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    Clear Marine Vinyl Window Advice?

    Good afternoon! I'd appreciate some expert advice from anyone that has created their own windshield out of clear marine vinyl for a cabin cruiser. The sliding side windows are intact and need to make the front windshield to be removable. I'll only use it when I see rain coming while out on the...
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    Lonestar El Dorado Steering Cable Length

    Hey everyone, does anybody have an 18ft Lonestar El Dorado and can provide the steering cable length? I'm restoring one from 1960 and it has no steering cable to get the numbers off. I plan to run it along the gunwales. Thanks!
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    1970 River Queen Houseboat new owner here!

    If it was a major issue I'd think you'd have alot more than a little water in there. I'd lean more towards a thru-hull leaking. Maybe once you pump it out it won't come back...then you know it's just rain. Is it bottom painted? Any barnacles/growth underneath?
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    1970 River Queen Houseboat new owner here!

    I'm confused and been meaning to ask how the work on the last project boat is going. Do you now own two project boats???
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    Painting Aluminum

    I have a new problem. The rivets inside the hull were covered with silicone from previous owner, and looks like silicone chews through aluminum. What is the best way to repair them? I was thinking ordering 1/4" aluminum bolts with locknuts, heavily coat them in 3M 5200 and install. Then...
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    Painting Aluminum

    Thanks Bob_VT I will, it sounds like a good idea to do it now that I have it flipped unpainted. I'll do the seams from the outside and also from the inside.
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    Painting Aluminum

    I got her flipped now and working to remove the rest of the paint around rivets. I also removed the old sealant in all the seams on outside of hull and have a quick question. I need this boat to be 100% sealed so saltwater doesn't get under the deck and corrode everywhere. I bought two...
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    Purchasing a 1971 23' Winner, no engine, great shape...

    Do itttt and keep us up to date on the progress with pictures. I can help you with any questions. I had 0 boat restoration/fiberglass experience before restoring my 1976 boat, and could have saved alot of time by reading less about fiberglass and just jumping in and practicing instead. It took...
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    1958 Lonestar Malibu

    Very cool project, thanks for sharing! How is that 18 gallon gastank doing in the bow? I'm trying to figure out where to install one on my 1960 Lonestar El Dorado and was thinking about the bow. But it has a cabin so I'm worried about fumes. What are your thoughts? I'm also interested in...
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    Purchasing a 1971 23' Winner, no engine, great shape...

    I think I'm in love with that boat. Where is it?! It'd cost alot to restore but not nearly as much as a new boat. Forums and youtube would teach you everything you need to learn how to do it. Convert it to outboards while you're at it.
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    Should you buy 20 year old boat to fix up or 10 year old boat?

    If they're wood free I wouldn't worry as much, you're probably overthinking it. Fiberglass isn't going to just split out of nowhere especially on a 10 or 15 yr old boat, and you're not going to be pounding through chop very fast in a 19 - 21ft boat it'd be too uncomfortable! The fiberglass on...
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    Should you buy 20 year old boat to fix up or 10 year old boat?

    Personal opinion but I'd always buy the older boat and fix it up, not just because it's way cheaper but it's like having a brand new boat structurally when you're done. I restored the transom, stringers, bulkheads, and deck on a 16ft fiberglass boat from '76 and it was like a rock...never...
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    Painting Aluminum

    What are yalls thoughts on Goop Coat-It? I already bought Gluvit for the interior seams and rivets and want to make sure this boat is 100% ocean ready. I can't really flip this boat in my driveway easily without removing the cabin which is quite alot of rivets. One review on Amazon for...
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    Painting Aluminum

    Uh oh, I am not sure what aluminum it is. The boat is a 1960 Lonestar El Dorado but I'm pretty sure all Lonestars used the same aluminum sheets. Does anybody know?
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    Transom rot

    If you can share pictures of the stern/transom area we can help better. I had the same exact mindset when I restored a '76 Invader, I wanted to learn something new even if I didn't get the money back, and it was worth it. I redid the transom, stringers, bulkheads, and deck and it was about...
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    Painting Aluminum

    Good morning. I've sanded the paint off an old 18ft aluminum boat with 80 grit (slow process), and will do a quick round with 220 grit. I've read the next steps are Alumiprep 33, then Alodine 1201, then Zinc Chromate (is this the same as an Epoxy primer, or do you Zinc Chromate THEN put a...
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    What are these black spots?

    Yeah that's the plan. A few hundred dollars in paint, alot of plywood, and some CSM/poly resin over the plywood and hopefully I get some years out of it. For a boat that will be trailered in and out of saltwater, is it advisable to paint the bottom or strip the paint and leave it bare aluminum...
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    What are these black spots?

    I understand just couldn't pass up on such a cool hull. I'll paint it and not leave it in saltwater more than 24hrs and hopefully get some life out of her for a few years. I don't see any corrosion unless those spots in the images are very bad. Aluminum boats stay in wetslips in the wet coast...
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    What are these black spots?

    The 2nd picture shows better, the paint comes right off and leaves the black stain but I was hesitant to sand the black part anymore to match the bright aluminum shade of the rest of the hull. I wasn't sure what it was and didn't want to sand through the hull! The white paint in that picture is...
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    What are these black spots?

    Thanks for the replies, I was hesitant to continue sanding that spot but I assume I need to continue until it's the same color as the rest of the aluminum. 80 grit sandpaper is taking awhile to sand this entire boat but hopefully I'm not taking much aluminum off with it.
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