66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

[CheapboatKev]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Patience! It will happen and you have been doing the "perfect" job. At least you have a real excuse not like Kevin who claims to be traveling

Hey! I can get that kind of abuse here at home! lol

I'm holding back till NB gets back, ya know whistlin and shufflin my feet..

I do leave tomorrow for Nashville.....Got one offer to help an Iboater in Nashville while I'm there..lol

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

OK, got back at around noon today. WOW! 6600 miles in a F350. Lived off of advil for several days!!!!

Thought I might add that I passed an early 70's model Holiday being towed up in the mountains of Wyoming on the way out. Pulled up alongside the two guys and rolled my window down to say nice boat. The poor guy just looked over and said " Yeah, we just burned the motor up about two hours ago." what a bummer!

OK, So just before I left I took the primed boat over to my neighbor the painter and laid a big sob story on him and left the country. This is what was in the boatel when I got back today!

That's three coats of the 50/50 mixture of the Kelly Green and White just like the bottom. Man do it shine!!!!!

Vinyl floor is goin in tomorrow so I can get the wood in!!!!!!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Should not be long now! You have a PM

 

[APPALOOSA2]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

AH...new pics feeling much better now....

This is going to be one of the nicest Starcrafts on the water. NB that color is just great !

Welcome back NB...

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Yep Welcome Back there NB !! Man she is looking Very Petty !!!! too cool !! man if i would have know that would have worked with my neighbor , I would have done that !!!! lol

Ok NB she is looking great !!! John

 

[bear_69cuda]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Stunning boat!

Color combo is incredible!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Ok NB, now I can get back to work on mine!!!
Just been waiting on you bro!

Welcome Back..When does the Old Blue thread start?!? (slacker)

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Actually I started it last night Kev

 

[sschefer]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Dang, that came out nice. I had mine on the lake today running sweet. Don't know if you've read my thread yet but I went through a little ordeal with the engine that I wasn't expecting.

So when are you going to paint that trailer... Makes the boat look like a diamond on a pile of dung.... LOL... Just kidding, I did mine last too and that's what my friends kept telling me so I thought I'd pass the torch so to speak.

Welcome back..

 

[sprintst]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Damn sweet boat man... I'll be happy if mine turns out half as nice as yours.

How was BC? I'm from Alberta so it's only a day (12 hours) away for me.

PS This is probably the one of the most heavily followed threads on this site. We were waiting for you to come back...

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Except for the marathon driving to get there, the trip was great. I took a nice cinnamon bear with my longbow and managed to capture the entire stalk on video.

I saw Starcraft aluminum boats in many of the states I traveled thru. Mostly Holidays. Man, that must have been a popular model over the years! I even saw two in the Okanagon region of BC.

So since so many folks are following this thread, I'm gonna ramp it up and get her finished. And thanks for following the build!

BTW, SS, the trialer paint will have to be next year's project, along with Old Blue

 

[sschefer]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

LOL... Next year... I hear ya, you've definitely got your hands full finsihing up what you've got going on now.

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

A couple other developments. I blindly ordered the last two 50' rolls of 1 1/4" rubrail inserts that Taco had in their warehouse. I think the only thing they sell now is 200' rolls. My inserts were 1" and I was hoping I could make them work. They came in today and turns out they fit perfectly. If any of you folks with early 60's starcrafts need to replace your rubrail inserts I have the part #.
QUOTE]

NB,

Inspirational job !
Do you have the Taco part #'S ? What thickness plywood did you use on the deck? Also you have a PM

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

WRF, I thought I had the part # on file-turns out I don't. I can get it! Be patient and I'll get it to you.

 

[sprintst]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

The fact that they are still around are a testiment to the way they where made and restored...like yours. 50 years later people might be still saying the same thing...

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

OK, now the vacation?s over and it?s time to go back to work. The top paint is done so it?s time to get ready for the wood.

Here?s a couple pics of the grey vinyl for the floor all laid up and then cut to fit. Way back when we glassed the floor, I hit it with the orbital sander to rough it up so the glue would bond and to knock down the high spots.

I let the vinyl lay over night to relax. Also I forgot to pick up the roller and to be honest, I?m still drained from the whole bear hunt/driving marathon! I must really be getting old!

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

Now it's time for the glue up. I bought a one gallon bucket of Cabela's marine vinly/carpet adhesive and a new notched trowel. This 22 ft boat used about 2/3 of the gallon.

After letting the vinyl relax overnight, I basically just peeled back the front 2/3rds and started applying the adhesive with the notched trowel. The notches ensure the proper thickness of adhesive and allows for uniform spread.

Here's a shot of the troweled on adhesive.

Once you get the area ready, the directions say to let the glue "flash off" for a minimum 15 minutes and a maximum 30 minutes, so we followed these guidelines.

The next step is to roll the vinyl in and apply pressure with the roller to push out all the air and ensure the glue imbeds in the backing on the vinyl.

Here's shot of the finished product. We'll let this set for a couple of days and give thing's time to properly set up and we should be good to go.

 

[North Beach]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

In an effort to keep things moving, The Admiral showed up just about the time I finished the glue up and we moved all the polishing equipment outside and began working on all the old aluminum. The trim peices for the side panels and the outer rub rail inserts are top priority at this point and to be honest, they are the peices in the worst condition.

We basically took the combination approach of 00 grit steel wool and the 500 grit polishing compound. I also used the small orbital sander on the two large peices of trim that the side panels set on. This is gonna give us the "Brushed Aluminum" look.

These peices really showed the most abuse on a 43 year old boat. Looks like the starcraft folks installed the rubrail inserts BEFORE spraying the paint, and the side panel peices were covered with resin from the homemade glassing my fatherinlaw did on the deck.

We finished about 9 PM, so we grabbed a quick shower (this was really messy work) and headed to TGI Fridays for a late dinner and several frozen mudslides

I get to do some more driving today, so when I return from the city, we'll install the rubrail inserts and some of the hardware. The wood guy says we'll be installing the wood sometime this week!!!!!!!

 

[ezmobee]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

That vinyl looks great. I would definitely consider that for my next project.

 

[sschefer]

Re: 66 Starcraft Sunchief Re-Build

NB, word to the wise, get that vinyl out in the sun for a few day's before you do much walking on it and then put down card board to walk on for the first few weeks. That glue takes a while to firm up and the cloth backing allows the vinyl to move enough to cause wrinkles that are hard to get flat again.

Once it sets up as much as it's going to (never really gets hard mind you) you don't have to worry about it. Mine is great now but I learned through my mistakes. I had a wrinkle form by a garage shelf rubbing the bow cap that took a while to get out. Your knees on the deck can also create wrinkles for the first few weeks.