regalman4925

I started this build about 3 ½ years ago. The idea was to pay cash for a project boat that had a sleeping area, was a performance oriented boat, good layout with easy access to the cabin and to be built very budget minded. I wanted to make this boat as up to date as possible to be comparable to the newer boats but for a fraction of the money. The boat as you will see in the pictures started out was a bare hull with only the stock cabin interior left, there was no motor, windscreen or cockpit upholstery. The lower unit on the drive was corroded pretty bad, the trailer brakes were shot, the wiring had been spliced up pretty bad and it was dirty and terribly oxidized.


100_0791 by regalman4925, on Flickr


100_0789 by regalman4925, on Flickr


100_0781 by regalman4925, on Flickr


100_0774 by regalman4925, on Flickr


100_0782 by regalman4925, on Flickr

regalman4925

I forgot in the first post, this boat from what I have been told originated in Illinois, it was stolen there. I am not sure how far the striped it but I know that the entire interior and windscreen was taken, I am pretty sure that they also took the dash, original engine and drive but I cant confirm that. Apparently someone bought it from the insurance auction after that and added a half assed windscreen and interior and got it back on the water. The guy I bought the boat from then bought it and ran it a few years, then failed to winterize the engine one year and ruined the engine. He bought a new 454 from a friend to put in it, pulled the bad motor out, threw most of the half rotted interior to the side and left it in a field for 3 or 4 years after that. I found it listed on craigslist in Kansas city, it was about 4 hours south of me. it took me about a month to negotiate the price down to what I thought was fair, basically what the trailer and drive was worth I brought it home.

After purchasing a gen 6 454 and adding a spare set of vortec 454 oval ports to it I was out trying to prep the boat for the engine. I started tightening the lag bolts to the motor mounts and noticed that they were not tightening, I pulled the bolt out and noticed how wet the screw was. freaking out a bit at this point I pulled off the mount and noticed how wet the wood was. i cut the top of the stringer off and was literally able to spoon the wood out of the stringer. After that I did some research and decided that I needed to check the rest of the stringers and the transom, as you can imagine after pulling the floor center section and tank out we found more rot. We ended up having to cut the gel coated floors out to gain access to the stringers . That stunk because hard surface floors were a must have for our boat. after that we found some rot in the transom, probably could have salvaged it but at this point why bother and have to do it a few years later anyways? Its all torn apart so why not go all the way?

old motor

100_0798 by regalman4925, on Flickr


IMG_3317 by regalman4925, on Flickr


IMG_3332 by regalman4925, on Flickr

regalman4925

IMG_3105 by regalman4925, on Flickr


IMG_3083 by regalman4925, on Flickr


IMG_3461 by regalman4925, on Flickr

regalman4925

im having issues uploading pics. here are some of the transom going in. special thanks to glass dave for helping me with the transom and stringers! i dont have pictures at the moment of the stringers but they were 2 layers of 3/4" with glass mat between them. the originals were all dimensional lumber! no good!


IMG_4212 by regalman4925, on Flickr


IMG_4227 by regalman4925, on Flickr

regalman4925

sun deck and back seat. also my boy at about a year old


dom on sundeck by regalman4925, on Flickr

having issues getting fron seats uploaded. here is the lonseal londeck coin flooring


2011-06-12_20-26-37_877 by regalman4925, on Flickr

regalman4925

coastalnightlights.com 2 single blues


2011-10-04_20-06-58_694 by regalman4925, on Flickr


2011-10-04_19-44-24_4 by regalman4925, on Flickr


2011-10-04_19-35-09_47 by regalman4925, on Flickr

regalman4925

The engine is a 98 or 99 model gen 6 454, it’s a 330hp L29 vortec motor with the large oval heads, I had the heads redone to match the crane 731 roller cam. It has as followed

Gil hp500 style exhaust
Air gap dual plane edelbrock intake
Pro form 750 mech secondary carb
K&n flame arrestor
Scorpion roller rockers
Thunderbolt ignition
Blaster 2 coil
Crane marine ignition box (not hooked up yet)
Oil thermostat
18” oil cooler
Holley blue pump
-8 stanless lines from pump to carb
Large water separator, forget the brand
EMI covers

That’s the major stuff, I am sure I am forgetting some


engine april 011 by regalman4925, on Flickr

regalman4925

recently installed to the transom it full imco hydraulic steering to the helm and k planes


2012-07-14_16-07-53_382 by regalman4925, on Flickr

regalman4925

i will get more later. i have a custom built windscreen 3/4 done. i have livorsi billet sticks with purple knobs and bezels installed. soon to have full livorsi monster gauges with chrome mega rims and platinum faces including gps speedo, oil temp, fuel psi....

boat currently is running 61 on gps with a 23 mirage plus, i plan to try a few 4 blade props and shift around some weight to see if i can get a little more out of her. i also have another L29 454 engine in my garage that i am planning a 496 stroker fully forged motor with all of the good stuff in the next year or 2. maybe even a pro charger in the future, we will see

regalman4925

2012-07-02_20-34-29_807 by regalman4925, on Flickr


2012-07-15_16-39-48_5 by regalman4925, on Flickr