VIP Vindicator Restoration

[Dzrtcj7]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Not yet. Finishing wet sanding, buffing, wax and touch up on the hull tonight. Washing down the inside and getting prepped for interior pieces this weekend. Side panels, back seat, back pad and dash pads are supposed to be done Saturday. I really hope I have pictures soon.

 

[bamjoop]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Mine is supposed to be done Saturday also, funny.

I got my rear speakers in. My front speakers are just 6x9's in some boxes in the cuddy. I also installed an amplified bazooka in the rear in front of the battery box. Not a fan of bazooka's but I got it cheap.

I need to get it back out on the water though. My 5.8 runs strong, but has a flat spot right off idle. I know it is a problem common with Holley's but I can't seem to get it worked out.

 

[bamjoop]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Also, are you leaving it as is, or have you thought about a wakeboard tower for your boat? I am curious what one would look like. I know our boats wouldn't be great at creating a wake, but the storage of toys and such would be a nice addition.

 

[Dzrtcj7]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Sounds like my interior guy is still running behind. We are going to get everything but the front buckets in tomorrow afternoon.

For a stereo, I'm running 2-1000w amps to 6.5" 2 ways in the stock location and a pair of 6x9's in the bow (still need to build a box). Up in the bow I have a pair of competition quality 10" subs in a box firing forward.

Is the 5.8 stock in your boat? I fight with my Holley too. Current issue is the float sticking on the secondaries. That is on the list to fix this year.

I've been asked a lot about putting a tower on my boat, and I'm against it. I think it would chop up the gorgeous lines of the boat. I have plenty of friends with wake board boats. I haven't found a good solution for toys either, other than in the bow.

I just got a pair of smart tabs that I'm going to install before it hits the water this year. I thought mine was a handful in choppy water. I had trouble keeping the bow down and the boat in the water even in small chop. I hope the tabs help.

Today I just about got the last of the buffing on the hull done for this season and slapped on the new hull numbers. I'll paint and re-install the windshield after the new dash pads go on:

 

[bamjoop]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Yeah, the 5.8 is stock. It is the 340hp 5.8. Pulls pretty hard and runs well other than the flat spot. I hit 48 on medium chop with 6 people, a full tank of fuel and a cooler on a 15.25x17 stainless prop. I don't know if that is good or not as this is my first boat.

But I have the same problem in chop as you and the bow rise on take off is crazy. I wanted to try the smart tabs also. You will have to let me know how they work out.

 

[bamjoop]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Also, I agree about the towers messing with a seriously great looking boat. Other than the low tech and dated dash and interior it is better looking than a lot of newer boats. I would like to learn to wakeboard and would like the extra storage but I don't want to ruin such a good looking boat.

 

[bamjoop]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

A little further along

 

[ezmobee]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

That is just looking awesome!

 

[bamjoop]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Thanks. I can honestly say, choosing how to do your interior is nerve racking. You aren't sure how it will really turn out. That is why I had such interest in dzrtcj7's boat. I almost went with the exact design he is doing.

 

[Dzrtcj7]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Your interior looks fantastic! I really like the stock red with the black piping! I picked up my back seat and dash pads on Sunday, hoping to have the sun deck on Wednesday. I haven't put them in yet. Wanted to get the windshield buffed/ painted and re-installed first.

Btw ... our windshield can be easily disassembled to repaint the trim pieces.

 

[Dzrtcj7]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

More work on the exterior of the boat:

 

[bamjoop]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Thanks. I need to paint my windshield frame also. What paint did you use and how did you prep the frame? Yours looks so good.

Also, did you replace the side vents? One of mine is cracked slightly and I saw replacement vents on iboats and wondered how they would look.

 

[bamjoop]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Also, how hard was it to install the smart tabs? That is something I am really interested in doing this next winter.

I should have already had my sun deck back already, but the wood on mine had slight issues so we had to get a new piece and I put about 8 coats of urethane on it. I was going to use some resin, but I had the urethane from some long board skateboard work I was doing. The parts I can't wait for are the buckets. We are still doing the pockets on back but the bottom portion of the pocket will be black mesh material to allow items in there to drain and dry properly. I was going to eliminate them altogether, but they are a good place to keep our flip flops when we are on the water.

 

[Dzrtcj7]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

I just scuffed the frames with a scotch brite pad and painted them with a good quality semi gloss enamel. Those frames take a lot of wear and tear, so I plan on eventually sand blasting them and powder coating. I use a fender clip on the frame for rafting that is particularly hard on them. I may get some pop up style cleats to put midship. The cleat placement on our boats is terrible for rafting.

Those vents are the Attwood Venturi's. They are an exact replacement and look great.

The smart tabs are really easy to install. Took about 30 mins. I had to mount them a little further inboard than instructed to get the upper strut mount below the swim step enough to mount flat on the transom. I don't see that being an issue. Be sure to fill the screw holes with 3M 5200 calk before final install.

Smart tab install: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enpicX3gqtQ

I thought through that pocket on the back of the seats too. I opted to remove mine to keep with the more modern look. My upholstery guy is planning on extending the tops of the bucket seats a little as well to give it more of a modern high back bucket seat look. I'm looking forward to seeing how that turns out.

 

[bamjoop]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Thanks so much for all your help and inspiration and putting up with all my stupid questions. Although I keep them public so the other 2 guys with these boats on here can be inspired also.

I can't wait for you to get you boat on the water to try out the smart tabs. I think they may be the smartest money I can spend right now.

I agree about our cleat placement. It has to be the worst ever. I launch my boat alone with my youngest son a lot and have to leave the boat tied to the courtesy dock while I park my truck and the cleats suck for that and there is really not a good place to hang the fenders either and the docks here don't have any bumpers. I am planning on getting the low profile form fitting ones with the suction cup mounts and see how that works. I have also been toying with replacing all the cleats,lights and hardware with black(including the rub rail), but it gets 110+ here regularly and worry about stuff being too hot to touch.

This is my first boat(I've been around friends with boats forever) so I don't want to look like a goober with a bunch of crap I don't really need though. In fact, my horn doesn't work so I am getting a black drop in because the p.o. has about 3 pairs of mounting holes and I hate extra holes but I don't want the horn to look dorky.

I'm new to ownership, but don't want to look it if that makes sense. I have been customizing and restoring cars and motorcycles forever so I believe the small details are super important, but at the same time don't know what would be classified as overkill on a boat.

 

[Dzrtcj7]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

I'm glad I can help a little. I'm no expert either. I grew up restoring wooden boats and show cars with my parents. I've built and/or fixed up pretty much everything I own, but this is my first time going through a boat. It has been really rewarding. I guess everything I build I like to have a really clean, simple look. Hopefully the information we are passing back and forth will help others.

I've heard rumors there is another rough 25th Anny boat sitting in a yard in my town. I'm almost afraid to go look at it because it would probably follow me home.

I've thought about replacing my deck hardware and rub strip too. I'd like to replace all my cleats and my bow light with pop up style. I'm not sure if your boat had the hideous horn in front of the windshield on the drivers side, but that was one of the first thing to go away! Haven't come up with a good replacement yet other than a hand held aerosol horn.

What does your boat have for cockpit lights? I have the switch on the dash, but haven't found any sign of there being any lights. I'm considering running separate red and white rope LED lights behind the side panels and swapping in a double throw switch so I can run either red or white lights.

 

[bamjoop]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

I had that same ugly horn too. Didn't work anyway. I'm replacing it with this one. http://amzn.com/B001EYGXUW . We sound very similar in tastes and background.

I didn't have any lights either. Right now I had some red fluorescent lights laying around and I am using those behind each side panel and one in the bow above the stereo but if I like the look I will switch to some LEDs designed for motorcycles to reduce the drain on the battery. I also have a small red led strip in the glovebox. I am also thinking about adding a couple push on/off courtesy lights in each storage box by the engine and maybe one In the actual engine compartment in case I have engine trouble at dusk or later.

I just ordered a black lock for the glovebox door today. Probably also get a black nav light too. I like the red with all black look on cars so I am going for that look.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Lots of red interior lighting would look awesome on your boats.

 

[Dzrtcj7]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

Coming together:

 

[bamjoop]

Re: VIP Vindicator Restoration

That looks freaking awesome!!