Project Ranger.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

I have a Ranger bass boat. Was told it 8s an 84 373V. How can I tell for sure what I have? It had some rot in the console area deck but no rot has been found anywhere else. Transom seems solid. If it turns out I am wrong about that I will replace it. I really like the layout of this boat. However I could find no weak or rotted areas in transom or stringers. The stringers appear to be glass over foam and I was told it should be. I am repowering this with a 77 Mercury 1150 from another boat I bought just for the parts. Its all rotted lol. Engine seems to run great though. I am not sure what holes in the engine mounting as this is not a standard OMC pattern as the boat was originally equipped. I got it as basically a bare hull with tanks and some old junk wiring lol.
I know how to measure and drill then seal with resin and redrill to final size, as well as sealing the old holes in transom. I just need to know what holes in the old tower of power to use to bolt it to the transom. Thanks.

[Whiteboat]

Post some pictures.The 373 is a dual console 17'10" model with one rod box with a cushioned top

[Noassumptionsplease.]

That's what I have exactly. Only its been not well loved lol. I will eventually paint it but for now its gonna be a bit of an ugly duckling lol.

[wmitch2]

Call Ranger with your Vin #. They should be able to give you the year. Aslo, If the motor is original it will have the year on the Serial plate. That would be right or maybe 1 year newer.

[Zpilot]

There is no such thing as an ugly duckling Ranger. Have fun bringing her back to whatever it is you desire.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

Well at this point it may be a moot point. Went to the tag agent yesterday and I now have to track down the last registered owner and get a new bill of sale signed before I can get legal paperwork on her. Arrrrggggghhjhhh. Will try on Monday to get it all sorted but I think it may take a bit of time.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

Wish me luck tomorrow. Going to the revenue office to get name and address of last registered owner. Hopefully I can find em and get a signature and all will be good. More importantly, going job searching tomorrow. Hope that goes good for sure.

[Ranger519VS]

Look at the hull serial number (starboard side of the transom). The last two digits of the serial number are the model year of the boat.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

Was able to locate the P.O. on facebook. That lead to a phone number and messages left. Fingers crossed. Guy lives less than an hour away in the same town my Aunt and Unkle live in and another Aunt and Unkle live 15 mins from there lol. Possibility is very high I will have paper on her in my name by weeks end. Sure hope so.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

It is an 84. 373V. Going to start back working on her. As I am very confident on getting the paperwork all sorted soon. Hope to have the seat bottoms done and ready to reinstall by tomorrow evening.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

Going to be a slow process as until I find work money is super tight. Hopefully that will be sorted by weeks end also. I do have the supplies to do the seats but not to install them. Need hinges lol. I have everything to do the hull bottom repairs. Got a few small chips and gouges to fix in the gelcote. Going to use MarineTex to repair it. I have all new through hull fittings and am going to re resin the holes and redrill them as two are not the proper size. They are smaller than the large fitting, but larger than the smaller fitting.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

I want to try to use the steering box, wheel, and cable off the donor boat on the Ranger. It is close to the same length as the cables that were on the Ranger so I am hoping it will work. If not I am on the hunt for inexpensive replacement parts. Any advice considered. Thanks.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

Great news. I was able to contact the last registered owner and he is going to meet me Wednesday and sign the B.O.S. so I am all good to go. The project is a go again. Sometimes these small hiccups are the scariest. That could have been the end to a pretty decent boat, but it's all coming out good.
Got the foam glued to the driver seat and ready to upholster in new Denim. Going to strip the final off the seat back and recover it at the same time. Original left side seat back is long gone so I am going to use a folding seat added to to foamless rebuilt passenger seat bottom/hatch lid and install the second identical seat in between them so a third person can ride. Hope to get some decent dry weather soon so I can do the hull work and start assembling her.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

Got a break in the soggy muggy weather so plan to start back on the hull this afternoon.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

Just got back from my landlords as they had borrowed one of my tires off the old boats trailer and I need to move the boat up to the landlords so I can use the horse walker as an engine hoist on a swinging boom lol. Plan to try and get the engine off the old boat tomorrow afternoon. Then I can measure and drill the holes in the transom for the older Mercury mounting pattern. I don't trust my eyeball and tape measure for this particular task lol. I plan to use my dial calipers so I can get it spot on in one go. Hopefully haha.
What are you guys using to replace old or nonexistent hinges? I know to use all stainless hardware, but do I really need stainless hinges also? I plan to keep the boat covered when not in use. Can I use aluminum hinges? I ask as every hinge on this boat is gone and the local suppliers are wanting more than I paid for the boat lol. Suggestions on where to get em cheaper? Thanks.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

Looks like I've got some more work in the bow than I thought. The bow eye was loose so I removed it to repair the pocket it sits in. The wood that was glasses in to anchor it to is rotten. I could repair the glass and use a plate inside but I fear it will eventually tear out. Only way forward I see is to cut open the top of the bow and replace the wood inside with composite and glass the top back on and paint it. Suggestions?

[Noassumptionsplease.]

I am working on the hull the next few days in preparation for installing the engine. So far I have prepped and sanded the areas of the transom needing refinished as well as prepped all the holes that were just silicone sealed from old transponders and such. Also going to fill the holes from the Speedo probe as I will be using a GPS. Hope to start laying resin in the morning weather permitting. Transom looks good. No rot noted or soft areas anywhere yet. Its even solid around the bolt holes still. I am going to use an aluminum plate on the inside just to be sure I fully distribute the forces across the entire transom. Also the holes are going to be close enough to the old holes I am about to fill with resin and dowels so I don't want the bolts ripping through due to a dowel glue joint failing or some such stupidity lol. Better safe than sorry I say. So I need 6 more bolts and a 13.5" square plate. Then I can mount the engine. Hope to be able to find the plate tomorrow.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

This is what she looked like when I first got her. Quite sad really.








Last one was.while I was ripping out the rotten crappily built home made fishing deck extension.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

Filled that shop vac 3.5 times with water and debris out of the rod locker alone. She was left under a tree at some point uncovered and bow down. At least that's my guess. I pulled mass amounts of leaves and acorns out of every nook and cranny of her. Lol. All cleaned out and rotted floor gone. Bilge clean. All thru hull fittings removed for replacement. Fiberglass repairs to the hatch covers 8s well underway. Repairs to hull proceeding. If the weather holds I hope to complete prep work tomorrow for all glassing repairs. Will see how far I get with this iffy weather lol. Hate not having my pole barn done yet. Soon hopefully.

[Noassumptionsplease.]

Good news. I got the paperwork signed this evening. Now I just have to deal with the tagging process. At least now I have no worries, its just going to the tax assessor, then the revenue office for the tags. Hope to get the transom glasses up tomorrow. Weather looks good for it. But I have a bunch of yard work and pruning/trimming to do first.