Bigwavedave need HELP!

What have I gotten myself into?? Have removed foam from my Mustang, and have no rot on the stringers. I would like to put new floor in this weekend. If I can't get marine plywood, is treated okay? 1/2" or 3/4"? Should I put the original fiberglass floor shell (which is in great shape) on the wood or should I carpet? What about moving battery to center in front of ski pylon? Everything is original except that I have no driver or passenger seat. Am trying to keep boat as true to original as possible. Any suggestions? Also need a stern light. Trying to finish boat so I can take it to the Mount Dora, Florida antique boat show on March 25th. I'm in Morris, Illinois, so am also hoping to make the reunion in Green Lake, Wisconsin. Thanks for all of your assistance.

Go with 3/4, 1/2 will flex between the stringers. Salt treated wood isn't as wet as the old arsenic type. Marine plywood, you're paying for a higher quality without voids and patches, which don't matter on a floor.

Keep the non-skid fiberglass floor pan by all means and forget the carpet, as in my opinion it was the very best thing they ever did, and if only for 3 years thereabouts. You won't regret it. If you're not going to refoam, and that jury is certainly still out, I agree with any of the suggested wood ideas, and glassing it in is even optional, as it'll breathe underneath well without it. If you're gonna refoam, then don't bother with any wood at all, as it surely wasn't there to begin with. Just a good thickness of glass with the floor pan over it.

Was the original floor glassed (attached) to the hull. Next question...How was the floor pan installed originally? and was it attached to the hull or just the floor? I am really interested in how that was all originally done because most of my experience is in older boats with wood floors that are glassed into the hull. A layer of fiberglass over the foam then a fiberglass floor pan on top of that doesnt seem very sturdy to me. I would love to see that in person. Are the newer boats done this way?

Scott: Where are some pics of how you project is goin'?

john

Scott, we had snow on the hills here yesterday in Sunny California. Very weird. Third time this year. We go 10 years without snow in this area. Go Figure. Boat's parked out back on the lift and hasn't been in the water in over a month. I'd kill for just a 70 degree day right now. BKH

Scott,
These 68-70 Mustangs I guess were CCs first attempts to do away with wood in the floor, although they didn't stick with it. The fiberglass encapsulated everything from hull side to hull site just as they did later when wood was installed underneath. Chances are they laid more glass in this scenario than when going over wood. The fiberglass floor pan is a molded piece that runs from front to back with a cut-out and separate piece in the rear center behind the engine. It screws down to the fiberglass below, which may have been the root of it's demise, I don't know. It has a molded, turned up lip/edge at the hull side. An interior wall panel then screws to this lip at the bottom. I can provide some more detail later. Gotta go.

Scott,
I'm with you 110% and exactly what I will do when my time inevitably comes again. The fiberglass under the glass floor pan gave insufficient long-lived bite for the screws and esp for the front seats. I've never seen any that hadn't lost their bite and pulled loose. And of course as you said, the water will go in every little hole. My only concern with glassing in the compartments is the build-up of moisture and subsequent rotting of the wood. The very best preserved stringers and framing are found in the earliest glass (and wood) boats which contained no foam at all. The wood floor boards are simply screwed to the stringers and frames like an early wood boat. I've got a 63 Classic and had two different 65 Mustangs with original floor boards still in service with near perfect stringers and frames. I attribute this longevity mostly to the orig lack of foam and thus the ability for air and water to circulate throughout the frame work. Did I say that twice?

And Scott, forget BKH and CA, come to NC. Lot of your buddies down here. BKH, I hope to meet you in Wisc this summer.

Scott; Where are our pics? On your way to visit ReidP you gonna swing by Florida?

john

We are lookin forward to seein' ya here. You will like Cumberland. Lots of my Ohio buddies went there as it is closer than Norris. We'll do a "home and away" series. I'll come there if you guys will come to Norris. I'd love to drive that Torino.

john

Bigwavedave,,
Glad to see ya register for Green... No 69' Mustang's yet, so that will be perfect !!!! You'll have a great time !!

Reid and the guys could tell you in greater detail, but the hull should drain towards the transom from all areas and then feed to the center to the bilge.. At the ends of the stringers there should be unobstructed area for the water to work around and back to the center..
(am I correct guys)??
Moj

Scott, I called the guy, but have'nt driven over to check it out.. The guy said it's been uncovered all winter and the trailer looks horrible but it will roll, he said. hahaha.. Engine block is probably in pieces from the ice flow going through it, but come Monday I should be able to check it out..

Moj'