HELP, newbie with a 1959 mfg

[sjcorn]

i have aquired a very destressed 1959 mfg that was badly damaged by water. it sat outside for 4 years with no cover and i live in upper pa so we get LOTS of rain and snow. i have torn out all existing wood work except the transom and the rails. the fiberglass is in good shape but the transom and the back board are pretty rotten. i dont know technical names of stuff so bare with me. the outer wall of the back board is rotten and needs replaced. the spine of the boat which the transom is screwed too is rotted and the transom itself is in bad shape. the lower half of the inside wall of the back board has water damage and im not sure if its rotten too. so for my questions....

i dont know what the boat is. ive done some research and found that only 2 types of boats were produced in 1959 by mfg, the edinboro and the ofxord. i have the serial number and model number of the boat. serail number is f9 and the model is 1637. anyone who may know what this boat is would help me out.

i have no idea how to fix this rotting wood beside replace it, but ive heard that messing with the transom is bad news. i also dont know how to fix the spine because its anchored to the boat from the underside up. i kinda wanna fix it up as a little project to keep myself busy while im laid off. am i gonna get into a big ordeal or is this fixable???

 

[jonesg]

Re: HELP, newbie with a 1959 mfg

very fixable if you like the boat, I had one of those yrs ago.
Mine was a 16 foot glass lapstrake hull with all wood gunnels and transom, sounds the same, with wooden fwd deck from windshield to bow. Wooden bench seats.

They ride nice, used to take mine out in small craft advisories , 4 foot waves were just swell with me. I had a johnson 70 or something like that.

All your wood is shot, 50 yrs is enough.!
But if you can save the bow decking thats worth trying.

Otherwise just gut it, keep the transom for a template , replace with PT, dry it out, replace with same dimensions, if its 1 1/2 inch ply just laminate 2x3/4 sheets with epoxy or PL Premium construction adhesive.

I find it helps to look through the finished projects and find something similar then just follow it for ideas and methods.

Try looking your boat up on fiberclassics or fiberglassics?

you got an engine yet?

 

[sjcorn]

Re: HELP, newbie with a 1959 mfg

yeah i tryed looking it up on fiberglassics but had no luck, either i dont know how to use the site or they were under construction. as for a motor. i have a 1955 25 hp evinrude in need of spark. engine turns nice but no spark. im an electrician not an engine mechanic by no means. i am mechanically enclined so if i was told how to fix it i could.

 

[Steven S.]

Re: HELP, newbie with a 1959 mfg

Fiberglassics has been under construction for a little while now. But there's a way around it.

http://www.fiberglassics.com/mfg/

Try that, then click to the left under 1950's for your brochures.

I just picked up a '65 or '66 (title says '65, fiberglassics brochure says '66) MFG Erie Custom (Inboard) for free. I think I lucked out and mine's full glass except for the transom. I'll find out for sure when I start gutting the interior and get the motor out. Welcome to the site man... there's TONS of info here. I've just been reading for the last few weeks and I've learned more than I ever thought I would about boating.

 

[jonesg]

Re: HELP, newbie with a 1959 mfg

Post a question in the johnson forum, thats an easy fix for the engine, probably just needs coils/points/plugwires.
You can find factory service manuals on ebay.
But the older engines are so simple I work on mine without the service book.
My 59 10 hp is more similar to steam power than petrol.

for demo you can use all sorts of tools, I like my elec chainsaw, sawzall, skillsaw , 3 lb hammer and wood chisel, crowbar, wonder bar on transom.

hi-speed angle grinder (ryobi sells a cheap $26 one) w/ steel diamond masonry disk will take care of any fiberglass like slicing butter.

Powersanders are very handy for roughing up the hull to take new resin.

Just finished my transom and re-cored my deck, messy but fun.
Pic is what I saw when I pulled the deck,
also replaced the stringers and rebuilt bilge while i was in there.

 

[sjcorn]

Re: HELP, newbie with a 1959 mfg

well its definately gonna take ALOT to make it look like it did. the bow when i got it was intact but must have been modified by a previous owner because it had a split windshield with a 2x2 boxed out hole in the middle. the bow, other then that is....was exactly like that, just painted. and rotten. and full of mice. and carpenter ants. and mold. and .... well lots of stuff. im taking the transom off as well as ALL existing woods, what is the best type of wood to us for remodeling... i tried using treated to start the bow but it snapped when i tried to bend it with the curve of the boat.... i will have to research this site some more, but any sleeve tricks you guys have would be nice.