the long road ahead - 67 Nautique resto/mod

As I have mentioned a few times in the last year or so, I bought a really rough 1968 (I think) Ski Nautique last winter cause it was close, cheap, and had a flagstaff and good windshield. I am still waiting for CC to get back to me with the born on date and such.
Last week, I finally got it on the water and drove it. Surprisingly, it ran pretty well. In fact, really well. All I had to do was clean up the starter, replace the post on it, and rig up a temporary gas tank.It was really fun, albeit nervewracking. I was constantly hitting the exhaust and engine with my temp gun, to make sure I was cool enough to keep going. I got it up to about 22-24mph and decided that was enough to satisfy me for now.   
It needs stingers badly, lots of hull work, and all the usual stuff a neglected 41 year old boat needs. I was going to part out and make a flower bed out of it, but my addiction to these boats makes that impossible. I plan on taking a couple years to fix her up really nice. I have lots of ideas about the engine which is a Chrysler 318. at this point i want to pimp out the motor and stroke it to a 349, but that is not set in stone. I am going to repair the hull and more than likely have to paint it. My brother and I pulled the motor yesterday, and I am just going to putz a bit with it, get the floor out, foam removed, and ready to tackle the stringers. I have too much to do in the next couple months to really get started, and tentatively have a stringer job with a friend to do this winter, but he is hinting that he may put that off. Uh oh....

Anyway, here are pics of the maiden voyage last Wednesday.








Here I am taking a big glug off my beer, because it appears I will not have to paddle in from the middle of the lake.



Pointing at the fact that the packing nut had spun off and I was taking on water really fast. Glug !







I am pretty excited about this one and what it can be someday.

Who says I wasn't!!

Very cool Mike! We'll be looking forward to what you do with it.

Bought in Brainerd, MN last November. It was just sitting next to a guys polebarn for a few years   Was registered in IA previously, the tabs expired in 02. Not sure when it moved north.   

Congrats Mike, keep us up to speed on the restore.

what happened to tho slogan Don´t drink while driving!! LOL
nice boat!! keep us updated

Man that is a great looking boat. Well worth fixing.

The foam is far more soaked than the Mustang ever was. I would say the Mustang's worst part is the best part in this boat. Just gross. I have both sides torn out, and just have the bow left to do. I have 8 bags and upon moving them cause they were leaking all over the place, they are 40+ lbs each. My estimate was a bit low before. Just using a flat bar and 10 in 1 tool. I am going to try the garden type pitchfork with the wide tines for the bow. That may work.

I will not re-foam a boat. I will not re-foam a boat.

There are one of those exactly like that here. I know it is down right now with a cracked block.

Tim

WakeSlayer wrote: There is damned near enough water in the foam that it could possibly crack the block from the outside. If I wasn't removing the foam I would want to drain and re-soak with AF. The special -100* stuff. Ryan, I wish I could make the light speed progress you are making.

I think your up on me a boat and a half.

Hey Mike, I love the baby blue, are you going to have to do much hull or deck work?
Chuck

Hey Chuck

Yeah, going to need a lot of work. I am going to end up painting the boat after undercoating. I will keep it the same, minus the side graphics. Just powder blue (sopwith?) and a white stripe.

I got the rest of the foam out last night. If my wife wouldn't kill me, I would take the scale out to my shop and weigh my results. Just a disgusting mess. Going to get most of the glass ground out and ready to do the stringers, then let her sit for a bit. I have some stuff to do on the Mustang. Rear main seal, trans seals, engine paint, windshield, etc. As long as I have that all out, I have decided to just get the rest of the boat done, and am going to have her painted over the winter. There are some ugly cosmetic things I just don't want to look at anymore. Then I will get back to the stringers.

I will post a couple pics this weekend of the Nautique guts.

Awesome Mike....i'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as the last and deliver just as well.

Ok, here are a couple pics of what I have questions about.

Pylon mount that was below the floor, and then the Morse shifter mount.

Looks like it the pylon may have been torn out and repaired.






Personally, I do not see how you could install this or make adjustments with what little clearance there is. It is about and inch. It seems like someone put a block in there to make a little more room.








Lastly, all that nasty foam sheeite bagged and out of here.



YUK !!

Bruce,

Interesting to hear. Out Mustang is a 68 and has a cup, not a cleavis.
Still waiting to hear from CC about the correct year. Reid has a number that is close to this one, and it is a 67, I believe.