1985 Baja Force Build Thread - Loaded with pics and looking for advice
 

Guys, I am officially starting my build thread.

Backstory, sold the Harley and wanted a summer toy, live up in the Sandusky, Ohio area close to the bay and islands (Kelly's, PIB, ect). So I started looking for a boat and came across a deal on Craigslist for a Baja force 250 for 3000, has a 454 bb high performance Mercury cyclone. Needed some TLC, interior was good.

Brouught in home and found it needed more than I thought, stringers. Here is my thread about my stringer questions. http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/b...placement.html

Here are some pics of when I brought it home.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/a2b3af89.jpg

Started dissassembling the boat and made the decision to take it down to nothing and build it back up.

First thing I did was derig, remove the engine, interior, floors (still good). And started purchasing parts.

Needed:
New trim tab pump and line
Batteries
Bought newer Baja switch panel and fuse block from great lakes skipper
Bellows
Seals and bearings for transmission (water in oil, opened up, seals were bad.
Engine oil and power steering cooler (idiots tried to hold it together when it separated with screws.

Redid bunks on trailer, they were not correct for this boat and were putting pressure on spots and created a wave because it sat on the trailer for so long, after the boat was on jacks, waves relaxed and new bunks were fab Ed.

Here are some pics of the stringers coming out.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/a54005a0.jpg
What was left, pure crumbles of rotten 2x12http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/b2ea519b.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/421cc6ef.jpg
When we realized the stringers needed done
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/30bf4d86.jpg
The engine
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/0981ff19.jpg
Front bulkhead
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/ce2ff6b5.jpg
The most solid piece of stringer from the boat
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/515409fc.jpg

After further review we found that the fuel line going from filler neck to tank had a hole in it the previous owner never knew about. Which therefore filled the bilge with fuel all the time. Then the fuel soaked into the floor and stringers. They literally smelled like gas when we removed it. Talk about a ticking time bomb!

This is where I'm at today. The LVL I'm using for stingers has been ordered, and am going to buy my fiberglass and resin from Glass Dave this week, he is such a great resource to have and only lives about an hour away.

Pic of one side removed and ground down.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/d5bc38c6.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/68b70adb.jpg

One question I have is how far ground down does the old fiberglass on the hull need to be? I have it pretty much flush everywhere and just a couple little raised spots in the engine bilge ( they used a lot of resin and glass there, really built up)

Hopefully going to start laying glass a week from today! Engine is going to a local engine shop this week just to get a once over checkup to make sure it's not all cobbled like the rest of this boat.

Thanks For looking guys, leave any suggestions or question answers you have here please! Love this site!

I don't believe it needs to be ground down perfectly smooth, I would definitely make sure its decent and clean so that the new bonds to the old. I ground mine down cleaned it with a acetone and then ground it again just to scuff it up before doing my glass work!!

I would have used marine grade douglis fir plywood laminated together over the lvl.. But keep the pics coming and I will chime in and help out anyway i can!!

Can't wait to watch the progress!! Good Luck!

Fleg

WOW! glad you got that enrgy and know how, I was gonna have to completely redo my 320 and I was like... nah... lol

good luck and I plan to keep wathing the pics!!

I wish I had somewhere to store that 320 of yours safely for a couple years then redo that!

find a place!! going to scrapper next week!!!

While you have it gutted like that pull all the screws from the deck joint and laminate the top deck to the hull then re screw it and that boat would be as solid as a rock!!!!

It looks like it was riveted together, some rivets are broken and such on the bump strip and go all the way through to the cabin, is there another layer of screws under that?

there could be more screws under the rub rail, pull the rub rail and check!! I would screw the rubrail back on over rivets, think about it rivets will break loose and get week over time>>
If its riveted then I would definitely grind them off and glass the hull and deck joint on the inside, then thru bolt the deck joint with bolts and nyloc nuts and washers, then use stainless 11/4" wood screws to install the rubrail over the deck joint.. Doing this will eliminate a lot of the twist and flex from the boat while running in the water..

Hell you have it gutted and its just a matter of pulling the rivets and a little bit of work to do it right!!!!

Just my 2cents but if it were me and I had my boat torn down to the point that yours is its a no brainer to make it right!!!

Fleg

:poopoo: double post

YOU NEED TO PRESSURE TEST THE GAS TANK. Mine had a area on the bottom of the tank with porosity that allowed a leak that I could not find until the tank was upside down on the bench at 3psi or so with soap/water solution bubbling away. It was a aluminum corrosion that occurs when water is present without enough oxygen to form the oxides that protect aluminum from corrosion. Your boat has clearly spent a bit of time with water in the bilge, so I would be amazed if the tank is not either leaking or close to it. I had to replace my tank with a 40 gallon to get the right width. I am on Lake of the Ozarks so reduced range is not a issue, we have gas docks all over. Otherwise it would have been custom to replicate the 62 gallon original. Both were from RDS if I recall correctly.
I have screws and rivets that are definitely under rub rail along with the screws that go thru rub rail and then through hull/deck.

Brought home the LVL today for the stringers. This stuff is pretty cool, it's a 10 layer laminated beam that has very few plugs in at all. It will be stout! Had a bunch of measurements made already so we went ahead and cut one. Here is a pic of us cutting one and a pic of what the inside of the LVL looks like.
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/03a5d792.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/fe554bac.jpg

What is the best stuff to use to bed the stringers with? Have heard of using duraglass? we cut the stringer and put a bevel on the edge to meet the hull and trimmed a couple times a little bit and It meets the hull all to within a little over 1/4 inch even on the front 10 feet of the hull.

I will be pulling a section of the bumps strip tonight, lots of rivets are already lose or broken off. And probably will be laminating tonight.

Gas tank even still has a shine on the bottom of the tank, will check it but I'm 99 percent sure it's ok.

Thoughts anyone?

my thought..... she's gonna be solid with that stringer setup! looks like fun!

Just think your boat was built only 50 miles south of Sandusky OH. in Bucyrus! Just let me know what your looking for on parts, canvas, interior work. I started at Baja in 84' through 08' and I have a 84' 87' and 86' all getting redone myself.

XT

Funny thing is that I lived in Bucyrus till I was 9. Then we moved up to Castalia to be exact. I'm through Bucyrus for work all the time. My father, pictured cutting the stringer has been a firefighter on the city dept for 24 years and is still there! Baja in the blood! Lol

XT, I was the one calling for an interior quote on the force about a month ago, this is the boat. I will defiantly be having you do the interior at some point in the future, your work looks great!

So when you say laminating does that mean your going to glass the hull and deck joint from the inside?

When I bedded my stringers I made a paste/filler out of resin and aerocel.. Aerocel is like a powder that when you mix it with resin it makes a paste, I also thru some chopped glass in the mix to give it some strength!!

Didn't mean laminating tonight, sorry, got all the bumps strips off an those rivets removed. What I think I'm going to do is lay about a 3 inch piece of glass on the inside of the joint all the way around. Going to leave the original rivets, and just add another bolt and nut every 18 inches. The rivets can hold the joint when glassine and then the glass and extra hardware will stiffen, probably do me layer, maybe 2. I can tell you it's going to be a PITA to do this in the engine bay! Lol

Thats awesome I'm glad your going the extra mile and doing it, you will be glad you did!!! I just wish I could have done mine when I had it apart, my problem was is I didnt have the cabin torn out and I didnt want to tear it out!!! LOL

Use a biaxial cloth when glassing the deck joint! 1708 biaxial is what I used in my boat!!!
MORE PICS!!!!!

Fleg

Mid 80's 320 Force Redo
 

Not to highjack your photos and progress but since you and fleg are both interested in new interiors I thought this Baja 320 that was vandalized badly and we redid the cockpit area it might give you an idea what we can do? It was actually easier to install newer style Aero bolsters because the old ones were so rotted.

XT
xt@xt-innovationsDOTcom

Looks great! Hopefully going to take some more pics tonight, pulled all the old crud carpet that was in the cuddy last night along with the hull liner, bump strip all off and rivets gone. Hopefully going to have everything sanded down and clean ready to go to mock up the stringer setup and start grassing this weekend! And good tutorial on how to glass it up? Never done glass before but everyone says its a piece of cake?

Also, looking to order 1/4 inch backed white vinyl to glue back in cuddy, not sure what to do on the each side of the cockpit? Any suggestions? It orinigally just showed the edge of the top deck, the rounded out floor joint, and then the hull liner carpet on the hull. Open to ideas.

And I will post some more pics tonight!

This is what Baja used as "Hulliner" in the cabin areas, but Great Lakes keeps selling it as cockpit white vinyl.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/BAJA-MARINE-...item2eb2075a31

I like carpet on the cockpit side walls if you always keep it covered in the rain.

XT

Thats kinda what I'm looking for as far as the bench goes, i want to take the gunnel pads all the way to the floor and insert some oval openings large enough to store smaller items with some led lighting to accent, somehow need to incorporate some cup holders in front of the bolsters ( I have new Aero's ) and at the bench seat because I have not one drink holder on the boat right now!!! I want vinyl on the gunnel pads not carpet and I don't want to much color I like the all white now but I think it needs just a small amount of color to make it POP!! Would like to have the same design on the hatch thats on my boat now.. My bench has the molded fiberglass seat now and my hatch has the 8" drop in the front that comes down over the molded part of the seat and rests on the top of the back rest of the bench seat.. Does that make sense!!!!!:cartman: I also need a snap in carpet!!

All I need is a starting point estimate to see if its something I can do right now or not....

It would look sweet!!!

Maybe you guys want to do the headrests on the motorlid like this Top Gun we are redoing?

XT

Fleg read my mind, except I think I'm doing a red orange and yellow paint job.

Love the headrests in the sun pad!

Well, the project got bigger today I think, while removing some of the old stringer fiberglass tabbing in the engine bay, I discovered some wet dark wood (rotten i guess) in the bottom 12 inches of the transom,looks like it will need replaced. Everything around the gimble and transom strap tie downs was good, but of course, the drain plug was never sealed.

So should I see how far the rot goes and just start from the bottom up and replace what was bad? Or do the whole thing? This little deal might just have put the nail,in the coffin of hoping to get it in the water for one test run this year.

xt please check your pm's or call me 845 6four23305 about hinges in 96' 272 mike

Big Update!

After further inspection of the transom, in it's entirety we are going to leave it go and maybe do it in a couple years in the winter.

Got the hull cleaned off down to nothing. The best tool I have found so far for this build was a set if chisels that go in a sawzall that literally peeled back all the old tabbing in sheets. A quick grind with sme 24 grit on an air sander then a clean of big gobs with a flapper disc on a grinder did it out.

Next after picking up my resin, Mel, and 1708 glass from Glass Dave and a few extra tools from harbor freight got home and laid a single strip down underneath the main two stringers for a good bond.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/c3093990.jpg

Next day we coated all the LVL with a thin coat of resin. Funny story, when you are mixing resin, make sure you weigh out the ingredients at the correct ratio. My dad mixed a batch on the scale and accidently did a 10 percent hardener mix instead of 1 percent. Such a hot mix it was bubbling and frothing within the minute! The scale works great when measuring out resin and putting the hardener in it.

Today we got all the stringers in place in the boat and screwed together with coated deck screws; also threw in some liquid nails to hold some stuff together with the screws for support. Some pics of the process.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/5b1ee557.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/75230e4c.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/df7de960.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/da105a07.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/64ba913e.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/1576e96b.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/30a2607d.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/03f39670.jpg
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...6/84df5f68.jpg

That's the progress so far, tomorrow's schedule is to finish leveling off the floor gussets and bed everything down nice. Hopefully start laying glass Monday and have it done by the weekend!!!!

When gassing here is my plan, lay down 2 tabs that go halfway up the stringers, lay a top layer that caps it all in then one more tab on the sides, sound good? Any input lay it out!

Will upload more pics tomorrow of it all bed together.

Where we at!!!! need more pics!!!!!!!

yes more pics!!!!

I used 2 layers of 1708 over all my new work!! Personnally I don't think 1 is enough..

What the hell happened??? It's been 2 weeks with nothing:cartman:

Sweet Looking Ride!!!

HUGE UPDATE!


Before I go farther I have to give my dad a huge shout out. He is a firefighter, works every third day and took the whole month of August off with his comp time. Every day for about 6 hours he has worked on the boat, I couldn't be this far along without his help. He wants it in the water as bad as I do!

Sorry for the long time wait, work has been busy and so has working on the boat! So I last left you with installing the stringers just before bedding.

Since then I have bed the stringers into the hull then fiberglassed it all in. Used 1708 glass with poly resin. Layup I used was tabs to join stinger to hull, 2 layers. The first layer went 6 inches up and out and the second one went 8 inches up and out. Then layed a partial cap then one full cap over everything. Thing is solid as a rock!!! Used about 30 yards of cloth and 15 gallons of resin. Glassdave gave me some pointers along the way, picked up the materials from him. Once again, huge props to him, one awesome dude!

After stingers were glassed i painted the floors and bilge. I read around a lot and chose to go the rusteloum enamel with hardner route. Bright white. Let me say I am impressed with the look and strength. Still have to put a couple more coats in the bilge area, but the floors are done.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...55133ABC76.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...551A747BB2.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...552366BB42.jpg

Already taking my shoes off when I get in the boat! Lol

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...552B7E6175.jpg



Installed gas tank, drilled all drain holes and loaded them up with resin to waterproof.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...550BAF973A.jpg

Up next is getting the floors screwed down and glassed in on the sides. Then plan on doing the lamination of hull to deck, 3 layers staggered of 1708. Hoping to have it done by the weekend.

Also pretty much have the motor all gone through and inspected. New sea water pump, one new engine oil and power steering cooler. I purchased a carb off a guy in Craigslist that was new. A edelbrock 1411 750 cfm marine carb with electric choke. It had a 1410 auto carb on it for some reason. New fluids and plug wires are in order for next week. Starter and alternator getting tested now.

Purchased some gaffrig offshore controls.

Replaced bearings and seals in the red tag Borg Warner tranny as well.

This is all the updates and pics for now, hope to be facing the new windscreen here mid next week as well as staring to re rig everything up!

Any questions or comments let me know!

I have a spare red tag here if you wanna purchase later let me know, I have greens so it's for sale...

Oh yea, great job! looks nice with all new paint!!!

Sweet!!! I beleive the Edelbrock 1410 is the marine version carb Thats what I have on my engines..

Never mind I had the 1411 and bought a 1410, lol

Got the floors installed tonight and most of the wiring pulled out. Hoping to finish the bilge painting and storage compartments tomorrow with the final 2 coats then start rerigging!

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...474D5C17D3.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d2...47467EDEFA.jpg

Looking Good!

I want to be the first to make a donation to the build. I have two original style 5" Baja "Sun" logos that were made by the same supplier for Baja Marine. They should look great on the finished boat.

XT

Especially with a orange, red, and yellow paint job!