1985 Skeeter Starfire Rebuild

[CWR]

Someone from another forum suggested I post my restore here. A few Months ago I got hold of a 1985 17' Skeeter Starfire 150 bass boat, with a 1983 50 HP 4 cylinder Mercury. I have already started the build as far as the weather has allowed, the heat index here has been in the 100's the last 2 months, or it has been raining the rest of the time.

I have COPD and a heart problem that prevents me from working on the boat in the heat Waring a tyvek suit, respirator ect.. I have used that time working on other things in the house until it cools down.

I will post some photos of the boat when I got it, and after I got the top cap removed. I will also have some photos of other things I have been working on when it is to hot.

Photos will follow.

[CWR]

Here are this Pics of the boat when I got it.

Before you guys start telling me to get rid of it, it's not worth it. Please don't lol.

It looks worse then it is.

[CWR]

Here are the photos after removing the top cap.

[CWR]

I guess the photos will show up after a moderator reviews them.

[CWR]

on a rain day I took apart the engine remote and cleaned out all of the gummy grease, I also found that the throttle only button shaft was broke, so I had to order the part, I ordered 2 (one as a spare) since Mercury no longer makes parts for this remote.

[OkieLure]

Dadgum, you got some fun right there!

[CWR]

I also work on rebuilding the control panels around the boat when it's to hot outside. I can do all of this siting under the A/C Replacing incandescent lights with LED's and old toggle switches with more modern 20 amp switches. I will also be installing modern fuse boxes to the electrical system.

[CWR]

New Dash and gauges. Some of the gauges will mount on the boat next to the driver seat, this was a tournament boat so it has 2 gas tanks, the 2 gas gauges will mount on the boat along with the engine heat gauge and 2 voltage gauges.

[Ashton.r]

dude all the power to you if you honestly see yourself finishing this! i think it would be a wicked achievement to have accomplished and i really doubt anyone here will be super negative about your project! dudes on here are very helpful!

[CWR]

dude all the power to you if you honestly see yourself finishing this! i think it would be a wicked achievement to have accomplished and i really doubt anyone here will be super negative about your project! dudes on here are very helpful!

I expect to have it finished by next spring. The temps start to drop about mid September, that's when I will do all the demolition, grinding and installing the new stringers, transom, floor and foam. What makes the boat look really bad, is someone shot it with clear coat automotive paint on top of the gelcoat. It was also parked under a tree, so it's covered in sap. has anyone else on here restored an 80's model Skeeter Starfire 150.

[CWR]

2 or 3 years ago I bought a rotten pontoon boat (1983) Waco Aloha. The deck was mulch, the wire was all dry-rotted and exposed. the wife and I rebuilt is over the winter and splashed it out in the spring. It was more of a build then a rebuild. We enjoyed doing it so much, I wanted to do a bass boat.

[CWR]

When doing restores like this I try to do it as inexpensive as possible. When I got this bass boat, the previous owner had removed the hydraulic pump unit to the tilt/trim rams.

I have a family member that has a friend that bought a boat that had the exact pump unit I needed just laying on the deck when he bought it, plus the ram cylinders, He had no use for it so I asked what he wanted for it, he said take it I don't need it.

So I now have it ready to mount up. My family member also had an older motorgiude trolling motor (45 lb Thrust). He got it on a boat he had bought for parts and didn't need it so he gave it to me.

This will save me a lot of money!

[CastingCall]

I like your approach! Anxious to see how the restoration turns out.

[tacoma33]

GOOD LUCK!

[CWR]

Here we go!

[grimsbylander]

Holy cow! I think guys like you that can restore a boat like this are super talented. I'm about done at wet sanding! Good luck and I'll keep watching!

[cart7]

No, I'd say it's as bad as it looks.

I've finished restoring a 184 Champion that had nothing on it. I cut corners like you're going to attempt to do though I didn't have to rebuild the entire boat and I still wound up spending an awful lot of money along with time.

It's your time and money but it's not too late to take a sawzall and cut the thing up for the trash guy, sell the motor and then buy a boat that isn't quite the disaster that that one looks like.

[CWR]

I have no intention on cutting any corners on the rebuild, I will be using the right materials on the boat, epoxy resin, 2 lb mix marine foam, 12 oz biaxial and 1708, marine plywood and so on.

I won't be cutting it up, as far as time, I have plenty of it, I am disabled. I know I will be slower then other more able bodied folks, and my wife will be helping on things I simply cannot do. But it will be put together better then it was from the factory.

[Rip Bass]

Well,I'd say you have your hands full,that is enough work to keep a man busy for a couple days at least. Good luck with your project. I have had four of those StarFire boats,only one SF 150 though. Your's won't be fast with the fifty on it,but they were very fast boats at the time and were a handful to drive. They were a lot of fun to drive too. I ran across a 175 a couple of years ago with a GT 150 on it,in about the same shape as yours but the guy thought it was worth a lot more than I did. I believe he still has it too.

[CWR]

I have had a lot of folks tell me that the 1985 150's handle well even in rough waters. I guess I will find out one way or another. In the future I may go with a larger engine, they were originally rated up to 150HP. Something that puzzled me was the previous owner had slid the engine over to the right side of the boat (facing the back of the boat), not sure if this was done for handling, or ? I know it wasn't done to be on the strongest side of the rotted transom, that side was mulch, the most solid area was dead in the center.

My Wife and child also go fishing with me, so the wife might not like going to fast with my 2 year old on the boat.