1984 Bullet 19V Resto-Mod ** Pic Heavy **

[ArizonaNative]

I've been working on my 19V getting a lot of the hillbilly-riggin' taken out and prepping the boat for a fairly complete restoration/modification. I'm posting all of this here to share the process as well as to provide me with a reference of what I'm doing and what's been done. As of right now, plans include:

Boat:
New carpet
Extended/raised front deck with additional storage
Center rod locker
Windshield
New seats
New (to me) 24V trolling motor with improved mounting location
Wet sand/buff/polish and possibly spray clear gelcoat on cap
New fuel hoses and lines
3 New batteries
New bilge/livewell pumps and hoses
Re-wire and upgrade the current bird's nest
Upgrading from the '84 2.4 200 Black Max to a '98 150 EFI
10" jackplate to replace the current 6"
Carbon-fiber dash
Carbon-fiber bow panel, extended to use more available space
Replace the rotten compartment floors and walls (found this after removing miscellaneous chunks of wood that were hillbillied in there)
New bow light with improved placement
There are some areas that need fiberglass repair such as the top of the seat compartments (cracked) and the fuel tank/battery dividers in the rear compartment
Carpet inside of storage compartment behind driver's seat
Change hinge position from rear to side on compartment behind driver's seat
Add lights and gas-charged supports to compartments

Sooner or Later plans:
Changing boat colors to charcoal/gunmetal with blue pins when new gelcoat is applied after filling some holes in the cap that should never have been put there...
New Bullet stickers and emblems
Hydraulic steering
New steering wheel
New control box
Livorsi gauges
Updated graphs

Trailer:
New and additional bunks (all repositioned higher to avoid keel scrapes)
Aluminum diamond plate on steps rather than old ratty carpet
LED lights
Complete rewire
New jack
New winch
New hitch
New wheels
New tires
Sand and paint trailer

I've already started on some of the items in the lists. It has been and will continue to be a lot of work but it's a fun boat that deserves much better than to rot away from years of neglect from previous owners. Not to mention, it's paid for!

Here are some pictures taken by the previous owner around July, 2007. These pictures show the boat condition when I bought it, although the pictures do not show much of the smaller items such as the carpet edges being worn/loose, rear compartment rot, soft spots in the floor, seat base cracks, a dozen or so holes in the bow, and so on. Also the boat being in the shade during these images hid many of the cosmetic issues which are easily visible in my pictures.































Carnage pics to follow...

<FONT COLOR="#FF0000">** Warning!! ** The following contains graphic images of Bullet boat guts which may not be suitable for those wanting to see "bling" or shiny stuff or those who may be offended by such images. There may also be images of the Bullet being "stripped" (aka naked ) which may offend some. Viewer discretion is advised.</FONT>

** Disclaimer ** I did not trash the boat! What you see is the revealing of the true boat condition. Also the bright sunlight in my pictures has a tendency to make flaws stand out much more, which are not apparent in the previous images.

The following set shows the trailer's condition. Mainly the trailer tongue, winch, spare tire, side steps, lights and bunks.
















Also notice the hokey aluminum plate on the transom with caulk...


Also notice the hokey aluminum plate on the transom with caulk...


Another nice view of the aluminum transom plate


Bow




The bow light was moved forward (see shiny area behind it?) to make room for the trolling motor. This light will be replaced with a light base and moved back to its original position.


Dash and Bow Panel








Front and Rear Decks, carpet removed








I have already removed the old carpet glue and residue in this picture




Original Rod Locker


Rear Compartment Rot








Cracked Seat Bases




Got the old motor off. You've been fun Max, but see ya!!


Pulled off the jackplate (strange 2-piece model) and the hokey aluminum plate on the transom and over the rear of the splashwell.






Transom looks like it's starting to get a little weak. I can push in on the top and it moves about 1/8 of an inch. Seems like the plywood is in the beginning stages of delamination. The transom is still quite solid.




Cracks in the splashwell




Notice these bubbles in the gelcoat here? That transom plate wasn't sealed up very well and some water apparently sat between the plate and the gelcoat, causing these blisters (aka osmosis)


Decided to let the transom sit for a while so it can think about what it's done (close as I can do to timeout or punishment). Moved on to other things.

Been doing some wet sanding and compounding on the cap. Came out pretty well. Should look even better after microglazing and a couple coats of wax.






Got the boat and trailer separated - don't try this at home.


Also wet sanded the sides three times - will be compounding next.


Stripped the trailer down to frame and tires






Will be working on the trailer mostly at this point so I can set the boat back down on it and get busy on the boat interior repairs.


Modified by ArizonaNative at 12:18 AM 4/17/2008

[ArizonaNative]

Reading the "Transom Plate" post (http://www.bbcboards.net...75702) has got me wondering what I should do about my transom as there was a transom plate on this boat when I got it.

Before I pulled the old motor off, I did the usual transom test of putting weight on the cavitation plate (top of lower unit) and also picking up on the cavitation plate. When putting weight on the cavitation plate, I watched for the stress cracks in the splashwell to open up, which they did not. In fact, I was lifting the front of the trailer up with my weight on the back of the motor (no I'm not THAT heavy! ). When picking up on the cavitation plate, I was able to move the motor a little bit. Turns out the genius who installed this setup didn't think using lock washers/nuts was a good idea and the bolts were starting to come loose.

You can see in the previous post's pictures the transom has been opened up by a previous owner at some point, as they removed the factory transom cap and ground away the gelcoat and fiberglass at the top rear edge of the transom. This is where I get a very slight amount of forward movement at the back edge of the transom (rest of transom is solid, only rearmost 1/8" or 1/4" moves) which leads me to believe the plywood here at the top of the transom is starting to delaminate.

I was thinking about diluting some fiberglass resin, injecting it in from the top and letting it soak into the transom wood while clamping everything together tightly. Then seal it all up real well (it wasn't sealed well before) and possibly put a couple layers of glass over the top of the transom. It's not like the transom is "bad", I just don't want it getting any worse until I pull it down next winter. Thoughts? Any other ideas?

[Alan S]

Looks like you've got your work cut out for you. I would suggest rebuilding the whole transom. If it's weak at the top, it will eventually work it way down, no matter how hard you try to keep it out.
Good luck and keep us posted!


Modified by Alan S at 2:26 PM 4/14/2008

[Slippy]

awsome job so far. Just curious why you are going to smaller Motor? did you find the EFI for a good price, have you looked into another 200?

[ArizonaNative]

Alan S - I've thought about rebuilding the transom and that's definitely the best way to go. However, I plan on getting the boat re-gelled next winter and would like to pull the transom down then rather than tearing this up more right now. I've been stuck inside for 6 months during this winter and am starting to go insane (already have?? )... Fishing is the only way I get away from my work. Most of the lakes I fish are 5mph "no wake" lakes and the couple lakes I might fish that are not "no wake" I won't be on if the weather is bad or there are big roller waves. I would really like to get through this season (only about 5 or 6 months) with the transom, and tear it all down later this year when the water gets hard again. At that point, I wouldn't care about cutting into the cap since it would get new gelcoat when I'm done anyhow. Thoughts?

Slippy - Thanks for the compliment. I'm going to the 150 for several reasons: Boat is rated for 175 so the 200 is "illegal" as far as tournaments are concerned, the 150 has the triple-ram trim setup whereas the 200 has the old single-ram (which is fine, just slow and requires the external pump), the 150 was rebuilt less than 100 hours ago and is in very good shape and appearance, the 200 is blown, the 150 is EFI whereas the 200 is carbed (better mileage hopefully - the 200 was a hog!). I do have another 200 being built by Paul Nichols right now but found this 150 for a pretty good deal and since it had a lot of what I wanted, I grabbed it.

[ranger370v]

you got your work cut out for ya..it will be a fun boat..i found one last fall..was in really good shape structure wise..not to hijack your post but here are a few pics of mine..love to see the old muscle boats brought back to life..good job.. it was oxidized bad.. but it came out pretty good.. keep at it..you'll have a fine boat when your done

[Alan S]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ArizonaNative &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">........ I've been stuck inside for 6 months during this winter .... I would really like to get through this season (only about 5 or 6 months) with the transom, and tear it all down later this year when the water gets hard again. At that point, I wouldn't care about cutting into the cap since it would get new gelcoat when I'm done anyhow. .</TD></TR></TABLE>

Now I understand! And I would have to agree!

[ep72]

Neat project,keep the updates and pics coming.

[BumbleVee]

Good luck on your redo!!Makes my bathroom remodel look a little less painful.Thanks Keep pictures coming

[Skeet'r89]

The transom has been rotten for quite some time. Why do you think the other owner installed that aluminum plate. The cracks in the splash well were probably done before the alum. plate was installed. The back of the transom was probably not ground out as this is the seam between the top cap and the hull. This is the way that my Skeeter was. I would bet you that the wood in your transom is much worse than you expect. Look at the picture of my boatin the tread pinned at the topof the resto forum. I removed much of the plywood from mine with a screwdriver and a shopvac. If the wood is wet inside pouring resin into the back will not do much as the resin will not absorb into the wet wood. Good Luck!
Actually it looks like you top cap should seperate from the hull very easily.

[ArizonaNative]

Well, it's been really eating at me to know what's going on with this transom. I've had a gut feeling that I should replace it, but really, really want to go fishing... I guess common sense won out this time.

Decided to do some "exploratory surgery" to get a better idea of the transom condition. What I found is the center of the transom is rotting out. Looks like a transom is part of this project now...

Still haven't decided how to go about the repair - whether to pull the entire cap off or just cut the rear of the cap and pull that section. Will be calling Bullet Boats to get their opinion.

[plbass]

Looks like a lot of work. It will look awesome when done.

[North Texas Fiberglass]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ArizonaNative &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Reading the "Transom Plate" post (http://www.bbcboards.net...75702) I was thinking about diluting some fiberglass resin, injecting it in from the top and letting it soak into the transom wood while clamping everything together tightly. Then seal it all up real well (it wasn't sealed well before) and possibly put a couple layers of glass over the top of the transom. It's not like the transom is "bad", I just don't want it getting any worse until I pull it down next winter. Thoughts? Any other ideas?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Once wood rot has started, there is nothing that you can add to stop it. Looks like your stringer on the inside of the rigging compartment is also rotten. You're going through a lot of work to not be committed to this boat. Might want to stop, open the top of a cold one (or few) and think about how deep you want to be into this boat. It is definately worth saving.

But think about this. It is a Bullet. You know the transom is getting week. Those are good boats, but lightweigh hulls. Someone has already been in there, and done some work, plus plated the thing. They knew the transom was getting week. That jack plate is just making things worse at this point. If you don't repair the transom right, I wouldn't put that jack plate back on for now!

How are you going to be driving your Bullet? If you drive it like most Bullet owners, that transom is a big, big concern. Becareful. You may be going down the lake, and boom, your motor pulls off the transom, and is flying loose behind the boat. That isn't a good thing. Especially with the prop spinning at over 5,000 RPMS!

[ArizonaNative]

Thanks for your response. I followed your Ranger rebuild and appreciate your chiming in on my project.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by North Texas Fiberglass &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Once wood rot has started, there is nothing that you can add to stop it. Looks like your stringer on the inside of the rigging compartment is also rotten. You're going through a lot of work to not be committed to this boat. Might want to stop, open the top of a cold one (or few) and think about how deep you want to be into this boat. It is definately worth saving. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I've thought about it quite a bit. Had a reality check about a month ago and decided that I bought to boat to keep and enjoy so I may as well fix it. Plus, a broken boat is worthless and I can't have that.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by North Texas Fiberglass &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
But think about this. It is a Bullet. You know the transom is getting week. Those are good boats, but lightweigh hulls. Someone has already been in there, and done some work, plus plated the thing. They knew the transom was getting week. That jack plate is just making things worse at this point. If you don't repair the transom right, I wouldn't put that jack plate back on for now!</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm definitely going to repair the transom and do it right. Have some phone calls to make and will decide exactly how to go about the process at that point. My instincts were nagging at me to fix it but I want (need) to fish. My dad always said "Son, if you're going to do something, do it right, the first time, and to the best of your ability". Old man's got a point...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by North Texas Fiberglass &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
How are you going to be driving your Bullet? If you drive it like most Bullet owners, that transom is a big, big concern. Becareful. You may be going down the lake, and boom, your motor pulls off the transom, and is flying loose behind the boat. That isn't a good thing. Especially with the prop spinning at over 5,000 RPMS! </TD></TR></TABLE>

Oddly I don't drive it very hard at all. 90% of my fishing is done on 5 mph no-wake lakes. Kinda silly but whatever. The rest of the time I may fish bigger water but won't take the boat out in big rollers or try to squeeze every last mile-per-hour out of her. I'm fine with running 60 mph and not even working the boat to do it. I don't need to go 70+ especially not having much seat time. But this is all a moot point since that transom will be replaced, done right, and to the best of my ability.

[bardern]

you are lucky to have Mr. Micheal Bristow on board!

[SwatDawg]

Go ahead and bring that bullet back to life my friend... fix her up right. I promise you will enjoy fishing out of that boat way more nowing you redid it. Thats a nice boat, and will make you a great boat. Go ahead and replace it... UNLESS you find ALOT more like whole stingers, floors ect rotten, then like Mike said, you will have to decide if its worth it or not.

[ArizonaNative]

It's been a while since I posted an update, so here we go. Decided since the floor had several soft spots and I didn't want to cut the cap that I would go ahead and pull the cap. I had been warned it was a lot of work to pull the cap and let me tell you, those warnings were dead on. After getting the obvious cuts made there was the challenge of taking apart the rigging compartment and finding all the patches Bullet placed to bridge the cap and hull together. Finally, the cap is off and the rest of the fun can begin.



The entire rigging compartment and bilge was rotted to one extent or another. The fuel tank and battery platforms were junk, floor was junk, transom was completely soaked (boat hadn't seen water in about 8 months at this point), even the knee braces were rotted out. So it all came out after taking a lot of pictures and measurements for reference. Here's the end result:



You can see in the picture the transom is completely wet from side to side and top to bottom. No way any of the other transom "repair" methods would have done the job.

Figured it's down this far, may as well replace the stringers while I'm at it since they have minimal rot and are 24 years old. I haven't got the stringers removed yet but that's the next step. Livewell is out, cooler is out (and will stay out, converting it to a dry storage area) and we're down to stringers. Did notice the core had some rot as well under the cooler where somebody drilled a little too far when making the under-seat drain and also under the livewell, so part of the core is being replaced as well. I'm in too deep now to turn around so may as well do a full restore on it.

Here's a current picture:



Transom (almost) prepped and ready for rebirth:



The plan is to bring the stringers back all the way to the transom and tie them in to the transom which will give the hull that much more rigidity.

[Largemouthlou]

I just looked at these over on FB I think your worse off then I'am but not by much!!

80% of my transome is good, but the rest is close to yours.. Giving some thought to pulling that cap to

[ArizonaNative]

It's sure more work than I expected to get into but at the same time it's not surprising. Given the opportunity to do it again, I don't know if I would but it would depend on the boat. Hey, it's paid for, right!?

I don't understand how 80% of the transom can be good. Is it structurally sound? How would you fix the 20% that isn't "good" and have it as strong as the rest? I just don't see how anything short of a full transom replacement will be as strong as it needs and should be.

Pulling the cap on my 19 wasn't all that bad with the help of a friend. Worst part of it was twisting and turning to get access to the cuts on the underside and rail of the cap and then cutting the glass by hand. The only other option was to cut the cap at the rear and I really didn't want to do that. Plus, with having to do the floor (I knew it had soft spots) the best way to do it all was to pull the cap. Look at the bright side, when putting down new carpet you won't have to fight it under the cap!

[Largemouthlou]

Good point on the recarpeting!! Also will make it easier to rewire

Have some bad areas on the very top and a little down the sides can be filled with epoxy resin and a filler material, then glass in all the new supports.. Letting it all dry for a few weeks then will get back started on her again and keep digging