My paint booth arrangements fell through, so we made do with the truck bay after work Friday.

Cleaning / Masking / Ready to shoot:

Shooting undercolor / Pearl (Gee - think it's reflective??) / BLING!

:D :D :D :D :D

Buffing it today.

I've been following this thread since it's inception. Boy, I can't wait to see the complete finished product. Great job!!!

Looking GREAT!! Awesome job. Keep it coming!

Dave

Chuck, can't wait to see your boat. Lookin really good. :cool-smiley-027:

Buffed the sides, and she shined right up! The guys then painted the foredeck strip, so she's still under all the masking. We'll strip all the masking off tomorrow, buff the whole thing, and move it back to the workshop.

In the meantime, I made some good progress on the engine bay platform and on customizing the sea strainers. For some reason, the boat came with two right-hand (or left-hand?) strainers, not a symmetric set. :confused: As a result, the engines were plumbed competely differently side-to-side. I figured "what the heck", cut off 3 of the 4 fittings, welded patches in, and cut new holes to put them where they would fit into the plumbing layout better. While I was at it, I replaced the slip-on inlet fittings with 1" NPT fittings so I could add (stainless!) shutoff valves. I'm also going to install flush-out fittings in such a way that hooking up a hose will push anything in the strainer screens back OUT the pickups. Since the boat has a hose spigot on the water heater in the engine bay, if I pick up a bunch of sand, all I have to do is hook up a flush hose and push it all back out instead of having to scoop it out by hand and turn the bilge into a beach/disaster area.... :angry-smiley-055:

Ahhhh..... Real progress - Love it!

Nice work Chuck!! :cool-smiley-011:

That hull looks great. :cool-smiley-026:

Dayum! Looking good Chuck!

Good thing that I put you off on this one. Somehow I missed the fore-and-aft measurement on the crank and circulating pump pulleys by 1/4"!!! I corrected it by machining 1/4" off of the spacers that go behind the accessory plate, moving the alternator and power steerin pump back, and - Voila!

Phew - that was close. :hitfan:

The boat is now back over at the "work" shop, and parts are going back into the bilge at a good rate. Could be ready for engines on the weekend after Easter. Seems to me that I heard someone was going to be "back on line" about then....

Everyone else: Thanks for the support. This has been a real ball-buster of a project, sucking up almost every minute of free time after work and on weekends. The boat won't go any faster, and you won't be able to see 90% of the work when it's done, but I'll know that it's "better".... :cool-smiley-011:

Exactly:cool-smiley-011:

Look's AWASOME!

Keep up the great work! Personal satisfaction is key to a happy life.

My boat is in similiar stages as yours. I sent my boat to the shop to have the engines freshened in late Nov. 500 EFI's with 265 hrs each had a couple of cracked valve springs, and starboard head gasket had burned between two cyls.

I added sea strainers, changed both batteries, serviced drives, and had to pull the generator to change the board that it sits on(it was rotten, and bowed in the middle.

The clear coat on the deck was peeling off in spots on top of the factory painted graphics. The boat was sent to a body shop, who sanded off the clear on the deck, re-sprayed the garphics, and then re-cleared the deck. All dock rash by previous owners was repaired. The clear coat problem was caused by non sanding or roughing up the gelcoat before applying the clear. The clear would come off of the gelcoat with an air compressor tip over the areas of the gelcoat. It was only bonded well to the painted graphics. I guess that is what you get from buying a boat without looking at it in person.

I had a detail shop that does boats buff the entire boat and trailer. After the paint and clear work, the boat looks like a new boat. After the engine work, the boat should run like a new boat. I am not sure if I should put her for sale before anything happens or changes. I can say that the boat is in the best shape it has been in for quite a while.

I can relate to your posts. The only difference is that you are doing most of the work, I am having my work done by others.

I can't wait for the boat to be ready, hopefully next weekend. How bad do you have the fever??????????

C-Spray thanks for sharing all your pics with us great job.

A little more progress: Generator plumbing and strainer back in, bilge pumps and switches back in, tab and drive hydraulic lines routed, and hot/cold water back in. The shelves are finally starting to empty out!

Damn Chuck......Nice work!!

looks really clean! Keep up the pics coming!

Chuck,
You didn't power-coat the battery holders? So disappointed. :D

Pay attention, Randy! I thought that you worked with photos for a living... :rolleyes:

The battery brackets were stripped of the black GilCoat and powder-coated with a base coat of metallic silver and a top coat of clear with a healthly dose of prismatic powder. In bright light, they sparkle like Liberace's suits. :cool-smiley-026: You can just make the effect out on some of the the corners of the base. While I had them apart, I put heli-coils in the bases where the studs go in. (Some of you may have seen my post in GD regarding galvanic corrosion between aluminum and stainless steel....)

How come no one but me noticed the missing screw on the bottom front corner of the generator strainer mount? :p (By the way, even though the strainer and fittings are bronze, I powder-coated them black. So there.)

"R" - Want to come up for the "floor-dyno" engine tests this weekend? Bring ear plugs...

Tomorrow's going to be noisy....

C Spray,

You are my hero ..... what an amazing project you have almost completed. Keep up the awesome work and awesome pictures.
You are truly an inspiration to the true meaning on restoration.
When you are finished I have a '88 311 that would love the attention you are giving your boat ..... LOL ... LOL ....

Seriously great job !!!! and thanks for sharing it with us OSO members.

Jeff

What's with all those rubber hoses? Get some braded stuff on there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

braided chaffs. black rubber safer. jenks

Braided = $$$$ and moderate pressure ratings. (Plus, as Jenks pointed out, they double as hacksaws...)

Existing lines = No charge (already have 'em) and typical Volvo Penta overkill. Most are rated between 2,000 and 5,000 psi, even the low-pressure return lines!!! I have take the time to upgrade to stainless fittings and tees where possible, and have glass-beaded and repainted anything that was corroded.

The SS Aeroquip hose and aluminum reusable fittings will separate in a couple of years of salt water.

Chuck calls me today while I'm in NY and fires up the engine on the speaker phone.....It sounded great:cool-smiley-011:

thats cruel! wish I could have been there,:D jenks

KEEE-RIPES, that was LOUD!!!! :eek:

I cycled the ignition on and off several times until I heard the fuel pumps build pressure, then cranked them for a couple of 10-second bursts to get oil pressure up, then turned everything on and hit the starter....

Wham-O!! both engines lit right off, settled in, idled perfectly and responded crisply. Innovation did a terrific job with the fuel mapping on these engines. :D I still need to check timing, but I'll do that in the boat. There was only one tiny water leak on the end cap of one of the heat exchangers where it's still a bit "as-cast", but a thin film of silicone fixed that. No power steering leaks, though!!!!


...and I didn't break my "2x4" dyno bed....

...and the serpentine belts tracked perfectly! Phew!

Now, it's back to bilge preparation.

Bilge is pretty much done now. The two hydraulic lines coming from between the strainers are the helm feed and return that used to run from the transom. This routing will eliminate nearly 8 feet of hydraulic hose, and clean up the transom. The battery shot is to prove that I DID get the brackets powder-coated.

Hopefully the platform, genny and engines will go in this weekend..... :evilb:

that is so clean, I will try to one up you if I can, but thats going to be hard to do, nice job!!! jenks.

Transom before and after; lower engine compartment LED's (there are eight).

Closeup of the lower lights. They are a Truck-Lite Series 15 light, mounted on a Delrin block with a hole bored in the side for the split sleeving.

Nice job Chuck...as usual! I have Courtney this weekend....Got her permit today:hitfan::D. I'll get in touch tomorrow.

Hope you're planning on stopping by. Looks like we'll have some engines to put in. Here is "Before" and "Almost done"...

...and sides with the "under engine" lights. There are a couple of cables on the starboard side that are just a few inches too short to route neatly, but that's life....

Stop postin and get it ready....friday we'll work!:D

Chuck you have done a beautiful job on that bad boy!! :Score-101010:

I should be off Friday so if you need help give me a call.

Now this sounds like a plan.......Chuck? On the water sunday.....:evilb::D

If you guys are both available Friday, then I will be, too. Free breakfast at my place - 8:00 AM. Come hungry.


But don't plan on going home early!