Offshoreonly.com - Diary of a mad man part 2

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Diary of a mad man part 2

Hello Fellow Activators

I purchased Pat Balbs' 38 a few years back knowing it would be a long term project. I spoke to Pat about this deal years prior and we both finally came to a mutual agreement. We ended up pulling power and drives off both our boats and trading as part of the deal. I had a 28 Pantera. I played with that boat for some time and seems like I would have purged it out of my system,.... guess not. The old school hot rod stuff is what really does it for me. Big cams and big blocks in a v bottom built to run some snotty water is my fix for sure., nothin fancy. Many of you know this boat was originally built as a race boat. I spoke to Mark at Rage about it quite a bit before pulling the trigger on the deal. The boat sat in storage for a yr after the trade before I got itchy pants and started tearing it apart. I know a few of you would like to see what happened to it so I'll start posting some pics. This was a difficult situation due to my storage options and took me a good bit of time. I had some help here and there from friends and my boys when I couldn't walk something heavy up a ladder by myself. For the most part I was a solo act. I had it easy with the Pantera because it would fit in my shop. The Activator on the other hand is 50' long on the trailer and I didn't have a shop to accommodate it. I just had to put my big boy pants on and get it done. I don't have pics on this computer so I'll be adding them as I can from my phone.
Tom
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...6bfd5e91bf.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...b46dfbf2a8.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...e60e342142.jpg

Man I luv staggered boats

nice one for sure!
can't wait for more of your progress pictures!

Cool boat, I remember the ad for it.

Great looking boat tomcei
Where are you out of? I see NJ reg on there but don't know if those are recent pics of yours? I've got a 30' Activator in Jersey.

Look forward to seeing some finished pictures!!!

I'm still searching for some relevant pics but here are some when in race trim.. loved the canopies. I was bummed when they got cut but replacements didn't seem to be feasable.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...a867f2ebd9.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...04cfffc5e8.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...408d7758a0.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...c52e821f45.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdaniel525 (Post 4889390)

Im in Atlanta

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomcei (Post 4889415)

Im in Atlanta

Gotchya, so what'd you end up doing for power and drives for the restoration?
Looks sick in race trim

632 na SCX

Some more history. the boat was made in 2000 Not quite sure on all the time lines but the Canopies were eventually cut open a bit and i think it was still raced as "Aftershock" Looks like Pat picked up the boat in 2006 without mtrs or drives. I have some pics ill post of the boat for sale prior to Pat and his purchase. Also some rework pics on the transom and new tanks. The bottom was redone by Dolphin Industries ( Bad Boy Boats). I spoke to them about the work as well. The steps were too aggressive and were tamed down to mild. After speaking with Mark (Rage) a few times more i new i found my next project and dragged her home.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...98b2648b2e.jpg
Ad fir sale
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...f6461302b0.jpg

I miss talking to Pat for sure. We went back and forth about history and odd ball things about the Pantera and Activator.

The link below shows the boat as the cover for the video and at the 8min mark. There are some other shots running later in the video as well. I love these vids from Jeff at Freeze Frame..... where would "addicts" like me be without them.

Congrats on building a boat that MANY of us dream of owning/running. I saw picks of the finished product on FB a few weeks back? I had been looking for your post and could not find it on FB or OSO. I have always been a fan of the Pantera, Activator, Kryptonite and Superboats. I bought a Kryptonite last year after a long search. I hope to get to see it in person on Lanier. Bob

Great post! And thanks for the update on it Tom great to see it again.

I starting taking inventory on what i had and didn't have. As most know one thing leads to another. I have a few pics of my starting point i'll post. I ended up working on the trailer first. Didn't have working brakes and it was crusty, etc etc. Needed some love. Bottom line if i wanted to take it anywhere safely it had to be done.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...bd79aa5a5e.jpg
Peeking in exhaust cut out
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...317d7308aa.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...f4f039a34a.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...5ab17fe1ae.jpg

Just after the bath

Clean up and tested everything. The project seems to constantly grow in scope. Rebuild this and replace that.. trim tab pumps and all new relays. Rebuild Hydrolic rams... clean clean and more clean and more buffing...
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...20cecb2e4c.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...5962c97ee8.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...44e564c037.jpg
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. powder coat you name it

Forgive the typos and spelling.. putting this together from a phone sux...Started putting it back as I received parts and tried to work on it every chance I got.. after work and the weekends. Hot/ cold / rain u name it.. some of these pics might be out of sequence so bare with me.. I made a few mistakes along the way on my timing. sometimes a good idea should have been realized earlier on in the build. In the back of my mind I keep thinking about the cut canopies and how much I wish I could.find some more.. I was totally blown away what it would take to replace them.. ultimately I knew I needed to change the profile of the boat to work with what I had and the new direction with a wind screen/ shield look..
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...cd5525b00d.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...86f5811e8f.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...e8c6d08611.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...f95f885865.jpg
I decided to replace all my hoses and lines. Kept the Hydrolic steering lines from the helm.... But that was it.. all new stainless clamps etc.. i ended up rewiring everything. I'll show you some pics of the dash.redo later

Looking great, hope it comes out as nice as the Pantera. What are you doing for power?

Quote:

Originally Posted by craney (Post 4889587)

looking great, hope it comes out as nice as the pantera. What are you doing for power?

632 na

Awesome to see this project. Keep posting pics! Great job so far.

As I was working to reassemble the bilge I was also stripping out the cock pit and helm. Like I said, hard to find a stopping point... sometimes we create our own pain..lol
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...a6c36c59c3.jpg
Jack shaft assembly. New shaft and beargings
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...5e679c02d1.jpg
Geeze..lets get another
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...b5a3f4ef66.jpg
Mades sure all exposed was sealed up tight
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...8968b1d0e2.jpg

Found some MTI seats a friend had and picked those up along the way. Still putting some ideas together for the dash. Also determined what I wanted to do on the profile. I didnt post the exact pic i thought but more or less im going with the bottom red line and cutting it there.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...e7e09dbd28.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...4f147559a7.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...7d09b3f85f.jpg

As i look thru my pics i realize the sequence of events are a bit jacked up. Phone swaps and gallery folders are killing me...lol. I am trying not to jump around with what im showing but the work i did and the ADHD in me is all over the place. When one part doesn't show up or fit im on to the next item i can tackle. Hence ,.....now the whole boat is blown apart...

So at this point I'm good with the over all lines of the boat. Blacking out the windscreen helped. I am working on some little nick knack pieces for the vent holes and still cleaning up the interior, we'll actually stripping and cleaning out the interior. I'll post pics of the stripped out dash and floor soon. I'm also still assembling powder coated hardware in the bilge. I went round and round with some used mtrs and took a bath on that deal. I've licked my wounds and Finally broke down and decided to go with some ultra tall Dart blocks and Heads. Building 632 NA to run on 89/90 pump gas.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...2f29c84577.jpg
Template over New flooring
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...9e1d20bc3a.jpg
After stripping i Coated with imron
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...f7483f75d8.jpg
Popped in a mechanical heads up ,
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...dfc21a8b4b.jpg
Rebuilt the shifter assmy. Ended up changing color to black
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...d37079587f.jpg
Bling for the vent.. had a local shop cnc this for me from a template i made
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...799ee4d46c.jpg
Rebuilding the seat bases for correct height and slight recline to work with the new seats
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...e854624b2f.jpg
Had to mark cut and reweld the mounts.. i will powder coat black
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...ddb7fff77a.jpg
Newly assembled with color change
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...28fd8393bc.jpg
Interior goodies.

Made some foot rests
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...78cccb4f4e.jpg
Trimmed them out with flooring to match
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...ad1e325837.jpg
Mocking up some grab handles for the front seats.. wanted something to hold on to while adjusti trim and tabs.. i will cover the handles with rubber and dress them up. White board is the backing for the new upholstery

Way cool project!

Thanks for taking the time to post the progress.

BTW, on the motors, as highly loaded and strung as they will be, I’d spend every dime you can on them!

Thanks..story of my life.. spending more than I should.. more misc interior pics..
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...310aaafbd6.jpg
Finished my front seat grab handles
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...51c7a619ed.jpg
Trimmer out the switches
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...c2d7abf729.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...b564e4f90b.jpg
Going with a carbon Fiber dash
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...6457bdcd90.jpg
Seats are done..also covered the console to match

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...9959c4165c.jpg
Cleaned up a lottle..i made a trim molding out of aluminum and powder coated it black for the console base.. this will tue in with the seat bases.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...594287b9b6.jpg
Foot rests in place

Man it takes some time to sand down and polish bolt heads