Restoring a '76 Chrysler Hydro-Vee

[auTONYmous]

Welcome aboard!

Started removing the rub rail today, initial peek around the glass says I might be in for a transom fix even if the stringers are OK. That upper transom thru-hull is actually drainage for the back part of the cap just fore of the outboard. Looks quite wet around that brass thru-hull.

I need to get a mass of lumber and build a double-duty gantry. If I do it right, it can:
1) left and hold the cap while I work on the hull, and
2) provide lateral support to keep the hull from deforming. I'm doing a lot of this work solo, so I have to use leverage and smarts to be effective.

I'll try to sketch something up, you guys tell me if I'm on the right track.

Side note: Is it just me, or is this a hell of a lot of trouble for a soft spot on the deck? Shoulda threw some plywood over that crap and went fishing. (j/k)

 

[sphelps]

Yea , It's a heck of a lot of trouble .. Just depends on what ya want to do . Fork out the $ for a new /newer boat or join one of those boat clubs and let them deal with the up keep . Unfortunately throwing a piece of ply over a rotten floor doesn't fix the problem . But the good thing is you can restore it to better than new condition for a fraction of the cost then enjoy it for many many years afterwords .. :joyous:

 

[Grumpie]

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Hey, first things first, I'm new here. In fact, I've never owned a boat before. But one thing I've learned in life is that its not enough to buy something and call it yours if you don't know jack about it. So, instead of buying a new boat and calling myself a boater, I decided to get a decent project boat that I can tear up and learn all there is to know about it before it ever touches water.

So, I picked up a '76 Chrysler 16' Hydro-Vee open bow for a tiny bit more than the trailer is worth. The problem? It sat outside uncovered for 5 years. I've read enough around this site to know that pretty much means the decks are shot, and no self-respecting guy who wants to party next weekend would buy anything like that. But I would. I enjoy the fruits of my own labor a little more than the things that are just handed to me wholesale. Well, I got some work to do, let me tell ya.

Obligatory first pics. I'm going to call her "Blue". Not because of the color, She's a little sick right now, but one day she'll be healthy and be my best bud.



Now that the introduction is over, let me get to the nuts and bolts. Like I said, she sat outside for 5 years. And I'm a NOOB. So, I felt the soft spot and instantly thought "rotten stringer. Great". Well, I was wrong. Kinda. I got up on the deck, cleaned out the 5 years worth of biological material that had collected on her, like this kinda crap:



Well, then I went searching for someone who has done a resto on an old tri-hull like this, and I ran across a youtuber by the name of "jmink" who actually started this same type of rebuild last year and isn't done yet. Awesome. I think I have a new friend.

Anyway, I got the crap out (that includes the seats), delicately handled the stuff that will need to get used for templates - the seats will be new, but the side pockets (dunno what they're called) and misc molded-in seats will be copied with new wood and upholstery, so I treated them gently. I have old-school upholsterers on standby. For cheap. (No, really, they work for barbecue, which I happen to be pretty good at).

EVERYTHING that was wood in this thing is rotted. No biggie. I can work a jigsaw, and if I get into a pinch, my next-door-neighbor is a master carpenter whose shop is in his garage. He's always there, and always ready to answer my stupid questions.

So, what's my problem? Well I mentioned rot, right? THIS spot right between the consoles is like stepping on a trampoline. Bouncy soft. Every time I stepped on it, I heard wood cracking, so I stopped stepping on it for fear that I would fall through.



Well, I've watched enough videos and read through enough posts here to know what that means: completely rotted center stringer. But how could that be? These Chryslers were supposed to have been built tough, and foamed like crazy, right? Well, it seems I got something I didn't expect. While the rear of the boat and the bow are SOLID, that little spot in the middle was the only one that was dead. I wonder why? Curiosity got the best of me, and since I have to rip out the carpet and everything anyway, I decided to take a little looksee (and this is where YOU guys come in)




(and I'm gonna make this one BIG so you can really see what I mean)

I stuck my camera in the hole, turned on the flash, and faced the stern. Guess what?



No center stringer. No foam either. What the hell? (And please tell me that's fiberglass and not GRASS hanging off the bottom of my deck.)

So, apparently, I've heard some of these boats were made with TWO stringers, not three (sounds right). I have no idea if there's foam between the stringers and the sides of the hull. Not sure. Won't know til I pull the cap and get into all of the decking.

What I AM questioning, is once I ript this deck out, do I need to build some bulkheads for support? Look into adding a center stringer? Or just go with a thick deck and fiberglass it back in, similar to how she was built?

Also, one thing I've not seen anyone do (or show) when laying new decking, is do you get UNDER the decking and tab the deck to the stringers underneath? Or just encapsulate the deck wood, lay down PB on top of the stringers, and let it set up?

So, treat me gently guys, I've been hearing all sorts of good things about Chrysler hulls, and bad things about the 105hp hanging off her transom. Just point me in the right direction to get this done. I'm determined, but I want it to last another 30+ years.

blessed with no Foam that you have to rip out. That really takes a long while....plus I am still wearing little bumps all up and down my left arm from the fiberglass pulling. lol Hey welcome btw, I am new to just got on here and pulling apart my first boat too. THere is so much to learn...

 

[gm280]

Of course you have the exact same issues that so many others have with there boat after seriously looking and surveying their boat. But you can certainly rebuild it and make it top notch that will be so much better then factory made. You need to start snapping pictures and post as you go so we can see what you are dealing with and see your progress. We love pictures... :thumb:

 

[auTONYmous]

Welcome aboard!

I need to get a mass of lumber and build a double-duty gantry. If I do it right, it can:
1) left and hold the cap while I work on the hull, and
2) provide lateral support to keep the hull from deforming. I'm doing a lot of this work solo, so I have to use leverage and smarts to be effective.

2nd thought, skip that. Too much trouble for what it's worth. I'll have to bribe a couple people to lend me some muscles for about 15 minutes and just move that thing by hand.

Small cradle to hold the hull in shape, beefy sawhorses to set the cap on near it. Take the glass off to save some weight (and let me clean up more of the fiberglass) Lift it, move it with hands and 2x4's. Done.

 

[gm280]

auTONYmous;

Also, one thing I've not seen anyone do (or show) when laying new decking, is do you get UNDER the decking and tab the deck to the stringers underneath? Or just encapsulate the deck wood, lay down PB on top of the stringers, and let it set up?

So, treat me gently guys, I've been hearing all sorts of good things about Chrysler hulls, and bad things about the 105hp hanging off her transom. Just point me in the right direction to get this done. I'm determined, but I want it to last another 30+ years.

Well I can't see how anybody could possible get under any floor/deck to tab in such a rebuild effort. So yes, you mix up some PB and apply it all over the stringers and bulkheads (if you have any) and lay the floor/deck down on top of them. The PB will be the "glue" to attach the floor/deck to the stringers and bulkheads. If you want too you could even drill some well placed holes and use some screws to help out and PB over them. But that is up to you. And then you use PB fillets and tab in all around the perimeter of the floor.deck to attach it to the hull sides. Start with 4" strips (or 6" whatever floats your boat :facepalm And then follow that with a wider strip again to double tab everything together. Solid as a rock then! :thumb: JMHO!

 

[auTONYmous]

ok, I need help QUICK!

Can somebody tell me how to get the cap to seperate from the hull at this point without cutting into the cap? (Transom is wet around the outboard splashwell drain, just like I thought it would be. Maybe I should just cut into the transom).



From underneath: Note the red adhesive. Yeah, that crap is on there but good!



So, do I just take a sawzall or cutting tool and scribe around the cap outline into the transom, then just pull it, or should I look for another way?

 

[auTONYmous]

Oh, BTW. I found the bilge. It's hiding under the fuel tank. Found a camoflauged section of deck just fore of the fuel tank that isn't screwed in. Shape of the deck glassing around it suggests it's a small aft bilge with a bulkhead. So, where my first pic that I THOUGHT was a clear shot to the transom is actually bulkhead.. Also see where the bilge pump outflow is laying on my splashwell. I always wondered what that extra hose was.

I'll know ALL once I get the cap off, hopefully later today.

(Forgive my NOOB, please. Without clearly marked switches on the dash, I didn't know what was in the boat without being able to see it. All I have is a collection of unmarked knobs and a bunch of wires/tubes/hoses in the rear. Some were hooked to the engine, some weren't.)

 

[sphelps]

With all that glue holding it on your either gunna have to cut it up against the transom or maybe get a long sawzall blade under and in between to kinda nibble away at it . Maybe some wedges to try and get it to pop loose ..

 

[auTONYmous]

Some awkward work with the oscillating tool (had to dig into the transom a ittle bit. No biggie.) and a little coaxing with a pry bar, it popped free.

The bad news: My "helpers" stood me up. I don't have enough strong backs to go ahead and move it off. Oh well, I'll try again tomorrow. I already eschewed the "gantry crane" method, so I'm all in now.

 

[hc43]

I don't know if this is going to help or not but to separate my cap from my hull I sharpened a old thin chisel and put it between the lip from my cap and hull and used a hammer to knock it between the two and break/ separate the fiberglass on the backside. Like I said I'm not sure if it's going to work for you and that red stuff but it's a thought.

 

[auTONYmous]

Dunno if I should trust this thing. It's still full of fuel. eh, maybe okay? dunno. gonna dump it an try to look inside for rust.

 

[Woodonglass]

You should also do a pressure check on it!!

 

[auTONYmous]

Update: So, the past couple of weeks have seen me have issues with my knees and ankle (church softball league), people welching out on helping me do the cap lift, and lots of rainy days here. So, I've foregone the gang lift, and I'm back to a gantry build. I'm okay with this, as at least it can hold the cap ready for reassembly, and I won't have to get rascals together again later.

So, this happened a couple days ago (then another rain delay): 2x4's and 2x10's for the gantry, along with a couple sheets of marine plywood for the interior pieces.



And THIS is what I'm modeling my gantry on:


(Credit to Arawak from his Bayliner rebuild thread)

I've also found some serviceable seats and vinyl to refurb the interior. The wife is handling upholstery duties.

(Found cheapest along with MATCHING VINYL, here on iBoats.com. Damn, I love this site. :clap2: )

 

[gm280]

Yea rounding up bodies to lift that cap can be a pita. But what you've built to basically replace the bodies looks like it should work... Keep posting those pictures and updates...

 

[auTONYmous]

question: Since quite a few pieces of my interior are actually wood wrapped in vinyl, should I go ahead and epoxy barrier coat those boards before wrapping them? Or only the exposed surfaces (like the bottoms of the bow and aft seats. The gunwale pockets are wrapped front/back in vinyl.)

 

[auTONYmous]

Mods: New information received, the boat (and engine) are actually 1978, not '76. Can any update the post title?

 

[archbuilder]

I precoated my seat frames with system three clear coat. Its very thin and soaks in well.....i figured it wouldn't hurt. I think Wood has something that he treats his with also.

 

[auTONYmous]

Finally got the gantry up (after more rain, feels like I live in Seattle all of a sudden.)
Not the final product, but did some test lifts and it feels solid. Just need to shore up the legs a bit and add a couple more support straps to the cap before I go for the final tug!

 

[gm280]

As huge as that is now, you could wall it in and have another shop... :facepalm: