make over inputs needed
 

Hello all, I am in the middle of revamping my 88 272 and was hoping for some inputs from you while I am getting supplies together. It will be getting custom paint the end of the summer. I'm putting on a new swim platform right now and my sun pad is at my apholstry guy right now along with those rectangular pieces that mount on the inside wall of the cockpit area. I'm new to boat customizing so any input would be great.

First: What I call the hand rails... Leave them or take them off... I'm deffinately removing the ones around the sun pad but I'm not sure if I should remove the ones on the bow.

Second: The sun pad..... One piece or go back to the original which has multiple strips. Also since the rest of the cockpit vinyl has the red, grey, white, and black color scheme how do you think it would look going to only grey and red.

Third: Those pain in the butt rectangular pieces.... Leave them off and fill the mount holes or re-vinyl all red. The color scheme of the new paint job will incorporate the original colors of the boat but red will be the primary color for the interior accents, like the dash panels.

Your boat looks very clean, congrats I would keep the individual strips if any thing happens you can just replace the section you need. I like the railing around the sunpad it will give you something to hold onto thats just me.

I will assume this has twin 350`s and alphas, boat looks great.

Redo it all org, like masi said you can re do wach section if a boo boo happens

+2 on the keep individual pieces on the sunpad. Even if you do it all one color, which I don't recommend. Look at the picture you posted: you can see how the hull side graphics lead into the sunpad.

I can see removing the grab bar around the sunpad because the rear section can be a pain when you want to sit there. If you never plan on throwing an anchor off the bow, or doing anything up there, you might get away with not having them. Otherwise, they're useful and not having them would detract from the value IMHO.

Consider how much red you want in your cockpit. There's a reason Formula broke up the colors as they did. Look at some pictures of bright colored single tone cockpits; it's usually overkill.

As for the dash pieces, and this is really just my deep personal opinion, I have yet to see a truly good looking black dash with colored panels. Consider silver/gray dash panels with red bezels.

thats such a good lookin boat I hate to see you do much of anything to it. Redo your dash for a bit of an update and go boating.

I redid my sunpad all white but kept the individual pieces. Much cooler to touch on sunny days, the original black stripe was a killer. I replaced the little rectangular pieces with a single piece on each side that was the same size as all the little ones put together. Did them all white too, really updated the look of the boat.

Thanks for the inputs! :ernaehrung004:

I have deffinately decided to replace each individual panel on the sun pad....

As for the rails around the bow.. This is my first Formula so I really dont know a whole lot about them. Last summer was my first summer with the boat and I was always scared to tie anything off to those rails, for the exception of bumpers. How strurdy are the rails? I actually think the rails add a bit of Formula class too the boat but I thought they were useless other than looks.
Very good points for the interior which brings me to the black dash...... The graphics of the propsed "new" paint job will carry from the tip of the bow over the hatches and then over the dash.... which the base color of the dash will be off white, the color that is on the boat now. I personnally cant stand the black dash.... hard to keep looking good and gets so smokin hot!!!!!

I know most of you prob disagree with a custom repaint.... I know these Thunderbirds have a great following so would a "custom"/"designer" paint job hurt. I know with all paint any paint jobs especially custom, it always depends on the owner or buyer as to it being a plus or minus but is redesigning the nastalgic paint job "sac religious."

Thanks again for the inputs

Unless the boat is really faded, I'd leave it alone. Leave it a classic, she looks great to me. If you remove the rails, they will be missed. If nothing else, they're nice to hold onto while doing a quick detail before going to the lake. Run it and enjoy because like everyone else, you'll be going bigger. We're never satisfied. Do some dash upgrades and keep it simple, you'll have a hard time getting your money back when it's time to move up if that matters. Just my opinion...

I am going to jump in as an outsider, baja outlaw owner. I like it the way it is. It is a clean looking boat and as stated I would do some interior upgrades. Nice looking!!

Joker, great looking older SR-1. Nice color combination.

Just some info for you joker, if you are really set on removing the front handrails, be prepaired to spend some significant time and effort removing the interior panels to be able to get to the hardware which hilds the rails to the deck. You may want to re think that one.

As stated before, replacing vinyl in sections the same as original will save a few dollars and make later replacement easier as well.

Congrats on having one of the calssic Formula's. :drink:

Well, after reading your post I am going to agree with most of you.... well all of you actually. The vinyl will be replaced as individual panels however I am illeminating the black stripe from the sun pad. The side pieces will be recovered as light grey. The silent thunder platform is now removed and a aluminum platform is getting prepped to be installed. The transom is getting cleaned up and repainted since the last owner bottom painted the transom black and it looked horrible.
You have all also persueded me to keep her a classic with an updated the interior and go for more power.
Thanks again to all.....
ITS GETTIN BOATIN SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!!:ernaehrung004:

O.K.....

I gave this a lot of thought.....mostly because I don't want to offend....

So, this is my direction....

I bought a 357 a few years ago.....and it has been a tremendous joy. So far, of the 12 or so boats that I have owned.....my 357 is BY FAR my favorite. However.....

The technology in fabrication has grown by leaps and bounds. Most for the good, but some bad. I LOVE the fact that an American here in America cut plywood and stretched vinyl over the various trim pieces......but I hate the fact that I am now replacing nearly 20 year old wood....but.....it affords me the opportunity to "update"....

My wife refers to this as "wasting money".....but lets not mention the 5000 pairs of shoes that are gradually taking over the entire house.....

I see the purists side of wanting to return to original...but we're not talking about a 60's all mahogany Chris Craft....this is a GO-Fast with a well appointed "stabbin-cabin"....

Think of your own vision at the time of purchase....probably went something like this.....
"I think I can afford it.....yeah.....I can....it looks a little dated.....but EVERYTHING works!!.....and I can tell the guy really took great care of it.....and the trailer looks brand new....and I can get my wife that thingy shes been wanting to shift the focus away from my new baby......O.K......I'm doin it!"

If, at that moment....another SR-1 for sale showed up with a new interior, updated dash, modern appointments...different graphics...basically a modernized version of the one you were ready to buy.....but it was another 5k.....don't you think you would have made the leap? In your mind, you know it would cost for than 5k to make the first one catch up cosmetically....I bet you would....I certainly would.

Of course you have purists out there that want the "original"...but I think they are FAR out numbered (think perspective future buyer) by folks that want a Go-Fast with a well appointed stabbin-cabin...and a modern look can cast a fairly significant shadow over the last two numbers in your HIN!!

Finally...think of YOUR personality. Isn't your truck an extension of who you are? Should'nt your boat be as well? Mine is....as are most "guys".....we are the "show me" breed....where size DOES matter.....and we stive to have the "bigger, better, faster, louder.....".....perpetually. It's a disease.....and I got it B A D ! You probably do too.....unless you're a purist.....and that is fine.

Here is the "CommanderSander" biased portion....

Due to manufacturing limitations at the time of production, Formula was forced to make the boats much heavier in tems of basic hull construction and trim stuff back then. Alloys and composits have replaced nearly ALL of that hand crafted stuff that I have removing and updating as time goes on. Point? I have a much newer looking boat that personifies ME as well as receiving the benefits of lighter, new materials that will NEVER rot, crack, stain or smell. Good ****....

I personally don't have an interest in what a future buyer might think of my updates. No doubt, they won't be the ones that he/ she would have done.....or at least not the way I did them....but again.....I don't really think about it. My 357 is mine.....and it personifies me....and slowly but surely.....it is becoming newer, faster, louder.....screaming "Look at the fun I'm having all you land lubbers" as I pass along the beaches of South West FL.

My "upgrades"....
Red/White/Grey/Black cockpit scheme gone along with the wood and foam
New scheme is marine white with soft grey and purple accents.
Drives and tabs purple to match with silver rams
Engine hatch (sun pad)redone in Skull and Swords
EVERY snap, button and rail removed except for cleats and the two rails adjacent to the sunpad (this was easy, but I have a carpet headliner)
Hatches powder coated white and the Lexan replaced with white
Rub rail changed to white
Docking light housings painted white
SeaBoard construction for the seats, soon to be wrapped to match
Cabin carpet in black with two steps down into cabin....risers in purple
Coushins are grey ultra suede and closed-cell memory foam with purple vinyl stripes
All lighting is now LED
6-Optima blue with two Xantrek Pro 1800 inverters (wife likes hot cocoa)
NavMan Color GPS/Chart

Soon (ordered yesterday) Autometer Marine Carbon fiber gauges with purple rings and white panels. When I do this, I am updating the helm configuration to mimic the gauge assortment in the nissan maxima....and then the helm will be repainted to match the yet to be determined graphics....currently red/siler/black......gotta go!

Sorry so long.....ultimately....consider what YOU want....and start doin the things that will get you there!

Enjoy!

commandersander i wanna see some pics of your upgrades. I'm sure everyone else would be interested too.

I'm sure everyone would love to see your upgrades. I agree the interiors are dated.
That's what the forum is for, everyones ideas for all to see. Let's see that 357...

The forum won't let me post attachments....
suggestions?

use a third party like photobucket

http://photobucket.com/BootyHunter

hope it works....

The update's look great!! I have been searching for pics of a older formula without the rails, I deffinately like the the no rail look alot better. :ernaehrung004:

How hard was it to get the side vents by the windshield off? Or were they not removed? Mine are in need of some attention.

Are you talking about the lil trapezoid vent where the horn is?

It is the one that was black and now yours are white. The are about in the middle of the cockpit on the outside.

Those (on mine) came out fairly easily. I used an Olfa knife to cut the sealant and then pryed them out. Then, I thoroughly cleaned them with laquer-thinner (fast) and set them is the sun prior to spray bomb Rustoleum gloss white.....about two years ago....

They are just siliconed in. Should come out pretty easily. Clean them up a little. Use a plastic primer (available at any auto parts store, used to prime the plastic bumpers and stuff on cars today) before applying any paint.

I did mine on my 91' 292, used the plastic primer, the gel was a match to Johnson outboard paint in a can, then used a couple coats of clear to top it off. Then just silicone back in.

Did the same to the grab handles and step plates also.

IMO, new "White" Rub Rail for your boat would look awesome. See thread "New Taco Rub Rail" in Formula Forum I started.

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/f...-rub-rail.html

Thanks! I will use black most likely.

Enjoy

Armando

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/6920/img0033redo.jpg

Update
 

Well here are some photos of the progress.... still waiting for pictures of the vinyl work and pics of the new alluminum swim platform mounted... I think I'll go back to the original black dash panels... the red is too busy! Man I need some new guages and bezels!

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...r/P3240984.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...r/P3240985.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r...r/P3240986.jpg

love that photofix