when this whole thing started I remember hearing something about being on a budget lol. It's funny how one thing leads to another and on and on. Sometimes it seems like it will never end but your getting close. That thing is going to be bad azz when it's done. Going through all this you start to understand why the damn things are so expensive new. All those little things add up in a hurry. It's got to be tough taking off half a year of boating in south fla, we do all that stuff in the winter. It will be worth it and your going to have a brand new gun.

Hell it looks BETTER than brand new!!

Thanks rumrunner!

Haha, I don't know about that, but she sure will be puuurty when she's done

jbraun please don't remind me, lol. This started so innocently w/a blown engine In a sick way it is funny how it's a big spider web that leads to a drained bank account in the end and a sick obsession we have with these boats, but I love it, don't regret it all.

Yes you do really get a good understanding of what goes into them. There's really not a lot but at the same time all the little things add up and the attention to detail is where the time, and money, add up quickly.

The "winter" here wasn't too great so there really weren't many weekends I could or would have used her anyways but now it's getting beautiful and it does hurt a little bit not being able to get out there...oh well, hopefully only a few more weeks.

Thanks sprink. I got your PM, I'll reply later tonight but we can arrange something for sure!

OK...went down to Ft. Lauderdale this afternoon, met Jason and got to see the Top Gun. Let me say this..very soon Jason will have the cleanest and sharpest '95 Cigarette Top Gun on the water.

If you think you are picky and meticulous...step back a place or two because this guy is at the head of the line. The planing and execution that is going into every system on this 'Gun is the basis of comparison. I thought i was picky but I think he has me beat. Things like "Where to placet the LED strips so they emit the most light over the largest area...but remain invisible". It's all very impressive.

I also took notice and learned a few things about how Cigarette lays out and rigs a boat...high quality thinking that I plan to incorporate into my Formula. One thing that impresses me is how Cigarette route all the electrical and mechanical runs from front to rear in a PVC conduit or raceway with periodic access ports along the run...simple but effective.

I will check back with Jason in a few weeks and offered my help if needed to wrench some of the major stuff when the time comes.

Thanks Jason for a first hand look.

John it was nice to meet you also and thanks for the nice words. I figure since I"m doing it I might as well do it right and I'm using this thread to serve as a "journal", if you will, for the work that's been done to the boat. I hope everybody is also enjoying it and maybe learning a little.

Anyways hope the trip was worth your while and sorry I didn't have more time to chat. I only have a limited amount of hours in the week when I can work on her and need to get it wrapped up. Once she's done we'll go for a blast!

Okay, productive weekend, we're almost there...just basically waiting on the engines, which are close, one short block is done and the other is ready to go together.

Got the water pickups, water dumps and recessed cleats in the rear fitted, drilled, epoxied and painted. I used West Systems 105/205 to seal the holes and then since I had some left over Awlgrip I painted them too, after the West Systems dried. I figure this is overkill but what the heck, it didn't cost any more. So now all the holes are sealed and painted and then next weekend I can mount everything.

As John mentioned, I also got the LED's mounted. Again, probably overkill but I decided to go with Seamaster lights. They seem to be top quality. They are encased in a plastic housing with wire leads on both ends. I crimped the connections and used heat shrink to seal them up good. They are USCG certified to be used in engine bays and they were one of only a few that I found that came in purple. I daisy chained 8 of them together, two on each edge of the bilge and then am running them up to the dash to an empty toggle switch I already have. I epoxied little mounting pads to the top side of the gunnals and then wire tired the lights to the mounting pads, this way if I have a problem with a light I can just clip the wire ties and wires and replace it, nice and easy! I looked into just using some of the flexible strip LED's but decided against it.

I fitted and drilled the sea strainers for the intercoolers but had to file down one edge on the stringer washers because they overlapped each other and am now going to paint them again because I don't want the bare, exposed aluminum in the engine bay...they would probably corrode away to nothing on the first run with the salt water/air!

On the "to do list" next weekend is install the p/u's, dumps and rear cleats. Drill and expoy/paint the mid cleats and run new speaker wire. Mount the sea strainers for the i/c's and the bilge blowers and hoses and then we're basically done with the bilge.

Hope you all enjoy the updates!

Good lord Jason, I can't believe i am going to do it, but nice work...again. I was at the point you had inspired me to get back on the horse and start on mine, but now no matter what I do it will pale in comparison.

Thanks Yankee! Somebody told me that these boats are a labor of love...that is so true! It's a lot of work, but i really enjoy it and I can't wait to see it completed...it's so close now I can almost taste it, hopefully only a couple more weeks!

wow Jason it looks great, can't wait to see it.

Key West Worlds...here we come! Don't be scared!