1979 Baja Tri 16 restoration project

[mberber7898]

Hello everyone, I am new to this so any help would be very much appreciated. I just picked up a 1979 Baja Tri 16. I am looking for some options to restore this boat and not sure where to start to find parts. Where are some good places to look for parts?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Welcome aboard

parts for what, motor or boat?

if for the motor, your local dealer or other reseller that sells parts for the specific motor

if you are looking at parts for the boat. some items are generic like latches, electrical components, hinges.

upholstery, windows, dash, etc. are boat specific. for upholstery, hit up your local shop

Keep in mind, with you 43 year old boat, you may need to fully restore the hull (new stringers, transom, deck, foam, etc.) before you can safely use the boat

 

[mberber7898]

Welcome aboard

parts for what, motor or boat?

if for the motor, your local dealer or other reseller that sells parts for the specific motor

if you are looking at parts for the boat. some items are generic like latches, electrical components, hinges.

upholstery, windows, dash, etc. are boat specific. for upholstery, hit up your local shop

Keep in mind, with you 43 year old boat, you may need to fully restore the hull (new stringers, transom, deck, foam, etc.) before you can safely use the boat

Hello Scott,

Thank you for the info. I am looking to find the missing rails that run down the side, throttle assembly as this one is in peices, interior. I was hoping to find an original manual or pics so I can find the specific parts. I got a manual and everything needed for the motor.

 

[todhunter]

It's not like restoring a car. There are no manuals with part numbers listed for the boat. Even if there were, chances are the boat company wouldn't carry stock. As Scott said, it's either custom/diy (interior, structure, etc), or you find a current off the shelf item that matches or is close enough (hinges, brackets, etc.), or lastly, you find a FB group specific to your boat's make/model and you see if anyone is selling the parts you're looking for.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Hello Scott,

Thank you for the info. I am looking to find the missing rails that run down the side, throttle assembly as this one is in peices, interior. I was hoping to find an original manual or pics so I can find the specific parts. I got a manual and everything needed for the motor.

rub rails were most likely sourced from TACO Marine https://tacomarine.com/rub-rail

boat manuals are a 4-page safety brochure with a picture of the boat company logo on the front, a generic picture that says the pointy end is the front and the end with the propeller is the stern and there is a list of servicing dealers. you should be able to find a manual for the trailer and the motor.

regarding parts for the throttle assembly, that would fall under the motor. look to the motor manufactuer for manuals and parts. dont get a seloc or haynes motor manual. those are garbage and have bad information in them. get a factory service manual from the boat motor manufacturer.

 

[mberber7898]

It's not like restoring a car. There are no manuals with part numbers listed for the boat. Even if there were, chances are the boat company wouldn't carry stock. As Scott said, it's either custom/diy (interior, structure, etc), or you find a current off the shelf item that matches or is close enough (hinges, brackets, etc.), or lastly, you find a FB group specific to your boat's make/model and you see if anyone is selling the parts you're looking for.

Thanks for that info, I can the interior option that I am going to do. My buddy is going to paint it. I found a service manual and parts for the 69 Johnson 55. So I just need to find the chrome grab bars that ran down the side, throttle assembly, and a few other small items. Sorry this is my first boat project, lol.

 

[mberber7898]

rub rails were most likely sourced from TACO Marine https://tacomarine.com/rub-rail

boat manuals are a 4-page safety brochure with a picture of the boat company logo on the front, a generic picture that says the pointy end is the front and the end with the propeller is the stern and there is a list of servicing dealers. you should be able to find a manual for the trailer and the motor.

regarding parts for the throttle assembly, that would fall under the motor. look to the motor manufactuer for manuals and parts. dont get a seloc or haynes motor manual. those are garbage and have bad information in them. get a factory service manual from the boat motor manufacturer.

Thank you Scott! I was able to find all the info on the motor. Got a painter and found all the interior that I am going to install and modify myself. There is a chrome grab rail that ran down each side. Hopefully I can find a pair of those cause I'm sure it will be pricy having them made. I plan on painting the bottom half black, top half will be maroon with flake or a pearl. Gray carpet with gray and maroon seats. May find a little larger motor.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Thank you Scott! I was able to find all the info on the motor. Got a painter and found all the interior that I am going to install and modify myself. There is a chrome grab rail that ran down each side. Hopefully I can find a pair of those cause I'm sure it will be pricy having them made. I plan on painting the bottom half black, top half will be maroon with flake or a pearl. Gray carpet with gray and maroon seats. May find a little larger motor.

before you go to paint anything. you need to make sure the transom, stringers and deck are not soft and rotten

regarding a larger motor, you can only go as large as the capacity tag says. keep in mind, the boat was designed for a 2-stroke and not the weight of a 4-stroke.

 

[todhunter]

Thanks for that info, I can the interior option that I am going to do. My buddy is going to paint it. I found a service manual and parts for the 69 Johnson 55. So I just need to find the chrome grab bars that ran down the side, throttle assembly, and a few other small items. Sorry this is my first boat project, lol.

No need for apologies - I'm working on my first one too. I also came into this from a car restoration background and was expecting to find all kinds of drawings and manuals...man, was I disappointed, lol. It seemed daunting to take on at first, having never worked with fiberglass and not having any drawings. As I'm sure will be the same for you, you'll learn as you go. Take lots of pictures and make lots of sketches with measurements as you take things apart. You may even consider saving the rotten parts (stringers, bulkheads, etc.) you pull out of the boat until you make new ones and get them installed. You'll come to discover that the tolerances were a mile wide when they built your boat and that it was just slapped together, so any remote attention to detail you give it will be an improvement.

 

[mberber7898]

before you go to paint anything. you need to make sure the transom, stringers and deck are not soft and rotten

regarding a larger motor, you can only go as large as the capacity tag says. keep in mind, the boat was designed for a 2-stroke and not the weight of a 4-stroke.

Man, thanks for all the help. I found the coast guard plate, it says max HP 115, Max person weight 800, max (person, motor, gear) 1840. Does that 1840 include the boat weight, which I found is 820

 

[mberber7898]

Ok, so thanks to yalls help I started stripping everything and noticed the back of boat floor was soft and had a 8x8 hole in floor up against transom. So attached is what I found. Is this even worth fixing?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Ok, so thanks to yalls help I started stripping everything and noticed the back of boat floor was soft and had a 8x8 hole in floor up against transom. So attached is what I found. Is this even worth fixing?

welcome to the older boat owners club. we all have been there, we all had a boat with rot (or we are lying about it).

we all have had to ask the question to ourselves.

for me, the restorations had sentimental value or because I could

for others its the satisfaction of the cathartic project.

only you can answer your own question if it is even worth fixing.

expect to spend $2500-$3500 in the hull for materials, resin, cloth, incidentals and PPE

expect to spend $2-$2500 for the interior

expect to spend a bit on the motor, wiring, controls, etc.

at the end of the day, if you dump all that into a 43 year old tri-hull, you still have a 43 year old tri-hull

 

[mberber7898]

welcome to the older boat owners club. we all have been there, we all had a boat with rot (or we are lying about it).

we all have had to ask the question to ourselves.

for me, the restorations had sentimental value or because I could

for others its the satisfaction of the cathartic project.

only you can answer your own question if it is even worth fixing.

expect to spend $2500-$3500 in the hull for materials, resin, cloth, incidentals and PPE

expect to spend $2-$2500 for the interior

expect to spend a bit on the motor, wiring, controls, etc.

at the end of the day, if you dump all that into a 43 year old tri-hull, you still have a 43 year old tri-hull

Thanks, for me it was a cool looking boat, a father son project and first one. Luckily I know how to do fiberglass. Watch some really good videos and plan on going ahead with cutting out the floor, replacing the transom and going to use Coosa board to keep weight down. Found a great 90 hp motor complete with all controls. Will keep posting pics along the process. I'm glad I found this forum, great info and help!

 

[GSPLures]

I am posting some of my boats rot when I started(to prove we all have had that heart sinking feeling). I was told I was stupid for taking the project on and that they will never get in that boat(they weren't wrong at the time) now that it is almost done they are fighting over who is going to go on the maiden voyage

 

[mberber7898]

Awesome, yup that's what mine looks like, lol. I'm excited, I enjoy the challenge and since I got it for free I don't mind putting some extra into it.