1972 Starcraft Nova

captainnate

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
210
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I cut a new piece of plywood for the dash, but I couldn't get it wedged in there, so took of the front section of aluminum sheet. Of course to do this I had to take apart the rub rail. I pray I can get the rubber back in the rub rail when the time comes. Also there is a support piece of plywood that sits under the aluminum sheet right at the nose. It's a little rotten, so I'm going to replace it.
 

captainnate

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
210
What should I use to replace the foam squeegee looking stuff they had between the wood support structure and the aluminum sheet? I was thinking maybe a thin plastic cutting board?
 

MNhunter1

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
May 12, 2014
Messages
1,117
I'll find the pictures from my Nova bow cap reconstruction and get them posted.

I used some foam sill seal from one of the big box stores between the wood and aluminum cap. Just stapled it on with some stainless staples.
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captainnate

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
210
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I took the rest of the dash apart. I wasn't sure about the wires, but it worked out that I didn't have to mess with the wires to the instruments.
 

captainnate

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
210
I was testing the fit before I drill holes in the new dash plywood. I was hoping I could simply reattach the windshield without rebuilding it. I do have one attachment bolt that is broken, and wouldn't mind replacing the other bolts. Do I just drill out the rivets to take the windshield apart? Is it going to be hard to get it back together? Thanks
 

MNhunter1

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
May 12, 2014
Messages
1,117
Yes, the rivets should drill out like any other rivet. I don't recall it being difficult to put back together, but I only replaced my bottom seal and bolts, so didn't do a full disassembly. I picked up a replacement seal from somewhere, but I'll need to dig through my parts bin to find it and see if I can determine where it came from. Not cheap, but an identical match. The bolts are t-bolts that slide into the channel and pop out through the seal. You'll need to determine the placement and punch those through the seal. If I recall, I couldn't find any stainless replacements, so I ended up using non-stainless t-bolts and just hit them with some paint. Figured they wouldn't see much exposure based on their location anyhow.
 

MNhunter1

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
May 12, 2014
Messages
1,117
Windshield replacement seal was from Taylor Made Systems, profile 8288020. I purchased 8' at $2.27/ft + shipping and handling...but that was also 2014.
 

captainnate

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 19, 2011
Messages
210
I'm getting ready to put the vinyl down on the floor. I'm wondering if I should sand the wood floor again and do one more coat of spar urethane. This boat gets stored outside under a tarp. I guess even being under the tarp 99% of the time it still has some weather damage. What do you think? I'm trying to make progress on this project a priorty this summer, but I still want to do a good job and not regret skipping details just to get it done sooner.
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MNhunter1

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
May 12, 2014
Messages
1,117
How long do you intend to keep the boat? From the factory, these decks were typically unsealed and lasted many years. Not sure how many coats of Spar you have on there now, but the vinyl should also prevent/minimize any water exposure to the wood once you have it put down. I personally would just proceed with the vinyl, but I also don't know how much exposure it's had since the spar was applied. I also don't know how you intend to store the boat moving forward, so that might play a role in your decision making. Mine sits in a climate controlled garage and covered anytime it sits outside, so any exposure it sees from routine use won't be enough to deteriorate the decking in my lifetime, and I didn't build it with intentions of it lasting for another generation past mine, whether it does or does not.

I would revisit your storage methods and see if there is a better way to prevent water intrusion or moisture build up moving forward. Maybe a better cover, different tarp, or just some other adjustments to mitigate what exposure you can.
 
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