68 Starcraft Starchief 18' Cuddy Restoration

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Ez is right..I got mine from the local autoparts chain..
Heres how she turned out..

 

[halas]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Inside: I use bleach and dawn mixture applied with a car washing brush with a long handle or with a pump sprayer. Worked great for me and did not have to scrub at all by hand (but you'll need a power washer).
If you can get a hold of a pressure washer you can save time and elbow grease for later (you will need it).
Outside: (only if the paint is in bad shape) While you have the pressure washer apply some paste paint remover to the outside and blast it off. But you will need room on your driveway area and plastic drop cloth.
See pictures.

 

[Revenge]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

What does the front of the engine mount to? It appears it?s a piece of wood that straddles the width of the stingers? If possible, could you please take photos of how the engine mounts?
Love the starcraft projects. Keep the pictures coming.

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

What does the front of the engine mount to? It appears it?s a piece of wood that straddles the width of the stingers? If possible, could you please take photos of how the engine mounts?
Love the starcraft projects. Keep the pictures coming.

Yes, It is a laminated pc of plywood on top of a vertical plywood pc over the keel. I will get a closeup for you. I will be replacing that too once I pull the engine for rebuild.

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

2 Comments:

Why the **** did Starcraft bend each and every bolt end in the thru transom bolts?!? I have to grind the stub off each one to save the special stainless washer/nut combos. Where do I find replacement stainless large head long machine screws?

GoJo hand cleaner is great bilge cleaner!! That stuff works great ! Thanks for the tip. I plan on finishing off with the bleach/soap combo and acetone seam wipe down prior to the gluvit application, but I amgoing to wait till I get the motor out before doing that.

Here is the pic of the front laminated plywood motor mount.

By the way I will be parting out a 1969 holiday with 120 I/O if anyone needs hull fittings or anything.

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Glad the hand cleaner worked for ya...Awhile back on my first project I was using it on my cold greasy hands and the dang lil light bulb went on....

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

2 Questions:

Did you guys clean the old adhesive off the upper sidewall befor using the bedliner material? (I am planning on using duraback to match the deck)

What grit sandpaper do you reccomend for clearing the flaking paint areas on the hull?

 

[halas]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

I personally did not cleaned it off.
I used the brush-on bedliner followed with oil rustoleum same color as hull.
Never used this combo before, will see how it holds together.
Not familiar with the product you are planning to use: "duraback"
For sanding off paint have 40 grit to 150 grit at hand.
Did you consider stripping it instead?
I have seen some guy getting carried away with the high speed disk sander sanding half of the rivet heads off and cutting into corners.
If you must sand use a random orbit sander is the most forgiving and easy to handle. You probably have one already.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

that's an awesome project...wish I could have found an aluminum vessel to restore

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

2 Questions:

Did you guys clean the old adhesive off the upper sidewall befor using the bedliner material? (I am planning on using duraback to match the deck)


What grit sandpaper do you reccomend for clearing the flaking paint areas on the hull?

No, I started to remove it with a wire wheel on the drill bit, but was taking too long so I just sprayed over it and it came out great..The glue was bumpy, bedliner is bumpy....lol



I personally got a couple of those "sanding sponges" in medium grit...I would guess it to be close to 180 (?)
What I liked about the sponge was it was flexible and easy to get all around rivet heads and the 1/2 inch (?)grovove areas where the lapstrake hull pieces
overlapped..If you know what I mean

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Did you consider stripping it instead?
I have seen some guy getting carried away with the high speed disk sander sanding half of the rivet heads off and cutting into corners.
If you must sand use a random orbit sander is the most forgiving and easy to handle. You probably have one already.

I considered stripping, but the original paint is still stuck pretty good, Someone painted over it and that is what is cracking, peeling, and coming off. I do have a ROS and that is what I was planning on using, but maybe I should strip it? what stripper would you guys suggest?

-Kev Thanks, I thought it would work as the paint is lumpy too, just wondering how the bedliner stuck to the glue residue

-Bret

 

[halas]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

I really had to see it to be able to give you sound advice.

But for sure you need a random orbit sander: Dewalt has a nice one for around $ 70 at Home Dep. and it comes with assortment of sandpapers. Don't buy the adjustable speed version it cost more and you'll need only one speed, the fastest.

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

After a slight delay, I am back at it. I have added a 69 holiday parts boat, removed both outdrives and engines (my friend is trying to put together one good set) and removed the transom and motor mount (the last of the rotted wood is out YES!!!!) leaving the only wood left on the entire boat the cuddy front vee piece. Now it's time to start the CONstruction. Here are some pics. Notice the swiss cheese holes in the transom and the resulting rottton mess from many past attachments.

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Here area couple more pics

 

[Mark42]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Looking good. Nice move getting a parts boat. The "red" one has a nice bow rail that would look nice on the cuddy. Plus the bow rail comes in handy for people on the dock to grab. Got plans to move it over?

Guess the previous owner had a lot of stuff to bolt onto the transom!

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

fantastic progress!
Have those stringers cut up your ankles yet?
Or maybe (unlike me) you wore proper shoes instead of Florida style flip flops and bare feet! I am scarred for life..lol

 

[CheapboatKev]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Looking good. Nice move getting a parts boat. The "red" one has a nice bow rail that would look nice on the cuddy. Plus the bow rail comes in handy for people on the dock to grab. Got plans to move it over?

Guess the previous owner had a lot of stuff to bolt onto the transom!

I am looking for a bow rail..every time I see the OG rails I get a little envious...I really am not looking forward to standing up on the bow to set the anchor without some rails..

 

[Mark42]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

I am looking for a bow rail..every time I see the OG rails I get a little envious...I really am not looking forward to standing up on the bow to set the anchor without some rails..

They are not hard to make. Get some stainless or aluminum bow rail and rent a manual conduit bender (about $25 day). Then fill the tubing with play sand and seal the ends with duct tape. Now the tube can be bent using the conduit bender and the bends will not flatten out or kink. This might be good for you because you can make the rails as high and as strong as you want.

 

[wrfalpacas]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Kev,

LOL ! right on the money with the stringers and the flip flops
I am torn with the bow rail thing, I may unscrew it and set it on to help to decide.

 

[halas]

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Re: Starting a 68 Starchief Cuddy Restoration

Hey that boat is looking good.
I also noticed that the transom has Chagrin Falls Ohio painted on.
Chagrin Falls is close to where I live.
Too bad you don't live near we could swap some parts and leftover materials.
I don't know what your plans are with the bow rail on the parts boat, but I would buy it form you if you would consider selling it. If not I might try Mark's method.