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  1. #1
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    89 Sabre project

    Picked this up yesterday for a grand. It's been a while since I've done anything with an older boat, saw this one and got sucked in. 89 Sabre, no motor or controls, goal is to get it electrically and mechanically sound and reliably fishable, transom is good as are the floors so I'm going to assume the stringer are fine. Trailer is actually in great shape other than the jack and the side lights, towed it over 80 highway miles back to the house and it pulled great. Was a little worried about the hubs and rubber since it's been sitting but hubs didn't even get a little hot and the tires were fine. It's faded and has a few gouges that need attention on the top cap but outside of that I think it should buff out and look "decent", hull has a few gouges but nothing beyond stuff I've done before. Plan is to get it done by next spring.

    Trailer - Jack, bearings, tires, LEDs, bunks, maybe a new winch
    Boat - Needs motor and controls (this will be the last thing unless I find a great deal, open to anything from 135 to 175), 6 or 8" jackplate, graphs, TM (I've got an 80lb Fortrex), maybe a recessed TM tray, charger (I've got an extra Sportsman), all new pumps and hoses, all new latches and shocks for the compartments and probably a windshield. I'm also going to pull everything out of the rigging compartment, fill every hole and epoxy paint it.

    Carpet and seats are decent enough for now, maybe down the road. It's also missing one of the side rails but instead of replacing it I think I'll pull them both off.

    IMG_20190606_065407990.jpg

  2. Member basscatcher89's Avatar
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    Dec 2011
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    #2
    Beautiful. I love the sabre restores. Some day I'll find a deal like that and do one myself.

  3. Member
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    #3
    Man, I should have not looked at the restore totalbeverage did again...I'm going to go almost balls deep on this one. I was talking to my buddy who has a paint shop but also does glass repair on boats and he said he'd fix the imperfections and shoot the whole boat one color gel for me (no flake), for what he said he'd do it for I couldn't pass. I'm thinking about dark gray instead of white since I'm just going to leave the bolt as is, lighter silver flake. I think it'll show up better on that than white. Ordered some 24oz Syntec in Charcoal for it. Found a nice 92 XR6 a couple hours away for $2900 (oil inject already blocked off) and ended up deciding to put it on a 6" Bob's. I've got everything accounted for right now except seats and electronics and new pumps and I'm right at $8K.

    I'll start posting some more pics but right now I've just ripped everything out of the rigging compartment. Still need to clean it up and seal all the screw holes with filler so I can put down some bilge paint. He can't get it in his shop to gel for a couple weeks anyway so I've got some time to strip everything else. After I get the gel done I'll figure out an accent color for seats and misc trim pieces and such. Thinking either lime green or orange right now.

  4. Member
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    #4
    Nice! I'm getting some prices for materials to redo a Skeeter Strada.

  5. Banned
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    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by willwork4fish View Post
    Man, I should have not looked at the restore totalbeverage did again...I'm going to go almost balls deep on this one. I was talking to my buddy who has a paint shop but also does glass repair on boats and he said he'd fix the imperfections and shoot the whole boat one color gel for me (no flake), for what he said he'd do it for I couldn't pass. I'm thinking about dark gray instead of white since I'm just going to leave the bolt as is, lighter silver flake. I think it'll show up better on that than white. Ordered some 24oz Syntec in Charcoal for it. Found a nice 92 XR6 a couple hours away for $2900 (oil inject already blocked off) and ended up deciding to put it on a 6" Bob's. I've got everything accounted for right now except seats and electronics and new pumps and I'm right at $8K.

    I'll start posting some more pics but right now I've just ripped everything out of the rigging compartment. Still need to clean it up and seal all the screw holes with filler so I can put down some bilge paint. He can't get it in his shop to gel for a couple weeks anyway so I've got some time to strip everything else. After I get the gel done I'll figure out an accent color for seats and misc trim pieces and such. Thinking either lime green or orange right now.
    I'd spray gel over automotive anyday.

  6. Member
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    #6
    Well, I've gotten it about as ready for gel as I think I can. I'll find out when I bring it by my buddy's shop. I'm pretty sure I'm just going with white for the whole thing (one color is my most affordable option). He's going to tape off the bolt so that will be "original". This one turned from a buff, rig and fish to "I might as well do it all". I want to thank Frank (totalbeverage) for talking me through the recessed tray situation, that was a little less straighforward than I had hoped. I've probably got somewhere around 30 hours into it so far.

    Once I get it back I can start putting it all together. '92 rebuilt XR6 and controls, 6" Bobs, Fortrex, carpet the front and back deck and lids, some lids and cockpit are going to get KiwiGrip, rewire, install new gauges, fuel tank selector, paint the rigging compartment with bilge paint, re plumb the bilge and livewells and probably a dozen other things.

    stripped.jpg

  7. Member totalbeverage's Avatar
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    #7



  8. Member
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    #8
    Looks really good, ready for a new lease on life!😁

  9. Banned
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    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by willwork4fish View Post
    Well, I've gotten it about as ready for gel as I think I can. I'll find out when I bring it by my buddy's shop. I'm pretty sure I'm just going with white for the whole thing (one color is my most affordable option). He's going to tape off the bolt so that will be "original". This one turned from a buff, rig and fish to "I might as well do it all". I want to thank Frank (totalbeverage) for talking me through the recessed tray situation, that was a little less straighforward than I had hoped. I've probably got somewhere around 30 hours into it so far.

    Once I get it back I can start putting it all together. '92 rebuilt XR6 and controls, 6" Bobs, Fortrex, carpet the front and back deck and lids, some lids and cockpit are going to get KiwiGrip, rewire, install new gauges, fuel tank selector, paint the rigging compartment with bilge paint, re plumb the bilge and livewells and probably a dozen other things.

    stripped.jpg
    Nice! You should do a deck extension before you Gel it.

  10. Member
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    #10
    Nice...I'd love to do a full resto on my Swift...A modem dash console would make it a new boat.
    1994 SWIFT boat 200-SDX
    1999 Mercury EFI 150

  11. Member
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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by g352nv View Post
    Nice! You should do a deck extension before you Gel it.
    I'm just going to do an extension between the starboard rod box and the console. I plan on putting some 3/4" plywood on the inside wall of the console and box for support and then using angle aluminum for brackets. I'm also going to leave a slot between the deck ext and the gunwale to store my net.

  12. Member
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    #12
    Good idea for net storage, it seems very few manufacturers think about this. I'm trying to reverse engineer Phoenix boats net floor storage. The issue is I need to put it under the front storage, as my fuel tank sits underneath seating area. And the the way stringers sit, lengthwise.

  13. Member
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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Skunked again View Post
    Good idea for net storage, it seems very few manufacturers think about this. I'm trying to reverse engineer Phoenix boats net floor storage. The issue is I need to put it under the front storage, as my fuel tank sits underneath seating area. And the the way stringers sit, lengthwise.
    Rangers have or did have under seat net storage. They had dual tanks and there was a gap between the tanks large enough to allow the net handle to go in. They used a rubber grommet to cover the hole. That might work for you too.

  14. Member
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    #14
    Thank you, I'll check their site out. See if there's a way I can make it work.

  15. Member
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    #15
    Hell of a deal right there. Post pics when done. I love the looks of the older Cats.

  16. Member
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    #16
    So my buddy Doug has the boat right now. After seeing it, he's talked me into painting the top instead of shooting new gel. It's significantly cheaper and I was able to see some pics of one that he did that 6 years ago that still looked great. It will all be sealed and primed before paint and he does this for a living so I'm going to take his word for it. My big question now is what color...the boot is still going to be gray. I've got a bunch of color cards and with paint I can literally pick anything. I was just originally going to go with Wimbledon White for gel but now I have too many choices. I've had 4 blue boats, one gray and one black. The black was a Skeeter and looked really sharp but got hot and was a bitch to keep clean. White boats have always had a real clean look to me.

    Too many decisions

  17. Member
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    #17
    How much sun will the white reflect up to you?

  18. Member
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    #18
    Here's an update on where I'm at with the Sabre. I didn't take many pics while I was going but the whole thing has been stripped and faired. The boat was primed and sealed prior to paint...quote from my buddy Doug "I sealed the shit out of it", the bottom is single stage and while it looks black in the pic it's actually a darker gray. The top is Wimbledon white with some very fine flake. He finished yesterday, I'll probably be picking it up on Saturday. I had also cut the top off of the transom before I started this just to make sure everything looked good and Doug went through the whole boat with a moisture meter prior to doing all of the work and said I'm all clear so that was a big relief. Who knows, maybe I'll still get it in the water this fall.

    w3.jpg

    w2.jpg

    w1.jpg

  19. Member
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    #19
    Nice! Very nice!

  20. Member Finlander's Avatar
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    #20
    Believe it or not, I sat in that style Sabre on the show room floor thinking how smart the layout was and wanting to buy the boat. If that boat was sold from Camp N Cruise in Marne, MI. It just might be the one I sat in? Can't wait to see it all finished up.
    2012 Ranger Z519 Comanche - Merc. 225 Pro XS - 24 Razor 4 XL/25 Tempest Plus

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