83 Mustang rebuild (stringers / floor)
Printed From: CorrectCraftFan.com
Category: Repairs and Maintenance
Forum Name: Boat Maintenance
Forum Discription: Discuss maintenance of your Correct Craft
URL: http://www.CorrectCraftFan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16111
Printed Date: November-18-2024 at 3:30pm
Topic: 83 Mustang rebuild (stringers / floor)
Posted By: JohnG
Subject: 83 Mustang rebuild (stringers / floor)
Date Posted: December-21-2009 at 8:05pm
|
Hello to all,
I'm a long time lurker and I want to thank everyone that contributes their time and knowledge on this site. The collective passion for these boats is apparent in this groups workmanship and enthusiasm! I'm the owner of a 1983 Mustang with a 302. The boat has previously been discussed http://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8305&KW=&PID=81609&title=83-mustang#81609 - HERE and http://www.correctcraftfan.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7843&KW=83+mustang - HERE . I am currently in the process of replacing the stringers and floor. At this point I have read and reread the Pumpkin Patch thread, multiple BFN threads and JoeinNY's composite thread. I've also spent way too much time reading the V-Drive 2001 thread! I'm humbled by the footsteps that I will be following... Special thanks to Critter for his detailed US Composites materials list; I have copied it and will adjust quantities for the 'Stang rebuild. more to follow... |
Replies:
Posted By: JohnG
Date Posted: December-21-2009 at 9:20pm
|
Here are some pics
A pic from the CL listing back in 07 
As it sits right now 
Looking down on the stripped hull 
View of the front seat floor; that pylon area came out with a shop vac! 
View with the floor cut and foam intact 
Look Mom No Foam! The foam under the floor was soaked approximately half an inch into the foam. 
Under the battery box, standing water and the foam was soaked all the way forward to the vent hose turns. 
The CC employees love to save money on refuse disposal! I found a couple of these Easter Eggs in the foam 
I love Harbor Freight! Gear pullers in three sizes and they don't break the debit card. Torque it down and use a BFH on the side of the prop. POP! 
Summary: It took me two fulls days to get all the foam out. I filled 6 40Gal bags with foam and wood chips! I used a small grinder with cut-off wheel to cut the floor out, a sawz-all with a 5" blade to cut the foam into chunks and chipped the foam out with a claw hammer, prybar and putty knife. MVP status goes to my shop-vac! The engine is on a skid under the shop bench, the boat is in the garage and the trailer looks very lonely in the driveway with her tongue down... The Plan: Get my US Composites order finalized and done. Order CPES. Decide on wood and start the process of roughing in. For the record: I will be installing a new damper for my peace of mind (and Eric's)... 
|
Posted By: Gary S
Date Posted: December-21-2009 at 11:29pm
|
Looking good,I like that cradle you made for the hull. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1711&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1966&yrend=1970" rel="nofollow - 69 Mustang HM SS 95 Nautique Super Sport |
Posted By: JohnG
Date Posted: December-22-2009 at 1:51am
|
Gary,
Thanks for the reply. The cradle makes it much easier to move the boat in and out of my cramped work space; I'm doing this project in a two car garage. I made the cradle out of 4x4s and used steel swivel casters. This setup allows me to move the boat by myself with ease. Right now I'm just doing the prep work so the boat is movable. Soon I'll be blocking it up and leveling it, at that point it's in place until the new stringers are installed. Looks like you did the floor in your Mustang, any "words of wisdom"? |
Posted By: Wacko
Date Posted: December-22-2009 at 2:10am
| keep the pics coming it is always interesting to follow these restorations |
Posted By: JohnG
Date Posted: December-22-2009 at 6:40pm
|
Well the beat goes on...
I just ordered the following from US Composites. As I stated before; Kudos to Critter for compiling the original list. At this point the Epoxy Mat is unavailable so I substituted with chopped strand (recommendation from their site). After reading the experiences of others I went ahead and ordered the 10 Gal epoxy kit; I don't want to have to order more to finish the job. My plan is to use the extra epoxy on the seat bases and backs. I'm also planning to layup the new back seat using wood and the leftover mat and bi-axial. I'll see how much is left over. I also ordered grey pigment for the epoxy in the bilge area. Has anyone else taken this approach? My thinking is that the epoxy is non hygroscopic and if I color tint it then it will give me a nice hard and durable surface in the bilge and look nice too. US Composites 561-588-1001 Quanty Item Cat# Price 10 gal Epoxy resin 635 thin 3:1 ratio EPOX- 635317 $455.00 1 (2)Pumps EPX-P31 $6.25 1 roll 50 yds 2" E-glass tape FG-C02R $15.85 1 roll 50 yds 4" E-glass tape FG-C04R $26.05 1 roll 50 yds 8" E-glass tape FG-C08R $52.00 20yds Chopped Strand Mat FG-10550 20 x 3.20 = $64.00 5qts 1/32 milled fiber filler SM-MF050 $27.25 - (used in fillets) 4" 3/8" Fiberglass Rollers FR-1314A $5.35 x 6 = $32.10 5qts Phenolic Microballoons FL-PH025 $17.50 5 ea 1qt mixing containers CON-MM032 $.55/ea x 10 = $5.50 5 lb tub of talc SM-TAL01 $5.50 10yds #1708 biaxial FG-170838 $6.40/yd x 10 = $64.00 16oz Gunsmoke Grey Pigment AC-GG016 $ 18.00 ------- Total $ 789.00 |
Posted By: JohnG
Date Posted: December-22-2009 at 6:53pm
| I just ordered the CPES from Jamestown Dist. I got the 2gal kit. Has anybody had to reorder more than 2gal for a stringer rebuild? |
Posted By: Gary S
Date Posted: December-22-2009 at 9:20pm
|
All I have done to mine John, is pull up the old fiberglass pan and removed the foam.The pan was in bad shape,so I used plywood and covered it with carpet.I know that someday stringers are in my future. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1711&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1966&yrend=1970" rel="nofollow - 69 Mustang HM SS 95 Nautique Super Sport |
Posted By: WakeSlayer
Date Posted: December-22-2009 at 9:26pm
|
Gary, still have that awesome pan for you!!
John, I ordered the same kit and asked the same question. Pete said it was definitely enough. ------------- Mike N 1968 Mustang |
Posted By: Gary S
Date Posted: December-22-2009 at 10:18pm
I havn't forgot Mike,I'm thinking spring road trip when I can put the boat in and use the trailer to bring it home. ------------- http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=1711&sort=&pagenum=1&yrstart=1966&yrend=1970" rel="nofollow - 69 Mustang HM SS 95 Nautique Super Sport |
WakeSlayer wrote:Posted By: WakeSlayer
Date Posted: December-22-2009 at 10:44pm
|
Sounds perfect, Gary. I cannot think of a better way to ship that thing. ------------- Mike N 1968 Mustang |
Posted By: Cslaten33
Date Posted: December-31-2009 at 4:44am
|
Do you really use 10 gallons of epoxy in a stringer repair?? ------------- Thanks Clark Slaten |
Posted By: BuffaloBFN
Date Posted: December-31-2009 at 8:58am
+1 on the cradle and the 2 gal CPES kit was plenty,even with very liberal application. ------------- http://correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=2331&sort=&pagenum=12&yrstart=1986&yrend=1990" rel="nofollow - 1988 BFN-sold "It's a Livin' Thing...What a Terrible Thing to Lose" ELO |
Posted By: JohnG
Date Posted: January-01-2010 at 5:13pm
|
To All,
Sorry for the lack of updates. The holiday season has me going 20 different directions. My CPES showed up and so did my US Composites order. I can see all 10 gallons of epoxy being used in this build. I'm beefing up the floor area around the engine and the pylon support so lots of epoxy will get used. I'm hoping that I have enough left over to glass the new rear seat. We will see. I'll have more pics and commentary next week. Cheers! |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: January-02-2010 at 1:16pm
|
are you foaming?, and you get an A-plus for a new damper ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: 79TiqueRebuild
Date Posted: January-02-2010 at 2:11pm
|
John, Not sure what combination of materials you were going to use to thicken the epoxy for bedding and fillets. I overlooked cabosil(4 gallon $22.95) Which set me back another week.
This is my first experience with epoxy and fiberglass so maybe some of more knowledgeable guys will chime in. 2 degrees here this morning will try to get my garage warmed up to work in. Best of luck on your project. Monty |
Posted By: JohnG
Date Posted: January-15-2010 at 9:41pm
|
I apologize for the lack of timely updates; here we go...
My CPES showed up and I am on my 2nd coat of it. I'm very surprised, a little of that stuff goes a long way. I can see how this stuff really promotes adhesion of the epoxy and it makes the wood look very nice. My US Composites order showed up. They get a hefty kudos from me! The order was exactly what I asked for with no substitutions or mistakes. They are highly recommended. At this point I have the hull stripped of all four stringers. I removed all the fiberglass layup that I could before I started grinding. I've had very good luck with the diamond grinding wheel and flapper discs. I picked up a nice 4 1/2" diamond wheel at Harbor Freight for 30bucks. Same for the flapper discs, two and three packs for 6 - 8 bucks. okay, enough typing... on with the pics I removed both Secondary stringers first and shaped the new ones. I used the primary stringers as guides. The secondaries didn't require much shaping with the hand-plane. 
Here's another view of the Port side secondary. 
and another 
Here are the old stringers. I was fortunate to get all but the Port secondary out in one piece. They don't look that bad in this pic but trust when I say that there are spots of extreme rot. 
Here are a couple of the new stringers being marked. This is simple assuming that you have good templates to follow. 
I built this jig before I removed the mains. I leveled the boat and then built a level jig where the engine sits. There a pads that give the exact location of the lag bolts for the engine mounts. It gives me a nice point of reference. 
Add a couple of jets and it could be a spa! 
Cutting supplies 
My 30 year old jigsaw (15 bucks at a pawn shop 15 years ago). I love old power tools. I used this and a circular saw to cut and shape the stringers. 
I used the Dremel in the hard to reach areas while removing the old stringers. Those little cutting wheels sure do tear up quick. 
Hand planes and Horns 
Kinda messy 
|
Posted By: JohnG
Date Posted: January-15-2010 at 9:46pm
|
Eric,
I have no desire to get into the "foam vs. no foam debate". I will say that if it takes on water it will still float. The damper is a no brainer, I'm kinda afraid of what mine will look like after all these years. This boat has some hours on it. BuffaloBFN, I can see using more that 10 gallons in a BFN; that is a much bigger boat. I'm hoping to have some left over; after all this is just a 16.5 Mustang. I just wanted to avoid having to order additional epoxy at the end of the job. All, okay, back to the grinder! |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: January-15-2010 at 10:10pm
|
Chris,
Lookin good!! I like the jig you made to hold position and level. ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: January-16-2010 at 11:59am
|
if you wear a lifevest so will you lol ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: JohnG
Date Posted: January-16-2010 at 2:03pm
| I'm a big fan of Approved life vests. |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: January-16-2010 at 2:04pm
|
one great power tool often overlooked is the power hand planer, one of the hardest jobs to tackle is a rotted transom, normally the wood is resined to it. the hand planer buzzes it right down to the glass. it also is great for cutting the caps off of stringers. ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: JohnG
Date Posted: January-16-2010 at 2:06pm
|
Pete,
The only truly critical measure is the engine relationship to the log. I also plan to use the jig for ensuring vertical level on the mains. |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: January-16-2010 at 3:50pm
Modern engine mounts sure make it easy even if the stringers are off but it's always nice to get them as close as possible. I think CC was probably the last to hold out not going to modern mounts in some of their boats until the late 60's. They didn't even use the cast iron wedges under fixed engine mounts but stuck to the wooden ones. Now going back in time farther, engine alignment was even more of a challenge. Here's my lastest project that will be going into about a 1918 launch that I'll be restoring. The three bolts holes on each side of the cast oil pan are the engine mounts/lag bolts to the stringers. The engine is sitting in the garage with lots of Kroil on it now to see if the pistons will break loose. Light surface rust on the cylinder walls but the bottom end looks pretty good. Cast in place babbitt mains and rod bearings - doing them will be a new experience!! 7/8" thread size plugs but Champion still makes them due to lots of old tractors that used them. Magneto is on order and wasn't hard to find. The carb may be a different story but I've got a friend working on that. One original carb for show and the other several years younger (when they got better) for running. 1927 Universal Flexifour, 87cu. in., 15HP @ 2500 RPM (red line)  ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: SNobsessed
Date Posted: January-16-2010 at 8:39pm
|
Now there is a piece of history! ------------- “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Ben Franklin |
Posted By: JohnG
Date Posted: January-16-2010 at 10:24pm
|
Pete,
I didn't mean to sound flip; I plan to get the engine mounts very close to original location. It would take way more skill than I currently have to rebuild mounts for that piece of history in your pic. Cheers |
Posted By: 8122pbrainard
Date Posted: January-17-2010 at 10:13am
It wasn't taken that way. I was just rambling on about engine mounts!!! ------------- /diaries/details.asp?ID=1622" rel="nofollow - 54 Atom /diaries/details.asp?ID=2179" rel="nofollow - 77 Tique 64 X55 Dunphy Keep it original, Pete < |
Posted By: eric lavine
Date Posted: January-17-2010 at 12:47pm
|
Pete, i have heard of leather bearings instead of babbit ------------- "the things you own will start to own you" |
Posted By: turningpoint84
Date Posted: December-04-2012 at 3:02pm
|
SO what the hell happened to this thing? ------------- Proud 1968 mustang owner and now http://www.correctcraftfan.com/diaries/details.asp?ID=6454&sort=&pagenum1" rel="nofollow - 1970 Mustang |