I finished the restoration of my 18` Cobia Bass Boat last spring. I had to replace everything including the transom. I painted it with Awlgrip. its powered by an `87 Suzuki DT 150 Super Six from E-Bay.
http://i27.photobucket.com/alb...t.jpg
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Rich
Looks great! Very professional job!! I bet that baby runs?? Got any pic sof the restoration?
Joe Galada - Tamaqua, PA
2004 Ranger 521VX - Yamaha 250 SHO
Nice job Dick!!! Welcome to the BBC....
Thanks Al,
I`ll try to dig up some resto pics. Note the mahogany trim and the bimini top. Unusual for a bass boat, LOL, but it works for me. I don`t fish for bass though. Here are some pics of my other boats I restored in the last 2 years. Not Bass boats
`61 13` Boston Whaler, `58 Evinrude Lark 35hp
http://i27.photobucket.com/alb...3.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/alb...2.jpg
`60`s 14` Desilva class F Racing runabout, 75hp Chrysler race motor.
http://i27.photobucket.com/alb...5.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/alb...3.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/alb...r.jpg
Rich
WOW! They truly are works of art! I really like the racing runabout. Glad to have you on BBC! I can see you getting quite a few questions on how to do things. Once again welcome and thank you for the great pics!
Joe
Joe Galada - Tamaqua, PA
2004 Ranger 521VX - Yamaha 250 SHO
WOWthose are some beautiful boats and works of art!
Looks good!
How do you like your Suzuki super six?
The finish looks good too. Was it difficult to get the awlgrip on the topcap and hull? I am going to do mine in spring so i'm looking for some techniques/tips.
Thanks, G.
Great work, how much time did you put into the Cobia? I bet that thing will haul.
2005 G3 HP200 DC with 200hp V-MAX OX66
68.8 gps at 5600 rpm best speed yet
Rich, those are awesome...great work!!
Modified \'92 Procraft 170 Combo/\'97 Johnson 130<U></U>
Pretty Cobia..the hull looks like a Skeeter Wrangler.
Thanks for the positive feedback. As far as the SuzukiDT150 is concerned, I haven`t had any problems with it. It`s a freshwater motor from MO., that was used on a bassboat previously. It has solid motor mounts, so there is some vibration in the hull al low speeds. It sat for a few years before it was sold, and it sat in my garage for two years, while I was rebuilding the boat, so the carbs had to be rebuilt. I`m running a 26" pitch prop, and it turns about 5500 at about 65 mph or so. I haven`t really spent the time on setup, so it may run faster.
As far as the Awlgrip paintjob, it is not difficult to spray. If you have some experience with a spraygun, you should be ok. It can also be rolled and tipped. That's the method used to paint the yellow stripe, as I didn`t want to take the time to mask off the entire boat just to paint the stripe. It looks like it was sprayed. I used a small dense foam bullnose roller from Home Depot. It is a roller sold for repainting kitchen cabinets. When rolling you have to use the catalyst made especially for that purpose. It doesn`t set up as fast as the spraying catalyst. I have painted about 12 boats with Awlgrip, in the last 25 years,and if anyone needs more info, just ask
Rich
RTM
I have a few questions about the awlgrip paint, I have a 1989 Cajun bass boat I am restoring this spring. Live in maine and no garage so have to wait until spring. I do not have much experience with spraying paint so thought I would use the roll and tip method. Now to my question, along the top of the gunwales there is some minor crazing (stress cracks) that are not through to the glass mat but are just in the gel coat. Do these have to be ground out filled and faired prior to the primer and paint. Reading through the Awlgrip litrature it looks like the process allows for a certain amount of defects that will be covered by the primer/paint. I just don't want any cracks showing through after I go to the all of the work. I am very mechanically inclined so the rebuild does not worry me but could use all of the advice I can get. By the way that Cobia came out hot, the hull design looks much like my Cajun and I really like the yellow on white. I never considered that color combo until I saw your pix but now would consider it for my boat.
Mike
nice work,them old boats really are neat that old race boat is unreal how cool is that!
jmr
If you feel more comfortable rolling and tipping the boat go for it. There is a DVD out called brushing Awlgrip that is very good. It is produced by Merritt Video Productions in Pompano Beach Fl. 33064 (305)946-5422. I got mine on E-Bay for $25. It will show you everything you need to know about rolling and tipping Awlgrip. I use a dense foam bullnose roller from Home Depot. Its made for refinishing kitchen cabinets. They come in 3-5, and I think 7 inch widths. Some people call them cigar rollers. The bullnose ends won`t leave roller tracks, and they put on such a fine spray like finish, you don`t even need to tip the job with a brush.
The best place and the best prices I have found on Awlgrip is from Finishmaster Automotive and Industrial Paint. They are a national chain. Look them up onthe Internet, and find a store near you. My boat is painted Matterhorn White with Fighting Lady Yellow trim. The prep work is the most important part of any paint job. Spider cracks are only in the gel coat and they must be sanded or ground off. Not a big job. Nothing will hide them. Awlgrip makes a hi-build primer that is said to fill small imperfections. the problem is you still have to use the normal primer over it. that makes 3 different paints you will need to buy. I once did a boat with Awlgrip, and used the hi-build primer and eliminated the second primer, and the job developed chips after a while. Better to do a better sanding job, and eliminate the high build.
If your going to paint outdoors, do it on a dry windless day with low humidity, and make sure it is dry by nightfall, or the paint will dull out if dew gets on it. I would drive 8 ft. 2x4rs in the ground and surround the boat with plastic.
The outside of the hull is easy to roll and tip, especially if you can flip your boat over. the inside is a bit more of a challenge as there are a lot of nooks and crannies, And Awlgrip being a thin paint loves to run and sag if you roll it on to heavy. Go with thin coats. It takes a few to make it cover. Spraying is a lot easier. I bought a $35 conventional gun from AutoZone when I sprayed my whaler last year. If you want to try spraying, buy a gun and some cheap oil based enamel and practice on your plastic garbage cans, until you get the hang of it. Again light coats and wait til the paint tacks up is the way to go.
If I can be of any help, email me.
rich
wow that is a piece of art....great work..
RTM
Thanks so much for the info, I have a paint gun that I bought at VIP so mafbe I will take your advice and try shooting some cheap paint to see if I want to tackle spraying it. While I understand that spraying it would take far less time and produce a better finish, I have just a little bit of the fear of the unknown having never done it before.
As I am pulling the top cap I was going to build a structure out of 4x4s for lifting it so I could probably modify it with plastic to make a spray booth which is a good idea. Thanks for the offer of helping by E-mail, right now I ma doing alot of reading and preparing to do this, so as I go along I may have some more questions.
Mike
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