1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski Rebuild Project and Pictures

[swire]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Hi, I have been watching the build...Looks nice !!! I just purchased the same boat..It is in verry nice shape. I am just getting it all legal for the water (hope verry soon !!!) But i noticed that the capacity plate for people,gear, and max H.P. is missing..I have been hunting for this info online for a week now and no luck. Do you know this info or where i could get it or a new plate ?
Thanks

If it is the exact same boat then the capacity is 7 people and a 200hp motor. I don't have the weight limit, I'll look through my pictures and see if I can find one I took of the sticker. I'm not sure where to get a replacement. I will either have to paint around mine or find a way to get a replacement as well.

 

[swire]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Very nice work Swire. That boat looks almost identical to my 88 18ft Dynatrak. I noticed it looks like you have a stereo installed in yours, i was wanting to put one in mine but i cant figure out where would be a good place to mount the speakers. If you don't mind could you show me some pics of where your speakers are mounted or give me some insight. any info would be great, thanks.

The boat came with the stereo and 2 speakers. I'm not sure if I have a picture of where the speakers were mounted but I will look. The front two speakers were mounted by the driver and passenger feet in the vinyl inserts that goes on the side of the boat. I'm planning on adding 2 rear speakers, they will require a new cut out right next to the rear seats. I know I have a picture of that location so I will post it. There is 7" of space there so I'm planning on putting 6.5" speakers there, possibly the JL Audio M650 which have a mounting hole diameter of 5.25".

As for the stereo I hate where it is mounted. It is constantly in the way and looks terrible. I am hoping to be able to move the stereo to the left side gunwale right in front of where the passenger will sit. There is 6 to 7 inches between the front side of the gunwale and the hull of the boat so a stereo "should" fit. I have yet to take precise measurements and then compare that to the mounting depth of a stereo. I know the Sony that I looked at required 7" of mounting depth but a Kenwood that I looked at claims to only require 6-1/8". This is something that I will be determining shortly as would like to cut it out before I paint the boat.

 

[swire]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Swire,

I used foam rollers that were about 1" dia x 6" length. The outside end was rounded and I could smash that into the edge to get paint in there. I then very carefully rolled it out to smooth it. Yes runs and sags are common. Like I said it was somewhat a PITA. You just have to take your time and leave an even and smooth final coat. The final result is a really good finish and this paint is definitely tough stuff. Unlike anything I have ever used.

Those are the rollers that I have found and was considering using. The only trouble spot that I see painting is where the cleats are mounted. It is a sharp cut out with 90 degree walls on 3 sides. I should be able to squish the paint into it with the round end of the roller as you suggested but there is no possible way of rolling it, so I will have to use a brush in those areas. My primer and paint showed up the other day. I started test sanding the boat with my power equipment and it is working out very well. I'm using 60 grit paper on my orbital sander to remove all the old dirt, stains, scuff up the gelcoat. I did half the transom in under 10 minutes. I plan on going back over it with a finer grit paper before I prime. Any recommendations on the grit for each stage of the process? I was thinking of going courser during the primer stage, maybe 120 grit, and then up to something like 240 between coats once I start putting on the actual paint on. I'm not sure if the primer will fill in the sanding marks of the 120 grit.

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Swire,

Make sure the rollers are solvent resistant type. And then have a couple extra ready to go in case the one you are using starts to come apart or swells on the end. For the grits I think I used 120 to prep the gel coat surface. Then 220 before the first application of primer. Followed by 320 between primer coats and 320 after last coat of primer and first coat of paint. Depending on how many coats of paint use 320 between coats or 400 grit before the final coat of paint.

 

[swire]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

I've taken a couple days off work so I can focus on the prep work before painting. I've got the boat off the trailer and propped up so that I can work on it. I finally found the crack in the hull that was letting all the water in. It was about 2/3 the way back right on the centerline of the boat. The crack is about 5 inches long. I've already put multiple layers of 1708 down the centerline so it should be sturdy but I am going to put a couple layers on the outside of the hull too just to make sure it is seal up tight. It will create a little bulge where I do this but it is under the boat and no one will see it.

Here is a picture of the crack.

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Swire,

Just grind the outside a little to clean it up and form a slight depression. One layer of 1708 (w/the CSM backing) will be plenty if the inside has been glassed well. Fill and fair the out side to smooth it out. Probably won't even see it afterwards.

 

[swire]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Wow, sanding definately sucks...even with power tools! At first I was pushing myself to get the boat done as fast as I could but that was just getting me frustrated and doing sloppy work. So I took a break and slowed down to do things right. I think I have most of the scratches and gouges filled in and sanded down. I won't know how well I did until I get my first coat of primer on it though. I have 85% of the boat sanded once over with 50 grit. Even with 50 grit getting down to where the stains are removed is difficult. I will go back over it with 120 grit before I put my first coat of primer on it. I definately have some sanding marks from the 50 grit. I am hoping the 120 grit will smooth them out.

I'm concerned about painting the boat. The main part of the hull won't be a problem, it is the top and inside that I'm worried about. The angles and sharp edges are going to be a pain to work around and I don't see how I will ever get a smooth like glass finish.

Greg when you painted did you mix up the entire quart of primer or perfection or did you mix half of it to give you a longer working time? I have a feeling the top of the boat is going to take a lot of time to do it right and I don't want the paint setting up before I even get it on the boat.

I fixed the crack with 2 layers of 1708 with CSM backing. I ground all the paint off to get to pure fiberglass in an area that was probably 12"x12". Then I put a 2 inch wide strip of 1708 directly over the crack and then came back with a 10 inch strip that was 12" long. I did sand it down some, feathered the edges, put a skim coat of resin with filler on it, then sanded it again. It blends in very well with the rest of the boat and I doubt it will be noticable once it is painted.

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Wow, sanding definately sucks...even with power tools! At first I was pushing myself to get the boat done as fast as I could but that was just getting me frustrated and doing sloppy work. So I took a break and slowed down to do things right. I think I have most of the scratches and gouges filled in and sanded down. I won't know how well I did until I get my first coat of primer on it though. I have 85% of the boat sanded once over with 50 grit. Even with 50 grit getting down to where the stains are removed is difficult. I will go back over it with 120 grit before I put my first coat of primer on it. I definately have some sanding marks from the 50 grit. I am hoping the 120 grit will smooth them out.

The sanding part is tough, but trust me you haven't even started to do the sanding. Don't be too agressive with the sanding. The primer will cover age spots/stains. You will need to finish sand with 220 grit before the first coat of primer. This will give you better results and less sanding afterwards.

I'm concerned about painting the boat. The main part of the hull won't be a problem, it is the top and inside that I'm worried about. The angles and sharp edges are going to be a pain to work around and I don't see how I will ever get a smooth like glass finish.

Yes it will be a challenge but don't get ahead of yourself. Use the primer application as a training tool for the final finish. Plus all coats of paint will be sanded accept the last so any imperfections can be sanded out before proceeding to the next coat. Also the first coats of paint will be thin (almost see through in some areas). That is normal. The second and third coats will cover much better. Try to learn as you go and what the best way to tackle those parts will be. Unless you are a pro don't expect your work to be like one. The mirror finish can be accomplished but probably not on your first shot. Trust me your final product will be very shiny and even. And there will be a few spots where you will not get perfect. It is the nature of the DIY beast.

Greg when you painted did you mix up the entire quart of primer or perfection or did you mix half of it to give you a longer working time? I have a feeling the top of the boat is going to take a lot of time to do it right and I don't want the paint setting up before I even get it on the boat.

Your approach is good. Prime the entire boat before moving onto the paint. Paint the hull first, completely. And then do the top cap.
I mixed the primer in halfs and the the paint in thirds. Once the paint is mixed you will have plenty of working time to apply. It's only right after you apply it that you only have about 3-4 minutes to work with it and level it out.

 

[Greg Mrozinski]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Swire,

How are you making out with the paint?

 

[swire]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Swire,

How are you making out with the paint?

I haven't even tried painting yet. It has been raining almost every single day here and the building I keep my boat in has a leaky roof. Dirty water is getting into the boat and pooling on the floor. I've worked a couple hours here and there on it but I haven't done much lately. I don't think I'm supposed to paint when it is really humid out so I haven't had much of a choice but to wait it out. Still there is some fiberglass work and filling scratches in that I could be doing. It would probably help if I stopped chasing the women and focused only on my boat.

 

[swire]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

I haven't forgotten about this thread, I just haven't been working on the boat. The rain has finally stopped but the temperature jumped from 60s to 90s. I've had other things going on and haven't been able to work on it but I am hoping to get back at it soon.

 

[swire]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

I still have no progress updates on the boat. I've been busy with other things and ran out of funds to finish it the way I wanted, so I sort of lost my motivation. I'm working on changing jobs and hopefully that will provide with the funds to finish the boat the way I want to, which will hopefully give me the motivation to get cracking on it.

 

[Teamster]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Nice looking project,....

I need to stop reading the "glasser" rebuilds, I'm getting to many ideas!!,....lol..

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

I still have no progress updates on the boat. I've been busy with other things and ran out of funds to finish it the way I wanted, so I sort of lost my motivation. I'm working on changing jobs and hopefully that will provide with the funds to finish the boat the way I want to, which will hopefully give me the motivation to get cracking on it.

This happens quite often, nothing cheap about restoring a boat, but hang in there you're doing a great job so far.

 

[swire]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

This happens quite often, nothing cheap about restoring a boat, but hang in there you're doing a great job so far.

Thanks. I start my new job Sept 6th and the weather is finally starting to cool down some too. I'm hoping to get back at working on the boat and get it ready for later October fishing.

 

[swire]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

I am happy to report that I am finally working on the boat again. The new job is going well. It pays more and I was able to cash out my vacation time from my old job, giving me the funds to finish the boat. The girl I was seeing called things off 2 weeks ago so that is giving me a lot more free time to focus on my own things.

As the boat stands right now it is still in two pieces. I am still patching and sanding in order to get it ready to be painted. The keel was scratched up really good from me beaching the boat so I decided to beef it up with a layer of 1708 smoothed out with a filler mixture. I put what I hope is the last coat of filler over it tonight. If I can make myself sand for about 4 hours tomorrow night I should have the bottom half of the boat ready for primer. My parents are coming into to for a visit and offered to help, I plan on having my dad either roll or tip.

I have to say Wholesale Marine screwed me pretty good. I have ordered from them in the past without problem but this time they dropped the ball. On 10/3 I ordered some 202 fiberglass solvent and 2333n reducing solvent to prep the boat for painting. Their website said both items were in stock and shipped the same day. I received an order confirmation and my credit card was charged. The weekend came and nothing was delivered. I emailed them on 10/11 asking what was going on with my order, no response. At the end of the day on 10/12 I called them asked what was going on. I was told one of the items was back ordered and I could expect them sometime next week. That won't work as I have people coming to help with the boat this weekend and 10 days is more than enough time to get something "in stock with same day shipping" delivered. The items still show up as "in stock" on their website. I told the lady to cancel the entire order. Wholesale Marine could have at least emailed me and let me know the items were back ordered so I could have placed an order with someone that had the items and gotten them for this weekend. That is just **** poor customer service on the part of Wholesale Marine if you ask me. Jamestown Distributor's website says they will price match, guess who is getting my next order.

As for the boat and this weekend I have no choice but to use acetone and hope it works as well as the Interlux 202 Fiberglass Solvent which is what is recommended for their paints.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

Re: Rebuilding a 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski

That's a bummer, I always really liked wholesalemarine.

 

[swire]

Re: 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski Rebuild Project and Pictures

Well things didn't go as planned this weekend. I did get my dad to help out sanding the boat. We put another 4 hours into it but I decided the boat is nowhere ready to prime yet. I found some paint that is chipping on the underside and need to address that. Plus I have some really bad sanding marks that I need to fill in first.

I also think there might be an issue with the hull fitting back together perfectly, mainly in the transom area. It looks like I built up the transom too much and the cap hits it before getting all the way back to where it needs to go. I really need to stop prepping and test fit the cap one more time to make sure everything still fits. That will take some work especially working by myself.

 

[swire]

Re: 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski Rebuild Project and Pictures

I am slowly making some progess. I did have issues with the cap fitting back on. The way I had my boat lifted off the ground caused the sides to bow out. I'm using ratchet straps to pull them back in. I hope that works.

The cap over the transom was previously cut off and then filled with some type of filler. My transome is built up a little thicker and despite a bunch of grinding the cap would not fit over the transom. So I cut out the rest of the area that didn't fit and I'm in the process of rebuilding it. That part seems to be going ok.

The back seat foundation is part of the cap. Since my new floor is built higher than the old floor the foundation was hitting and kept the cap from going all the way down. I just finished cutting about 3/4 of in off that entire piece, it should be more than enough.

I am also working on extending the dash where the windshield goes. There is about 4 inches in front of the windshield. If someone sits on the front cushions they can't lean back on to the windshield because it is too far back. There also wasn't enough room for my electronics behind the windshield so they had to be mounted in front of it and exposed to the elements. The 4 inches is sloped, so I am building it out level and hope to move the windshield at least 3 inches forward. I'm still not sure if it will give me room for my electronics but it is my best bet. I had to replace the steering cable last year and went from a tilt wheel to just a straight shaft wheel. The change in angle left about 1/2" between the steering wheel and windshield. By moving the windshield forward I should have plenty of room to steer the boat.

Still doing some patching and hope the resin dries fast so I can sand and do my final prep before painting. I still need to figure out where I am going to put the stereo, thinking of mounting it into the gunwale on the left side but I'm not sure if the sides are deep enough. Other than that my boat customizations should be done and hopefully I can get the painting done and then start the process of putting everything back together.

 

[swire]

Re: 1987 Cheetah 196 Fish and Ski Rebuild Project and Pictures

I had a pretty productive weekend putting in about 25 hours of work on the boat. The issues I ran into are almost finished. I built a new section of the cap that goes over the transom and was able to get the cap on the boat. I build out the consoles so I can move the windshield foward. I did the final sanding using 220 on half of the bottom half of the boat. I found more scratches and gouges that I tried filling in. I will have to go back and resand all those areas.

The boat is close to being ready for the final clean up before painting. Sanding and prep work is taking a lot longer than I expected. Hopefully the work between coats is not as labor intensive as the prep.