1974 Starcraft Holiday Restomod (convert to open bow)

[Paulwise]

Ive started this project and will be documenting it as much as i can. We used it over the summer a few times. Ran ok but Seems aft heavy. Has the original EV 70 from 1974 that came with it new. Im converting it to an open bow for fishing and storage as well. Thought it had a better floor... nope and the transom is rotten as well! All of the wood that is coming out of it is very heavy so maybe ill do a minimalist approach to the mod to make it lighter.. PO did some things to it but didnt do a very good job. Here are the first 2 days of demo. Not sure how to remove Great Stuff foam spray.... elbow grease and maybe a wire wheel...? I want to really clean the hull to do the mod right and make any repairs necessary. Its a fresh water boat. i'll have to get geared up for riveting. Not sure what to look for though.... Boat certainly seems restorable and was fun to fish out of but needs an overhaul to be a good fishing boat. This should be fun. What the best material to put under the floors, pink foam?

 

[racerone]

The deck and the " dash " are part of the structure of the boat.------Removing that would not be a problem in smooth water.------Not a good idea for " big water " fishing.

 

[Paulwise]

Yep, Thanks for the caution. Im Not removing the deck but replacing it with a new one because its rotten. The structure would be largely similar i would think when im finished, While im removing the dash i will be installing a casting platform and storage that will support pretty near the same part of the boat up in the bow. The stern will also be better supported from the storage structure ill be building on both sides of the splash well. Ill probably be adding cross members in the middle between the stringers as well. A more solid boat is the goal i guess. Ill have to do a drawing..

 

[Paulwise]

Empty hull.

 

[Paulwise]

Transom Build, 2 x 3/4 marine ply with resin coating + 1/16 aluminum skin for the inside face taken from the bow.

 

[Paulwise]

More pics of disassemble.

 

[Micwoot]

More pics of disassemble.

I have the same boat with the same idea. I wasnt sure about the open bow converaion. Following your build

 

[Paulwise]

I have the same boat with the same idea. I wasnt sure about the open bow converaion. Following your build

Welcome aboard sir. Happy to be of any help.

Update: Free CONSOLES!!!!! AND.......R..I..V..E..T..S.......

Just found some consoles from a '68 Starcraft "offshore" which is the predecessor to the Super Sport. Going to pick them up Saturday over by Lake Erie. Good Price at $0. Guy just wants them gone from behind the barn. Hopefully i wont have to modify them too much for installation with my '74 window configuration.


My Brother escaped his life as a new and soon to be Dad for a couple hours and came over and we did the patches to the hull bottom and the inside hull supports. That was a a bit messy, we were very generous with the 5200 on each plate. Each plate got 4 rivets for the original holes and 4 outside of those to pin down the corners. Worked very well. Some of the plates got slightly turned and are not perfectly paralell with the seem above it. This drove me crazy but will not effect the functionality. Rivets all held. I didnt know how to push the rib ends down tight to the floor. I ended up prying them down against the floor with a large screw driver while intalling the 1st rivet. This worked well, all of the ribs are flush to the floor now. My only concern was breaking an old rivet off or damaging it. I think its good however.





Then we did the interior hull angle bracket supports. Still have to finish the right side but here is a pic of the completed left side. Each side rivet got dipped in 5200 upon install. 2 rivets in each rib and 2 above it in the hull.

 

[Paulwise]

Note: Found these at Menards. They are fully aluminum. Even the mandrel, I tested them for steel with my giant magnet.

.

 

[Chris1956]

I think you want solid rivets so it doesn't leak. I think they are available for pop riveters.

 

[Paulwise]

I think you want solid rivets so it doesn't leak. I think they are available for pop riveters.

Not sure what you mean, these are in non critical parts of the boat. Where were you thinking i was putting them?

 

[Paulwise]

I think you want solid rivets so it doesn't leak. I think they are available for pop riveters.

Chris Thinking more about this I realized that you may think i was using these in the side outside hull. I only used them for the ribs where i have no choice and am using solid rivets for the outside hull and wherever i can to be honest. I much prefer solid if i can get a bucking bar behind it. I did have to go to rivet college when i started this boat because i had never used rivets at all. Im a boating freshmen and a boating restoration infant LOL.

 

[Chris1956]

Yes, I thought you were using pop rivets for the hull. However, I still think there are pop rivets with the ends sealed by aluminum, so they are waterproof. If you have a place you cannot buck, they may help.