16 ss side panel replacement

[Matlok]

I'm not sure if the pictures made it, but I tried to attach some pictures of a 16 ss that we had a new side panel installed.
I;
I'll tell the story once the pictures are up.

 

[Matlok]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

Okay, I think the pictures are visible.
First of all, its all you guys fault! I started reading this forum last fall and got addicted. We already had a 1962 16ft Jupiter and well, now I'm an addict like the rest of you.
This boat is a 1982, and was in a highway accident 2 weeks out of the show room. A fellow bought it friom the insurance company, ordered a new side panel from Starcraft ($1500 back then) and then it sat in his garage until wqe bought it last fall.
Now we have a 1962 16ft Jupiter , this 16 ss and the 18 ss we just bought a few days ago.
Help, where is the clinic?
Seriously, we do have a plan and a need. I'm part of a three cottage multi famuily group that was in need of some boat upgrades,. We decided to get aluminum for all the reasons you folks sanction.

So, we need your advice, should we
a) remove all the paint via soda blast and basically start with a bare bones hull? We would want to change the colour.
b) paint over the old paint and prep the bare aluminum properly and paint

Our current thought is to soda blast and NOT paint but rather buff the aluminum. We have seen one vboat like this and its sharp. Then there are no paint issues. Our boats sit in the water all summer season until late fall.

Does anyone had thier bioat soda balsted before? Results? Good, bad, ??

 

[Pugetsound]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

Only being two weeks then garaged all this time would it not be a lot less time just to match the paint or was the side panel painted when he, PO .got it from starcraft?? How bad was the interior damaged? should look like a new one as after two weeks it sat for 18 years??

 

[Matlok]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

Only being two weeks then garaged all this time would it not be a lot less time just to match the paint or was the side panel painted when he, PO .got it from starcraft?? How bad was the interior damaged? should look like a new one as after two weeks it sat for 18 years??

The paint on the one side is "good", but faded with age and a few marks.
I am thinking the colour will impossible to match. The panel from starcraft was bare aluminum.
The interior and floor etc is in great shape.
What would think about the polished aluminum look?
Matlok

 

[strange82]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

Man, when the title said new side panel, I was thinking the interior panels. Must have been quite the job!
I don't know about the stripping, but I can tell you, keeping bare aluminum looking sharp takes some time. I know a few pilots with no paint on there birds, and they spend a lot of time polishing. if you want that look maybe you could coat it with a gloss clear?

 

[MichaelP]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

I made the same asumption as you there strange.

Matlok - Officially welcome to the STARMADA! There is no clinic and no turning back as you already progressed into Miltiple Boat Syndrome (MBS)

You may have already found the many posts on painting. If not start searching on paint topics. Lots of info here on theis topic. Your biggest hurdle may be deciding the color. I like the looks of finished aluminum but it must require some house keeping to keep it looking good. Someone here will have some better input.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

That last photo you posted up there is crazy scary! Wow, nice repair job!

Personally, I'd go with plan B up there^^^^^^^^^.

3 Starcrafts, you are a very sick man.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

Pretty sure we had another member on here (ozinine maybe) that considered buying that boat about a year ago. Good luck with it.

 

[strange82]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

I'll ask the question were all wanting to ask...
How much did you pay for this gem? After all (other than the small hole in the side) it's a two week old boat
And MBS is a real tough one to beat, for me it came from my family,so it can be hereditary.

 

[Matlok]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

I'll ask the question were all wanting to ask...
How much did you pay for this gem?



Price was $500 including the new panel and two new seats.

The repair was substantially more work than anticipated and while it was apart we put a new transom in. why not!

The new panel was very difficult. I would not do it again.
But now we have a new shell of a boat and it will be fun.
We have the usual items to consider such as foam replacement, fuel tank, paint, etc. etc. I did find a nice 1997 90 hp honda at a great price to put on it. At the price of fuel, we wanted to as fuel efficient as possible.

I get a real thrill out of these things. My daughter drives the 1962 Jupiter around the lake (with origonal paint etc). Her friends think its the coolest boat !! They love the retro look.

 

[GLG fishing]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

There is a product called Sharkhide that guy?s are using on there welded boats around here. So if you like that bare look, this product will keep it looking good.
GLG

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

EZ is right, we've seen that one before. I thought it would've been recycled into Labatt Blue cans by now. I'm glad to see it brought back from the brink.

Bare metal all the way, 1/3 of the work is done for you.

I also agree that Sharkhyde seems to be the best product to protect it once the aluminum is polished. Folks love that stuff.

For info on polishing the metal check out some vintage Airstream trailer projects online, those guys know how to make aluminum shine better than anybody.

 

[KellyC]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

Yea most all the river boats around here have bare hulls to a point, most are just painted above the water line. I see a lot with the sharkhyde on them and see adds on CL for it to be applied the RIGHT was according to one guy.

 

[Piece715]

Re: 16 ss side panel replacement

I had my boat soda blasted when I first started my project and it came out great... cost me couple hundred and saved me a TON of work. I started to strip it on my own but the amount of paint on this sucker was amazing... not to mention all that adhesive that I couldn't get off the inside. I had both the inside and outside done by a local guy. Here is a before and after shot