Another Sutphen born again
 

Okay Fellas, I'm sure you all remember this boat that was for sale a few years ago. Well, I bought it, brought it back to texas, and drove it like i stole it for a few times before it let go. Fried a main bearing in one of the engines so I figured, what the hell, I will strip it to a bare hull and start over. Through this thread I will show its progression and, although I am still not finished, it is close enough to run.

Enjoy

Here is how she looks today.....

She was stripped to bare hull, fiberglass work was done, she was painted, engines rebuild (uppers and lowers ,both), every piece of transom hardware was taken apart and sandblasted and painted. Also, Every piece of hardware and rigging, plastic or other, was thrown away and replaced with stainless, including: rub rail, all through hull fittings, guage bezels, steering wheel, exhaust tips, engine vents, cockpit cover snaps, grab rails and step plates. All upholstery was redone (still working on completeing that, should be done end of this week) in a carbon fiber pattern white with silver carbon inlays, as well as, embroidered headrests with the Sutphen "S". All cabin, interior cockpit, and engine compartment lighting has been thrown away and replaced with l.e.d. I got rid of the closed cooling system, took out the silent choice crap, and replaced the 80lbs per side cast exhaust with aluminum replacements. I'm sure I am forgetting something.....Also, some future projects are new throttles, guages, and a built in GPS where the compass was above the dash.

Some more...

I went with the "less is more" theory on the exterior/interior color scheme and design. It turned out better than I originally expected. I can't put them up tonight but I will post pics of the boat throughout the process of rebuild in the next few weeks.

Looks awesome!! Great redo

What a transformation , nice job !!!

started with a love/hate relationship. Loved the boat/ hated the colors and condition it was in.:daz:

Was on my fifth or sixth run and......uh oh! that doesn't sound right. Wasn't planning on a total redo but when I found out one of the engines was chunked I figured, might as well pull both and redo them. When the engines came out I figured, might as well pull the drives and transom assymblies off and redo them. Then figured, might as well pull off everything else and get rid of this pink and purple $hit. Then it all goes down hill from there and my o.c.d. kicked in as well as my bank account, ouch.

Boat got torn to pieces....and I started a second project along with this one. Couldn't find a place big enough to paint it in so I decided to build my own around the boat. As if I don't have enough to do.

Great redo. Love the colors. and the trailer is amazing.

It took me about a year to get a painter picked out so there was quite a gap after she was sanded and prepped to when she was sprayed. Plus, I changed my mind twenty times. First I was going to go all silver, then all white, then decided on black and white. Once I ordered the paint I couldn't change my mind again. It probably sat in there while I was building the lean-to around it for about a year before I got a painter that I trusted to spray it.

Then some sanding, and more sanding....I'm getting tired thinking about it.

Then finally after an eternity of prep work the primer and paint started, along with, more sanding.

During the year of indecision, waiting, and sanding, my local interior guy was doing a bang up job putting the new interior together.

Finally, clear was on and it was time to put her on the trailer and wheel her into the clean part of the barn for rigging.

At this point we started pulling all the little pieces apart to sandblast and paint them individually. All the brackets on the engines, the transom assymblies, trim tabs, drives, anything on the boat that was steel or aluminum was disassymbled, blasted, and painted. Okay, I'm going to bed. 'Till next time

Wow what an amazing job! Your cabin interior looks so comfortable. Actually looks like a go fast cabin I'd enjoy spending time in. I also really like the simple color scheme, so clean.

Very cool!

Whoa! That is very nice! Great colors and yes...nice trailer for sure.

Really nice work.

Thanks all for the comments. I had myco built the trailer specifically for this boat and I picked it up from the factory when I went to scoop up the boat. I had them extend the prop guard a foot just in case I ever decided to put extension boxes on it. Plus, with the tongue all the way back and the extended prop guard it will actually fit up to a 34 sutphen.

Beautiful!

Hey good job Wade!! Hows the kiddies?

Thanks. She's good. Walking now so it's hard keeping up with her.:lolhit:

WOW, great work, she looks great, thanks for sharing your project with us.

Great work Wade!! Hope you get out and enjoy her soon.

Here are some of the hardware after paint. Also replaced the purple carpet in the cockpit with grey.

more

The only thing stopping me from taking her out today is a $75 idle control valve. I was wishing that ups was going to deliver early today. Doesn't look like that will happen. I bought two just because of the rule of twins.:lolhit: If one is bad the other is probably close behind. I can't wait to get a single engine.

My poor man's shorties.:lolhit:After days of sanding old paint off and polishing and straightening the skegs on my lowers, I decided to just cheat and paint them silver. I have a new respect for anyone who has polished a lower unit. Damn it's a lot of work! Looks good with the colors though and, who knows, maybe next year I can actually afford some real shorties.:bunnydance:

Looks great!! Love the simplicity of the color scheme.

Great to see. Very Very nice!

You may want to just wire wheel the lowers to bare aluminum if the silver doesn't hold up, which I don't see any reason it wouldn't....
Polished lowers scrub speed vs slightly rough lowers due to sticktion < new word :)

There is a thread on here discussing that & it makes sense.

Boat looks sweet.
MD

I did have all the paint off of them and I started polishing on them. The skegs were very pitted so I decided to go ahead and paint so I could use some high fill primer to smooth out the pits. They looked sweet all aluminum but as you got down to the skegs they looked pretty bad. I did heat up the lowers with a torch though and straightened out the slight twists and defects that they all have. Hopefully that will help a little.

just don't loose my number when you already to splash her...:)

been there done that! who says you can't heat and bend aluminum! lol

As long as you use a braising tip and heat it slowly you are okay. Over heat it or under heat it and you are going to be welding on a new skeg.

First class Job Wade! I am a cash buyer @ 20k:evilb:

Born Again
 

Beautiful Wade, Just plain Beautiful.

Thanks again for the steering wheel cap.

Take care. Chris