Formula 233, Thunderbird, t-bird, boat restoration, restore,transom

Seat boxes installed and paint

2010-04-25T18:00:00.000-05:00

Long time since I updated the blog, we have installed the seat boxes and started painting. Going back with Brightsides, blu glo white for the top coat...and we noticed/thought that the white would be too bright in the interior..specifically for the floor and sidewalls..so we mixed some Ocean blue at a 5-1 ratio to lighten the blue. Before any of the top got applied we did a no sand wash and then applied the epoxy coat 2part epoxy primer. The first two pics are of the primer coat, and the next two are the first coat of topside.

Dolphins

2010-04-25T17:51:00.000-05:00

Last trip of 2009 we ran through a school of dolphin while moving to a new spot, unfortunately, they did not stop for my picture opportunity...but the fishing picked up immediately.

Seats and Floor

2009-09-13T10:09:00.005-05:00

Seat Boxes:
The seat boxes have been wrapped in 6oz cloth, the seams were all wrapped in 8oz tape and we also applied a thin layer of epoxy+cabosil to make the fairing a little easier. I highly recommend that edges be routed if you plan on turning the corner with fiberglass, it made a huge difference between getting a great wet-out and having air pockets and bad adhesion. The next step on these is to sand them and them secure them to the floor.
Floor:
We added the 1/2" pieces of plywood to the back section of the deck, screwed and glued (epoxy+cabosil) them to the first floor section and then filled in the edges with a cabosil fillet. The aftmost section is t-shaped which provides for a channel on both the port and starboard sides, as well as a nice channel in the very back for the water to break to the scuppers. We also added some pyramid shaped blocks to the corners to help direct the water from the corners, a problem that was annoying especially when dirt settled in those areas. The flooring was then taped down with the 8oz tape and the blocks were also glassed. This section will next receive the same 24oz woven that the previous section got and we should have a nice, sealed, non-slippery deck. We have already removed all of the spongy spots, but the extra glass will seal and strengthen it.

Due to the constant hatch failures we have opted to make the bilge access hatch out of the same deck material. The cutout will get wrapped in 6oz to seal it and then sandwiched with 24oz to stiffen it.

Seat Boxes

2009-08-24T07:00:00.005-05:00

The seat boxes are almost ready for outside glassing. They are made out of 1/2" ply with backing strips in the corners and titebond everywhere wood touches wood. There is a 3/4" ply backing plate on the topside where the seats will be mounted. The longer sections are side wall covers and will be glassed into the cuddy and attached to the floor. The inside has been epoxy painted and will eventually get some type of top coat applied.
The hatch holes, speakers, and radio have all been cut. The inside of the box compartments have been fiber glassed and all of the edges have been routed to make the tape transition smoother.

Durabak Removal - Interior Do-Over

2009-08-09T16:27:00.003-05:00

I don't have any pics this week, but we are updating the formula's interior significantly after fishing her for two years. The current list of projects include the

removal of ALL of the Durabak non-skid from the interior (floor, side walls, gunnels, etc.)
adding a sheet of 1/2" ply to the aft flooring to stiffen it up,
changing the hatch configuration because of failures (heavy feet have busted two hatches),
constructing some seat boxes to mount the chairs to and to provide dry storage and radio housing and we are reworking the side wall covers, which will be integrated into the seat boxes. I will post pictures of the build out and the finished products.

Not to beat a product, but I would warn anyone thinking about using this on the interior of your boat, to think long and hard. The drawbacks that we have encountered have included:
adhesion - the consistency of the product's adhesion has been extremely lacking. It has adhered very well in some areas, not so well in others and has simply peeled and flaked off since it was applied. This could, could be due to surface prep., although I doubt it, and think it is more related to surface structure. Painted surfaces have been more successful, epoxy fiberglass has proven to cause failure.
application - once you crack a can of durabak, be prepared to apply ALL of it right then. The pot life on the product requires you to apply it once it is opened.
dirt attraction - it is hard to clean. blood stains it, rust stains it, hell leaves have stained it.
color matching - do not count on getting the same product from the company if you order multiple batches. The first order came as expected (gray) the second order came 1 part dark gray, one part white...they instructed us to mix and match....which would be okay if we were not trying to match to previously applied top-sided material...not to mention the pot life issue I already talked about.
removal - if you do think that you will modify an area that is a candidate for this non-skid...IF it does adhere it is a B*tch to remove...Stripease will break it down, but plan on spending some time with a wire brush extension in a grinder.

There are some positives to the product, where it has correctly adhered it is a hell of a non-skid...you will not slip on it...if you do, break out the peroxide and neosporin.

October Fishing Trip with Dad

2007-10-24T17:47:00.000-05:00

We finally got to take dad fishing a couple of weekends ago... After trolling for Kings all morning with no luck, we switched up and went after some Spanish...and landed a few.

Dad pulled in a couple, and we missed about as many as we caught...but it was great to go fishing with Dad and not be stuck in the inlet/creeks targeting flounder (no offense to the flounder).

The boat ran like champ, we only had a minor issue with the batteries on day 1, but after a quick charge they were good to go.

Here is a pic of the formula pre-wash down.

Windshield Mounted

2007-09-30T09:20:00.000-05:00

This weekend we mounted the windshield. We put a small seal under each of the 4 sections and through-bolted with the Taylor Made windshield T-bolts. It turned out pretty good.

Maiden Voyage Pics - July 4th

2007-08-30T07:45:00.000-05:00

Bow Rail Install

2007-08-12T10:24:00.000-05:00

We have continued to work on the dash modifications by adding some more cab, sanding and priming it. The intended finish will be durabak. We also striped the durabak off of the cuddy entry way and added some filler to the panels in order to get them more even...we plan on sanding that down and top coating that (durabak vs. skin = alot of scratches, is the reason). We have also gotten the windshield glass replaced (local glass shop charged ~ $130 for installed, safety glass) and we sandblasted the frame and then took some 220 grit sandpaper and then SOS pads to it and it has come back to life...as soon as the dash is finished, we will mount it (hopefully soon). You can see the pane of glass that was missing from the original pic below. "missing" is a great word, the frame looked like some stand out boat owner beat it with a hammer and broke the glass out, as the frame is beat to hell just above that section, thanks dude.

The heat has been preventing any work during the week (100+ temperatures), and it was hot on saturday...We did decide to take on the re-install of the bow rail...which was over 24" tall when we bought the boat (notice the original height):

So we cut that down by almost 1/2, by cutting off about 50" from each bow rail side...and then shortening the posts. It is still a little higher than we would like, but if we want it shorter, we can come back to it (doubtful).

We also installed some more grab handles (24" versions) on either side of the swing back seat:

Then, we called it a day and watched the Panther's beat the NY Football Giants in our first preseason game...the new zone blocking scheme looked great...

Dash Modification

2007-07-15T19:38:00.000-05:00

Prior to the dash work...we successfully SEA trialed the 233 over July 4th Holiday. We took her out 20+ miles with no problems...no fish either but that was ok. Top speed with 3 x 200+ lbs dudes, full tank of gas and all of the fishing gear was 36 knots in the ICW.

This weekend I made the modifcations to the Instrument Panel that were required for us to re-mount the windshield in the original position (the instrument panel we made sat too high with the electronics mounted, for the angle of the windshield). We had thought about raising the dash (where the windshield will sit) but opted to bite the bullet and cut the instrument panel down, since we were not really using the upper portion for anything other than mounting the GPS and VHF to.

So, I cut the dash about 1/4 inch below the cupholder and ripped out the original piece. Then dug the grinder out of storage and started prepping the area for some cabosil bedding. Next, I reassembled the driver's side windshield to ensure that I did not make the same mistake again and the angles worked. So I cut out a piece of luon to fit, mixed up some epoxy + cab, cut some fabric and put it in...The next day and grinded on that setup, and then attached some 1/4 round to the end to smooth it out and then did the cab, fabric & glass thing again. I actually think this will turn out better, although it sucks to grind off top coat...but that was easy enough to put on. Here is the single pic I took w/ my phone.

Details...Small Details

2007-06-30T20:20:00.000-05:00

89 degrees and 110% humidity today in NC.

A relatively slow working day, we hooked up the outriggers, remounted the downriggers, added two new rod holders, replaced the bimini's plastic hardware with stainless, fit the driver side gunnel enclosure, mounted the GPS antenna, finished the install of the cuddy cover, OH Shit handle, installed some trim work and reworked the wench stand on the front of the trailer. We have abandoned the leaning post setup in favor of a swingback seat that has a livewell/cooler/storage in it. This made for a better setup with more room and comfort. We have some ends to tie up prior to the launch, but nothing is a show stopper. Team Hatley is slightly anxious to go fishing. Here are some pics...we are looking at a tower that is for sale on www.thehulltruth.com and if we can acquire that and get the windshield worked out we will be in serious bidnezz.
Ready to fish:

Officially Legal:
Pic of the new cuddy cover and the instrument panel (candidate for change):

Pic of the back...

More Progress, closing in on the Saltwater Launch

2007-06-25T16:18:00.000-05:00

We have a firm date of July 4th for the Saltwater launch and have really started dotting the i's. This weekend, we mounted the outriggers, anchor chocks, rope chocks, gps, vhf, rope locker cover, and the cuddy door cover. Recently painted the interior of the cuddy and had a failed attempt to glue carpet to the ceiling (never again). We also received some replacement parts from Bluesea for the switch panel and reinstalled it. We are ready to go fishing.

Last Sea Trial

2007-06-11T09:39:00.000-05:00

Phil was able to get the bottom completely painted over the last few weeks, through a painful series of blocking, lifting, sanding and painting the boat while it was still on the trailer...primarily the issues were where the bunks are located. But it is done.

This past weekend, we reinstalled the seats, hatches, bilge pumps, new prime balls, gunnel covers, and some additional hardware...then we went back to the lake and ran the boat pretty hard for an hour and a half...it was the best of the trials, no issues, and no leaks (around the scuppers)...all said it was a great trip.

I also started prepping the cuddy for some work...I would have preferred that Formula NOT have glued carpet into the interior of the boat back in '72...that was not fun to sand off, but it got done and has been primed. Hopefully, will be able to get back and have that done soon...next step will be to get the windshield going. But she will probably get salty before she gets glasses.

Bottom Paint

2007-05-13T10:12:00.000-05:00

Sandblasted, wiped, taped, primed and painted. The picture was taken with my phone...we are in the process of re-installing everything and still have to put another coat of BP on it and get it jacked off the bunks and painted underneath.

Rub Rail, Cables, and Floor-take two

2007-04-30T10:38:00.000-05:00

The wife and new addition split for Spartanburg this weekend and allowed some substantial time to be spent on the project. Friday night was spent taping off and cutting out the patterns that we wanted on the recently addressed floor. Since the last update, Phil spent alot of time, sandblasting the original Durabak off, epoxy painting the floor, priming it, and then applying generous coats of top coat paint (3 total). We have concluded that we caused the durabak to fail b/c we did not spend enough time in the prep work...so this time sand, vac, tac cloth, acetone wipe, solvent cleaner wipe and then apply the paint - each time...it appears to have resulted in better adhesion. After the sanding, we applied the new Durabak on Saturday morning.

While that was setting up, we installed the rub rail...per the install instructions, it was pretty easy to do but there are alot of screws in the install.

After the rub rail was finished, I sported the tyvex suit, respirator and goggles and started sandblasting the bottom in preparation for the bottom paint - mostly to get the barnacles and old paint off. Phil got back to putting the engines back in order and came up with a method to get the hose covers inside the engine covers...looks better than before and should give us a nice seal:

Setback with the flooring

2007-03-24T09:13:00.000-05:00

Since the last post (in November) we have made progress but very little. Mostly mounting the chairs, leaning post, rod holders, cleats, etc. We noticed in Jan that our Durabak had the ability to peel off of the floor in certain sections....coming up in strips...we also noticed that the transition areas (where the floor meets the sidewalls) appeared to be "drawn" so that the durabak was not actually bonded to the floor or sidewall and would fail if stepped on or given some stress.

So, after some arguing (more reluctance and disgust) we pulled the seats, leaning post and hatches and began the removal of the durabak from the floor. This has been loads of fun, sandblasting (sandblasting pad on the grinders), sanding and scraping the durabak off, re-epoxy painting the floor....

The best we can figure is that the primer we used (which was suggested by Durabak as sufficient in the application) either did not bond correctly to the floor or the D-bak did not bond to the primer...in some areas we had great adhesion, in others, it was very $$ to have it pull away as it has....

The plan now is continue stripping, epoxy paint, prime and paint like we did the top coat (but with 4-5 coats of topper) and then put down strips of d-bak in the high-traffic areas. We think this will look a lot better too, so the entire inside of the boat is not grey.

We have had no problems with the d-bak in the areas that we applied it to finished top coat, only to those areas that we only primed. Damn that was expensive....

Durabak #2

2006-11-11T20:44:00.000-05:00

We have all but finished applying the durabak to the flooring and top cap, and we still have 2 gal. left..so we are looking at doing the interior side walls, some other spots and we are sure that there are some sections of the floor that will need another coat. I have to say that I am impressed with the tenacity of the product and how tough it seems to this point. Here da pics:

Top Side and Durabak

2006-10-31T07:14:00.000-05:00

Since the last post we have sanded, primed again, sanded, rolled-n-tipped a top coat, sanded, and rolled-n-tipped a second coat of top coat. For a couple of skeptics, that method has really impressed us with the finish that we got. Our only regret is that we rolled and tipped the primer horizontally.

The vertical roll-n-tip method left us with a great result, especially for two guys doing a project boat...

The last thing that we did was to apply the first of two coats of durabak to the flooring and to choice spots on the top, side caps and dash. This stuff is thick, and I recommend thinning it very slightly (product allows upto 15% but we did about 5%). Thinning it, allowed the stuff to be more workable, we noticed that as the pot life expired, the roller would tend to "pull strands" as you went and these were getting onto spots that we did not want, so a little xylene and it was gone. One other recommendation is to pull the tape while the durabak is still pretty wet (5-10 minutes). Here are the pics:
(that is a reflection of a barrel, 10ft away, on the side)

Before we durabak'd it:

After:

1st coat of Primer

2006-08-28T11:37:00.000-05:00

We spent about 16 hours sanding this weekend. We started on the bottom paint with sandblaster grinder pads, respirators, goggles and tyvex suits...Laying on your back roughing off bottom paint in August in NC is not a job I would send a resume in for. But we did it, up to the point where the trailer stopped us. Then we switched to sanding out all of the patched spots...Next came an air down, then we liberally rinsed the beast and re-tested the drainage for the entire boat, including the cuddy.

Acetone wipe down, then thinner solvent wipe down and primer. We actually rolled and tipped the primer, to hopefully save ourselves a little sanding time later.

Here are the pics (b4 and afters):

the spotty bottom paint still looks great! : )

we still have some sanding to do.

Splash Down!

2006-08-07T19:38:00.000-05:00

3 months since the last post, but we have been able to get moved in and come back to the boat here of recent. Since the last post (I think), we have adjusted the trailer to move the boat forward, mounted the transducer, completely rewired the dash, installed the trim tabs:

which we both agreed were needed, once we did our first sea trial! no pics from that venture just smiles, the boat ran great! Even better, NO leaks!. After the initial launch we got an idea about our water line and could cut the holes for the scuppers:
We were impressed with the thickness of the transom...

then we ran the PVC:

and finally installed the ball scuppers:

we let that setup overnight and then back to the lake the next morning for the second sea trial. As you can see from the pics, she is sitting a little heavy in the back, we are thinking of moving the batteries from the transom to the cuddy in order to shift a little weight, and we are also keeping in mind that there is no windshield on her yet.....which we are in the market for. Here she is in the water, with me at the helm:

and my favorite pic:

we still have a lot to get done, mainly cosmetic - painting and sanding.

hydro steering - tilt/trim

2006-05-22T21:18:00.000-05:00

No pics this week but we were able to hook up the majority of the electronics that were only dry fit earlier. We now have lights, gauges, trim tabs and working tilt and trim from the new controls and the hydro steering. We mounted the trim tabs and will bleed those lines out a little later. Fuel/water separator was mounted and we have throttle/gear cables in route for the next session. We are optimistically thinking that an initial test run is drawing very near.

Dry Fit

2006-05-01T20:51:00.000-05:00

We decided to cut the holes and begin to dry fit the boat with the instruments, rod holders, cleats, chocks, downrigger mounts, etc. We also mounted the steering column and the gas fill cover. My buddy Ian suprised me with a offer to help and he painted the transom area and saved us a day.
Here is the instrument panel with the hour meters, tachs, fuel, fuse panel, trim controls, ignition switches, compass, GPS, and throttle.

IB223's work on the backend

anchor housing, chocks, and front cleat

rod holders

Back Wall and cuddy supports

2006-04-15T19:52:00.000-05:00

I was able to get the back wall glassed in this past weekend. We cut our original single piece in two in order to get it in...b/c we had installed the gunnel supports/rod holders since we cut the piece...we cut out three hatch holes to match the one in the floor, so we have easy access to the transom, batteries and switches. We also added some supports to the cuddy, which I cab'd in. I also applied a generous coating of cab to the instrument panel and will be burning up some sanding disks to get that right. Here are the pics:
Back wall, cab'd in at the edges, bottom and top, then a piece of the tape glassed at the edges, top and bottom:

back wall at the connection to the sidewall:

new supports, need sanding:

Sanding and More Glassing

2006-04-10T18:51:00.000-05:00

The 1st layer of glass on the instrument panel set up nicely, once it was sanded we decided to apply another layer and after I sanded that I am going to "mud" the panel with cab and then sand it out for the final. I also applied some glass to the flooring panels in the transom areas in order to seal it off completely. Those set up nicely too..

and we got to start running some of the cables:

Instrument Panel Construction

2006-03-14T20:51:00.000-05:00

The project is back underway now and we started 06' with some work on the console. It is pretty basic, 1 piece of luon (sp?) that we cut to fit over top of the original console section and throttle cutout. We braced that with a 1 x, and cut it at a generous angle in order to slope the panel.
We layered 6 strips of tape across the panel (3 in each direction) and put some cab in the seams to cheat on the transitions. We also had to make some plugs for the old steering wheel cutout and tilt/trim and ignition cutouts. After a solid hour and half of sanding this evening I am thinking that a vacuum bagging setup would have been a worthwile investment...oh well. Next trip I will snap a few of the sanded product, we are planning on reapplying some additional glass in order to stiffen the panel a little more.
Here are some shots of the wetted out console:

the bow side of the console is going to require some significant sanding

we had some left over cab and epoxy mixed up so we put a few tabs on the gunnel/sidewall supports:

A little too cold lately

2005-12-06T21:53:00.000-05:00

Work on the formula has all but halted as of late. My brother and I are both in the process of building new homes and it has been a lil too cold to lay that last little bit of glass that we need to.

So, we are in management mode, planning. Hopefully it will begin to pick back up soon and we can post some new pics of the wiring and maybe some other pieces that we may be able to produce in the garage.

Late Oct - Late posting

2005-11-01T20:31:00.000-05:00

The progress has slowed a little as one member of team restore acquired a new job and plans to sale and move closer to the project and the other took a bank roll to vegas with plans of coming home with money for parts upgrades....you would think that UCLA would cover seven @#!&!@#! points!! Uh no, and the last leg of my 8-team parlay failed to cover and upset my upgrade plans.

Prior to departure, we successfully fit up the back with a sheet of 1/2" and will be glassing that in, weather permitting. We are also trying to determine which option will be best for accessing the transom area, either cutting the piece and making a hatch or buying several hatches and installing them....leaning towards the purchase at this point. We also started forming up the console and have learned that it will take a considerable amount of sanding to get the shape and look that we want.
Here is the one pic that i got prior to the batteries dying, again.

Final Flooring

2005-10-09T13:20:00.000-05:00

Work is still progressing on the T-bird, and it is still slowly coming together. The past few trips have us with a completed deck, hatches cut, and the deck glassed to the sidewalls. We have also started putting the rod-holders/supports in on the sidewalls and began to do something a little more "fun" - we have started laying out the guages, steering and throttle controls on the helm. Some significant work is left to be done there...here are the pics:

THE DECK!!! We are going to epoxy-paint the floor to seal it and then apply the previously mentioned Durabak:

Future rod holder cab'd into place - awaiting some more glass:

Here is a shot of the seams at the two flooring sections and the sidewall:

Shot of the cockpit mock-up with the throttle controls placed (most likely to be moved):

Hatch cut-out looking into the bilge:

Bracket and Engines Mounted

2005-09-25T16:55:00.000-05:00

We have mounted the bracket and engines over the past few weeks with pops at the wheel. The bracket went on relatively easy, we had to add a couple of pieces of starboard as spacers in a few sections in order allow the bolts to grab enough.

We also installed the first portion of the hydro-steering with the tie bar, put a coat of paint in the bilge, mounted and wired the bilge pumps and raw water pump and I finally convinced Phil to cut a hole in the bottom of the boat for the raw water pick-up. After that convincing, we mounted the pick-up and the seacock. Then we got pissed off when Jake threw a pic with 1:50 left in the game and Miami beat the Panthers so we called it a day.

Here are the pics:
Pops at the helm:

Bracket Installed with thru-bolts & 5200 and the first 140 mounted:

And the Twins!

Bilges and thru-hull mounted:

Raw Water and wiring config:

Pre-finishing Flooring

2005-08-21T17:50:00.000-05:00

Brutally hot today in Charlotte, so work was slow, even with 3 fans. I was able to sand out the patched section from yesterday on the bow, it will paint nicely:

We also applied a little cab to the joints between the raised sections of flooring and will be coming back to sand that and then wrap it with some cloth and then sand it out and Durabak:

Moving into the cuddy we have opted to keep a small lip at the floor in order to prevent water from moving that way, again it was cab'd into place and will be sanded and then wrapped and sanded again:

here is an interior shot of the new addition:

we also applied some more interlux-interstripping on the hull and have come to the conclusion that we will most likely have to sand the 4 coats of bottom/house paint off in order to get a good base for the new paint- that is going to s u c k!

More Floor

2005-08-20T18:45:00.000-05:00

The cabosil that I placed along the seams sanded out nicely and I was able to lay a layer of tape down on the upper sections. My mistake was doing this at night and I had to contend with an s-load of moths...some of which are part of the boat ;)

Today, I shimmed out the rest the of the stringers for the back piece of flooring, cab'd a piece of plywood up in the cuddy to give some support for the front cleat and then cab'd and glassed the old lifting ring hole on the top-front.
Will have the lay some fabric across this too:

It will look better after some elbow grease - but you get the jist:

I also spent some time fashioning a sidewall support/side-mount rod holder, here is a pic of my primo fabrication (lil duct tape, cardboard and razor knife):

Here is the first section that I cut out with that pattern, jury is out on this idea right now:

Floor Install

2005-08-14T16:14:00.000-05:00

I was able to screw in and glass down the first piece of flooring for the raised section this weekend. 9" tape was used to secure the piece to the sidewalls and cuddy sections:

plus some epoxy over the counter-sunk screw heads.
The top section of flooring and the middle sections were also screwed down and I applied some cabosil to the edges, in order to make the glass transition a little smoother...nothing too detailed here b/c we plan on duratek'ing the entire floor and that stuff looks like it makes everyone's work look a lil better:

we have a cut-out that will fit into the old step hole, next trip we'll glass that in and put a layer of 6" tape to the sides.

no pics but were also able to get the supports cab'd up for the batch floor hatch frame.

Floor Shimmed

2005-08-01T18:42:00.000-05:00

Just looking back at some earlier work, and had to laugh at the June 04 post that said "we are just about ready to put the floor in"....

We shimmed in the raised flooring section, put in the flooring braces (that span the gas tank) and shimmed the lower flooring section out level too. We used cabosil to secure the shims down to the stringers then set the sections down and used a couple of blocks to add some weight and hold'em down:

I also sanded the patched crapper thru-hull sections, more sanding is definitely needed, but it is starting to take shape:

Freebies are always welcome, thanks to Mr. Tebo for this acquisition, all she needs is the replacement cushion, which we think that we can get from Todd:

2nd Flooring Section and Gas Tank Foamed in

2005-07-29T18:09:00.000-05:00

We set the tank today, and fitted up the fill and vent hoses under the raised platform and wired the sending unit. After that we foamed in around the tank with some 4lb foam, which does not expand nearly as much as the 2lb foam, but does setup a little harder and provides for more support.

I did not get a pic prior to laying down the 2nd section of flooring, but here is a shot of the back bulkhead and foamed in gas tank:

We also cut another piece of the 1/2" to lay in the front section to provide us with a little more a$$ to mount the pedestal seats to.

And here is a shot of the dry fit lower flooring:

Flooring Prep

2005-07-24T21:31:00.000-05:00

this weekend we shot the gas tank with a coat of army-green aluminum paint for protection. We also built the platform for the raised section of flooring and cut the plywood for that section of the floor.
Next trip should include foaming the tank in, shimming out the platform frame and the remainder of the floor, as well as adding the backing for the sections that will be supporting our seats.

Pic of the gas tank bay, with strips of foam covering the wooden runners and a coat of bilge paint down the center:

pic of the cuddy with both supports in place:

pic of the tank in the cradle ready for some foam:

pic of the platform frame - which we have to shim level and then cabosil and glass down:

pic of the flooring getting dry fit:

2005-07-18T07:52:00.000-05:00

No pics to post, but the past few weeks have produced pretty good
progress. We have been able to foam out the stringers, add some
strength to the gas tank runners (strips of 1x1 glassed down to the
original runners - and then strips of rubber insulation on top of those
runners for a tight fit and to prevent the foam from slipping into the
bilge).
We have both sections of the cuddy walls glassed in - but in need of
some more glass and finishing.
Getting close to dropping the floor sections in, the raised section of
the floor (48" from the cuddy) has been prep'd. Plans are to shoot a
coat of paint on the gas tank, drop that into place, hook up the hoses
and sending unit wiring and then start on the floor sections. Hopefully
we are picking up speed.

Cuddy work - 2

2005-06-26T17:42:00.000-05:00

Above deck work again this weekend. The left side of the cuddy got it's panel fit and glassed in and the storage compartments got a coat of paint. I also put the grinder to the excess glass in the port hole and placed the hatch in there to keep some of the dust and debris out.

New Panel - braced in at the bottom with a temporary shim and some counter-sunk screws in the top:

inside looking out:

freshly painted:

much fairing left to do, but that hatch looks good:

cuddy work - 1

2005-06-19T21:02:00.000-05:00

We prepared (sanded, acetone) the section of the hull under the cuddy floor this weekend then applied a heavy layer of bilge coat prior to putting in the 3/4" plywood plug we had prep'd earlier. Recent modification to the plan was to install a 6" hatch in that piece of floor, for the "just in case" it gets some h2o in there or we need to access that section of bilge. 9oz tape and then a thin layer of cabosil, plenty of sanding/fairing is coming with this section.

We also closed off the storage compartments under the cuddy (they were open all the way to the bow). We cut patterns out of a piece of the left over stringer build up and then glassed those into place. Next step on these will be a lil paint and then DONE.

Getting anxious and had to foam in the outer most stringer sections too.

Here is a little inspiration, called the OH KAY from Texas - it is an I/O, but, it is a fishing machine:

Stiff Knees Added

2005-05-25T18:35:00.000-05:00

We finished up the stiff knees this weekend, angled 1/2" plywood that we secured to the transom with some C clamps and then applied some fillets of cabosil to the joints and some heavy cabosil between the stringers and the stiff Knees. Then I wrapped them in 18 oz cloth and called it a day. Here is a pic of the transom:

Here are a couple of pics of the Formula on the new trailer, it seems a little smaller now that it is sitting lower, a couple of adjustments are expected on the trailer:

Finally here is shot of the old thru-hull that was in place for the crapper, it is in the process of being plugged:

Trailer Switch

2005-05-21T21:12:00.000-05:00

No pics today, no real construction progress since the last post. Another big step in the right direction though, we acquired the trailer and spent today (the whole day) switching out. It was a long day, at least we had nice weather. Since the old trailer had been "modified" by the previous owner and we had further "modified" it in order to secure the hull for stringer replacement. We first had to un-modify it and then go through a series of block up the boat, pull out the trailer, stop reblock, unblock, move the trailer, stop.....for about 2.5 hours until we got her free and then did the reverse in order to pull the new trailer under....it would have been a little easier had the new trailer had rollers as opposed to bunks, but hopefully this will be the only time we have to do this. More construction tom. and will try to remember the camera.

Bracket Prep

2005-05-01T17:43:00.000-05:00

It has been awhile since the last update, but things have been taking shape. We recently purchased some essential but not yet needed items (GPS and Downriggers) simply due to the deal. More importantly the outboard bracket arrived from Stainless Marine, and we have drilled the mounting holes and did a little dry fit just to boost morale and keep the imaginations going.

We did run into one problem though, the mounting pattern caused us to drill into both of the interior stringers. This was not good news, but not a major setback. We spent about 45 minutes grinding out the section that we needed to get to in order to tighten the bolts and fit the backing plate on. We also cut the stiff knees and prep'ed the transom with another piece of 3/4" plywood to attach the stiff knees too. She should be plenty strong enough to hold the weight of the bracket and outboards....more pics to come. The trailer should be arriving soon and hopefully the project will pick up some pace in time for some fall fishing... : )

Here is a pic of the mounting instructions that were sent along with the bracket and then a pic of the bracket during the "dry fit"...sorry, I had to take one:

Transom Patches

2005-04-03T16:42:00.000-05:00

The remaining bolt holes and outdrive plug got patched today, and we sanded out the test patches from the previous week. Application seems to have worked (better than the original Bondo patches).

Outdrive patched (wet):

1st set of patches:

Patching the transom

2005-03-29T15:26:00.000-05:00

We have started stripping the bottom paint (4 layers thick) and sanding the old gel coat off the formula. The bracket has been ordered and should be here in the next week or so.

Double engine bracket, no platform

We have also started laying glass again, and have concentrated on finishing up the bulkheads and patching the old bolt holes in the transom (we drilled to cinch the transom plugs in). We have ground around those holes and removed a couple of old "patches" that were made up of caulk, or bondo or something other than fiberglass that was very brittle. We had to grind through the transom in a couple of spots in order to completely remove the material. We also added the final piece of the transom plug (the outdrive hole). Here are the pics:
Bondo hole and old light cut out:

bolt holes ground around the edges, filled with epoxy+cabosil, covered with patch cloth, filled in with epoxy+cabosil:

Outdrive plugged:

Engines Bought

2005-03-03T22:34:00.000-05:00

Traveled to Atlanta this past weekend and picked up a set of Johnson 140 Oceanrunners, the seller (Bo) compression tested the cylinders while we were there and everything measured and sounded great! Mr. Dunn was a really nice guy and that made the purchase even easier...great folks at THT.com.

Here are the pics that he had posted in the ad:

We are currently putting together a parts list, and nailing down the exact info needed to order the bracket. Aside from those two activities and the all-day trip back and forth to GA, we have been sanding and waiting for warmer weather.

20 to 30 in Feb!

2005-02-04T23:38:00.000-05:00

It has been a lil too cold to work on the old t-bird here of late. BUT, the midatlantic boat show was in town this weekend and it provided plenty of inspiration. I will post some pics as soon as Phil emails them. Specifically, we were looking at seating options and alternatives for the top. We are leaning towards a "wakeboard" type tower with either a bimini top attached to that or the complete t-top type canvas application, depends on budget. But after seeing how these are mounted in the ski boats, we feel pretty confident that our setup will be more than adequate to support this type of top.

Sunday will be slow, worst possible scenario for panther fans, pats and eagles...

70 in January!

2005-01-02T07:55:00.000-05:00

Weather Jackpot in the new year...The temp hit 70 this weekend in Charlotte and despite headaches from New Year's Eve we were able to put in the bulkheads, add some more 18 oz to the transom and finish the stringers (minus the interior bulkheads). Visually, there is not much difference with this pic, but the formula is an attention whore so here she is:

Gas Tank Arrival

2004-12-12T18:09:00.000-05:00

Our gas tank came in this week, it is a custom aluminum tank, 107 gallons. We dropped it in this Sunday, just to make sure that everything was on the up and up, and it fit correctly. Smiles from the crew for another piece going back into the Mulligan.
We also cut the bulkheads for the outer stringers and finished tying in 2 of the stringers. Hoping for warmer weather so we can really make some progress on the remaining glass work. If we don't get any, our next few months should have us shimming out the stringers for the flooring, cutting the flooring and fitting it in and starting on the 120 hours of sanding that is coming.
Here's the new tank:

sending unit and dual pickups

Stringers Set

2004-11-28T18:07:00.000-05:00

We got the last two pieces of the stringers set this weekend, one of them is all but complete and the other will be glassed completely in as soon as the weather coincides with the Sunday work schedule. While we were waiting on the epoxy to warm up, we started sanding/grinding down the outside of the transom where we had plugged the old bolt holes with epo + cabosil and discovered the original name of the boat to be "Hearts Desire". Not big news at all, but we had to sand through 2-3 coats of paint to get there (one was hand brushed). Gas tank has been confirmed and should be here in time for a mid-Dec. dry fit. (we will see)
Here are the pics:
From the bow looking back

From the transom looking forward

Grind work

Original Lettering - was attached with rivets

3/4's Done with Stringers

2004-11-14T18:29:00.000-05:00

Sunday's work got us to 2 full stringers (centers) and 2 half stringers on the outsides. Applied some more tape to the bulkhead and made some plans for the next trip, which should have us all but done with the stringers and ready to start on the flooring.

More Stringers

2004-11-07T19:30:00.000-05:00

Sunday, we were able to put in 2 more stringer sections and the back bulkhead. Much easier going since first section was in place and we were able to secure the new pieces to it. With just one strip of the tape on the 1st piece we are feeling pretty good about the strength we are getting. The gas tank should be arriving soon.
Here are the pics:
Shot of the stringer at the transom:

Shot of the stringer connected to the orginal bulkhead (towards the bow)

Shot of the bulkhead:

First 1/2 Stringer Installed!!!

2004-10-28T20:47:00.000-05:00

Big Day, this past Sunday. We got the first one of 8 stringer pieces installed. It went slower than we had wanted (like everything else thus far) but each piece from here on out should move a little faster now that we have something to secure them to.

To install, we measured up the section, ~ 7ft 4in from the back, made that length cut, cut the angle on the interior and exterior sides of the stringer (which was about a 1in difference) sawed through the foam with a wire saw and then had to notch the "back" (transom end) of the stringer so that it would fit into the transom plug - since that area is not flat.

Next step was to level and secure the stringer into place (advice from pops here) and we bent some boards under the old floor on both sides to pin the stringer down.

9oz tape was cut to wrap around the back and into the transom as well as to lay across the seam at the floor. Slow-kick epoxy was liberally applied and we realized I forgot the camera, so the crappy pics are from the phone.

This is a pic of the transom before we started glassing the stringer. We added another layer of 18oz strips across the cap and down to the floor prior to starting the stringers.

another pic prior to stringer - this one is the in the corner, where the old floor came in. The glass cured out really well - we were happy.

shot of the "fillet" we made at the base of the new transom.

Finally, a pic of the 1st 1/2 stringer...only 7 more of these to go. And then the floor...The gas tank is on the way too.

Transom Interior Capped

2004-10-10T12:16:00.000-05:00

Finally got back down to the T-bird this weekend, and were able to cap the interior of the transom with final piece of plywood.
After grinding the plugs and existing glass on the back of the boat we applied US Composite 2:1 slow epoxy to the section, and the plywood, then added a 5ft section 18oz woven roving to the transom as a "barrier" between the wooden pieces.
Next step was to mix up some cabosil in the epoxy and apply that to both the board and the boat.
Finally we through bolted the cap, similar to the plugs that were put in and tightened it down. We used the squeeze out to apply an initial fillet at the bottom of the plug, but the resources ran out and we were not able to do the final fillet - maybe next week.
Here are da pics:
You will notice that we did not try to cut this cap to shape the bottom of the boat, electing instead to take it straight across and cover about 3/4 of the plug. the top of the cap does not go all the way to the top of the transom, we decided instead to make that shorter so that we could more easily work with the lip that exists in the transom. Next step will be to glass in the entire back end, and the stringers to the transom with some stiff knees.

We also got a chance to mix up some of the 2lb foam and pour up one of the stringers...That stuff gets pretty warm and will melt latex gloves...doh.

Stringer Creation

2004-09-22T19:37:00.000-05:00

We began making the stringers on Saturday, after the Wolfpack sh*t the bed against OSU. The stringer mold is made out of 2 eight foot sections of 3/4" OSB and a 2x4 eight feet long on the top section and with spacers on the bottom - all sandwiched in between the two pieces of OSB.

After that was constructed we wrapped it in 6mil plastic and stapled it down tight.
Here are a couple of shots:

We have 5 layers of woven roven in the stringers and all of them were generous wetted out with 2:1 slow epoxy.
The method of the madness went like:
6 oz
18 oz
24 oz
18 oz
6 oz
All of this was "cinched" down and heat lamps were applied for remainder of the night.
Here are a couple of pics of the process and finished 1/2 of a stringer (plan is to make 8 of the these for the 4 stringers):

Time and spouses have kept us out of the glass work for the this week, but will be posting another stringer update once all of them have been created and put in.
Still waiting on the estimates for the gas tank...if you know a fabrication shop please shoot me an email.

Hull Prep.

2004-09-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

No pictures again this week. But we have good news, 95% of the cloth, epoxy and foam has arrived and we are just about to start building the stringer forms and stringers.
In anticipation of laying the stringers up, we ground the hull down this weekend in order to assure a solid bond for the stringers and new glass. We also went ahead and removed the remaining two stringers from the original construction..We had thought about leaving them in, since the wood was solid but on second thought, we decided to SawzAll them go with our "woodless" stringer design throughout (not really our idea, classicmako.com plug)
I will post pics of the molds and the play by play with the stringer creation if that starts this week.

Untwisted

2004-08-30T14:11:00.000-05:00

There are no pictures this week, but there was progress. Taking the advice of thehulltruth.com we stabilized the t-bird and shored up the supports in the bottom prior to moving forward with any other construction.
This took a little longer than we would have liked, but at least it is done now. We were able to block up the boat from the bottom and shim it level. This took the twist out of the hull and now we do not have that concerning flex in the hull while walking/working on the inside.
After that was done, we took the braces off of the transom plugs and inspected the bond....It looked great!
Next week I am off to Mexico for some QT with the wife...so no blog updates unless the bro can pressure test the gas tank.

Transom Plugged

2004-08-22T16:20:00.000-05:00

Sunday we put the plugs in the transom.
Lessons Learned:
#1. Epoxy is extremely sticky, especially in the hairs on one's legs.
#2. Be sure you are ready for the epoxy when you tell your partner to "him me with another batch". This only happened to one batch of epoxy, it setup before we could use it.

LOL, aside from rushing my brother through the day's work, so that I could make a 2pm card game (that I missed anyways, sorry dude.) the day is hopefully going to be marked a success. The first additions to the 23.

Here are the pics of the work -
1st - coated the plywood with West Systems 105 Resin + 206 Hardener. - 1st coat was very thin (applied with a putty knife) and pressed into the boards. Sand. 2nd coat was pretty thick (applied with a brush). Heat lamp treatment to both coats for curing and wholla - you can see the gloss in the pic:

Next phase was to rough up the plugs with a wire brush and a sander - 80 grit paper. Action shot here of the bro, laying the grinder to the 1st plug:

We cut-to-fit some fiberglass matting and then took acetone, vaccuum, and tack clothe to the boards and the interior of the boat. Next, building. The order of application was:
-Straight Resin to the Hull
-Matting pressed in and air bubbles removed
-Epoxy + 404 filler (thick like mayo) this was applied with a knotched putty knife - to give it a groove
-1st plug put in
-Straight Resin to the plug
-Second matting pressed and air removed
-Epoxy + 404
-2nd plug put in
-Bolts, nuts, washers all dipped into form release and pushed through and cinched down with a speed wrench - good call pops on the speed wrench.
Inside shot of the plug:

Outside shot:

Transom Plug Cut and Ready

2004-08-14T16:44:00.000-05:00

We were able to cut the transom plugs this weekend and do a "dry fit" to the back of the boat. After some more grinding we were able to fit both pieces in and bolt them through tightly.
The design is 2 plugs of 3/4" plywood that will be coated with epoxy and then epoxy'd to the back of the boat. We will let that setup, glass it in, and then add an additional piece of plywood across the entire back and glass it in.
It was a mini milestone for us to start putting a little something back into the t-bird this weekend.
Here is the pic of the first plug:

Transom Cleaned

2004-07-18T19:03:00.000-05:00

We were able to get the transom prepared for the repack. We ground out all of the fiberglass, and used wood chisels to remove all of the plywood from the transom. We were also able to cut out all of the stringers that we plan to remove. The next step will be to ground down the channels that the old stringers were in and then sand them in preparation for the new stringers and glasswork.
The plan is to have the gas tank tested, for peace of mind, prior to restringing the boat, just in case the tank is a bust and we have to get something else. After that, we will hopefully begin restringing the boat and get ready to lay 2/3 of the floor, leaving the back unfinished until we get the bracket mounted and figure out exactly what we are going to do in the back of the boat.
Here is a pic of the transom with all of the wood removed, ready to be sanded, cleaned, and repacked. You are looking at the fiberglass that came out of the mold in 1973.

and here is a shot of most of the flooring, stringers, glass, cables, and other things that we have demo'd out of the boat so far. I am really ready to stop cutting on this one.

Stringer Removal

2004-07-11T08:15:00.000-05:00

The project has taken two turns for the worst, when considering the timeline expectations and desire to float this boat and put fish in it.
July 4th weekend the bro started cutting away at the transom (engine pad) in an effort to "feather" away the glass and old wood. The thought was that we could cut out about 6-10" of the old wood, grind down the glass and then plug the hole, and continue on. Wrong answer, the wood got more rotten the further he got from the i/o hole, so the decision then was to cut the entire pad out and replace it. You can see from the pic where the rot is and that we have delayed taking that out.

We had to cut the stringers, plan was to cut them about 6-10" back in order to fit the new plug in. Long story short, the more we cut the longer the project got. The stringers were completely rotten and we now in the process of removing them and working our way back to the transom piece of the project.
Some of the stringers were nothing more than powder, held in place by the glass skin. Not a big deal, just a little more time, the bird will be stronger after we are done.

Gas Tank Removal

2004-06-27T19:51:00.000-05:00

We were able to continue stripping her down this weekend, it is going a little slower than we would like, but we are almost ready to put a new floor in her.
We got the gas tank out, with the help of pops and the frontend loader...it still had about 40 or so gallons in it and we are hoping that the pressure tests will come out in favor of keeping the original tank...it has been difficult to locate a 100+ gallon tank for the replacement.

Here are the pics.

June 20th - First weekend of work.

2004-06-20T20:16:00.000-05:00

We were able to get all of the hardware taken off the hull this weekend, including:
snaps
steering wheel & cables
power controls & cables
windshield
rails
cleats
toilet
teak and more.
In addition to the hardware removal we made the first cuts on the new/old boat, by taking out the flooring. Solid for the most part, it was glassed on both sides and to the stringers. One spot was rotten (back left corner).
Here are the pics:

Top Section
Interior Section
Inside the Cabin

The First of Many Posts

2004-06-12T20:36:00.000-05:00

Picked the 23' Formula Thunderbird up today in Asheville, NC. There is alot of work to be done here. But the guy we bought her from showed us the light at the end of the very long tunnel...IT WILL BE A SWEET RIDE.

Exterior Shot

Dash

another side profile

Shot of the bottom

The engine well - with grass growing in it.

another pic of dash - with the windshield off

The cabin

Bow Shot

interior side

driver side

transom shot

interior side

transom/back of the boat

Floor and gas tank