81 Ski Rebuild Prep and HI!

the elbows sit inside a pocket then there are bolts with a special keeper/plate on the back side that catch the lip and holds them in place. Not sure if I would take a chance on them as well.

elbows are custom stainless steel one off's most likely, the manifolds have been welded at least the one has not sure if they would last long, might be pretty corroided internally.

81nautique wrote: Look no further my friend, I have a set of edelbrocks that have never been on a boat. Planned to glass bead and polish them and sell them on flea bay but they're your's if you're serious.

Cool, pile them up with the heads and intake if you still have those items too. I don't know why I don't just email you first when I'm looking for parts.

TRBenj wrote: Alan, youre going to have to enlighten me on the intricacies of bead blasting and polishing. Ive got a few sets of Edelbrocks that need to be cleaned up as well.

Be glad to, I thought once I got my HM's done I'd post about the process, results and effort. I know I've said this before but "I'm almost done"

Hollywood wrote: I have been casually looking for some new exhaust manifolds. I am mainly interested in the weight savings and shine of aluminum over black cast iron. Mostly big block stuff out there.

Look no further my friend, I have a set of edelbrocks that have never been on a boat. Planned to glass bead and polish them and sell them on flea bay but they're your's if you're serious.

fixerupper wrote: Well then I will have to let them flip for them ( or settle it like men, whatever that means) but only if I don't end up using them...Thanks you for pointing out my oversight.

I don't think Hollywood wants them, he was just pointing out they look like HM. You need to post a photo of them now as the curiousity factor is kicking in.

I thought they put the foam in there so they could guarantee they would sell another boat! ( due to rot, joking mostly, I think?..I know it is in there for flotation)

I agree that compartments are a very good way to provide flotation as long as you cap the top. (Think Titanic)

I used Gator-aid bottles in the last boat I re-floored and it has been 10 years and they haven't been tried yet, but they also did not break loose and pound the bottom of the deck (,which is what I was worried about)

The way the rot seems to go in these I am almost surprised. There are a lot of boats out there that are put together with polyester, which is not a good glue or encapsulant, but pretty good plastic for wetting out fiberglass. Many of them don't have the problems these boat seem to have. But then again how many of them reach the speeds these boats do and also have the motor pounding on the stringers?

The last boat I took apart was a Glasstron from Tx and it had open cell foam. Before I took out the foam I could not move the boat by hand, after the foam was gone it was a totally different scenario. It just has 3/4 plywood stringers though and three layers of mat will make up the difference in that case with or without replacing the wood.

Off my soap box, I am here to listen and learn.

Thank you for the comments and suggestions!

I know some new boats have "drop in" composite stringer systems and I am not sure if I can duplicate that sort of arrangement without a lot of work. It seems like such a thing would be an aftermarket product many here would like, If I were to make a mold.

Of course the simple solution would be working out a method of leaving the rotten wood in and adding enough of a structure with fiberglass as part of a composite to build the strength back up so that the wood was not needed. One thing that would be done for sure is to eliminate a lot of the "itch" that way.

I know that fiberglass is simply much more "bendy" than wood and the differences are obvious. It would be interesting to see if something like this could be designed and retrofitted keeping the same basic layout of the hull. Yes, back to Naval Architecture school for me...

I will search for the threads mentioned. I hate to recreate the work that others have already done and I realize many can add to my knowledge.

I am also interested in the possibilities of reusing the floor layup. Anyone tried that yet?

Maybe I should name the boat "Cheap-Skate?" I could buy all the supplies second hand! ( or third) I have heard of $100 boats before...

I will consider that I heard a "dibs" on the manifolds if I don't use them...

That is a ridiculous amount of power on that boat... Is that a photoshop or is that the boat at the front or the rear of a Coast Guard chase.

Here's a thought in case you feel like going extreme on the power!

hasbeenskier and JoeinNY both did composite stringers. BJ also did his "Ski Antique" all composite although I'm not sure it is documented on this site. Both were just at the St. John's river.

Kapla,It was really cheap and I am not scared of fiberglass so I figure it is ok.

The Grinch, Frank is a guard cat and since the boat doesn't have carpet in it and most of it will see a grinder I am not too worried.Even If I didn't like Frank there are plenty more that would take his place so it would be fruitless .

BuffaloBFN, I read your stringer tail and that is why I decided I would join.

I am really interested in the option of a composite stringer system has anyone tried it and been happy with the results and cost?

I am out of town on business and won't be back to the project for awhile. Plenty of time to "bench" fiberglass...

Thank you all for the encouragement!

Ambitious is the only word comming to mind. If it were mine, I wouldn't let that cat get comfortable sitting on it. I don't like that hair or smell getting near anything of mine, and on my boat............ I'd have to make it a special drink!

how much did you pay for that "project" boat?
it looks rought for me....
welcome here anyway....

saw those too forgot to mention them but have to look at the flange a little closer and make sure there not for a big block.

well you should be fine with help from here I guess first is how bad are the stringers and floor, doess it have to be done first? being in the key's it really doesn't have to be a winter project as there really isn't a winter in the key's.

Next is what parts inventory do you have, guages, running gear etc.... looks pretty bare have half the windshield, a steering wheel and some mufflers, what else do you have?

Lastly and most importantly you should build the motor with a fresh water cooling system aka closed cooling, since you are going to run in salt all of the time that way all you have to worry about are the exhaust mainfolds and risers corroiding on you.