Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

[Good Ol Boy]

Hey Iboaters, been lurking here for awhile reading and gotta say the folk here are a good group. Imma montana boy and moved to vancouver wa 3 years ago and got married. 1 truck, 1 house, a 2 year old son and a week old daughter and 2 1/2 years of rain and here i am getting my first boat.

Browsed Craigslist for 2 weeks and couldnt get the image of the gamefisher out of my head and finally found one, granted 3 hours away but 50 dollars for the boat and trailer

Worked in construction my whole life so feel comfortable i can restore and customize this gamefisher (with a lil help from the kind folk here) to what i think could be one hot ride. New to boats but gramps always said gumption my boy, gumption.

This is the type of boat i have, borrowed the pic from chris's thread till i can snap a few of my own

I blacked out two spots that i want to put swivel seats on pedastels but a lil worried Ill be sitting too high for the 7 hp air cooled ted williams I picked up off another good ol boy, What do you think? Itll be a fishing boat and cruiser on the columbia river and small lakes electric trolling with a 40lb minni kota.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

i have had several boats like that, the off centered rear seat, keeps the boat out of level when fishing. uncomfortable. you need to place battery etc, to counter the off center.

that is a small lake and creek boat.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Quite a few gamefisher's have been through this restoration section before...... Use the SEARCH and you hill find them.

Instead of the worry of the pedestal being too high you could just mount swivels under the seat bases and mount them to the top of the seats....... little height but not tippy.

 

[Good Ol Boy]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Hah so i ripped the stern seat out and was concoting a way to mount the bases to the bottom without adding to much weight or putting lag screws through the bottom and the 6 year old neighbor kid tells me why dont i just cut the bars under the seats down. Kids... I did it lol.

 

[Good Ol Boy]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Alright i had a 7 hp ted williams air cooled motor and after much reading was a lil leery bout taking it out on the water, after asking in the motor forums everyone said go with a jhonson.

So i went with the 1969 Jhonson 6hp for 250. Guy leaves me a message while im on my way to the address and it turns out to be a jhonson/merc marine dealership that is selling it and not some random joe.

Show up and the sales guy/owner goes to fire it up in the water tank and it doesnt pump water , tells me to hold up while he (meaning someone without a tie on lol) checks it out. Young buck mechanic there says it pumped fine last week and the owner didnt set it far enough down in the water but gives me a wink and throws a new impellar in it with a grin.

Now the thing is launching water but dies about 15 seconds in. Im starting to get a lil leery but imma stubborn boy and now the main mechanics coming in pushing all the young bucks outta the way and pulls the carb right off and rebuilds it right there in front of me. Goes to start it up and man it purrs....then sputters out and dies hahah. Im just laughing at this point cuz these guys are determined to get this baby running. They check the pressure and both ports are at 100 psi dead on. They throw new plugs and wires on it and bam still dying. So now we got me and 3 mechanics + 1 owner going to town on this thing and i noticed the original vacuum line is snapped right at the top point, they put a new one on and this thing is purring like two cats in love with a fat lady. Now the owner is damn near red as wine and tells the mechanics to do me right, they throw on a new propellar, drain the oil from the lower end and put there "good ****" in it and regrease everything.

250 bucks, glad i listened to you guys about jhonsons. Watching them rip into this motor and how simple it was to revive this relic and the way she purrs for a 39 year old motor is just beyond awesome.

Have alot of pics to post of this restore and will be doing so in the next few days.

Any ideas on how well this motor will push my boat?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

You did extremely well on that motor. It will push your boat just fine. I have a newer Evinrude 4HP and have used it on a real heavy 14' tinny with passengers. It won't plane but it goes real nice so I think you'll be set with that 6. With just you it will probably plane.

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Welcome to Iboats, now i know who bought my boat! I live in washington as well, and I saw that add on craigslist, when i called the guy he said someone was coming out to get it in the morning, but he would call me if it fell through. I even offered to come out that night, and pay him $100, but he said no. Funny how things come around!

I wish you the best of luck with the boat, and hope it will catch some fish for you and your kids! I have always liked those sold sears boat, they are cheap and get the job done!

 

[Good Ol Boy]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Hah isaac, small world. Really love these boats, type that gramps took me out on the water on when i was a mere buck. Sexy curves on it.

Today whether was crumby so decided to do a lil sealing on the boat, Used 5200 glue in a tube to caulk all the benches down then ran a tight bead around all the seams on the benches. Wife has the flash card so no uploads tonight on the pics.

 

[Good Ol Boy]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Heres a couple pics of the motor

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Hah isaac, small world. Really love these boats, type that gramps took me out on the water on when i was a mere buck. Sexy curves on it.

Today whether was crumby so decided to do a lil sealing on the boat, Used 5200 glue in a tube to caulk all the benches down then ran a tight bead around all the seams on the benches. Wife has the flash card so no uploads tonight on the pics.

Yep it was that one, I am glad you got it though! I am always like seeing a boat saved instead of junked.

 

[Good Ol Boy]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Started with the outside, damage didnt seem too bad but wanted to add some strength along with the repairs.

Worn thin here with a lil splitting going on

Cracked here from someone winching down a weee bit too tight

Time and weather I guess

 

[Good Ol Boy]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Cut out the bad stuff to start filling with some fiberglass bondo

Lil sanding and floating all the nicks out before some fiberglass

Some fiberglass saturated , laid down, air bubbles rolled out

Feathering the edges of the fiberglass mesh after some 60 grit palm sanding

 

[Good Ol Boy]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Adding a seperate piece the i let relax over night

Resin coat

 

[Good Ol Boy]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Wow, if you are in WA and have no title on a boat and trailer I empathize for you. Been holding off on any paint or mods on the boat till i could have it inspected by the highway patrol. It took two bills of sales, one notarized, a weight slip, a highway inspection, light inspection and registering it 3 years out and a boating license and fees for carbon monoxide sticker, hull id, port starboard federal waterway IDs. My 50 dollar boat and trailer turned out to cost around 500 dollars. Just picked up the license plate so im road legal and water legal now! Time to do a float check out at battleground lake.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

That's absolutely horrible.

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Wow, if you are in WA and have no title on a boat and trailer I empathize for you. Been holding off on any paint or mods on the boat till i could have it inspected by the highway patrol. It took two bills of sales, one notarized, a weight slip, a highway inspection, light inspection and registering it 3 years out and a boating license and fees for carbon monoxide sticker, hull id, port starboard federal waterway IDs. My 50 dollar boat and trailer turned out to cost around 500 dollars. Just picked up the license plate so im road legal and water legal now! Time to do a float check out at battleground lake.

Yea washington state SUCKS for all this...I have had to do the same thing on a couple boats. It is about a 4-6week progress, and cost's a arm and a leg to do. I won't take a boat without a title now, no matter how nice it is.

 

[Isaacm1986]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

The boat is looking good. Keep up the work, and you will be fishing in no time!

 

[Good Ol Boy]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

Well i had screwed the seats down to hold them flush once i put 5200 on and totally forgot to glass the screw holes haha, got about 5 feet into the water and had to pull her back out. Nice mini geysers. So just put down some glass and tomarrow ill be sanding and doing another water check.

 

[Good Ol Boy]

Re: Good Ol Gamefisher Resto

No leaks! Time for the cosmetic work and gogo gadgets.