1957 Fleetform Custom Restoration

[MPrimeaux]

I've got a question for everyone. I was planning on powering this boat with a 65 hp... even thought about a 90, but the more I look at the size of the boat and the size of the motor (physical size) I think I may be over stepping. I'm an adult so I think I can be responsible with over powering it as far as hp rating goes, but is this just going to be too much engine?? All of the info that I can find on the boat says it's 14' and had an appx weight of 450 lbs new. Is there anyone here with a similar runabout that can share their experience with power on a boat this size? Too much... too little... just right??

 

[sphelps]

Maybe there will be a plate that will give you the max hp rating on the boat .
I have a feeling for a 14’ boat a 90 would be to big .. I have a 90 on my 16.5 ft and it’s over powered by 5 hp ..
Its a newer motor so it handles it well but it is maxed out imho ..

 

[MPrimeaux]

Maybe there will be a plate that will give you the max hp rating on the boat .
I have a feeling for a 14’ boat a 90 would be to big .. I have a 90 on my 16.5 ft and it’s over powered by 5 hp ..
Its a newer motor so it handles it well but it is maxed out imho ..

yeeeeaaaahhhh..... the brochure for the boat says its rated for a 40 hp

 

[chevymaher]

To nice to modify.

 

[MPrimeaux]

Ok, I got it home, got all the leaves and junk out, and did a preliminary pressure washing. It IS in really good shape, but not quite as good as my brother thought. It has very little wood as best I can tell, but I WILL have to replace at least some of the stringer in the rear of the boat and the wood on the outside of the transom. Oddly enough, the wood that's glassed in the transom seems good, but if i'm gonna cut it open I'm gonna go ahead and do that too. I have a question about materials. I figure opinions vary, but I was looking at replacing the stringers and transom with Coosa Board. Anyone have any experience with this stuff? Pictures to follow.

 

[sphelps]

I have no experience with the coosa board but I have heard it’s pretty good stuff but a little pricey..

 

[MPrimeaux]

[No message]

 

[MPrimeaux]

I have no experience with the coosa board but I have heard it’s pretty good stuff but a little pricey..

Yes sir it is, but It would be the last time I'd have to do it and from what I can tell, there are only two stringers in the boat. The seats are used as bulkheads and there are two small bulkheads in the bow under the front cap that are all fiberglass. The only wood in the transom is in the center (apprx. 16" X 16")... it doesn't go all the way to the sides of the boat. I've looked into it a little and a half sheet is under $200 and a whole sheet is just over $300.

 

[sphelps]

I’m all for using composite stuff especially on these old classics . I think it will keep them out of the landfill that much longer .
Thats why I used seacast in my fathers MFG ..
Shes cleaning up nicely ! Gotta love those lines !

 

[MPrimeaux]

I’m all for using composite stuff especially on these old classics . I think it will keep them out of the landfill that much longer .
Thats why I used seacast in my fathers MFG ..
Shes cleaning up nicely ! Gotta love those lines !

Thanks and YESSS! I really like the lines. It's going to be more work than I had originally thought, but I guess that's the way it usually works! Again, this was supposed to be a fun "junk" project, but I think I'll take my time with this one. I have a lot to learn and a lot of research to do, but I'll chip away at it. I think i'm going to set my goal for having it in the water next season. I am going to be spending some time in the DIY stickies to figure out this gel coat magic. Although the gel coat is not in "bad" shape, it has some cracks and a couple of chips. From what I understand, you can't just fill them and paint over it. I'm sure I'll have questions!

 

[MPrimeaux]

On another note, I probably got ahead of myself, but I figured I'd get it while I had one located. I purchased a 1963 Mercury 650 Short shaft w/controls yesterday for this project. It's a little over rated, but I think the boat will handle the power. My biggest concern is the weight and I figure if it creates a problem I could install an inboard fuel tank in the bow and use some sort of electric lift pump to send it back. I'm going to hang it on the transom today to get an idea of what it will look like. I'll post pics after.

 

[MPrimeaux]

Alright, so I hung the motor on the boat today to get an idea of what it was going to look like. I think I'm pretty pleased. I'll have to do some work on the motor I'm sure along with some gel coat and stringer repair.

 

[sphelps]

Looks great ! That’s a whole lot of motor back there though . Might think about a couple knee braces seeing as the transom wood does not go all the way across the back ..

 

[MPrimeaux]

Ok, I'm at work for another week and a half, but did get a chance to do some more work on my boat before I left. I've been doing my best to do some leg work before I just randomly ask questions but I'm just overwhelmed. I'll start off with what I've done.

I cleaned it up good and took a few core samples of the stringers. Found one bad stringer and one questionable and can't see the point in only replacing one of the two anyways. So both stringers will be replaced. I'm leaning towards Coosa Board at this point as I don't need a ton of it and it will pretty much be permanent. If I'm going to have to cut out the stringers I also can't see the point in not cutting out the transom. It's just about a 16" x 16" square that's glassed in the best I can tell. There is another layer of wood for the transom on the exterior that is screwed through the hull from the outside and looks original design, but I'm not positive. So there is a 3/4" piece of ply glassed in then about 1/4 - 5/16" of glass (hull), and then another 3/4" piece of ply screwed on the outside and painted. Hope that's clear as mud....

I've also worked on the gel a little for a test. I used 1500 with a DA, then cut,buffed,and polished and followed up with a wipe down with F11 Topcoat. (I use it on my bike and they advertise it can be used on anything). I think it cleaned up really well, BUT.... there are some stress cracks here and there (some are long) and a couple of chips that will have to be repaired. I have concerns about matching the gel colors and can't decide if I need to just fill the cracks and paint instead. (hoping for some direction on this!!)

I've ordered a good deal of parts to get the Merc 650 and the cable/drum steering going. At this point, I feel like I need to put it in the water to see how it will sit in the water with the added weight from the 650 vs. the 35hp Lark. IF it's to heavy in the aft, I may look at putting a permanent fuel tank under the bow to get some weight up forward. I will have to glass in some supports if so and would like to do all/most of my glassing at the same time.... hence wanting to just get it floating and running BEFORE I get to tearing it apart.

Ok, now for the newbie begging..... I have been reading in the forums for over a week now and I'm just overwhelmed with info. I've payed particular attention to WoodonGlass's Flamingo and archbuilder's Sleek just because I like both of them and the detail in their threads. Guys and Girls, I realize that opinions vary, but they vary so much that I can't tell what materials I need to glass the stringers and transom in (Epoxy or Poly?... what brand??...CSM,cloth, 1708... ALL OF IT?? What is a "Cleat"? Wax.. no wax?? How exactly to you make PB????) or what materials I will need to repair the gel.... Epoxy?? Gel repair kit?? Paint... (Automotive?? Rustoleum??) I guess what I'm begging for is some educated direction on which way to go with the structural repairs as well as the gel repair (just an "I would do this.... " would be awesome) and what specific materials/brands to use.

All that being said..... I don't want to sound like a newbie that just want everyone to do his work for him. If I'm just getting ahead of myself, tell me. I can take the constructive criticism and realize that some basics have to be learned before help can be given. I feel like I understand how to do the physical repairs (for the most part), but I can't nail down exactly what I need. I was REALLY hoping to have this thing ready next season and at this rate it'll be next season before I figure out for sure what I even need to restore it!

ANY help will be received and greatly appreciated. I will post some pictures after this post.. I'm on my work computer and all of my pics are on my phone!

 

[MPrimeaux]

Some of the gel coat and inside of the boat.

 

[MPrimeaux]

A few more. Like I said earlier, if it wasn't for the cracks, I think the gel would really clean up fine. I only see two stringer in the boat and the only wood in the transom is in the recessed part of the aft. The "pontoons" (not sure the correct term) don't have any wood.

 

[sphelps]

If it were me I would just fill all the bad spots . Pb then a fairing material on the big gouges and just the fairing on the scratches and small stuff . Then prime and paint . You could try and match up the gell but getting a perfect match would be difficult. Not sure what the coosa board is best used with . Probably epoxy or poly would be fine . If you plan on gell coat then stick with poly ... If paint then either one will work .. Epoxy is a bit more expensive but does have the advantage of being a bit more flexible and you can’t beat the adhesion value of it . Poly is less expensive but your boat is made from it so there is no reason what so ever that it won’t work just fine .. PB is made with either poly or epoxy by adding cabosil/airosil to the resin .
You can also make it a more structural filler by adding chopped fibers to the mix .. Basically mix it to your taste . More cabosil = thicker PB .. Vertical applications you usually want pretty thick so it won’t sag .. Epoxy has a tendency to be a little more runny than poly .. Poly you will need to use CSM and most here use 1708 bi-axle cloth for pretty much all repairs . Epoxy requires no csm and most use the 1708 cloth without the csm stitched to it .
Kind of all over the place but hopefully that helps a bit ..

 

[MPrimeaux]

Looks great ! That’s a whole lot of motor back there though . Might think about a couple knee braces seeing as the transom wood does not go all the way across the back ..

Thanks! I'm really digging the boat and I think you're right Sphelps, I plan on beefing up the support when I replace the transom and stringers. Not sure EXACTLY how I'm going to brace yet, but I figure I'll find a clever way to tie the transom to the each of the stringers.

 

[MPrimeaux]

If it were me I would just fill all the bad spots . Pb then a fairing material on the big gouges and just the fairing on the scratches and small stuff . Then prime and paint . You could try and match up the gell but getting a perfect match would be difficult. Not sure what the coosa board is best used with . Probably epoxy or poly would be fine . If you plan on gell coat then stick with poly ... If paint then either one will work .. Epoxy is a bit more expensive but does have the advantage of being a bit more flexible and you can’t beat the adhesion value of it . Poly is less expensive but your boat is made from it so there is no reason what so ever that it won’t work just fine .. PB is made with either poly or epoxy by adding cabosil/airosil to the resin .
You can also make it a more structural filler by adding chopped fibers to the mix .. Basically mix it to your taste . More cabosil = thicker PB .. Vertical applications you usually want pretty thick so it won’t sag .. Epoxy has a tendency to be a little more runny than poly .. Poly you will need to use CSM and most here use 1708 bi-axle cloth for pretty much all repairs . Epoxy requires no csm and most use the 1708 cloth without the csm stitched to it .
Kind of all over the place but hopefully that helps a bit ..

No it absolutely helps. I've read enough at this point to kinda keep up!. I was thinking that matching the gel is going to be nothing short of luck and a miracle also, so I was leaning toward paint. The coosa will work with either poly or epoxy. So let me make sure I understand. I should be able to grind out the cracks to open them up, just fill up with PB (epoxy or poly) and sand.. fair?? back down, prime and paint?

 

[MPrimeaux]

Also... do you have any advice on paint?? I would like to keep the yellow I think. I have some experience on spraying automotive paint and have all of the equipment. I've read some use automotive and some use Rustoleum with hardener?? Any idea what's more durable? Seems like the first time it bumps against a dock either would be trashed.