25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

[Last Mohican]

UPDATE: I have added a PDF that I am tracking all costs of this project. I will update it periodically. I am documenting all costs other than gas. If I bought a tool specifically for this project it is included. if you are interested you can download it here.

AmbassadorCost.pdf

I've been posting about the restoration on several other boards. A few of you have been trying to get me to post it here. I have already made a fair amount of progress in the three weeks or so I have been working on it. I'll fill in the details as well as I can and then I will keep this thread updated going forward.

I originally thought it was a 77 Executive. I have since determined it is actually a 76 Ambassador. I tried to correct my other posts but you may find that I missed some references to the wrong year and model. It is definitely a 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador.

I'm just going to C&P from my other posts to get you guys up to speed.

Aug 2, 2010:
It needs a lot of work but it will be pimp when it is done. It still has the faux fur and fridge in the cabin. I think the wood grain and white part of the gel will clean up pretty well. For $800 I just couldn't pass it up.

The good
* Floor is solid
* YJ pump has already been converted with an energizer kit
* Hydraulic diverter
* All original and everything is there.
* Got it for a song

The Bad
* It is freakin filthy
* Interior is completely shot
* flake part of the gel is pretty faded and the glitter is exposed

(Thumbs are clickable)

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Aug 3, 2010:

The initial video before any work was done.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Cokhg6h0pk


The good, a lot of it will clean up:








The Bad, some of it won't:

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Aug 7, 2010:
I was pretty excited Friday. I went out at lunch to see if I could turn the motor over by hand. I put a socket on the crank and it moved no problem. I thought that was good news. I puled the plugs shot some WD-40 in all the cylinders and went back to work.

I went back out Friday night and decided I better try to get two full turns out of the crank by hand just to be sure there was not a valve stuck or some other obstruction. I turned the crank and 180* and BAM it came to an abrupt stop. I turned it back the other way 180* and it stops again. I put my tools up and was going to call it a night when a friend showed up. He convinced me to at least pull the valve covers. Long story short, I could see water in #5. We pulled the intake and driver side head and just as I suspected there was a rust ring in #5. I hit it with a hone and it cleaned right up. The motor now turns over smooth as silk for 720*.

I was really surprised at how clean the inside of the motor is. Other than a little surface rust it looks great. It has been opened up before. I noticed today the one head is drilled and tapped for a smog pump and the other is not. They are both "C" heads. The intake is an old Edelbrock Torker. At one time it was polished. That will never happen again. It is way too pitted.

I'm going to gamble a couple of gaskets on it. I'm betting the motor was sitting there with the #5 intake valve open and rain water got in somehow. All I want out of this motor is to get to the lake and test the boat to see if there are any other mechanical or structural issues. Any thing more than that out of this motor is a bonus. I don't want to invest a bunch of money in the motor just to find out the boat goes straight to the bottom of the lake.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Aug 10, 2010:
Made some more progress today. Dawn (my wife) and I got the entire interior stripped from the top side including the carpet. Dawn got some of the carpet out of the cabin as well. I hooked a battery up, turned the key and :crickets: I shorted the starter solenoid and it turned over so either there is a bad switch or some faulty wiring. When I shorted the starter it seemed to turn a little slow to me. I think I am going to go get a couple of new battery cables and hook the battery to the motor, hot wire the dizzy and use a starter button. That way I have pretty much eliminated any other electrical issues. By the time we finished we just wanted to pick up and get a shower. That was some nasty disgusting work getting that carpet out.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Aug 14, 2010
Huge progress!!!!!

It's alive!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a_LZfwojFg

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Aug 24, 2010:
Got most of the punch list done. Changed the oil, replaced all the fuel lines, new fuel filter/water separator, transferred all the old stale gas to the port tank. Starboard tank is empty and ready for fresh fuel. I hooked up the hose and let the motor run for about 20 minutes or so. It had a rocker tapping for about the first 5 minutes then the tap completely went away. I'm guessing it took a few minutes for one lifter to pump up after sitting for so many years. Motor sounds great now. Idles smooth enough to balance a quarter on it. It's hard to tell in the pic but I believe the impeller is OK. It has a couple of small dings but nothing major. Only surprise today was a busted hand hole cover. My little Rebel has the same pump so I can borrow the cover from it tomorrow. Still got trailer lights and some kind of carpet to do tonight.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Aug 22, 2010:
She floats!!!!! Everyone loved her. Only issue was a very small drip through the steering cable. Not even enough to warrant turning on the bilge pump.

Here is the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmfaVqcYY3w

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Aug 25, 2010:
Some interior pics after the first round of deep cleaning. Oh yeah, The radio works. Turned it on tonight just for a goof and it was tuned to a station playing some Barry White. It was classic. We were cracking up.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador

That should pretty much bring you up to speed. I look forward to input from you guys as the project moves forward. Progress from here will slow down some. Now that we know it is mechanically sound we are going to enjoy taking it to the lake pretty much as is for the rest of the season. Interior and detailing it inside and out will be good winter projects.

Let me know what you think so far.

Matt

 

[vegasphotoman]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Matt...the polish were using for our gel coat is Meguiars Fine Cut Cleaner #2
the bottle has a picture on it showing a guy using a rotary polisher....works great after the 1000-1500 wet sanding....

if you use polishing compound instead let us know how that worked out...either way looking fwd to the before and after pics of areas!

ROCK ON! ps the interior looks great after the deep cleaning! wonder if that fridge works?

our sleek didnt have a radio in it .....and I know the factory installed em way in the cuddy.....but we installed ours just under the dash...behind the dash where the backside of the gauges are....so I can reach it while underway (I cant see it but I can feel it!) or by just ducking under into the cuddy......then ya can see it and plug in mp3 player etc

if you got a stereo with remote the spot yours in already in would work out prob pretty good....no chance of it getting wet in there thats for sure.

this forum for some reason they like images to be 630 pixels at the biggest length so ya know

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Thanks Paul. It was good to talk to you today. I tried the Meguire's Marine Oxidation Remover # 49 with the rotary buffer. It is not aggressive enough to cut the oxidation. Looks like it's going to take wet sanding to get it cleaned up. At least on the wood grain parts. The white may clean up with the oxidation remover. I changed all the images to clickable thumbs.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

I'm kinda surprised. 83 views and only one reply

 

[Luhrs28]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Hey that's a real cool unique-looking boat. And it sounds like you really lucked out on the engine and outdrive.

Nice job and has to be one the quickest restorations I've seen on here. I'm way WAY behind you!

 

[lrcustom]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Welcome to iboats. Very nice Sleek. I love those boats but to much boat for me. Following Vegasphotomans Sleek for a long while and what a cool boat that one became. Watched your vid of the first time home man what a mess but it looks like your really turned this one around. By the way I don't think that's where the ski rope is suppose to go. LOL. Will be watching your progress so good luck. Nice looking on the water or the water looks nice or maybe both.

LR

 

[archbuilder]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Glad to see you put her on I-boats, nice looking project. I think my next project might be exactly what you are doing....Vegas is always sending me craigs list postings for them! How is the ride? I need one a little bigger for those windy Oklahoma days....my 16' bounces around like a cork! What are the plans for the winter? How is the floor and transom?

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Last Mohican,
Welcome to Iboats.
Nice looking boat.

Last Mohican Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm kinda surprised. 83 views and only one reply

Some of us just haven't figured out what to say yet.
Really nice looking boat, I really love the looks of the Sleek. Keep the pic's coming.
Take care
Bob

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Glad to see you put her on I-boats, nice looking project. I think my next project might be exactly what you are doing....Vegas is always sending me craigs list postings for them! How is the ride? I need one a little bigger for those windy Oklahoma days....my 16' bounces around like a cork! What are the plans for the winter? How is the floor and transom?

Transom and floor are in excellent shape. Usually a boat this old it is full of screw holes from things being installed, removed, relocated etc. Everyone of those holes is a place for rot to start. Other than two small holes in the transom above the swim step I have yet to find an extra hole anywhere.

It rides like a Cadillac. We went from one side of Lavon to the other yesterday. It took the boat wakes and chop from the wind like it was nothing. When I take my little 18' boat out I won't even try to go across the lake any more. It beats you to death.

Winter plans are upper deck interior and wet sand and buff the gel or possibly clear coat it.

 

[Last Mohican]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

Last Mohican,
Welcome to Iboats.
Nice looking boat.
Some of us just haven't figured out what to say yet.
Really nice looking boat, I really love the looks of the Sleek. Keep the pic's coming.
Take care
Bob

Thanks Bob. Uh... Is that a good thing or a bad thing???

 

[BobsGlasstream]

Re: 25' 1976 Sleek Craft Ambassador Project

It's always good, I would love to see what you plan to do with her. looking forward to watching your progress.
Take care
Bob