Ok, it's a 1989 Astro Quickfire 19SC that I bought from my neighbor. I'm going to polish the gel coat, replace the steering cable, fix a soft spot in the floor, and carpet. I fished this boat last year and really like it. I'm not really gong to restore it, rather I'm going to make it maintenance free fishing platform, and polish it a little. Restoration and using the boat the way I use it don't go together...my wife likes cat fishing, so that's what she gets.
Last edited by Axhammer; 04-12-2017 at 07:31 PM.
This is what it looks like before I start polishing the gem.
I spent a couple hours (after work) wet sanding the left side, below the rub rail yesterday. I then polished the gel coat to a nice shine. It turned out pretty good for the time it took. Today I am going to try the same method on the area above the rub rail, including the top cap, and some of the interior walls.
Im wet sanding with 800 grit and polishing with a wool pad and meguiars fine cut cleaner #2. So far it is cleaning up better than expected. There are a few spots I didn't wet sand enough to remove the oxidation, but it won't be hard to go back and redo them later before putting it back on the trailer.
I need to replace the black foam hand gripes that was covering the hand holds on each side. Does anyone have an idea on where to shop for this rubber/foam hand grip material?
Looks good so far! Wet sanding is quite the process but surely worth it in the end on these older boats. I have an 89' Astro 18f/s and wet sanded the entire thing last year. Not sure on where to get handrails from, i know you can get chrome rails from boat part stores, maybe look into a lighted handrail from basscat?
I have wet sanded and polished everything I could get to. Most if the boat looks pretty good, but some spots are into the metal flake. I guess the gel coat has seen too much ultra violet exposure from the sun. It's just gonna have to do as is, I have about 20 hours of sanding and polishing invested in this project. I still need to seal it with Pro-Tec sealant polish.
Another picture.
http://www.gripworks.com/foam-grips.htm Looks like this place makes all sorts of grip stuff.Originally Posted by Axhammer
Can you post a pic of the hand grips? There may be other options if we can see what they look like.
And the last picture for tonight.
Yup, that company looks like my answer, I'll post a pic of the worn hand grips tomorrow....Thanks!
Soft spot in the floor could be a sign of trouble. I hope it isn't a symptom of a waterlogged boat(soggy stringers, flotation foam, transom etc). Was the boat stored outdoors? If I were you...I'd investigate further before you put too much time/money into it. jmo
Does anyone know the best way to apply the Pro-Tec Sealant Polish? I have a fleece polishing cover that slips over the wool compounding pad.
We fished the boat many times last year. The boat and motor worked very well, but I did notice the soft spot in the floor adjacent to the drain. I guess time will tell, since the soft spot in the floor is next, after I get the boat back on the trailer and in the garage to dry out.
The foam hand grips are 9.5" long each (x4) and must slide over the 7/8" OD aluminum tubing.
The drivers side gets the same hand holds.
I want to remind everyone this boat was coated with varnish when I bought it. The varnish had turned brown, and didn't look very good at all. It's hard to imagine how much better it looks now, but there is a big improvement.
The front of the drivers console has the most sun damage to the gel coat, and I don't think there is any way to save it. I Think I'll put a sticker or two on it...how big are the BBC stickers?
Suggestion: Ditch the foam handgrips (they'll rot in the sun anyway), and replace the aluminum tubing handrail with 7/8" dia. polycarbonite (Lexan) solid rod. You can install an LED on one end that will make the entire handrail light up. Similar to what Basscat does on their boats.
The foam hand grips are 9.5" long each (x4) and must slide over the 7/8" OD aluminum tubing.
I want soft foam grips, because I've watched my wife hold on to them when we cross the sound while it's blowing 15, and I'm trying to make the ride as smooth at possible. Its more for safety and comfort, so hard polycarbonate won't be in my boat, unless it has padding over it.
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