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1990 Switzer 250SS Resto-mod
Back in 2016 I got a smoking deal on a 1990 Switzer 250ss. Everything was original and in great shape, including the interior. While overall it seems like a solid, well-built boat, the fit and finish is definitely lacking in a few areas. There is far too much carpet in areas that get wet, the windscreen and cabin door rattle over waves and the wiring behind the dash makes me sick. So now that my boat has been paid off for a few years I think it's time to start improving in some of these areas and make the boat fit my needs better. This will by no means be a quick process but I figure a build thread might help to keep me motivated and finish this in a timely manner. My plans for change include:
- lower fiberglass windscreen - new cuddy bulkheads/center cuddy entrance - remove stainless railings (bow, stern, windscreen) - change dashboard - clean up wiring/new switches - new deck hardware - build/upholster seating |
Looks like i have to build up my posts before i can post pictures...
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does anyone even read these things without pictures??
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https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...d79a00220f.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...410aaa57f2.jpg new layout will have more space between front seats and a centered cuddy entrance https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...1990daa28f.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...1c1b46d1f6.jpg nice plastic insert with ash tray! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...a951068d26.jpg it's slow but not terrible for only 330hp i suppose lol https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...8ad5d13f2e.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...628ab5f5b2.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...0ff2e755a9.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...9c9a53e29a.jpg |
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...0b952363a3.jpg
new front seat prototype https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...181fcf5809.jpg templates all put together https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...53c37e3568.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...a423f12d83.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...e8c396ba5a.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...ab8160e6d7.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...a92d3f2de1.jpg using the old seat foam to test the comfort of the seat angles. wont be using the old drop out backets... new seats will sit much lower https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...3cc7aa1c12.jpg the freeboard of this boat is too low to drive standing up. the steering wheel is too low to lean back in the original bolster and drive comfortably https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...cc835332ed.jpg some new foam with the old cushions, again for fitment purposes and not because im a child who cant wait to see how they turn out :) |
interior upholstery work will take a backseat till the weather is too cold to work outside. my goal for this week is to get the bulkhead panels tabbed in and the cuddy dash cutout filled.
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always like the lines of the Switzer 250. looking forward to following ur progress. how does the boat handle at speed?
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Originally Posted by shaun1368
(Post 4880824)
always like the lines of the Switzer 250. looking forward to following ur progress. how does the boat handle at speed?
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https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...6d89dac05f.jpg
Bulkheads glued in with thickened resin. Letting the fillets set up and then I'll come back over to layup the tabbing. |
wow ! nice progress!
it still looked pretty clean before the resto! |
Originally Posted by jeff32
(Post 4881299)
wow ! nice progress!
it still looked pretty clean before the resto! |
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...b998a24052.jpg
popped the panel this morning to fill the cuddy opening in the dash. Was hoping to get the bulkheads tabbed in today but the day got away from me. Everything prepped and ready to go for the morning though. |
Way cool project!
Always liked the looks of those boats and am a big fan of that size rig. Owned/restored two twin OB 24’ Sonics and currently own a 25’ Checkmate IO that I converted to twin OB,’s. See a theme 😉 A huge fan of……., see what it is, make it what you want. Great job on the glass engineering. 24/25’ is way too small to have a cabin door anywhere but in the center. |
Originally Posted by Twin O/B Sonic
(Post 4881415)
Way cool project!
Always liked the looks of those boats and am a big fan of that size rig. Owned/restored two twin OB 24’ Sonics and currently own a 25’ Checkmate IO that I converted to twin OB,’s. See a theme 😉 A huge fan of……., see what it is, make it what you want. Great job on the glass engineering. 24/25’ is way too small to have a cabin door anywhere but in the center. |
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...94c911f3cc.jpg
got the bulkheads tabbed in today. Goal for this week is to get the dash fill glassed in and sand down the tabbing a bit |
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...dfce19a54b.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...7df8019bfc.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...76b28354ad.jpg Got some of the whispy bits cleaned up. Still lots of filling and sanding to do though! |
Is that Nidacore?
Not sure how you laid up the bulkheads but a trick is to use an old glass patio door to lay up flat pcs. I use one all the time. |
Great thread! Ready to see more!
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This is carboncore brand. It was much cheaper to ship than nidacore would have been. I laid them up on a sheet of melamine. Worked out great!
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sweet setup!!! keep the pics coming!
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Got the cabin entry dash filler panel glued into place this weekend. Seems like it's probably the last of nice warm weather for the season. I'll have to wait till spring to grind out and bevel the joint to tab it in permanently. I don't want to risk getting a bad cure.https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...323078413a.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...acf186e452.jpg |
Yeah, I live in Ohio and our weather just changed to where I have to plan my projects requiring heat to cure.
I the boats inside, you can do a lot w/a space heater and a tent built over that portion of project. Huge fire risk if left unattended but so far so good. |
Originally Posted by Twin O/B Sonic
(Post 4883966)
Yeah, I live in Ohio and our weather just changed to where I have to plan my projects requiring heat to cure.
I the boats inside, you can do a lot w/a space heater and a tent built over that portion of project. Huge fire risk if left unattended but so far so good. |
Got over to the boat today to retrieve all my tools, clean up and check out my work. It's really solid even without being fully glassed in. Can't wait till Spring so I can finish up the glass work!
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...7e82a4ba15.jpg |
Yep.
I’ve got a bunch of parts to paint and kicking myself for not doing it before the weather turned. Im lucky and have a heated shop but it ain’t cheap to keep it at 70* for 24 hrs to cure paint/glass when it’s 20 outside! I even use the tent/space heater trick inside so I don’t have to super heat the whole shop. Your boats going to be a really nice, one off when done.
Originally Posted by haves0090
(Post 4884019)
Unfortunately I don't have indoor storage for my boat. Looks like I'm stuck doing layups in my garage till May or so. It looks like last was probably the last of our weather above 60⁰. The challenges of living North! 😂😂
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https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...5014b01ff7.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...b59f568e9c.jpg Templating/checking clearance https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...55e9b09d1d.jpg Templating... https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...60b5dd2877.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...4acdbe90a8.jpg |
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...f9786d2590.jpg
Panel fabrication https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...41e0b662d4.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...a28bfb1346.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...c6ef82dcd6.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...f5a113dfaf.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...2adcf2b070.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...e590447acc.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...2662fa7799.jpg Completed panels trimmed out |
Moving forward! Good to see you back at it!
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https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...9a0b762660.jpg
This was a painful cut lol https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...181560762c.jpg More templates.... https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...4fd7e89431.jpg Dry fit https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...a3de59ced4.jpg Dry fitting some more https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...9ad9cfb405.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...ac7ff85575.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...f435d85aad.jpg Temporary jig to be sure it's square when i glue it in https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...877c9bcc9a.jpg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...e73e310413.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...17d9075254.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...7ad40d990d.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...baeb534786.jpg |
What lake do you run the Switzer on?.........love the craftsmanship!
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https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...287f003408.jpg
New dash support panels tabbed in https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...7dd0de37bc.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...92eddd36ff.jpg Building new dash https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...9df4b39a36.jpg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...6d1f2ea680.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...a909fdc978.jpg More f'ing templates https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...f577b92477.jpg And more lol https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...1ed1a8283f.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...840273bebe.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...08224f12be.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...f747400f8d.jpg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...8144d5b3b6.jpg My temporary filler molds worked out great to build the shape https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...86c441ab5b.jpg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...a6ee0f612d.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...8089c68180.jpg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...d72d1b4ea1.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...59f15a2beb.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...aa82860cd8.jpg 2 layers of CSM and 4 layers of 1708 on top of core. 1 layer of 1708 to go on backside to seal everything. Feels very solid already though! https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...efdc1a8003.jpg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...bf628091a5.jpg Gauge layout is going to change. This is bothering my ocd too much. Trim tab switch and switch panel will be to the right of the wheel... someday https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...05f06e705f.jpg So much sanding lol https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...6445dd2237.jpg Starboard dash fill tabbed into place on front side. Still need to glass a layer of 1708 on the back of both sides https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...def0ba8358.jpg Cuddy entrance trimmed up https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...24ff334529.jpg I think I'm finally to the point where others can see what I'm going for lol |
Originally Posted by jeff32
(Post 4914418)
Moving forward! Good to see you back at it!
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Originally Posted by scippy
(Post 4914420)
What lake do you run the Switzer on?.........love the craftsmanship!
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That’s a fun stage where your mock ups start to grown their own legs and you can see light just begging to come into view in the far end of the tunnel.
Well done sir! |
Sweet layout!!!
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https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...27fd7bc854.jpg
Getting the edges and backsides of the dash laid up so everything is completely encapsulated. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...fba63bed1b.jpg Underside of driver side dash. That's going to be fun 🙄 |
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...ae8c24f103.jpg
Got all the edges wrapped up in 2 layers of 1708. 1st layer on port and starboard side dash covers the whole backside and wraps up over the front edge. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...582bc5bd77.jpg Got some sanding done. The tabbed-in filler panel is pretty close to flush. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...04b472727b.jpg Got a couple edges sanded up pretty good. Only a few hundred more hours of sanding to go. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...3bd7bbdac2.jpg Really happy with how everything is coming together thus far. I don't think I'll have all the layups done in time for winter because the temps are dropping quickly and my heat lamps can only do so much! I have plenty of sanding I can do to stay warm though 😂 |
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...63684be3e3.jpg
Laid up some CSM in the low spots on the dash so I don't have to use much filler. All my low spots are less than 1/8" though, which was both surprising and relieving. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.off...6a8dff38a7.jpg Needed to glass in a little extension here so that my cabin door seals better when installed. I guess my bulkhead panels weren't lined up 100% with one another. Why did I ever assume that the factory panels were square to one another? Lol |
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