Distant Thunder 357SR1 - Winter Mods
#1
Registered
Thread Starter

Happy December Formula Family,
I wanted to start a thread to document the changes I plan to make over the winter months. Now that the 357SR1 is officially winterized, I was able to get started over the weekend by removing the Silent Thunder Platform and pulling the tails off the engines to have the mufflers removed. The tails and swim platform go to the fabrication shop this week for repair/modification. Shout out to Prince Performance for selling me his platform from his 357SR1 that is currently under restoration.
As you may know, my 357SR1 is a lower hour boat that I picked up here locally in Maryland (~330 Hours) and I was able to put roughly ~50 Hours on her over the last part of summer. When I first picked up the boat, I gutted out the ST platform for some added noise therapy and put in a seven speaker MB Quart stereo system to replace the factory original Kenwood Stereo system.
Now fast forwarding to present time, the following is my hit list for the winter/spring prep:
1. Repair, Powder coat, and Install New Platform (12/20)
2. Fabricate, Powder coat, and Install Through Hull Beauty Plates (ST Removal revealed discoloration) (12/20)
3. Install New 4" Straight Cut Tips (12/20)
4. Remove factory Gil Mufflers from Tails (12/20)
5. Replace all bulbs with LED equivalents (1/21)
6. Respray Drives and Tabs (1/21)
7. Replace Port and Starboard Drive Indicator Cables (1/21)
8. Wet sand and polish transom gel coat (1/21)
9. Disassemble Port and Starboard Top Ends to replace head haskets/manifold gaskets (2/21)
10. Send heads out for cleaning (2/21)
11. Replace water circulator pumps (2/21)
12. Re-Rig Fresh Water Flush System (2/21)
13. New Batteries (3/21)
14. Replace and Re-Rig Fuel Pumps with HV Pumps and FIlters (3/21)
15. Install TBS 250 Low Profile Blowers (3/21)
16. Send 4x Holley 9022 Carbs to Nickerson (3/21)
17. Install V6 Modules (3/21)
18. Remove Windshield Trim for Black Powder coat (4/21)
19. Tint the Windshield (4/21)
20. Fabricate Custom Hatch for Blower Setup (4/21)
21. Overhaul Trailer (Polish Aluminum, Brakes, Tires, Lights, Coupler) (5/21)
22. New Rub rail (White with SS Insert) (Summer 2021)
23. Hydraulic Steering (Summer 2021)
23. New Gauges (Summer 2021)
Let the games begin! I am hoping to stay on schedule (and budget) so we shall see. I will be finished with my HD bagger this week and will also being building an Ez-Go golf cart on air ride for the 2021 camping season concurrently with the boat upgrades so I am looking forward to all these project. I will keep this up to date with some pictures/questions/comments and whatever else comes my way. I have been lurking the swap shop for blower setup parts and gauges waiting for some deals.
I wanted to start a thread to document the changes I plan to make over the winter months. Now that the 357SR1 is officially winterized, I was able to get started over the weekend by removing the Silent Thunder Platform and pulling the tails off the engines to have the mufflers removed. The tails and swim platform go to the fabrication shop this week for repair/modification. Shout out to Prince Performance for selling me his platform from his 357SR1 that is currently under restoration.
As you may know, my 357SR1 is a lower hour boat that I picked up here locally in Maryland (~330 Hours) and I was able to put roughly ~50 Hours on her over the last part of summer. When I first picked up the boat, I gutted out the ST platform for some added noise therapy and put in a seven speaker MB Quart stereo system to replace the factory original Kenwood Stereo system.
Now fast forwarding to present time, the following is my hit list for the winter/spring prep:
1. Repair, Powder coat, and Install New Platform (12/20)
2. Fabricate, Powder coat, and Install Through Hull Beauty Plates (ST Removal revealed discoloration) (12/20)
3. Install New 4" Straight Cut Tips (12/20)
4. Remove factory Gil Mufflers from Tails (12/20)
5. Replace all bulbs with LED equivalents (1/21)
6. Respray Drives and Tabs (1/21)
7. Replace Port and Starboard Drive Indicator Cables (1/21)
8. Wet sand and polish transom gel coat (1/21)
9. Disassemble Port and Starboard Top Ends to replace head haskets/manifold gaskets (2/21)
10. Send heads out for cleaning (2/21)
11. Replace water circulator pumps (2/21)
12. Re-Rig Fresh Water Flush System (2/21)
13. New Batteries (3/21)
14. Replace and Re-Rig Fuel Pumps with HV Pumps and FIlters (3/21)
15. Install TBS 250 Low Profile Blowers (3/21)
16. Send 4x Holley 9022 Carbs to Nickerson (3/21)
17. Install V6 Modules (3/21)
18. Remove Windshield Trim for Black Powder coat (4/21)
19. Tint the Windshield (4/21)
20. Fabricate Custom Hatch for Blower Setup (4/21)
21. Overhaul Trailer (Polish Aluminum, Brakes, Tires, Lights, Coupler) (5/21)
22. New Rub rail (White with SS Insert) (Summer 2021)
23. Hydraulic Steering (Summer 2021)
23. New Gauges (Summer 2021)
Let the games begin! I am hoping to stay on schedule (and budget) so we shall see. I will be finished with my HD bagger this week and will also being building an Ez-Go golf cart on air ride for the 2021 camping season concurrently with the boat upgrades so I am looking forward to all these project. I will keep this up to date with some pictures/questions/comments and whatever else comes my way. I have been lurking the swap shop for blower setup parts and gauges waiting for some deals.
#4
Gold Member


Josh,
do all of it....I'll be happy to help if needed....your boat is going to be amazing when you finish it.
do all of it....I'll be happy to help if needed....your boat is going to be amazing when you finish it.
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distantthunder (12-02-2020)
#5
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Thread Starter
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distantthunder (12-02-2020)
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distantthunder (12-02-2020)
#8
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Thread Starter

The swim platform and tails were dropped off to my buddies fab shop today for repair and modification. Should have them back before Christmas. The platform, beauty rings, and windshield frame will then head to powder coat. Played with a rendering of the windshield today on the computer.


#9
VIP Member


She’s going to look great, Josh. I want to do the same thing to my 311.
I mentioned this via text earlier, but I’d also like to get rid of the glass and use acrylic. The rough that we have here sometimes makes me a little worried about broken glass. It’s happened at some point with mine... I keep finding broken safety glass fragments in the bilge. Running frameless would be cool, too, but I think the compound curves would be hard to do. Or maybe not?
I mentioned this via text earlier, but I’d also like to get rid of the glass and use acrylic. The rough that we have here sometimes makes me a little worried about broken glass. It’s happened at some point with mine... I keep finding broken safety glass fragments in the bilge. Running frameless would be cool, too, but I think the compound curves would be hard to do. Or maybe not?
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distantthunder (12-03-2020)
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distantthunder (12-03-2020)