Picked Up a 1974 Holiday 18 OB

[Laker99]

I found a 1974 Holiday that seems to be in pretty good shape. The boat had a cover on it but the stern got wet when the cover sagged so the floor and interior was pretty rotted out. It had a second treated plywood floor put over top of the old one. The boat had supposedly been sitting outside partially covered for 15 years. The dash seems to be solid. Enough of the gunwale panels are intact that I can use them for patterns. I pulled about 8 trash cans of foam and debris out from under the floor which took me about a day.. Critters had moved in below the floor. I thought it was interesting that the foam had completely disintegrated. I got everything pulled out of the boat and I power washed the hull. I actually enjoy ripping stuff out and getting it back to a blank slate.

I used another trailer that I have to go get the boat and then found this Rolco trailer on CL. It has a brand new 3500# axle. The guy that had it spun a bearing on a trip and had to get a new axle. He decided he wanted a tandem trailer for his 18' fiberglass boat so he sold this one to me for $600. It's a very solid trailer that has been kept in a garage so it has no rust on it even though its an 88. I have an 85 Merc 115 to put on this rig. I found a rotted out bass boat with this motor and a trailer for $1000. I sold the trailer for $400 and had to pay $100 to get rid of the cut up boat at the dump so I basically got the motor for $700. It runs and has good compression all around but will need going through because it has been sitting for a while too. I'm sure I need to change out the water impeller and go through the carbs.

I may be able to work on this a little bit over the summer but I may just tuck it away in the shed for my winter project as I have other family related projects that I need to work on this summer. The paint seems to be pretty good on the hull so I don't know that I need to take it down to bare metal. I may get ambitious and try to get the hull painted this summer. I know a guy that sand blasts and was thinking I could have him do it very lightly which would save a lot of labor. I need to read here about rivets and Gluvit to get up to speed. Summer would be a good time to get any leaks fixed. I have redone a couple of fiberglass boats but this is the first time I have tackled an aluminum boat.

I remember Starcraft boats from when I was a kid. I'm going to make this into a nice boat that I can use to teach kids to water ski. I think the 115HP should push it along real well. I like that Navy Blue and White on Watermann's Chieftan and may go that route. I know there are pre-made lounger seats that are Navy/White/Grey so I may go that color scheme on this boat. All of the windshield, chrome, etc. looks good. None of the aluminum seems pitted to me. There are very few holes in the transom other than the four for the motor that was on this boat.

 

[64osby]

Looks like a great start for you.

I'll be watching.

 

[jbcurt00]

Ask your buddy if he can soda blast, not sand. Even bead blasting can leave a fairly rough texture, as HomeBoy found out recently.

If you plan to paint and the current vinyl paint is well stuck, rough and scuff with a good wipe down should be enough to get a great surface prepped for new paint.
Check the rib ends and hull below for cracks. Its the same hull that got a later factory production change to add rib end plates to prevent cracking.

Watermanns Chief had some cracking and he added plates.
Otherwise sounds like most of the tear out is done, and a plan has been made for put back. Good luck and enjoy the summer.

 

[GA_Boater]

Laker - You were horse trading like mad to get all the parts together. Welcome to TinLand!

All cleaned out and ready to go when you get on her. I'm with JB, don't sand blast. AL is too soft and can cause more problems than you want.

Keep us posted!

 

[Laker99]

Sounds like I might just lightly sand it and go from there. I'm keeping the hull white so its more of the same color. I'll have to inspect this closer for cracks. I know this boat spent some time on a small lake in Iowa (fresh water). I think it was parked for a lot of years. I looked around the transom and knee brace and didn't see any metal fatigue. I guess its along the chine where the stress can be?

I wish my father-in-law was still alive. He was a sheet metal worker and could have been a great resource. And he would have loved working on this. His metal break is still in his house. I think it weighs a ton and his sons say it can never be moved.

 

[classiccat]

Welcome Laker!

:welcome:

That's a sweet rig! :thumb:

You're correct, the rivet holes closest to the outer-chine are most prone to stress cracks.

Astor also found some stress cracks in the inner hull skin...appeared to result of distortion from roller-bunks + factory scribe marks.

Has the transom been replaced? If it's original and you've read enough restor-threads...you know what ya gotta do!

 

[dozerII]

Welcome Laker, a great looking Holiday you have there.

 

[Watermann]

Welcome to the Starmada Laker!

Looks like you've been busy on the project and studying up some too. We find the the 18' and larger SC's are the ones that tend to have the stress cracks. The cracks are from guys running these boat with compromised decking and rotten transoms. Sitting around rotting won't do it so maybe you'll get lucky on the cracks but like CC said that wood transom from the 70's has got to go.

 

[Laker99]

Yes, I have a fair amount of work to do. Its funny because the part of the boat that was under the cover is in pretty good shape. But the back four feet was completely rotted out. I have redone two fiberglass boats ( 73 Glastron and a 67 Mark Twain) so the transom on this looks pretty easy to me. This was supposedly on a small private lake in Iowa (no big waves) so I don't think it got pounded hard. I watched that Jupiter transom job on You Tube. I'm pretty good at woodworking and fiberglass but have to admit that metal is not my strong suit. I do have a rivet gun though! There is a guy near my house that is very nice that does lots of factory pontoon boat repair work. I can go see him to get various pieces of aluminum or to have something fabricated. I know I have some work to do. There was a drip coming out of the keel for a month when I had it sitting in the garage drying out before I tore into it.

Is there any reason why I need to split the hull from the deck? The dash and the bow wood is all fine. It doesn't look like taking the splashwell out is too intensive. I hate splitting boats because I have had a hard time getting them back together. And the rub rails seem to get messed up. I have access to two big A-frames so I can flip it with out too much trouble.

 

[GA_Boater]

The dripping was from wet foam since the back of the boat was getting rained on. The foam never dries out completely. Transoms are a snap in these and so is the deck, but you got the deck out already

Unlike glassers, there is no need to split the hull. Worst case is possibly removing the bow cover if the dash wood needs to be replaced. It seems that SC hangs the dash from the ceiling and builds the boat around it. I don't think any of us has been able to remove the dash without taking the bow cover off. Your dash appears to be in good shape. Closely check the wood supports under the bow. Sometimes the bracing can rot or split.

You got a heck of a good start to breathing new life into her, Laker!

 

[Watermann]

The keel leaking is one of the most common issues with AL boats since that's what takes the brunt of everything bad that happens around docks, rocks and beaches. So on my boats I've taken great care to clean up and remove anything placed there by POs, it seems that guys love to squirt entire construction tubes of silly cone in there and I've even seen boats that had a quart of roof snow seal dumped in.

To make lasting repairs to AL boats it has to be done on the inside and any suspect rivets (tipped, loose, worn down, broken) need to be rebucked or replaced, personally I remove and replace any rivet I don't like the looks of. The gluvit epoxy application is done to seal the seams and especially the keel area on the inside. This stage is one of the most critical to spend time on, as we all hate to see water coming into the bilge. The ever important leak test shouldn't be skipped after you think you have everything sealed up.

You're going to enjoy working on tin boats, they are itch free and have a HUGE resale value compared to glass not to mention all the eyes that get drawn to a well done tin boat.

 

[Laker99]

No Title

Thanks Waterman. I'll do a closer inspection of the chine and transom on the inside and take some photos the next time I'm at the lake for you guys to review. This boat was never touched below the floor so I don't have anyone else's old goop to deal with. Someone did put CCA treated floor on top of the old one. I think the hull is in good shape based on my inspection but I know what to look for now. There is one little crease along the bow water line which my auto body friend says he can push out for me with no trouble at all. And there is a bend along the keel that I need to hammer back in. The transom isn't full of holes since there has never been kicker motor, different bolt pattern motors, or a boarding ladder mounted. I know the boat had been parked for about 15 years based on the expired registration. I think they had motor trouble, parked the boat with a cover that eventually sagged which allowed the back end of the boat to rot out.

The bow wood and dash are all good. I pulled that all out and have good patterns to work with. The lumber yard nearby sells 3/4" marine grade plywood for $90 a sheet and $70 for half inch so I plan to use this. I also have about three cases of pool noodles that I bought last year at the dollar store after labor day for $.50 each. So I have all kinds of supplies but just need to find the time.

I threw in a few pictures of my donor boat for the motor since all of you love to see cut up glass. This one was left uncovered for three years which destroyed the boat. I can cut one up in a day with my SawzAll and a fire and rescue blade. I'm a sucker for a mid-eighties Tower of Power since they have the new trim and electronic ignition so I end up finding these, cutting up the boat, and harvesting the motor and trailer. The only downside is making arrangements to get the cut up hull to the dump and paying the fee.

I saw a thread somewhere about rivets. I'll have to learn about them.

 

[jbcurt00]

Just be careful using the pool noodles where you can't easily see and replace them, and I wouldn't recommend using them below decks (definitely not easily seen or replaced. Gunwales and behind panels, sure, extra flotation is extra flotation.

Nice work on the donors. Do you harvest any parts and pieces too or just the engine and trailer?

Post some pix of the damage you are considering pushing back into place. Sometimes it's better to leave them, as your buddy probably knows, aluminum often gets work hardened when damaged. Pushing it back might speed up a tear or crack along the stress lines of the damaged areas.

Depending on where you are, some cut the pieces up small enough that a couple bundles can go out w the normal trash pick up. Others make a cash donation towards the trash guys lunch (or adult libation fund for after work [hopefully] to get the hull bundles picked up

 

[Laker99]

Yes, I usually grab anything that I think is useful. I have sold a couple of windshields and gas tanks on CL. I throw all of the stainless screws in a coffee can. I have grabbed fuse panels, teak boarding ladders, and ski lockers. The couple boats I have cut up and have been completely shot because someone let them sit out in the weather for a couple of years. The bass boat I cut up had a lot of nice wire that I saved because of the controls in the front and back. I actually enjoy cutting up the boat. The part that is a little nerve wracking to me is trailering a boat home that I'm unsure of the trailer. I try to grease the bearings and bring my own tires to minimize the thrills.

 

[hayko1971]

Those Holidays sure have some sweet classic lines!

 

[GA_Boater]

Laker - Put a sign on the trash pile saying "Please don't take my boat parts". Gone by morning!

 

[Laker99]

No Title

I was at the lake yesterday and went to the storage shed to take a few pictures of the interior chine lines on the 18' Holiday. It was storming while I was there so I had to take the pictures inside the shed since I didn't think it would be a good idea stand in a metal boat in the middle of lightning . So the photo lighting is not the best but hopefully you can see. I'm not a metal expert but I don't see any fatigue or cracks. Perhaps I should make up some of the angle tabs like Watermann's Chieftan project as long as I have it torn apart. All of the seams look good to me with the original dark red equivalent of 3M 5200 between them. I'll have to study it closer. I know there is a leak along the keel somewhere since I had a drip when it was parked and the hull still had all of the wet foam in there. I don't think this boat saw a lot of hard use and may have just been parked for a lot of years with a poor quality cover. Let me know if you see something here. The rivet heads you see are from the old floor which I haven't pulled out yet.

 

[Watermann]

Use some Superclean with a scrub brush to cut the crud and pressure wash the hull, even with that light amount of staining it's tough to see small cracks that will become big ones. The ones I found were only visible from the outside where the rib end rivet heads are after I stripped the paint. You just never know what these boats went through before you picked it up. You may of gotten lucky and the boat wasn't used after becoming compromised.

You'll have to closely inspect a clean area around each rivet head to see something like this that I found and repaired. Yeah it was a Friday rivet boat... :lol:

 

[g0nef1sshn]

Man, it looks like your's had the original floor in. Only 1 rivet in the end of those ribs. Some of mine are like swiss cheese.

 

[laurentide]

You may have gotten lucky on the chine area fatigue like I did. I didn't find any cracks either in my '74 18' outboard. I also took a calculated risk in not adding chine braces, as I was in a hurry and on a tight budget. This is by no means a rule or statement of absolute fact, but most of the boats with rib cracks seem to be inboards. Lots of weight and torque right in the middle of the boat. There are exceptions, of course, but if you don't see cracks after looking carefully, I wouldn't worry too much.

PS: nice boat!