1978 Chrysler Valiant Bicentennial Edition

[JoeFromAkron]

So, I'm pretty new here, but I learned a lot by reading the forums, so I thought i would share what I am up to. I've only posted here a once before but I read this forum almost every day now.

I bought this boat about two months ago. It's my first boat, but I'm not new to boating. I thought it looked pretty cool and I was sure I could buff it up to look real nice. It's got a 1978 35 HP Chrysler outboard the looks like someone either rebuilt it or treated it like a baby. It runs like a champ. I only paid $850, so I figured even if everything else is garbage, I got an OK deal.


Like I said, it's my first, so I didn't really know what to look for... I thought it was a little odd how the motor bounced on the transom, but I figured how bad could it be? I went about using it and all was well except how the motor flexed the transom under full power. So I started looking up transom repair and came across this site. I didn't exactly find the info I wanted to find, but It's all good info anyway. I expected to find an easy way to reinforce the transom. Of course, I now know better. Once I looked at the boat with a good idea of what I had going on, I knew what had to happen.

I am going to try and replace the transom. Probably the stringers and deck also. Basically rebuild the thing. I figure I should be able to it. I like the boat and it would be shame to let it go to waste, and I have the time to do it. So I thought I would share what I am doing with the knowledge I got from this site



I took the motor off, removed the swim ladder and basically disconnected the back of the boat. I drilled out the rivets holding the top in place and cut it at a place I thought was OK. I don't want to take the whole top off unless I have to because I don't have the space. I think I did OK. I was not going to win any beauty contests before I got it, so as long as I fiberglass it back into one piece, I'll be happy.


It seems like the the boat was put together well. The only reason the transom is wet is because someone clamped the motor down straight on the fiberglass. I don't have a pic of that, but the only part I think water got in was the holes from the motor clamps. At least it is most rotten there and gets less bad as the wood gets farther from the holes. The whole thing is soaked. The fiberglass over transom is in good shape. In fact the transom is about 60% intact, so it has been fun to try and get it out.

That's about where I am at. I made good time. All of that only took 4 hours. I have to cut the floor out to get to the rest of the transom. I dont really know how to go about that, but I will get it.

Like I said I thought I would share. If it were not for this site, I might not have known how bad it really was and who knows what might have happened?

If anyone has any input, I appreciate that. I am still kind of winging it. I have never tried this before.

Thanks
Joe Brown

 

[JoeFromAkron]

Re: 1978 Chrysler Valiant Bicentennial Edition

So I make made some mild progress in the last two days. I have only had about two hours to get anything done, but I think I'm making good progress. I was not having much luck with a hammer and pry bar, so I went to Harbor Freight to buy a rotary tool and some blades with the idea that I would cut the fiberglass off the floor.

I accidentally bought a oscillating multi-tool instead. I don't know how I mixed it up, But I'm glad I did. It has a small saw blade and it makes quick work of the fiberglass covering wood. It is basically like hair clippers on steroids and lets me shave the glass right off. It works very well. It also cuts right through the wood. I guess I'll learn as I go. This is all made easier still by the fact that the stringers and floor are so rotten that it mostly just falls apart when I cut it.


The real issue is the foam in the bottom. Luckily its now in the whole bottom and just on the sides of the stringers. It is completely full of water and smells horrible from the rotting wood. I have been punching holes in it and draining it out the drain hole on the boat. It is pretty solid stuff. Is there an easy way to get that out, or is it basically just dig it out and have fun?

 

[JoeFromAkron]

Re: 1978 Chrysler Valiant Bicentennial Edition

So I finally have the transom all ground down and most of the floor removed. I'm planning on removing the rest of the floor tonight, or at least a large part of it. I dont have the pic's now, but I'll put em up later. I have found where to get the materiel's for the rebuilding all locally. Well, the Fiberglass resin is about an hours drive, but it is still a lot less in gas than I will pay in shipping. The prices are only about $1 more that US Composites so that's good.

I have been talking to the manager of a Carter Lumber store here and they have the exterior grade plywood for about $40 a 4X8 sheet and they said they would cut it to size for me also. I'm not so sure its actually the right plywood though, he said it was treated exterior construction grade. I don't know if anyone is reading this, but does that sound right?

Also, if anyone is reading, I had a question about patching the holes on the transom. Mainly I am concerned about the holes where the motor mounted to transom. It was flexing pretty bad and the threads tore up the glass pretty good. I want to patch them up right and just re-drill the holes when I put on the motor. Should I patch the holes before I put the wood on? Part of me thinks I should do it before, and get it from both sides, but the other part thinks I should do it after the wood is on there so it acts as a backing. Also there was a small area in the bottom of the transom where it look like someone rammed something and the fiberglass cracked. When I was cleaning everything up, it actually just kind of crumbled away. Its right on the corner. I imagine I should fix both the same way?

Thanks for helping
Joe