Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

[zigzag]

Ive got a 1973 18 foot holiday in fair condition.. but ive always wanted a center console.... you know where im going with this! i love my boat but the lack of space drives me nuts. has anyone ever removed the windshield, dashboard and cut out the front?? i know it can be done.... anyone have any pics? anyone wanna trade before i move forward??

i know, it sounds awful.. might not even be able to bring myself to do it anyway. i was just kicking the idea around in my head.

 

[Stephenatx]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

Don't do it!!! find one that's already trashed and convert that. The holiday is too nice a boat to do that to it. Just my opinion.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

has anyone ever removed the windshield, dashboard and cut out the front?? i know it can be done.... anyone have any pics?

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=455193

 

[zigzag]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

wow jason! what an inspiration... im really considering it. man that looks good...

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

I would look for a Mariner if it was me. At the very least an SS. If you have this utter fasnination with a sawzall and you just can't control yourself have at it.

Less time to convert a Mariner over and cheaper too. Think it over and do what you need to. The curse associated with the cutting of a Starcraft is way overblown. Just look at jasoutside, nothing bad's happened to him, yet.

 

[zigzag]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

id love to find a mariner.. not too many around it seems. i could probably pick up an SS but that would mean id have to sell my holiday first, then hunt down an SS.. i wouldn't even attempt it until i was sure i was ready and had a GOOD plan. i wouldn't just go hacking it up... i would never be able to forgive myself..

thing is.... i already have this boat, its my baby.... i just wish i could have an open front...

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

Yah, finding something with an open bow already would definitely be easier, no doubt about it.

For me, I had a hard time finding one for the rediculous price of nearly free, so, the Jet had to be cut

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

I wanted an open bow BAD. I bought my SS and immediately sold my Jupiter. Cutting the bow out and making it look good afterwards would be too much of a challenge for me.

 

[zigzag]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

so ive got to ask..... is having an open bow everything i imagine it to be? i just feel so limited everytime i have to crawl out onto the bow for something... i always think to myself how great it would be to have the ease of access and extra space... its just a family boat.. me my wife and two little guys.. lot of beaching around lakes at playgrounds... tyin off to trees n fishing... no skiing, no BIG waters... although my buddy and i are going to hit seneca lake before the year is out.. he just recently pulled a few muskies close to 50" up there!! would like the boat to function well as a family/fishing rig...

 

[barato2]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

The holiday is too nice a boat to do that to it. Just my opinion.

OK, here's a second opinion: do it if you want to. this is not a 1962 Ferrari. people in El Paso thought the 18' holiday was such a nice boat that no one had bought one at $300, forcing me to give it a home. i'm planning on doing exactly the same thing wth mine. part of the benefit of tin hulls is that they are the tabla rasa, the raw canvas upon which you paint your masterpiece.....and worth so little $ that it makes it easy and guilt free.

Stephen, if you want to save mine from the Sawzall, i'll pass it on to you at cost. i'll even meet you somewhere east of EL Paso.

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

the open bow is more versatile for sure. It's not as classy looking. The Holiday has more DRY storage. Not a lot of diference in these boats really.

If cutting is your best option then open jasoutside's thread and follow along. I'm sure jas would love the attention and be thrilled to mentor you. It is some work, but so is selling your current rig and finding a new one. Either way we'll be here.

Have fun and good luck.

 

[zigzag]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

thanks guys.... i spent the afternoon looking through jasons thread. its great! i guess my biggest concern is making the cut and folding over the edge and finding trim to make it look good.. if i can get past that ill be home free i think. the floor is shot anyway so ive been planning on a teardown for sometime now. i was just out standing on top of the bow looking around and crawled underneath. it really doesnt seem like there would be much to it.. the biggest part will be rebuilding the floor with some type of raised platform.. maybe sneaking in some storage, idk. my wife thinks im nuts.

to jason... maybe i missed it but after you folded your cut edge down... what is the 4 inch or so strip you have riveted to the folded tab before you trimmed it with alum angle? it looks like galvanized but was wondering what it is for sure.. AND.. if you were to do it again, do you have any other thoughts on what to use as far as trimming the cut/fold? anything you'd do different?

if i proceed with this idea ill be sure to make a photo dairy of it step by step.. and post it all of course!

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

finding trim to make it look good.

Yup, that right there is certainly the crux of the project.

to jason... maybe i missed it but after you folded your cut edge down... what is the 4 inch or so strip you have riveted to the folded tab before you trimmed it with alum angle? it looks like galvanized but was wondering what it is for sure..

Yah, that is actually scrap aluminum from another, separate surgery I completed on the Islander. I chopped down the gunwales on that big tub.

AND.. if you were to do it again, do you have any other thoughts on what to use as far as trimming the cut/fold? anything you'd do different?

if i proceed with this idea ill be sure to make a photo dairy of it step by step.. and post it all of course!

Hummm, good question....

Well, let's see...

All the bends, folds, and rivets were huge as far as strength and rigidity. All that business makes a big difference for sure.

As for the trim route I chose...

Well, I really wanted a radius. Cutting it straight and simple butt joints with the alum angle would have been a 1000 time easier and way faster. But, that wasn't the look I wanted. Not at all. I don't know how well it came through in my thread but that was very challenging to get those nice bends in there.

So, if I were to do it again...

I'd get another pair of hands (maybe two more) to help me with that maneuver. That would have been very helpful.

Also, I may have looked in to a little thinner/smaller trim just to make it easier to make those bends.

Have fun man!

 

[zigzag]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

As for the trim route I chose...

Well, I really wanted a radius. Cutting it straight and simple butt joints with the alum angle would have been a 1000 time easier and way faster. But, that wasn't the look I wanted. Not at all. I don't know how well it came through in my thread but that was very challenging to get those nice bends in there.

exactly! that's truly the one thing holding me back... i will not cut it if i don't think i can keep the curves.. i want it to look as close to factory as i can get it... NO sharp angles.

do you think making a template out of plywood to form the trim around would work better? that way you could get it close while its off the boat and test fit it till its just right.. maybe set up some type of vise or clamp setup... heat the trim and press both sides of the form to the trim... letting it take shape slowly.. just a thought

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

do you think making a template out of plywood to form the trim around would work better?

YES I DO THINK IT WOULD WORK BETTER!!!!!! A LOT!!!!!

AAAAAAKKKKKKK! Why didn't I think of that!!!!!

:facepalm:





(Oh I dunno Jason, maybe cuz you are as dumb as a brick?)

 

[zigzag]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

hey.. don't be too hard on yourself. i was just looking around at how to bend aluminum angle and it seems pretty tough to do without the proper machinery. another option i've been thinking of it to actually cut the top side of the angle that forms around the bend (the part that lays on the bow) to cut that section out... leave the bottom part of the angle to make the sweep and then cut a piece of flat stock aluminum that i could lay on top and maybe try out welding up the seams with alumaweld.. never used the stuff before but id like to give it a try..

my question for you is.... how rigid was the bow around the curve? was it pretty floppy until you trimmed it out or was it fairly solid on its own?

 

[Bwana Don]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

YES I DO THINK IT WOULD WORK BETTER!!!!!! A LOT!!!!!

AAAAAAKKKKKKK! Why didn't I think of that!!!!!

:facepalm:





(Oh I dunno Jason, maybe cuz you are as dumb as a brick?)

zigzag, I shall call you mini-jas. I told you he'd love the attention.

I say go for it. Sounds like you have somewhat of a plan. You guys ever here of a buckboard? Hotrod guys bend and fab stuff all day. The trim piece while somewaht tricky doesn't look that hard.

 

[zigzag]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

haha.. yeah, you guys don't know it yet but me n J are goin' into business together. we'll give you guys a good deal.. promise!

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

Nope. I wouldn't even bother with the extra cutting/welding stuff. I think you have a winner with the plywood template route, really I do.

I'm not a fan of the alumaweld stuff. I actually did some testing in the Islander thread, fail. To be fair it could very well just be my lack of skill too though.

Yah, the bow was way floppy when I took the dash out. After the first cut and each step after that it just got more and more firm.

 

[Starman8]

Re: Thinking the unthinkable..... talk me out of it!!!

Just a thought after viewing your pictures.

It appears the closed bow models(HOLIDAY) have the helm more FWD than Bowriders. In other words, the open bow space may end up less than expected. It appears you would have to move back your consoles to gain the space desired..............you can look at all the SS restores and other pictures available to determine accuracy.

In a nutshell, opening it up also probably requires a total retrofit of the consoles, or center console to create the walkaround while reducing cockpit, a trade-off?

http://cleveland.craigslist.org/boa/2623626262.html

nice power plant!