Ranger 373v Project

[donmac]

I just picked up an `88 373v that may be one of the the ugliest Rangers I've seen. ;) This was somewhat intentional. I was looking for a boat that was a little rough around the edges because a) it'd be cheap and b) I didn't want to start using my newer Reata in brackish waters of the Chesapeake.




I'm not looking to restore the boat to mint condition, but there are some things that will need to be done. The seats are pretty bad.








I'm guessing that new seats from Ranger would probably cost more than I paid for the boat, so that's not an ideal solution for me - but is not out of the question.

I'd consider after market seats - but I need to deal with the lip for the storage areas.








Suggestions?

[dixieman18]

you could always get some seats from Bass Boat Seats ( http://www.boatingseats.com/bassboatstatic.asp ) they are a sponsor. my dad has a 373v he is in the process of restoring and thats the seats he was considering. bout the lip, you would have to get creative i guess. maybe build a frame around the lips to get the seats over the lip and still be able to use the storage, or just cut them out. the front seat you would probably have to get recovered or just convert that whole area to a deck extension.

good luck. itll be a great boat when your done...these rangers were built very well for their time

[old373guy]

All you have to do is remove all the fabric and foam from the old seat bottoms and attach the new after market seats to them, that will compensate for the lip on the under seat storage areas.

[swamptoad]

I just bought the exact same boat a month ago. 1987 373V. I got it for next to nothin because it is worse shape than yours. I agree the colors are the ugliest.
I have a thread going in the ranger boat section.
One thing I can tell you is that removing the carpets from my boat is a real tough job. They are coming off with a scraper inch by inch.
I plan on going with a burgandy/brown carpet with tan seats with some gold trim.
I will go to a local seat apholsterer (SP) cause the foam is shot on my seats.
I called ranger about new seat skins. They have them but they are expensive. It is amazing that ranger still offers replacement parts for a boat this old.
Be sure and remove your battery tray and inspect your bilge and through the hull fittings for broken PVC and ensure all the hoses are connected...mine werent.
The top side of my hull is really weather worn. I think I will end up using verglas polymer on it...it cant make it any worse.
Good luck with your boat. Post more pics if you can.

[donmac]

Thanks for the info.

Swamtoad, I'll checkout your thread. While I will likely do the carpets someday, they will not be my first priority. I bought this boat to explore and fish the upper Chesapeake bay. In addition to fishing for largemouth, I'll be striper fishing and trying out 'crabbing' - so I don't want to put in new carpet quite yet. Definitely going for 'function over form' on this boat.

While the colors are way out of fashion, I'm someone sentimental to them since I had an early 80's 392 that was very similar (close to 20 years ago).

Haven't decided what I'm going to do about seats yet. Still collecting opinions and weighing options,

The prior owner already told me the hoses were loose - he put corks in the livewell holes on the transom to solve that problem. ;)

The top side of my hull is totally faded as well. I assumed I was going to have to wet sand it - but after a few minutes with some hull cleaner and an orbital buffer - I realized that - for now I'll just buff it. The difference between the spot I buffed and the untouched section is much more dramatic in person - but here is a picture.

[jseasor]

im sent

[kent61]

You will love that boat after you get her cleaned up. Had a 1985 373 bassmaster classic that was identical to your's down to the color. Restored most of that boat over a 8 year time frame. Forget getting the seats done after market. Just call ranger and get the skins. It will look great, go on easy and last. Had mine redone at a marine uphostery, even with the old skins for patterns never looked right and 2 years later had to redo them again.
Also you find that that the metal flake is real colored metal flake and if you sand that gel coat to smoothed it out it will turn silver. Just a heads up.
Good luck, to bad the old ranger trail trailer is gone.

Kent

[donmac]

Thanks for the info

I got a quote from Ranger on the seat skins - about $700 for front & back. May wind up going that way eventually.

I actually wanted the galvanized trailer since I'll be fishing the Chesapeake Bay and it was one of the things that drew me toward this boat. ;)

[c rig]

Don, if you're going to be fishing/crabbing in salt or brackish water, maybe RhinoLining or the equivalent will work out better than carpet.

[Stroker Ace]

Hear are some good ones to look at:



http://www.bbcboards.net...04604

http://my1981ranger375v.shutterfly.com/

[donmac]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by c rig &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> Don, if you're going to be fishing/crabbing in salt or brackish water, maybe RhinoLining or the equivalent will work out better than carpet.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yea, I've considered that. It'll definitely be in brackish water. I'll try crabbing, just because I have never done it before, but I have no idea if it is something that I'll do a lot of.... I'll probably do nothing with the carpet in the short-term.

Lots to do... Need to drain the gas out of the tanks since the prior told me it was way old and on the way to being winterized it was hesitating a little at WOT... May need carbs cleaned...

Over the weekend I installed a heater in the garage to help keep the project moving in cooler temps...

[donmac]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Stroker Ace &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hear are some good ones to look at:



http://www.bbcboards.net...04604

http://my1981ranger375v.shutterfly.com/ </TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks had never seen those pictures of the 375 restore... cool pics... all 488 of them ... ;)

[donmac]

I haven't found too much time to spend on the 373, but after cleaning up the seat uppers I have decided to just reupholster the seat bottoms - or rather my wife has offered to reupholster them for me. ;) I sent off a sample of the cleaned seat fabric to a company to have them match it up as best they can. We'll then just do some simple cushions for the bottoms.



Still lots to do....



Haven't touched the gelcoat other than a test buff on a couple spots...



Remember this project is not a restoration... ;) This is a 'get it fishable and dunk it in the bay project'. ;)

[donmac]

Most folks here seem to wet sand the gelcoat - and that may be the best way to go, but I'm wondering if anyone has tried a light sand with a palm sander and then following it up with compound, then glaze. In High School (30+ years ago), I spent a few years buffing cars with high speed buffers for a local shop, and I can't help but wonder how effective that might be.

This boat I'm working on spent years docked on the St. Lawrence SeaWay and has big time crud that a pressure washer would not touch.



It literally had to be sanded off. I used a palm sander and then a low speed orbital buffer (only because I had not picked up a high speed buffer yet) it it did not come out half bad. Not perfect but not bad.




Modified by donmac at 7:01 AM 11/14/2009

[donmac]

Haven't done much in recent months on this project other than buy things to install... new gps/sonar for console, sonar for bow, some vinyl to 'self-upholster' the seat bottoms, a 3 bank dualpro, 'nearly new' ranger folding seats, some plumbing, some wiring, etc...

But, today, the big news for me is that the motor actually runs...

I bought it cheap last fall after it had been winterized and was prepared to just write-off the motor...so I'm thrilled to death that it actually started and ran fairly smoothly. Not as smooth as my 200 EFI, but probably a tad smoother than the carburated 200hp blackmax I had many years ago. I now have some incentive to finish this 'bargain bay boat' project of mine up and get it out on the water.

[donmac]

We got my project boat on the water (Chesapeake) for the first time today. We were thrilled to find out the motor runs great (so far!).

Over the winter I:
- replaced the vinyl on the seat bottoms with about $30 worth of vinyl
- installed a new Eagle 642c color gps/sonar w/ temp the console
- installed a new Eagle 320 sonar w/ temp on the bow
- replaced some plumbing hoses
- did a little rewiring wiring
- did some minor trailer repair
- installed a new 3x10amp DualPro on-board charger
- added a pair of Ranger seats that I bought from a gentleman here on BBC
- spent a bunch of time sanding/compounding a ton of crud off the hull.

The hull could be cleaned up more - but the boat now quite fishable. And, the best part is that I have a total of about $2,500 into my 'bargain bay boat'.

Now I'm finally ready to mess it up a little with a couple crab traps and whatever bites in the Upper Chesapeake.

Here's a few pics from earlier today (with my son driving).

[red314]

You made that turd look great.


Randy

[Foodeefish]

I have the same ugly boat but it is a 1984.

What size and length is the lid piston you put in your rod locker I see and how did you install it?

Also, did you have to upgrade tour dashboard in some way because mine is totally unreadable. I do not wnat to spend a ton of money on a new one from Ranger.

Thnx

Doodeefish

[donmac]

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Foodeefish &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have the same ugly boat but it is a 1984.

What size and length is the lid piston you put in your rod locker I see and how did you install it?

Also, did you have to upgrade tour dashboard in some way because mine is totally unreadable. I do not wnat to spend a ton of money on a new one from Ranger.

Thnx

Doodeefish</TD></TR></TABLE>

The gas springs on both the road locker and rear compartment are Spring Lift SL-1 20. A google search will tell you these are 7" with a 3" extension w/ 20# lift, and are still available. Both of mine are shot and will need to be replaced - but I'm not doing anything I don't have to to the boat until I have at least a couple of months worth of confidence in the motor. I can easily live with the shot springs for now.

My dash was unreadable is well. For now I just took a sharpie and wrote (small) what I needed to near the switches. (visions of other Ranger owners shocked in horror)

Side note: Most of us bass boat owners tend to get caught up in Saturday morning fashion shows at the ramp, because our boats are so aesthetically appealing to us. Been there, done that - and if I ever buy another new Ranger I'll probably be proud as a peacock about it as well. I have a couple other boats that I do try to keep looking nice (especially the one that is for sale ;) . This one is a fishing and crabbing boat and it is function over form.