1971 Winner Bimini 17 ft

71WinBim

Recruit
Joined
Feb 13, 2013
Messages
3
I'm in the process of restoring our boat and I'm just looking for others that may have suggestions on what to do or where to find things for a lesser price. I will post pictures of the boat but mainly I need to get the motor running (it turns over but it won't start). I just bought a new battery last year and prior to that it's been sitting for several years and not been used or probably winterized. My son and I took the cushions out of the front area and cleaned them and cleaned up the front part, it's the back area that requires a lot of work! The squirrels got into the boat and ate out all the seat cushioning so I need to replace all the seats. I'm trying to save money so was thinking I can just cut new boards (old ones are all rotted out) and re-upholster them as the upholstery seems to be in pretty good shape...it's just going to be extremely time consuming. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!
 

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Woodonglass

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
Messages
25,929
Re: 1971 Winner Bimini 17 ft

Welcome to iBoats!
You are correct in that your first order of business should be to get the motor running. Without it, you've got a floating island. Those old Johnsons are GREAT motors and should be worth the costs of getting her going. Do you know the year of the motor? If you post questions on the iBoats Evinrude/Johnsons forum you'll get lots of help. Does the boat have a lot of soft spots on the floor? Have you jumped up and down on the lower leg of the motor to see if the Transom flexes at all? Is that some sort of re-inforcement plate on the transom? If so, that's not a good sign:blue: Take some better pics of the transom area and let us know about the floor. The cosmetic stuff is the least of your worries right now.
 

fstorm08

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 2, 2010
Messages
686
Re: 1971 Winner Bimini 17 ft

Hey, That looks familiar ;)

Wood has been my main savior in this insanity we call "boat restoration" :lol:

Lot's of knowledgeable people on this forum to get you going in the right direction.
 
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