool. Zephyer pads I have 5 of them and use all 5 to polish each has a seperate rouge to go with it. The pad in the pic was an 8" pad, but I have done quite a bit with it and they are not that expensive. These are multi layer pads and get into the grooves pretty good, the sanding is the key.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Getting between the fins was a pain, I have always wanted to watch a professional shop do one of these. I used a variety of cones sizes and grits and then these buffing pads i picked up are very cool. Zephyer pads I have 5 of them and use all 5 to polish each has a seperate rouge to go with it. The pad in the pic was an 8" pad, but I have done quite a bit with it and they are not that expensive. These are multi layer pads and get into the grooves pretty good, the sanding is the key.
Here is the box a together, need to swap out some stainless nuts and clean those up.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Had a really good weekend, engine and trans mounts cut out and shapped along with a lot of other brackets and mounts, Cav plate assembly bolted up, just need to have 4 of the turn buckles shortned. These are Nicson pieces and what many of the Vdrive Spectras came with, if they were optioned with Cav plates, unfortunatly mine was not. These buckles are cool, bottom is a ball and socket so mounting on a v bottom is easy, I got these on e-bay about 5 years ago from I believe Beregeron out of Phoenix. I was really happy with the way the assembly came out, all built by my brother in law off of plywood templates I gave him, they came back way better that I what I had given him:thumbup:.
We used a 1" control rod and I was sweating the idea of that big bar sliding thru 6 transom bearings. (Remember I am a sales man not a machinest so dont look too close at most of the pictures.) The Transom had a bad bow in it originally more that a 1/2" before we split the boat. When I put the cap back on the boat I used 2 4x4's across the out side of the transom and inside of the transom, I then used some big deck screws and screwed them together thru the transom. I flattend it out pretty good left about a 1/8" bow in it max. When I first got the bearings I mocked up the assembly and used shims to see how bad the gap was. I handed off the bearings and shims to my BIL to trim down the middle 4 and he nailed it, the 1" bar slide thru with just a little effort but I can twist the assembly with my fingers.

 

[SPECTRALEN]

Looking sweet Cliff. You still have a lot of rigging ahead of you compared to mine. But I know you'll have it all minted out and done right.:thumbsup

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

First quarter has been brutal with travel for work and kids Baseball is in full swing so my great plans to get some time on this boat have not worked out so well but i snuk away for a day and got the ski tow roughed in. Still need to do a little shapping on the base and rig up the mounting bolts but i like the look. This ski tow was part of a deal i got when i purchased my Sanger 16 years ago and I have been wanting to use it, glad to finally see it on a boat and off my shelf!

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Took advantage of a bye weekend with Baseball and spent some time at Dad's shop working on the boat and hanging out with Dad. Got the cavatation rod seal housing in and all shaped and polished and finished my fab on the rudder brace. Wanted to use the original brace but did not want to just bolt it to angle bolted to the rails. I have never welded aluminum so what we thought this would be a good project! I am very happy that aluminum grinds easy because I had some ugly welds even after practicing on several scraps for a while... I love the way you can fill hole and notches and just grind and polish, I almost bought a new rudder brace because of all the holes that had been drilled in the original, no isses filled them up and she is looking great. next trip going to tackel Steering and foot overide build, getting closer and I love hanging in the shop with dad

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Down to final weeks of baseball, bitter sweet as this is my youngest and his last year at a great league (Los Altos Cal Ripken) we have been there since 95' both boys and my daughter, but they are expanding so hopefully we can field enough older boys to fill a few teams next year... any way, got on some polishing, engine and trans mounts and wip guard and a floor brace.
Making progress on the engine found some 049 heads, they are at the machine shop.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Steering post is done, I picked up a Morse dual rotary system a few years back from Andrew (River Games) when he was changing his 20' schiada steering. I liked the long post set up he had but wanted some more support for the rotary unit and to shorten up the post just a bit. Had my BIL build a bezel that will receive the post like a cup and let me push the post behind the dash and get a little more room but keep the look of the long post also help ancor the post. I also flipped the post from the original orientation, good thing my machinist works for beer. Going old school with the wheel it matches my Sanger, may have to go with a flater wheel once I sit in the boat or just loose 75lbs. The third piece in the shot is the base for my ski tow.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Shot up to my Folks place for a couple days, got the steering wheel locked in and a game plan on my cabels to tiller and how to dead man with out using the old style clamps. I had an idea of how to lock the stering post but just needed to get the hole in the dash, worked out great made a safety collar on the back side of the post, all my machine work is out of site, but I do think my collar came out cool, forgot to take pics will get some next time up. Having the boat 200 miles away is a bummer but love hanging with my dad in the shop and seeing what he has going on.

 

[nrbr]

What's the power plant for this boat?? It looks great btw.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

1,100 HP Twin Turbow BBC..... OH hold on I just woke up.. We are putting a Stroker BBC 489 ci (30 over vs 496 at 60 over) Block is at L&R Engines in Sante Fe Springs right now, they are doing all the machine work for me and assembling the short block. Forged internals, hydralic cam, 049 heads, Joe Hunt HEI Mag look a like distributor an old school Weiand tunnel ram with dual mechanical holleys (form over function all day) my goal is to run all day and not screw with it. I have a very similar motor in my flat, less the stroke and Tunnel ram, it has 990 heads and a Vertex Mag, the thing has been turn key since we built it in 95' (knock on wood, headed out soon with it) runs well spins up to 6k and the kids drive it. I went with the stroker for the torque, we still water ski and the majority of time we have two skiers, if i struggeled pulling skiers up, I would never hear the end of it.

 

[nrbr]

An hei mag?? Cool !! I did all my Glasswork in hacienda heights right by Santa fe springs!! Do you hang out with any of the Armenian navy guys?? They're all in that area.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

No, I dont know anyone from the area, just referred to the Machine shop by my BIL. The Hei mags are cool, they look just like a Vertex but they arent a true mag, still all internal just a coupe more wires to the unit still very clean, here is a shot of one in my dads buick.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

I am running an old Morse Command 2 sterring, I have looked at many of these units under dash and always worried about the weight of the unit hanging off under the dash with just a couple 1/4" bolts and with these things being extinct I really want to preserve the one I have. The aluminum cup we made for the post will help and i really wanted to secure the end of this thing. I Took a piece of .125 stainless, pressed a bend in it and will mount it to the sterring helm and then to a pad under the deck. Glassed up the pad tonight I like to encapsuleate the wood, drape cloth over 1 side let it kick, grind it down and repet. the pad will get glassed with a couple layers of matt under the deck. I'll sink some stainless T nuts in before sticking it up but should give me some piece of mind.
Also mocking up the pedal mounts, a little crude right now but I know what I want now.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Spent a couple days up north working on the never ending project...

Foot pedal assemblies 90% done, my mock up worked great they feel good sitting in the boat. I was able to get all the Cav rods under the floor and have just a bit of the assembly showing. Need to shape and polish some aluminum and we should be good. By going under the floor I have to push the rod rather than pull it, so I need to build a bell crank that will pull as I push, should be easy and the bell crank will use the same mounting holes as my throttle assembly. I hate having a bunch of holes on the stringers so trying to multipurpose as many holes as possible. The boat had no plates to begin with when Spectra built her so I am going w/o a lock out on the cav plates and just having a down pedal.

Throttle assebly will be built out of 3/16 aluminumplate, bends wont be as tight but shape will be sililar and it will be cut down guite a bit probably only about 6 inches tall vs the 9" that it is now, I use 1/8 inch for the mock up.


The steering finally came together, I dont want to see any of cabel mounts and went back and forth on using a Splash well mount on the outside of the stringer. I will have a floor in the back as well and need to mount it some how, so finally it worked out in my head (Dad's idea a month ago) use the mounts I have and run a piece of aluminum angel flat side up and mount the steering under and the floor to the top. It is right at the end of the floor so i still have access to inspect and get to bolts and nuts.

Next issue is i am still deciding on a Cam shaft and flopping back and forth on tunnel ram or single four. I had in my head the entore time to run the RAM but I did the same thing with my flat and ended up going with a single four, so simple runs up to 6k and it starts every time... I just dont know if i want to scre with the tunnel ram even thouh they really look cool.

 

[SPECTRALEN]

Looking great Cliff.:thumbsup

All I can tell you is that I know kind of how your feeling on a little smaller scale. I was so overwhelmed at times but kept the end result in my sights. Your project is huge and you are real close to being done.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

one step closer, still the slowest guy around rigging this thing... built my go pedal base out of 1/4"ended up with a real nice bend, also all mock up on engine, trans mounts done now just shape and polish. I set up a little different than I have in the past, instead of using just on piece of angle to attach to the mounts we are using two and not bolting to the bottom of teh angle but thru the side, backing it up with a 5/16 plate against the stringer.. a little over kill but once its shapped and polished hoping it will look beefy. Next trip Looking to start setting up mechanicals that will run off the inside transom, fuel pump, bilge, and filters, and run steering cables and finish that once and for all.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

I thought that shaping the angle brackets was going to be a bear, turned out to be not so bad. Found some 3" flapper disks at McFadden Dale for small angle grinder, these work really nice as you can control your speed much better than with a 4" grinder or bench grinder. Only a few hours this past weekend to work but hoping to finish them up next weekend, get the radiuses all around and polish.

 

[nrbr]

Angles look cool!! Are you going to run it polished or anodize?

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

clear anodized is the plan for all the rigging, may add some black into it.

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

I spent way more time than I anticipated on finishing the angle brackets up but they are done and look like I wanted them to. 1 step closer!

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

No Travel this week for the first time in 7 weeks!!!!! No coaching!!!! I have a project planned for every night this week, Monday night Finish cleaning up my sterring helm and brace, Check it off the list!

 

[spectra bash]

Looks killer Cliff. Looking forward to the rest.