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Liquid Therapy
07-17-2007, 09:42 AM
Hello everyone, I have been reading alot on this site, and seems very helpful to alot of questions I have had. Im 25 yrs old and from southeast Michigan, with tons of inland lake here in Oakland County and Lake St. Clair not far at all I have been boating for a couple of years now.
I have done the custom mini truck thing and still do, but now with my younger brothers boat ( 1994 Sunbird Corsair ) with a 4.3 Chevy v-6 and the OMC outdrive and a couple problems this season, we're finding out that the OMC isnt very cheap and kinda want to change it out with the Mercruiser. But anyway, I can do custom interior and we are redoing that at the end of the season.
Now after all that my question I have read some about "Capping" a boat is this hard? I know it takes time and patient which I have both. We both love the boat and kinda want to make it different with some custom interior and some sweet paint job on the outside, would it be best to sand down to the fiber glass to get rid of all the "gel coat" and lay a primer/sealer then with a base coat/clear coat ? or what is my best way? I never really worked with a gel coat before, but believe I can do it, Im lookin for some help from the vets and the guys that specialize in this area and help with pics or anything would be great! I know when I get in over my head, so maybe I should just dish out the cash for a shop do it ? and that way not worry about it.
thanks for the help in advance!

warlock 27
07-17-2007, 10:16 AM
I don't know anything about that, but just want to say welcome to hot boat

Liquid Therapy
07-17-2007, 10:25 AM
Thanks Warlock.

DUCKY
07-17-2007, 02:52 PM
Ditto....Welcome!
First off, all outdrives are expensive. If your boat is a '94, then you have an OMC Cobra, correct? If so, Leave it. Make sure that it has had the updated 5 degree gears installed (1994 should have been fine from the factory), keep good oil in it, and use it. Changing it to a Mercruiser wouldn't get you anywhere, unless you were trying to make big horsepower and needed a bigger outdrive.
On the painting side...It's my opinion that gelcoat is what belongs there, however automotive paints can be used if your prep is done right. There is no need to remove the gelcoat if you want to paint the boat. Clean it with an alcohol based wax and grease remover, sand it well with 220, clean it again, and apply a quality epoxy primer for best adhesion, and paint it like you would anything else.
On the capping idea, I think you will find that a mass produced boat such as a Sunbird does not lend itself well to capping. The boat is most likely of shoe-box type construction, (which means you would need to gut the boat and glass the halves together from the inside first) and the halves probably don't fit worth a damn, not to mention all the silicone that has likely been packed in there over the years. Yes it can be done, but I wouldn't try it.
Good luck with your project.

Liquid Therapy
07-17-2007, 08:17 PM
Thanks Ducky !
I meant to say that the "Capping" is going to be done on our other project boat which is a 1973 Glastron 160 GT, yes the same boat that was in the James Bond movie. This boat we are stripping inside and out and completely redoing everything. I also need to find out how I can legally reinforce the transom for a bigger outboard too. any info on that would be helpful too.
thanks again

DUCKY
07-18-2007, 08:52 AM
Even that Glastron is probably a shoebox boat so it won't be fun to cap either. I had a GT143 for a little while. Meant to rebuild it and gave up.....
On the transom thing, legality has nothing to do with it. It's what you feel safe with. First off, how much power are you trying to use? Say the boat is "rated" for 75hp, and you want to put a 90 or 115 on it. If the transom is solid, you shouldn't need any more than some well placed aluminum bracing to stiffen things up and good quality bolts, washers, etc.... But if you are like me and want to do things crazy (like a 2.5 SS Merc on that boat:D ) Then you would need to re-engineer the structure. This would start with removal of all the wood in the boat (transom, floors, etc...) getting rid of the splash well, and putting in a new full width transom (2 layers of 3/4", laminated together), stringers with knees, lifting strake and bottom reinforcements, etc....

pw_Tony
07-19-2007, 10:44 AM
I'm not sure about the Glastron or Subird. But if you wanted to put a bigger motor on the Glastron wouldn't it just be cheaper to buy another boat to handle it? Aren't outboards like $100 per horsepower?(something I heard, not sure if it's true). You could probably find a decent 19ft Baker or something with an 200hp Merc on it for cheaper that it would take to fix that old boat up, or maybe you're like me and enjoy waisting money on a boat that you'll never get back;) Just my 2 cents

DUCKY
07-19-2007, 05:58 PM
I'm not sure about the Glastron or Subird. But if you wanted to put a bigger motor on the Glastron wouldn't it just be cheaper to buy another boat to handle it? Aren't outboards like $100 per horsepower?(something I heard, not sure if it's true). You could probably find a decent 19ft Baker or something with an 200hp Merc on it for cheaper that it would take to fix that old boat up, or maybe you're like me and enjoy waisting money on a boat that you'll never get back;) Just my 2 cents
You probably have a point, but even I wouldn't mind fixing up one of those old Glastrons. They just look cool, especially a 16 footer with a 2.5 on it....:eek:

Liquid Therapy
07-20-2007, 06:42 AM
Thanks for the info. there is an outboard its a 115 2 stoke merc hang on to the back now we wanted more of a 200 plus. also this was our grandfathers boat he boat new so its more then just an old boat, i used to be pulled behind this boat when i was 5 so its old lol, well Im only 25yrs old. But maybe with all the work to reinforce it really isnt work it then, cause these boats look sick and I love the the way they sit in the water too. from the back it kinda looks like a vette minus the taillights. but right now were working on getting it gutted and replacing some things like the throttle, interior and the floor, i think were going with a chamillion paint job on the outside and maybe a white and bright emerald green interior, white face gauges surrounded by a fiberglass dash and windshield.

pw_Tony
07-20-2007, 07:15 AM
Thanks for the info. there is an outboard its a 115 2 stoke merc hang on to the back now we wanted more of a 200 plus. also this was our grandfathers boat he boat new so its more then just an old boat, i used to be pulled behind this boat when i was 5 so its old lol, well Im only 25yrs old. But maybe with all the work to reinforce it really isnt work it then, cause these boats look sick and I love the the way they sit in the water too. from the back it kinda looks like a vette minus the taillights. but right now were working on getting it gutted and replacing some things like the throttle, interior and the floor, i think were going with a chamillion paint job on the outside and maybe a white and bright emerald green interior, white face gauges surrounded by a fiberglass dash and windshield.
:jawdrop: On a boat! Sounds very pricey and expensive

Liquid Therapy
07-20-2007, 09:47 AM
yea but it would sweet and I personally never seen anyone else with that colors, its about being different and turning heads. so the price is worth it, and I can spray it myself. Did many custom paint jobs for a car club, including my own low rider show truck.