1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

[boatguy94]

Hey everyone, new guy here. Well new to boating in general as well, this is my first ever boat, but I've always wanted one. So onto some specs it's a 17 foot Imperial bowrider, fiberglass hull. The motor is a 120hp OMC inboard/outboard. The price was definattly right $200.
Right now the starter doesn't make the engine turn over the engine seems like it's frozen. So that's the first thing to mess with. Then onto the floor which is pretty bad as it has sat out for a while. Then onto the small things; messing with the wireing, making a few seats for the bow and back, as well as getting a few things. Heres some pictures, battery in the camera died before I could get some pics of the motor I will tomorrow though.

It's going to be some work but that's what makes it fun!

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

I like the hull but with that OMC setup theres a few guys here who are gonna say RUN FOREST RUN .


Rick

 

[HopeSheFloats]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Welcome BoatGuy, I hear those late 70's Imperials are truely the best out there{lol... see my thread link below}...Luv the dash...I'll be watching your progress, best to you on it!

 

[78ImperialT]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Welcome BoatGuy, I hear those late 70's Imperials are truely the best out there{lol... see my thread link below}...Luv the dash...I'll be watching your progress, best to you on it!

welcome to the best forum on earth!

i just finished my 78 imperial...im sure how to show you the thread but if you click my avatar you can look it upm. i dont have many threads.

if i can help...just holler.

good luck!

 

[boatguy94]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Thanks Rick, HopeSheFloats, and 78Imperial. I think it'll be a nice boat once I get done. I won't have much progress on it this week cause I'm going out of town but after that I'll try to work on it more. This seems like a really good forum to ask questions if I need to. Thanks everyone!

 

[chrishayes]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Thanks Rick, HopeSheFloats, and 78Imperial. I think it'll be a nice boat once I get done. I won't have much progress on it this week cause I'm going out of town but after that I'll try to work on it more. This seems like a really good forum to ask questions if I need to. Thanks everyone!

This is THE forum to ask questions. I promise. THere is not a soul out there that couldnt build a boat with the help of the fine folks here. Unless of course you didnt have hands...but then again, I bet someone could come up with a fiberglass solution to that as well!

I like the looks of this boat, very similar to mine and if I am not mistaken, isnt this a cathedral hull? The type that the guy who designed mine came up with before the airslot?

 

[boatguy94]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Well today I didn't get much done eiter just did some cleaning up and kept looking at things and figuring them out. I washed down the boat today and then noticed water coming out of the hole underneath the outdrive (don't know specific term ) so I now know to get a plug for that. Also messed around with the electrical, blowers work, bildge pump turns on, red/green light turns on, but other things don't. Outdrive wireing is a little weird too, an extension cord going from the switch to the motor. Probally going to have to mess around with the wireing too. Once I get the front arm support off the engine so I can turn it over I'll redo the floor and electrical stuff.

 

[boatguy94]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Well I've been really busy lately, so soon I should make some progress.

On the list for now is:
-Turn over engine manually.
-See if the starter does work.
-Start engine.

On the list for this winter/sping:
-Replace floor and carpeting
-Redo wireing
-New blowers
-Wax
-Put in water

I have a question for anyone here in Michigan, I got the boat without a title and registration the guy before me never got one either and he never put the boat in the water. How can I go about registering the boat? Or getting the old title?

 

[thrillhouse700]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Don't forget the stringers and transom.

 

[HopeSheFloats]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

....I have a question for anyone here in Michigan, I got the boat without a title and registration the guy before me never got one either and he never put the boat in the water. How can I go about registering the boat? Or getting the old title?

Hey BoatGuy, my PO didn't have a title/registration either, I took the MC numbers from the hull, along with a bill of sale from the seller and a picture of the hull ID number{found usually on a plate on the outer upper righthand side of transom, along with pictures of it all. The trailer had that new 'lifetime' plate{with registration} but in case you don't know, the plates are not transferable, in other words add $75.00 to the total...best of luck...I've had real good results at SofS by being very polite and making a comment or two about how can someone be so forgetful or absent minded to lose their paperwork, blah blah blah...it works for me anyways. Good luck to you!


Edit: you will be charged for a title search{can't recall how much..cheap tho, thinking $7 -$15} and the state will mail it to you when everything clears...think my total was $140 or something in that ballpark anyways for everything.

 

[boatguy94]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Thanks Kenny, that helps get that off my mind a bit for now. One question what all did you put on the bill of sale? I didn't think of writing one up when I bought the boat but I could always email the guy to get one.

 

[HopeSheFloats]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Just a simple...I {seller's name} sold such & such {year size trailer whatever applies} on such date for said amount, and they need to sign it and preferably print it{signature}as well for legibility....hope it helps


Edit: a piece of advice...do not spend a dime on this resto until it is legally yours...ya just never know about folks these days!

Double edit: I've heard Mich does not issue titles anymore more for boats just registartions, My previous post was based on what SofS told me...take it as it is...

 

[boatguy94]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Thanks again any information on this whole thing really helps. This is one of those boats that has had a few owners so this'll be interesting because the last guy never transferred the title or got one. This is what I get for $200 lol.

I will deffinattly be taking your advice, Kenny, and getting the title for this thing before putting any money into it. Just hope that I can get this whole thing registered and fixed up before next summer, already got people waiting. I'll keep you guys posted

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Great looking boat there boatguy. I'll be watching the build. Good luck.

 

[boatguy94]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Well I contacted the SOS by email and I finnally got a reply back. Basically I was told that I was stupid for buying a boat without a title (I guess I somewhat am) and that I could have them lookup the last owner on the title. So I'm going to try to get this title worked out then it shall be time to open up the boat and get started. I have a pretty full work crew starting to form mostly friends and family Sorry to bore you guys with all these details I really want to do something productive now!

 

[78ImperialT]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

thank god im in alabama... we dont have to have boat titles, just a bill of sale.

 

[boatguy94]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

It's been a while but I finally got something done on the boat today. I've been so busy with other stuff that I've had no time at all. So hopefully this winter I can start working on things more. Today I removed the front support for the engine to see if it was frozen. It doesn't see as if the engine was frozen so it's a starter problem. I'll look into that in a few days.

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Hello boatguy94,
I really like the lines of the hull. I wouldn't kick yourself to hard for buying it without a title. You could part the thing out and get more then that for it.
Just make sure when you take the deck off you check everything out, Make sure you check the stringer and transom like thrillhouse 700 stated.
One more thing, Welcome to the Nuts club..
Have fun and keep us posted.
Bob

 

[eight tracker]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

I guess if all else fails you register it as a {new} old boat that needs new hull numbers and start from there,and ya the trailer plates stay with the trailer and 75.00 bucks for transfer but it beats paying for new tabs every year!

 

[boatguy94]

Re: 1978 Imperial Bowrider 17' --- My first boat

Thanks Bob, it is a nice looking boat if I don't say so myself, and if I can't get the title for it then I'll be parting it out but I'm sure hoping to get one!

Eight Tracker, I might look into getting a salvage title for it if my search doesn't bring up anything.

Now here's a bit of an update. I worked on getting the front brace off and then turned over the engine with a breaker bar. As I thought the engine wasn't frozen, so I'll be taking off the starter soon and looking at it. I really am not going to put money into it now so that's why I haven't been updating.

I'm also waiting for spring to remove the deck out side the garage wheres there's more room to move. During the winter I'll get the title worked out and things taken apart. I also got pictures

Here's one of the engine

And here's what was holding the front engine brace down, looks like I'm gonna have some wood to replace.

And here we have the original shifter and fuse panel