Once the electric was run things started popping into place. Lights were installed and looms were made and hung with care. After that things just started happening.
First the gas tanks were installed. They were the biggest balky things. I built shelves for them with half-inch thick fiberglass sheets braced to the stringers with aluminum brackets. There's only one complicated way to put the tanks in and only one way to take them out so there's not much chance that they are ever coming out of there on their own. All wired up to the single gas gauge and the selection switch on the dash. With the tanks in I could figure out the placement of the filter and the fuel pump on the stringer so they installed.
But then believe it or not I had moved back to the front cockpit to install the carpet. It's kind of strange how this boat had to go back together. Like the carpet needed to be installed before a lot of other things that happened. Like all the steering pulleys had to be installed on top of the carpet. But once the carpet was in then the dash could be finished off with this stearing bezel and wheel. Once that was in I then needed to put in the deck plate that fills in the gap between the two sponson's in the cockpit and found the one I made to be half-inch short in width. Not really sure what happened. I know I measured once and cut twice or whatever that saying is. LOL. So I had to make a new one from scratch. Cut the plywood, router the edges, fiberglass the whole thing, paint the back side gray and carpet the top and wrap the corners. Won't make that mistake again.
After wasting all that time things got moving once again. The upholstery took a little finagling to get in. Being that it's never been close to the boat since it's gone through its makeover little tweaks here had to be made and there is still a couple more to do. But…

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Here's little thing I came up with. I'm using the original cable steering but I wanted to move the cables out just slightly away from the stringer but I didn't want the cable to rub inside one of those eyes so I came up with this. It adds tension to the line, holds the cables away from the stringers, cables cant come out of the channels and it won't allow the lines the bounce. I looked and couldn't find anything like this. I'm sure they make it but after the amount time I invested in trying to find one it was easier just to build one. Feel free to use my design. LOL

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/9974/70245229.jpg

Then there's the motor. No big deal. Just spent about 10 hours trying to get it lined up right. I was use to a Casale C 1000 and not this Hall craft. The C 1000's gears are cut at angles so the shaft come out of the gearbox at the 10 or 12° and the gearbox sit's up right. The Hallcraft actually leans 12° to match the prop shaft so the input for the drive shaft is already at a 12° down angle and the U joints from the drive shaft only allow for 20° of movement so basically I had an 8° window. Sounds okay but the transmission motor mounts were way too high and the oilpan needed to go about 4 inches below the deck. When it all worked out I had to drop the rear transmission mounts 4 inches and make new brackets to hold it, have the back corner of the oilpan sit about a quarter inch of the strut bolts that were in the deck, then pitch the front end up so the tail would come down. Finally got that sweet spot and then realized the front mount plate was too big. Couple hours of cutting it down a lot of testing and taking apart and more testing, everything bolted up.
For the most part the motor is all wired up, plumbed and ready to go. I have exhaust but they have straight collectors. With the down angle of the motor there's nothing to stop reversion from happening even if it's just a little bit at a time. There is no reason to take the risk at this point. I have to find a set of Nicson collectors that have that 20° angle to them. They just seem a bit scarce on eBay right now. Set of those and couple elbows and this thing will be ready to start.

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It's alive.
May not be running yet but with the battery hooked up all the lights and other things come on. First time anything has worked on this boat in 25 plus years.

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On a side note, I found this picture the other day. That steering wheel has come a long way.

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The next update should be one of the last. Stay tuned.

it looks great. I am close to finishing the inside of my Wesco. unfortunatly mine is a finished wood floor so it has to be all smooth for the clear over the wood. that and I bought a jet boat over the weekend (dont ask) so now I have even more to do. cant wait till mine is looking as good as yours. you have done a great job bringing back a classic.

I'm a young guy so me appreciation isn't on the level of some guys on OSO but... HOLY HELL! Sweet job, I've worked with some restore jobs and I know the need to walk away and come back a lot. Even if you have to walk away 4X and solve the problem on the 5th time. Anyhow, can't wait to hear/see it run. Keep going!

Nice job........ Lots of work there. Any chance of moving the alternator down low? Otherwise everything looks great :):)

Hello f inscreenname, I have some valuable info on your Biesemeyer Hydro
 

f inscreename, I just recently purchased a 1960 all original - unrestored 1960 Biesemeyer Modified 4-Point tHydro in Phoenix, AZ. The guy that I purchased the hull from has a long standing history with the late Rusty Biesemeyer & Conrad Murphy who were the instrumental designers and builders of Beisemeyer and Caribbean boats. In fact the gentleman I bought my hull from has some of the only early Caribbean molds made by Rusty Biesemeyer and are believed to be the only molds left in existance and he gave me a great cronilogical history of the early Biesemeyer Hydros that were documented and printed for the 2003 Hot Boat Hall of Fame. I have read your posts on your Biesemeyer Hydro build and have studied your pics - I believe that your boat is actually a 1959 Biesemeyer Hydro and in fact, I believe that your Hydro may be a World Record Holder as was dubbly named the "Wrangler". My Biesemeyer Hydro was a predecessor to yours and the previous owner went to great length to determine the build date/year of mine which was found to be a 1960.

I didn't want to sound like some wierdo cuz I'm sure you have done your research on your Biesemeyer but I wasn't sure if you had any other documentation on your Biesemeyer or if someone from the Biesemeyer family had dated the hull for you but my information shows that the 4-point hydros with the exposed front sponsons (as viewed from the side), such as the "Wrangler(s)" might have been built between 1959-1960 and I don't have to tell you just how rare these old hydros are, in the case of my '60 Biesemeyer 4-point I was told that there were only 5 built. Just to save face, I must mention that I am not a viable historian of Biesemeyer boats but I was given a very rare history lesson by a 70 year old Phoenix native and boat restorer that had a very close relationship with the Biesemeyers and he handed down some neat info on the history that was definitely worth sharing. I just thought it may be a tid bit of information you might be interested in either way. FYI: The paperwork on my boat was originally dated 1963 as well until the gentleman I bought it from went to the arduous task of getting AZ Game & Fish to register a new HIN number under the period correct year.....this Dude was the real deal and couldnt even let it go until the paperwork showed the correct year. Not that any of this really matters but it's amazing how important it was to this old boy I bought it from. Anyway thats enough out of me, I hope you find this info as interesting as I did and you have done a beautiful job on your restoration, best regards.

Anyone familiar with these sponson cav plates
 

I hope you guys don't mind if I ask a question in regards to these Biesemeyer Hydros my Beisemeyer more than likely, may have been a circle track boat and it has something that I have yet to see, adjustable cav plates - or they may not even be called cavitation plates. These are located on both sides on the back of the sponsons, has anyone seen this and should I keep them or remove them? I am restoring this boat for a "hot" runabout-river boat, wondering if they will work or if it would just be considered a racing add-on of its time? I will mention that the right side (passenger sponson), has a removable 6" extension that was bolted on - see pic. Any help/insight would be great. I am new here so I hope I am not mucking up this thread....sorry.

Hey compracecraft,
You bring up some good points.
The way I found (or may not have) what year it is, is by going to Performanceboat.com and v-driveboat.com and asking. Basically said, "I bought a boat today, what is it?" That is what everyone came up with. Now looking as I can at what you posted I'm thinking they may be wrong. I need a clear hi-res scan of that article from hotboat. Please send me a copy [email protected].
I've been all over my boat and took hi res pictures of any dark corner and never found anything on an I.D. This boat has been around and paperwork has been lost. Made it's way to Florida from the west coast (thinking Wash state) in the 70's. From there it made it's way to Penn and in 1984 Penn required a title (I think FL still don't) to register it so they titled it as a "1984 homebuilt". And that's where it's at now.
I know it's not a 1960. Your's has a few things that mine does not like the transom on yours has a simi-flat area on top and mine just drops off. Also the sponsons are different.
As for it being the "Wrangler" .....maybe not. I have all the colors (see picture) and it was not red until much later.
You don't sound like a weirdo. Hell I have websites dedicated to boats. As for info, please send me everything you have. It's been like a desert on this thing. It also don't help that I'm a east coaster and they are all over on the left coast. Is there anyway to get a Biesemeyer or a rep to tell me what year it is?
As for you cav plates, they look like trim tabs or lack of a better term, cav plates. I've never seen them before but my first thought is that these boat are supposed to life the stern out of the water and ride on the front sponsons so this is where they would have the most effect. Just a thought.

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Thanks! And yes I hate it to. Looking for alternates but at the moment the main objective is to get it running or alive again.

f inscreenname, better yet shoot me an email to: [email protected] with your mailing address and I will send you a copy asap. I really have no way to scan, even if I did I am worried you still won't be able to view it clearly, mine is a copy as well and the quality is not the greatest even so. I would be more than happy to send out this info.

Beautiful. Can't wait to see pics on the water,An You enjoying all of Your work. Artie