TOPIC: Schuster Tahiti Torino renovation !!

Well figured I should start a new thread and will try and stay on track here.
Picked up a '71 Tahiti early October.. I had been hunting for the right boat to renovate, it isn't a Sidewinder but by golly close enough for me.
Someone covered up the red and silver metallics with some crappy red paint...

Since bringing it home I have:
Pulled the Mercury 65 and controls - 10/11
Pulled the original back to back buckets .. hoping there will be enough to salvage for patterns to redo- 10/11
Pulled the carpeting that was in it. - 10/11
Stripping paint - has the nice tri stripes on the deck...on going
Pulled the gauges and steering - 10/30
Pulled the Windshield and frame and placed in safe haven for the build...10/30
Cut about 2' of the floor back from transom - 10/30

was going to take a few pics but card wasn't in the camera... so will try and update ...uploading pics are kind of a pia since i keep having to resize everyone.....is there any easier way?

this is when I brought it home !
After pulling seats and carpet out and a lil sweeping
Pulling the Merc 65hp off the already weak transom!


Strip'n baby !
the seat frames...

well more to follow ... and my lil guy has been out there helping ! actually has been nice for getting me a tool, a cord or a beer !! but he's enjoying it !

here are some pics from yesterdays work .. pulled the gauges and wheel... stripped the deck off, pulled the windshield, cut back a couple ft of the floor, chiseled up along the transom.. when pulling windshield found another soft spot, around the spot the sets were sitting...
side view aft removing some more of the red paint


gauges pulled ... notice the set of stripes...OMC gauahes .. most likely will get new gauges in the end...had an old hours meter. with a minute hand too?



Removed about 2' of floor in the back, chiseled out the along the transom.....

Great job on the Tahiti there. Looks like you had a good hull to work with and lots of room to do it. It allways helps to have a helper that can bring the proper tools and refreshments to you so you don't have to be jumping in and out of the hull every 5 minutes. Keep up the good work and keep the pics comeing. Skip.

thanks...will do
Not sure where you meant having the room to work inside the boat or the out? Once winter gets here it'll be tight.

Matt, what kinda plans do you have for the 650? And what power are you going to use if not the 650?

Ponyboy .. I actually plan on using a 150hp i have (current plan anyway) .. second option will be an 85hp I have...

I didn't do anything with the 650 besides checked to see if it would turnover by the control box (it did) ..actually I now have a pair of them ... haven't crossed Serial #s to if same years or not.

I was told the one on the Tahiti ran when previous owner purchased, said he saw/heard it run? The other I know has lloowww compression, had spark no none?? fuel lines cracked...most I did with that one.

But I really dont have any plans at this time a few irons n the fire...boat project now...have 80hp that i want to try and rebuild through the winter...

Cool Matt
I will be following along closely. You may have seen this one that I picked up this past summer. Sunset Boat Co.,135 longshaft.
I had it out three times is all. No T/T. She runs like a scalded dog.
Handles well. It has a 16 gallon tank in the bow. I centered the battery in the back, and with two 180# boys, she does pretty good.
Don't forget to get that helper a beer too! (Root Beer)
Thats my friend bowing his head in Prayer! (He doesn't own a Merc!)

Neil I remember that ride, was jealous for days !!
my lil helper helper calls his capri suns his beer !

today's progress removed the alum rub rail..nothing too exciting but something!

matt, i still have my 1970 80 hp, and it has not gone any place. so when you get working on yours , just let me know what you need and i'll strip it off for you. as i do not plan on using this one and will not take it to the scrap dealer, as i have alot of storage space. frog. p/s like your new ride.

Well pulled the trigger...after much debate I hope all turns out good... time will tell...
splash well cut out !!


transom a bit wet!


the great hole


wetter .. i have not found one dry pice of dry wood back here


as I left her for the night..

"Ataboy" for digging in Matt, that's nasty mulch you're digging out there. Are you going to cut the floor back (forward) to access the transom all the way down to the bottom of the hull?

MarkS wrote:

Are you going to cut the floor back (forward) to access the transom all the way down to the bottom of the hull?

already did sir see pictures above....about 2'..need to measure out bilge well ..but will need to remove it too.

Its a bit strange on the structure of this transom.
I measured 1.5" for thickness. It was only glassed about half way up.
I am going into this blind, only help I have is from the helpful and supportive people on my forums I use.

So keep up the good work !!

Ooppss, sorry, I see it better now. (Guess I hadn't had enough coffee this morning when I posted!) The bilge well still being in there kinda gave me an optical illusion? (That's my story and I'm sticking to it.....ha ha)

Transom - Many got no fiberglass on the inside whatsoever, I know many of the Glastrons did not. I guess they figured the water should be on the outside, no need for it inside? (Bad thinking, IMHO)

Beefing up the thickness when you go back with the new one is a good option, but keep in mind you'll have to modify the splashwell slightly to accept the new thickness. (I've seen more than one person having to trim the top of the transom back to original thickness to get the deck back on after doing so.) Yours shouldn't be that bad since you're only dealing with a small piece when re-fitting it. Am I making any sense to you? Some folks with much more knowledge than I can probably advise you better on this, just wanted to throw it out there for you.

You're doing great man, hang in there.

thanks MarkS
the transom measured was 1.5" (the original) which to me should be plenty beefy, especially if I laminate fiberglass into the build.

Thanks for the support

friday night progress....
cleaned some more from transom...pulled up the floor...not one dry piece.

transom area...


floor started...


not sure what this weighed but good golly...


lil OOPS !


lil belly time...but got it out !!! not too bad.


not sure whats next? weather starting to turn here..need to do some winter preparedness around the house...

matt,your doing a great job,that is a very cool project,thanks for sharing it with us.
as for picture sizing,i just went into the menu of my camera and downsized the image mode ,so now i dont have to downsize them anymore,john

thanks John, hoping it turns out
...I've done that before, but I pull the card to upload so then I forget to change setting...so now I just up load to Photobucket and copy images to here ..

moved things around for winter readiness...
setting up appointment with DNR/CPO for boat inspection to get my paperwork in the works, if you don't understand that is because I have no paper work besides a bill of sale from the previous seller, who said they had a registration card, but couldn't fine...so keep your fingers crossed!

moved things around for winter readiness...
setting up appointment with DNR/CPO for boat inspection to get my paperwork in the works, if you don't understand that is because I have no paper work besides a bill of sale from the previous seller, who said they had a registration card, but couldn't fine...so keep your fingers crossed!

whats on take on this...
transom replacement.
original was like 1.5" 2 pieces of 3/4 plywood. glassed only about half way up...

i'm thinking using 5/8" (x2) and laminating, sandwiching, or layering up fiberglass to take up the rest? want the new transom to last and well be strong too....

so would you recommend? I have thought about doing the seacast but still would need to do some glass'n and do something on the inside because there was no inner skin.

thanks

Matt. Multi layers of thiner wood make a very strong transom. I dont bother to use fiberglass cloth between wood layers, I dont think it helps anything, I do however use cabpsil or west marine 404....and I forget the other one from west systems. On My last 2 boats I built I used epoxy, good ol ebay, I found 3 gallons with hardner for 165.00, it is slow to cure witch helps it creep into the wood and you get to add more layers with out sanding each time. The biggest peice of advice is to grind anything down to CLEAN glass and wipe it down with asitone CARFULLY before glassing anything together. I dont know your skill level at this so let me know if Im insulting you.

Ponyboy wrote:

I dont know your skill level at this so let me know if Im insulting you.

Ponyboy;
Now over on my sidewinder forum, I was told to dble up the 3/4 x2?
My book I read on renovation of a speed boat, they talked about laminating the transom with layers of glass? or sandwiching the wood..glass, wood, glass,woo then glass, and if you needed more thickness maybe another layer of glass.....

i have no skill level pony boy, I compile the knowledge I get from my forums and the information that is given to me. I then compute and think it over and go the best route that I feel I can handle with minimal screw up...

I actually thought the the layering up of the smaller thickness may be stronger especially if using bonding agents that help strengthen the product up....

hope this made sense?? thanks to all for the wealth of knowledge I keep getting from all of you !!

Hi Matt,
Well you inspird me to find a Sidewinder to restore, I found one last Thursday and by Saturday I had pulled the floor, (the boats look near identical) and removed all the hardware, tank, interior etc. I was lucky and the transom is 100%, at least they did that well. Mine is painted, it is an older decent job, which will make it harder to strip, what are you using ot strip your paint? I don't feel I can just repaint again so it all has to come off.
You were wondering what to do next,
I would recomend you investigate the condition of the center stringer. It is the long piece about 2 in wide 4 inches tall running down the middle of the boat. It may appear to be OK but I'll bet if you cut into it you will find it wet. Mine was hard as a rock but, I cut a 12 inch length off the top to check it, totally water logged and rotten in places. I found the easiest way to remove was to slit each side just below the top corner and then peel this center top piece of glass away. Next I cut each side as close to the bottom as possible and peeled each side off. I just wacked the now wet exposed beam with a hand sledge, it fell apart, then I got a long wide blade under it and just pryed it out along the length, it was not bonded anymore because it was so wet, it just came up very easily, peeling it up along the way.
Randy

Randy;
I really wanted a Sidewinder bad.... but the one I found was 6 hrs away was being sold on Ebay and well can't strike a very good deal there..I am a bit taken by your comment that I inspired some one on here....thanks!

anyway..my stringer will be replaced also. Its kind of my hold point for right now.
Today I had a DNR CPO come to the house and perform an inspection.
He filled out his paper work, giving it an ok.
Now I have to send off for title and I believe from he said I will be issued a HID to affix to the boat....sweet.
SO with recent hold on paperwork, work schedule, deer season and now up coming Thanksgiving...I haven't touched anything...
I have talked to a fellow from my home town about possibly recovering the seats...I just need to call him upand set up an appointment to get an estimate.

I had planned to do some of the transom and floor work through out the winter, but I'm thinking of holding off. I do have a heated shop but during the cold winter here in Illinois I usually can't get it much warmer than 65 degrees and a bit concerned with the fiberglass part not turning out as should do to the temp. in the garage....so have been thinking about rebuilding the seat frames, getting the seat vinyl work a move on...and perhaps getting the motor prepped for paint too? along with a few mechanical thingys to set mind at ease...

lastly... www.sidewinder-boats.com great forum to use to redo that Winder!

wondering if anyone has an idea or guessitment on what redoing a set of back to back buckets may cost?

i got an estimate a few months back.... 1300 hundo to redo the Vinyl
using quality vinyl and the tuck n roll tech.

to much ? only one estimate thou have been trying to get some of the paper work straightened out still...'bout there

wondering if anyone has an idea or guessitment on what redoing a set of back to back buckets may cost?

That $1300 estimate sounds kinda high Matt, but I've been accused of being "overly frugal"! I know it's somewhat regional on the pricing, but I would shop around some more. (That's also why a lot of the gang has learned how to do their own upholstery work = saves big money!)

Just a thought.....you can buy replacement "lounge seats" for under $200 per side, just be careful on the shipping costs. (Several suppliers I know of are offering free shipping on them right now.) You may have to modify the bases or even build your own, but it may be an option. (A "google search" on boat seats will bring up all the big players.)

the lounge seats were thought of along with , bucket style seats up front and perhaps a bench at the rear ...

one estimate..the guy redoes car upholstry for classic cars.
the tuck n roll is time consuming.

wife thought the original style would be the ticket we both dig the classic styling...guess a lot will determine if I can pull the whole project off.

i think i got all the paper work i need to send down to state now..just been putting it off..?? not sure why prob scared of rejection.

Matt
Sounds as though you are pluggin' away at it. You will get there.
Randy picked up a Sidewinder, cool parallel project.
I sold the Sunset. It is going on to an 18 year old and it is his first boat. He was grinning from ear to ear. I made him a heck of a deal just to put him on the water.
Anyways, I'll be cheering from the bleachers, go man go.
Neil

Neil wrote;

I made him a heck of a deal just to put him on the water.

You're a good man, Neil.

Matt wrote;

i got all the paper work i need to send down to state now..just been putting it off..??

If I could be so bold as to make a suggestion Matt? Now may be the best time of year to handle the paperwork and get it done while those offices aren't that busy. That way if you do hit a snag, it still gives you some time to work out the "issues"! I recently had quite a scare getting my project (the GT-150) registered, (initial application was rejected!) but got everything worked out eventually. Whew !!!! Next time I'll make SURE I get all that out of the way before spending any time or money on a resto/renovation.

We're all pulling for ya, looking forward to seeing how you work out the seating situation and seeing some progress reports.

mark haven't been on for a while .. not being bold at all..i should have been doing this back in Feb....

paperwork .. i contacted Michigan boat people...did it online to perform title search paid small fee and they sent whose name boat was last registered in.

Then about a week later..the seller sends an email ...has somethin i may want...the registration that was with the boat !!

I have i think everything in row.. just have to call down and see if i need all new paperwork filled out or if i can resend what is already filled out?

i did end up getting all my paperwork in my name ..
sadly i parked it behind the shed n have not touched since...

i got my a lil guy into dirt bikes and well we have moved our focus

will see what happens ... ..

well November 2013 ...and I have not touched the project

looking at selling off as it sits ..

the plan was to use a Merc 1500 to power it ... I also have a 1150 parts motor....power trim...

If someone close to me would be interested in project Speed boat let me know .. PM me ..

if we can work something out --
Boat ( have papers ) - trailer ( no papers ) - Merc Motors - control box - power trim unit - n whatever else i have lying around for it

ALSO - Will be selling the Blue Arrowglass Javelin seen my Avatar ..Merc 50hp w/ Power TT