Where did you find those rims for the trailer?
Where did you find those rims for the trailer?
Reggie, the screws you identify were the exact ones that stripped out first for me. With folks leaning on the seat and such, there's just not enough material there (whether fiberglass or aluminum doesn't really matter) to let the screws do their job. I went with aluminum riv-nuts since my material is fiberglass. If mine were aluminum like yours, I'd probably put steel riv-nuts in. I assume your material thickness is somewhere around .125" but it doesn't really matter as long as you get the right grip length of riv-nut. And, I have to give credit where it's due. Good buddy of mine that I've worked with for close to 20 years is as good an aircraft sheet metal mechanic as I am an electrician, and the riv-nuts were his idea.
I actually bought new switches from New Wire Marine. May have been a mistake in a few cases and I'm likely to have Rocker Switch Pros make me new switch actuators for both the HYDRO and AERATE switches. I'm having a lot of trouble finding new switches for them that I can get marked like the old ones.
Done a couple more lids so far today and working on the cooler now. It's so windy today I can't lay out the roll of carpet in the driveway in order to cut the center section carpet. Even with heavy 5 gallon buckets everywhere, I can't keep the carpet still...
Glad you asked...got them at Trailer-Wheels.com. Great selection, great website and the prices were better than I found anywhere else. They balanced them, packaged them (REALLY well too!) and shipped them. I had them like 8-10 days after ordering. Will definitely buy from them again.Originally Posted by okbass187
Well, all the lids are done except for the front deck. Will do those tonight and tomorrow. Cooler is done and installed...but I have to take it back out...because I'm an idiot.The trim rails and center carpet need to go in first to make the finished edges look right. The center carpet is cut and ready to install, but I have to finish three more small detailed pieces (cup holder areas and such) before the center piece can go in. But, my daughter has a softball tournament today so I think I've already made the progress I'm going to make today. Was a nice few hours early this morning drinking coffee and working on the project.
I'll measure my tank cover next time I have the boat home. I plan on getting it re-carpeted in Dec or Jan, so I need to get that done before hand. Also just a FYI, looks like Rocker Switch Pros is a division of New Wire Marine. I worked through RSP for my switches and actuators, then when they shipped, the invoice came from NWM.
Thanks Reggie. I'll contact them by phone and see what can be done. Will be far easier than re-wiring the main harness under the driver's console. I'm ready to be done with this deal and get back on the water!!
I was able to make some good progress over the last few days. Cooler is done and re-installed. Drivers step is covered. I would up putting a couple of coats of Herculiner on the face of it and it turned out pretty good. After it had set for a few minutes, I drug a 1/8" V notch trowel over it to give it some "texture" and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. All the carpet in the seating area is done and the trim rails are re-installed. I went over them with some steel wool to clean them up a little and they turned out nice. I carpeted the seat base and back area (was just white Gel coat before) and I'm happy with how it looks. I'm going to be installing some small trim strips to close it off and I think it will look good and be easier to keep clean.
I'm down to two lids remaining to do on the front deck and all lids will be completed. Pretty pleased with the results so far. I'll try to grab a few pics in the next day or so. My daughter has softball tournaments for the next two weekends, so not real sure of how much progress I can make in the next couple weeks...We'll see...
Would like to see the boat also.
Very Nice Mark...Nice to see folk reserving a piece of history
Darrell Shull
Prosperity, SC
2021 Charger 210 Elite , 2023 Mercury V8 250 Pro XS
Very nice Sir
everything looks fantastic
So, time for an update. I didn't get as far as I wanted this weekend...life got in the way. Had to do spark plugs and a brake and rotor job on the truck, mow, grocery shopping...blah blah blah. Got it done though...even though it was hotter than the hubs of hell here this weekend. Been a little while since the last update so here are some pics...
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Since I decided to carpet the seat base and back rest areas, I didn't have a good way to terminate the carpet edge. My tx partner gave me some trim left over from carpeting his Ranger and I used it for this. I like how it turned out! I did riv nut thing again since there was no backing in the area and I didn't want to use pointed screws that close to the fuel cell.
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Here's the seat area. Everything is complete in this area now so I'm hoping to start re-installing the seats this week. May wait until all carpet is completed though. The area and all the seams turned out pretty well...for an amateur anyway. I re-installed the aluminum trim rails and they look good. I went over them with some steel wool to clean them up and they look new again. I think I mentioned that I bought a pneumatic rivet puller...It's worth it's weight in gold!
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Got the new partner rod buckle installed too. I like it. All the new cupholders are in as well. Time to move to the front deck!
Very nice Mark.
Fantastic work!
Been about a month since the last update. Sorry about that guys.
The carpet is all done!! Forward trim rails are re-installed and turned out real well. Just cleaned them up with a little steel wool and they look new again. But I will say, thank GOD for a pneumatic rivet gun!! Made the job TONS easier and a better finish.
Got the rod buckles re-installed too. Cleaned them and put 303 on them and they look better than new! This is my first time using 303, and I finally get what everyone raves about. This stuff is amazing.
Trying to put the TM pan in tonight but I have to cut a relief on the forward side for the TM power wire. I cut the hole so "perfect" that I can't get it in with the wire going through the front of the pan! I tried to force it in (because again, I'm an idiot) over the weekend and wound up pinching it so bad that I cut it. So now I have to go repair that too! Not a big deal but it pisses me off...at myself!!
Trying to get the Balzout mount and my two forward Garmin units all in and powered up by the end of the week....but we'll see.
I'll try to get some pics this week and post them.
Anxiously awaiting the next batch of pix ...
The boat is at about 95% complete. All leak checks and pump checks are complete. Switches are all wired and working properly. I still need to get two new actuators for the Aerate and Hydro switches, but I'm just going to change the actuators since the switches work well. I took the group 34 battery out and went and got a Duracell Group 31 AGM at Sam's since I've added all the electronics. New lid struts are all in. Tray is in for final and all wiring is routed and secured. Did all the software updates for the new Garmin stuff and they're ready for on-the-water calibrations.
Only remaining items are:
1. Secure the foot rest.
2. Run a drain line to the bilge area for the new cup holder.
3. Apply new decals and reg numbers on port side.
4. Glue carpet corners in for the aft lockers.
5. Attach hinges for aft lockers.
6. Rivet starboard aft trim rail into place.
7. Install Seats.
8. Final wipe down / detail from bow to stern.
9. HIT THE WATER!!
Will be done in the next couple nights...but I have to tell the story of what I did (MAJOR SCREWUP) and how lucky I got. So, I pulled her outside last weekend so I could stand on the front deck with a rod in hand and simulate pitching, flipping and roll casting in order to get the FINAL location of the forward Balzout mount. I did, and got it RIGHT where I wanted it. I had already removed the floatation foam from the area forward of the TM pan, so I could put some .200" thick aluminum bar stock under the deck as a backer plate for the Balzout mount. This way, it's not screwed into the deck. I wound up using 3" 5/16 bolts with #4 oval phillips heads in Stainless Steel with lock washers and Nylock nuts on the outside of the aluminum backer plate. It's as secure as I can make it.
I drilled the first hole with the intention of installing the bolt so I could locate the other three holes perfectly. Went to install the bolt in the hole, and can't find the hole. Looked and looked and no hole...but I found the forward rigging tube that ALL the wiring was already installed in!! That tube had ALL the wiring I had installed...three power cables, cables for the tranducer, network cables AND the cabling from the Livescope Transducer going to the black sonar box. All this in a 2" diameter tube. When I realized what I had done, I almost threw up in the TM pan cutout. I was literally sick to my stomach figuring I had just ruined all my work and destroyed about $1,500 worth of wiring. I went and had a smoke and got away from the boat for a bit...wanted to cry.
When I got back in it, I loosened all the cables up and started pulling them through the tube to see how bad the damage was. I couldn't believe what I found. I hit NOTHING with the drill bit. NOTHING!! I found one power cable with a little tiny rub mark on the side of the jacket, but not even close to penetrating anything. I knew at that moment that the Good Lord was watching after my dumb a$$ and made sure I didn't destroy anything. There is NO other explanation for being that fortunate. And yes, I bought a lottery ticket that evening.
I wound up cutting the tube out with a hacksaw blade and a handle, then cutting a slit in it with a die grinder to free the cables. When the install was done, I covered the cables with a slit tube and secured it with two Adel clamps that I attached to the mount bolts for the Balzout. I felt (and still feel) like the luckiest idiot to ever modify a boat! Will take some pix and post when I can...
I've NEVER done anything like that! �� If you believe that, I have some prime commercial property in Portland, OR I'll make you a deal on. We need to see some pix!
Here's a couple pics of the forward Balzout dual mount for my Garmins. It's raining here or I'd take her out for more pics...but not quite ready to get that new carpet wet!!
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Looks awesome!
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