rebuilding motor box

Has anyone rebuilt their wooden motor box? I'm about to take on the task and am getting my measurements down. It looks like the one that's on there now is made from quarter inch ply with the top being half inch. Should I go half inch all the way around to stiffen it up or would it be too heavy? I'm pretty certain my current one is not the original, looks like there's a date stamp on the ply from 1981.

Gary, mine is rotten all along the bottom and around the vent hole. The vinyl is all ripped up with foam coming out so I figured I might as well rebuild the box before I put the new vinyl on. Speaking of, yours looks pretty good. Did you do the vinyl yourself or have a pro do it?

My box wasn't even painted, looks like someone might have stained the inside.

I have a drawing I got off this site with dimensions, it's pretty much the same as my current box so I'm going with that. Just have to decided on thickness. I'm pretty confident in my wood working skills so I think I can handle it. Will take some pics and post afterwards.

Also going to attempt to make a windshield. I can get a sheet of UV protected Lexan for $117. Cut and cold form it myself. Much cheaper than $500 for me to have one made.

Vondy,
I would be very much interested in your windshield project. I have a '61 Century Corsair (along with an '80 Nautique). The frame and deck attachment is different from a Mustang. I have the 1/4 inch plexi roughed out and need to heat and bend the windshield "ears" back to meet the cover boards.Basically the windshield is a rectangle that faces the foredeck with the ends bent back parallel to the side of the boat. The kitchen oven is not big enough to get the heat where I need it to make the proper bend. (270degreesF). Every plexi fab shop that I have talked to does right angle or square bends.They have linear heaters and are not capable of warming a larger area. At any rate I'd appreciate finding out what you learn.

I thought LEXAN was GE's propietary name for plexiglas. My first "lost" sheet was indeed LEXAN and the frame is no where robust enough to hold the cold curved shape in place. The material that I am working with now is a product called TUFFAK made by ALTUGLAS, which is a plexiglas. I have put small pieces in the oven at 270 degrees and it is very compliant. Yes, you are right overheating will cause bubbles and haze. I will keep experimenting.

Pete, You are right! I used the wrong descriptor but I think I am working with the right material... POLYCARBONATE. All the fabricators I have talked to have the capability to make a straight line bend      ( like a salad bar cover).
I need about a 4"radius from the foredeck back to the cover board. One of the participants in Danenberg's forum has suggested that I connect with some of the high end yacht yards along the Northeast coast to see if someone might have the capability. According to A&A these were originally formed on a plywood buck and sag formed in an oven. Needless to say, the buck became firewood after Century dissolved. I am begining to think that a 20" X5"set of strip heaters located above the radius buck that I have built might be the answer. Place it, heat it and let gravity make the bend. Any additional insight would be appreciated.