(MFG) First time boat owner, lots of questions, and tons of pictures.

[Steven S.]

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, pictures and questions inside.

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, pictures and questions inside.

Thanks, I really like driving the MFG. Kind of like a sports car, not fast, but handles like a go-kart.

I looked at the photos you posted closely. The motor cover and lid are solid fiberglass!!! Too cool. And it still has the OEM steering wheel. Nice touch (sand and repaint). And all those gauges! The windshield is glass with lower opening vents, that is a rare item! Same with the side consols and ski racks on the sides. Looks like most of the hardware is still there, so clean up what you can and just replace what is too far gone.

Definitely want to replace the steering setup. What's a good budget-minded one to look for that will work and isn't rocket science to set up? And I still haven't decided on keeping the original wheel. It is pretty cool, but I like the newer padded wheels for the long days driving. Maybe I could have a shop wrap that one?

I'm hoping to get everything cleaned out of it this weekend, get the water drained out of it and the leaves gone, and maybe pressure wash the whole thing with a few bottles of simple green. I'll take tons of pictures of everything because I really want to have an album of the progress. I'm planning on 2 actually, one for home, and one to keep in the boat so I can brag.

Of course I'll post them up for you guys too. I mean, you guys do like pictures, right?

Well, my 2 cents worth is that this boat has some potential.

Looking at it, I can't tell (no one else can either) what its real condition is. As you've already been told, you need to dig in and do some testing. Assume nothing at this point... whether it's been kept in a barn, under a tree, or anywhere else that's not in the middle of an open field will affect its condition much more than the original build quality.

It's good that it seems to have a mercruiser pre-alpha drive system installed... that drive is probably about 20 years newer than the boat, and you can still get plenty of parts for it easily. See if the engine turns with a wrench, then check the starter, and do a compression test if you can. If it won't turn or the starter won't work, pull a head and post some pictures.

If the engine's not totally siezed and rusted solid (it looks from the outside like it might be ok, for what that's worth) then it's repairable, or replaceable with a similar engine. Worst case on the outdrive you'd have water in the gear case, but if you don't at most you'd end up replacing some gaskets there. Bearings in the transom, replace the rubber bellows there too. Cheap, but takes some work and a couple special tools or good substitutes.

That bow light is just cool... reminds me of the one on my turbocraft.

Erik

I've got receipts that say the whole motor has been rebuilt within the last 20 years, and supposedly the lower unit has been rebuilt again since then. So I'm hoping that everything is in good shape. As far as the actual engine is concerned, I'm not scared of that at all. As I've said, I grew up with wrenches in my hands.

And I love the bow light. It's staying, no matter what. My friend couldn't understand why I was making such a big deal about it, but I just think it's plain awesome. Just another thing that adds so much character to this old "vintage" boat.

If it was mine ( I had an MFG very similar to that) I'd go out and drill a hole in the lower transom and inspect the drill chips, if water starts pouring out the hole its shot.

If the engine is still good I'd do the transom and stringers.

If the engine is shot I'd consider transom , stringers and convert to outboard.
Maybe $1200 tops with a decent used outboard, mine had a johnson 75hoss.

Just to be clear (I know it should be obvious), but drill the inside, right? As low as I can?


I really don't want to convert to outboard. My plan is to add a nice wooden swim platform so the drive isn't so exposed when jumping off to swim, and maybe a tow rope hook so people can tube behind it. Anyone have thoughts on that?

 

[Steven S.]

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, pictures and questions inside.

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, pictures and questions inside.

Well, I'm planning on going and cleaning all the junk out of my boat this weekend. So, I went over tonight to get all the water out, so hopefully everything will dry out a little. Also, snapped a few better quality pictures while I was there.

Well, the good news is that I jumped up in the boat and didn't go through the deck. I'm a large guy (as I said before, I don't look like it at all, but I'm pushing 400lbs). No flex at all. The floor appears to be fiberglass, sounds like it's fiberglass, but I won't know 100% until I pull the seats I guess.

I banged around on the transom a little, and it's mushy on the left side if you're standing behind the boat looking forward (still can't remember starboard or port, lol). So, that's bad news, but I think I can handle it. Gives me a good reason to pull the motor and clean it all up.

Anyway, on to the pictures, as they say, the speak a thousand words.

 

[Steven S.]

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, pictures and questions inside.

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, pictures and questions inside.

 

[Steven S.]

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, pictures and questions inside.

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, pictures and questions inside.

 

[keepNitreel]

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, lots of questions, and tons of pictures.

Hey Steven I see the boat has VA reg. what part of VA yah located?

 

[Landscaping Wiz 808]

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, lots of questions, and tons of pictures.

Steven S. - JACKPOT!! Sweet MFG!

Looking at the recent pictures you posted, your deck is definitely fiberglass so I'm about 99.9% sure your stringers are as well. As for the transom...well...all of that water that was sitting in the boat may have gotten into some of the bolt holes and rotted the wood. One way to tell is to drill a couple of core samples, another less precise way is to push down on the lower unit of the outdrive while it's in the "up" position and see if there's any flex to the transom. If you drill holes and everything turns out ok, you can fill them with 5200 and enjoy the boat. If rotten, you'll need to replace it. But hey, look at all the money you're saving on floors and stringers!

That boat is about as retro-cool as they get! I love the gauges and that hatch on the bow deck is giving me some ideas...hmmm...where's my sawsall?

You mentioned you had mechanical skills, give that motor a good evaluation and see what it'll take to get her running. Check out the link to my MFG Westfield restoration under my name and make sure to keep us updated on yours.

Bob

 

[Mark42]

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, lots of questions, and tons of pictures.

You have a lot of good material there to work with. Lucky for you no one took a saw to the boat to "customize" or "convert" it. The factory foam under the bow deck is still there! LOL! If its solid, keep it because it adds some rigidity to the deck.

Looks like the hatch lid is missing. Depending on the size, look for used hatches on ebay. Hatches are expensive new. Send me a PM for more info on where to get a hatch from a reputable boat salvage company.

The Attwood bilge pump switch is not OEM, you can still buy that switch.

It has a rotary steering system. Cool. If it works, fine, but you might want to replace the cable due to its age.

So the outdrive has a few leaks.....

Get her cleaned out, strip the hardware, strip the paint, and report on the transom.

Talk about dumb luck! You fell into a good boat for a project!

 

[Steven S.]

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, lots of questions, and tons of pictures.

Hey Steven I see the boat has VA reg. what part of VA yah located?

I'm in Fredericksburg, about an hour or so north of you.

Steven S. - JACKPOT!! Sweet MFG!

Looking at the recent pictures you posted, your deck is definitely fiberglass so I'm about 99.9% sure your stringers are as well. As for the transom...well...all of that water that was sitting in the boat may have gotten into some of the bolt holes and rotted the wood. One way to tell is to drill a couple of core samples, another less precise way is to push down on the lower unit of the outdrive while it's in the "up" position and see if there's any flex to the transom. If you drill holes and everything turns out ok, you can fill them with 5200 and enjoy the boat. If rotten, you'll need to replace it. But hey, look at all the money you're saving on floors and stringers!

That boat is about as retro-cool as they get! I love the gauges and that hatch on the bow deck is giving me some ideas...hmmm...where's my sawsall?

You mentioned you had mechanical skills, give that motor a good evaluation and see what it'll take to get her running. Check out the link to my MFG Westfield restoration under my name and make sure to keep us updated on yours.

Bob

Thanks Bob! I see you're in Fairfax... I'm about an hour south of you in Fredericksburg. There seems to be a good number of people here from Va.


I'm going to replace the transom either way. For a number of factors. Including giving me a reason to pull the motor and really check it out, plus I want to put a "retro" style wooden swim platform on the back of it, and I'm a big guy, so I want a solid foundation for that, plus just plain out peice of mind. Nothing worse than a huge hole in the back of your boat while you're out cruising.

You have a lot of good material there to work with. Lucky for you no one took a saw to the boat to "customize" or "convert" it. The factory foam under the bow deck is still there! LOL! If its solid, keep it because it adds some rigidity to the deck.

Looks like the hatch lid is missing. Depending on the size, look for used hatches on ebay. Hatches are expensive new. Send me a PM for more info on where to get a hatch from a reputable boat salvage company.

The Attwood bilge pump switch is not OEM, you can still buy that switch.

It has a rotary steering system. Cool. If it works, fine, but you might want to replace the cable due to its age.

So the outdrive has a few leaks.....

Get her cleaned out, strip the hardware, strip the paint, and report on the transom.

Talk about dumb luck! You fell into a good boat for a project!

If you're talking about the bow hatch, it's still there, I just folded it up for the picture, and to get some light in to check out under the bow.

As far as the dash goes, this is my line of thinking so far. If the guages work, I'd like to keep them because they're cool. If they don't, I may try to keep the trim plate and put new guages in the holes.

As far as the other stuff like the blower, bilge pump, lights, etc., I'm thinking I'm going to get a new switch panel to give it a little newer feel.

Still have to decide the fate of the steering wheel. I like it, but it's kind of plain for me. I did turn the wheel side to side and there was absolutely no binding at all, and I could push the outdrive around with one hand, so everything feels good there.

Definitely needs new boots. Although I could only see the one that was split.

I have to do something about the gas tank as well. Looks like they put that one in for longer trips, and it's kind of hack. Plus where it's at takes up a TON of room, and that's just not going to cut it for me. I want some room for up to 4 people comfortably. Anyone have any ideas?

And just a quick MS Paint sketch of an idea for the interior... I'd like to have a more modern type interior, with an engine cover/padded sun deck for people to lay out on, and a bench all the way across the back, with 2 swivel chairs up front. Simple, but functional.

This is just an idea, I'm sure things will change, but it's the basic setup I'm looking for.

 

[erikgreen]

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, lots of questions, and tons of pictures.

Nice pics.

Okay, it looks like the boat has had some minor updates, but a lot of the original gear is there.

I'm not sure what drive that is... it's very similar to my MC-1, but it might be an older predecessor. Either way you can still get the transom kit with bellows, bearings, etc.

That trim pump is old, but if it works, who cares. It's completely interchangeable with newer pumps, either the follow-on with the metal tank or the newest model with the plastic tank. The trim rams are an old style, and replacing them with newer would require some work to customize the hose runs. I'd check how fast the drive raises and lowers, check your limit switch functioning if you have it.

That looks like an old CB on the floor there, or maybe a marine VHF. If it's a VHF it'd be cool to have running, but that's harder to repair.

As has been mentioned you have a rotary or rack steering system, so that's been updated already. If it turns freely you can keep the cable as-is. If you want to replace the steering wheel I'd suggest either a custom wheel from a vintage car or boat, or else a stainless steel "destroyer" type wheel, that also wouldn't look out of place.

The interior glass looks like it's in decent shape, maybe just needs a coat of paint in places like the bow. Same for most of the top cap, that red gelcoat will really look good once it's cleaned up some.

The transom is pretty much to be expected, and even if you didn't have to do it I'd recommend you take out the engine to clean and paint the interior, that'd give you a chance to clean it up too, drop the oil pan, and basically give it a physical. Although it too looks ok, if it's not seized I bet it runs. I can see newer hoses on it and the coil looks fairly new, so someone has done some maintenance.

The fuel tank is a BIG deal by the way. Someone put in a plastic tank at some point, which will save you a lot of hassle. When ethanol started being used as a fuel additive it tended to clean the gunk out of tanks that had accumulated over 30 years and feed it into the carb. Since your tank is plastic it's probably ok, and probably any gunk that was in the old one was taken care of after the install, so you don't need to deal with that. Probably the tank pick-up and fittings are in great shape too.

Erik

 

[vtmless]

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, lots of questions, and tons of pictures.

this is CRAZY, this is my first post (obviously) i have the same exact boat (the color that yours used to be, and let me say that i am impressed with how well it has held up through the years someone definitely upgraded your seats and there are four missing one on either side of the motor and two directly behind the two existing seats that are there.

the question i have for you is ... i have the identical boat but most of my i.d. tags are missing...i am looking for information on how to get a replacement motor, mine was disassembled in place and is corroded like a mother. but i need to know either a motor code or something to tell what kind of motor will bolt to my existing outdrive (as far as i know it is good and turns freely)

thanks for any help in advance, and good luck on your project

 

[vtmless]

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, lots of questions, and tons of pictures.

o and btw the original gas tank was in a bench under the front seats its actually a pretty sweet setup i think is a 15 gallon tank or so

 

[woosterken]

Re: (MFG) First time boat owner, lots of questions, and tons of pictures.

vt,
welcome aboard!!
set back and hang on your in for the ride of your life!!!!!!!!!
as for your motor if it is a 4 cyl. it is probably 120/140 hp 2.3l GM
on the starboard side of the motor near the starter the serial number should be stamped in it.
on the outdrive there should be a sticker with the serial number for the out drive on it,if not it is stamped in where the mercruiser sticker used to be.
not sure of yours but my '74 MFG has an 18 gal gas tank.

to quote Red Green: we're all in this together

woosterken