Fabuglass rebuild 1960ish??!!What was I thinking!!

pteal28377

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Joined
Dec 17, 2008
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19
Howdy all I am sort of new here but have been reading the forms for a while now. I bought my boat out of a junk yard for 150 bucks. Boat was complete with trailer and motor. I figured heck how hard could it be. I bought this heap took it to my shop and starting have second thoughts but pressed on with project. Now I don't know about everyone else but my time is limited. I have to run my shop keep my guys busy and try to make some $$$. So I don't have but a fews days a month to work on her.

I do have here completely gutted and boat is currently hanging in one of my carports. The pictures I am showing where right after removed half the floor and steering and all hardware.

Not to sure of year but she is a made by Fabuglass Company that closed there doors in 1982. I know she is prior 1972 because she doesnt have a hid number just a serial number. So I f you know anything from photos please let me know. I have went to glassics web site and best I could come close to was a boat called the Fabuglass Fury in the 1960's. If you can confirm or bust let me know.


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To me the glass looks pretty good the are a few spots where extra attention will be required. Now I am not a body man or do I know anything about fiberglass. I might as well be trying to build a space shuttle so any ideas of what not to do will be greatly appreciated.

As you can see from pics the stringers I assume are not factory considering the amount of 2x4,s under stringers and not glassed like I thought they should of been. And I am sure the factory would not have used a garden hose on sides of floor. Any way I will post more pics before I go to grinding. Hope fully I can do that In a few more days. And please if you have any idea of model or year plaese let me know. Thanks In Advance!!!!
 

kandil

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 8, 2008
Messages
567
Re: Fabuglass rebuild 1960ish??!!What was I thinking!!

Wow is this how some boats are made?
(I bought my boat out of a junk yard for 150 bucks. Boat was complete with trailer and motor. I figured heck how hard could it be. I bought this heap took it to my shop and starting have second thoughts but pressed on with project. Now I don't know about everyone else but my time is limited. I have to run my shop keep my guys busy and try to make some $$$.)
I would take it back and get my $
 

Mark_VTfisherman

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Nov 29, 2008
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1,489
Re: Fabuglass rebuild 1960ish??!!What was I thinking!!

I don't think I would take it back! Some of us like boat projects, and some of us like old stuff, and the classic look they have. Sometimes all the metalflake paint in the world won't appeal to us.

Keep going...
 

tmcalavy

Rear Admiral
Joined
Aug 29, 2001
Messages
4,005
Re: Fabuglass rebuild 1960ish??!!What was I thinking!!

Ditto. That's a nice old boat...good find...and a fairly easy job to drop in new stringers/transom and deck. Just take your time. Once you get a deck/transom in, figure out how you want your seats laid out and then how much power you need to suit our needs. The Fiberglassics site is pretty accurate, in terms of the boat mfg. brochures they post. Looks like early to mid-60's fiberglass design to me, but could be later.
 

pteal28377

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Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
19
Re: Fabuglass rebuild 1960ish??!!What was I thinking!!

Wow was I way off!!! This boat turned out to be a 1970. Here I thought she was as old as the motor on her ( 1960 Johnson 75 Sea Horse). OHHH well all the same to me and I still think this will be a blast to rebuild. I did some grinding on her today and THANK GOD I wore my paint suit!!! This stuff gets nasty. I will post more pics when I have some time, to show my progress.

Any way I have seen (read) some stringers being placed in boats on this forum. Is there a special way to cut and form or is there a certain way to install. How many is to much??? Do I really need foam on a 16 footer??? And some ideas on how the stringers should go will be real helpful.

Ohh yeah is bondo ok to use to fill holes????

Awsome site and the information is priceless. Thanks To All Members!!!
 

Calhere

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 17, 2008
Messages
123
Re: Fabuglass rebuild 1960ish??!!What was I thinking!!

I don't think I would take it back! Some of us like boat projects, and some of us like old stuff, and the classic look they have. Sometimes all the metalflake paint in the world won't appeal to us.

Keep going...


Same here, the older the better I feel. Plus today's whatever cars boats and what not were not made like they were then. An old chevy dodge or ford will out tow our last any new truck now. Think on it you see more of the new cars sitting in junk yards the the old ones. and same with boats. I go to this place called Ship Wreck marine for salvage parts and last time I went they were pulling apart a 90's model bayliner but I have never seen them pulling apart on old boat they just sell you the whole boat.
 

pteal28377

Cadet
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
19
Re: Fabuglass rebuild 1960ish??!!What was I thinking!!

Started that grinding thing and I have to say it really sucks!!!

I will get over it though.

I will post pic in the next few days.

By the way does anyone know anything about the preform stringers you can get????
 

oops!

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
12,932
Re: Fabuglass rebuild 1960ish??!!What was I thinking!!

Any way I have seen (read) some stringers being placed in boats on this forum. Is there a special way to cut and form or is there a certain way to install. How many is to much??? Do I really need foam on a 16 footer??? And some ideas on how the stringers should go will be real helpful.

Ohh yeah is bondo ok to use to fill holes???? ----NO---....use peanut butter

By the way does anyone know anything about the preform stringers you can get????

pre form strings are gonna be more expencive than the boats worth......just duplicate what was there.......

grinding is fun huh? :D....(read safety basics of grinding and glassing)

i would also read the hull extension thread.......everything you have asked is in there and more.....there is an index on the front page for quick reference...


what you are doing......most of us have allready done.....so we know exactally what you are going thru and how to help you......take lots of pics for us and we can walk you right thru this.

by the way.......if you use baby powder on your entire body....then long johns and tyvec coveralls tapped wrists and ankles and no exposed flesh. the itch will be minimal.
another thing that helps is a shop vac on suck right beside the grinding surface.

and dont wash your grinding clothes in your wifes washing machine....:D

just a few hints for you to help your life go a little smoother bud......heh heh heh welcome to the dry dock !

cheers
oops
 

Mark_VTfisherman

Lieutenant
Joined
Nov 29, 2008
Messages
1,489
Re: Fabuglass rebuild 1960ish??!!What was I thinking!!

...I will post pic in the next few days...can't wait!.....By the way does anyone know anything about the preform stringers you can get????

I don't, but making stringers is not insurmountably complex. If you have ever scribed a board or a piece of molding by using an offset and a pair of dividers, you can adapt that method to a stringer. <--- Edit: after looking at your photos again, maybe you won't have to scribe anything :redface:[/FONT]

And you don't have to make them like a molded-in perfect fit either. There is a thread somewhere (I think in the fiberglass section??) that talks about bedding stringers. It is not required to have a "perfect" fit.
 
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pteal28377

Cadet
Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
19
Re: Fabuglass rebuild 1960ish??!!What was I thinking!!

I have done some research and found out that the preform stuff isn't that expensive. I am buying for about 18 bucks a piece from a cat in Florida who rebuild for a living. He sent me some really good info and for under 250 bucks he will have shipped to my door. This stuff is ready to glass in all I need to do is grind, clean, lay bedding and install preforms. Pretty simple it think. I think this will be worth the money and should save me time. Now if I can get this old Sea Horse back on the saddle it will be smooth sailing.......:eek:
 
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