Complete Restoration 1982 Champion bass boat w/ many pics of process.

[devotid]

This is my first post on BBC but i have done a ton of reading here researching my project.....wonderful website here....lots of great info.

Here is a 1982 Champion 16 foot bass boat that i am refinishing for a pro fisherman buddy of mine here in MI. (im his marketing agent / fabricator for the project)

I brought it home from Swayze, IN from a fella named Dan Underwood......(but he has yet to send the title......:( and now hes ignoring me)


just got all the carpet and interior in today but have not taken any pics yet.....to be continued.






Modified by devotid at 10:16 AM 9/23/2011

[devotid]

[devotid]

[Bassin4life55]

Dude that looks amazing. Can't wait to see the finished product. Keep up the good work!

[sealtech101]

nice spraying man. I love that motor paint job. Did you spray the boat with a gel coat? Just wondering because I seen you using a HLVP gun, if so did you modify the gun at all. Great Job11

[bassassn]

looks great!

[lure buddy]

I remember as a kid riding in my dads 168 Champ and that center live well splashing water out in your lap. Good memories

[devotid]

no gel coat. Just base coat and three heavy coats of clear. (not wet sanded yet)
The "black" motor was limco single stage paint and although it looks good.....it will not "harden up" completely. i think it was just a bad quality paint from finishmaster....but ol well...the motor doesnt run too good any way...(looking for a newwer 115-150 HP as i type this) compression was only 90-90-90-90-120-135....so yeah....junk it.

Just got the carpet in a couple days ago and about to start all the sponsor decals all over the sides.......i think i will show a how to do graphics on your carpet or something like that to "give back" a little to this cool community.

Next week, Paint trailer white to match, install electronics, graphics, Power poles.........then go win some tournaments:)

Thanks for kind words.

Kevin

http://www.devotid.com

a couple more pics

[sodaksker]

Great looking work.

Thanks for sharing.

[sjpg77]

WOW really nice work

[bwizard]

Looks great. Im in the middle of a similar project on a 86 Ranger 395VS. What material did you use for the new dash panel?

[devotid]

i had some old smoked lexan laying around....so i roughed the back and shot it with flat black...it gave it a really deep look.....and it was in my plastic scrap bucket so the price was right.

Kevin

[AshtonTate]

I was looking at the pics and the ones from the back with the motor off kind of screamed rotten transom to me. Did you check it and not tell us. It just looked like lots of wet holes and not well sealed. Also did you check for water logged float foam? My experience is when the boat looks that bad on top it's rotten under the deck.

[fishin fever]

Good job Kevin. I cant wait for you guys to get out on the water. Get that thing running and Im coming up there Oh yeah after you find some fish first

Tell Brent i said hello. Hows he doing?

[rooster tail]

I thought that looked like Brent holding the hose.

[devotid]

yeah...the hull is an 1982 and its had a few motors on it.......but the old holes were well sealed and the thing is "pretty solid" ........remember this is a low dollar "marketing" boat that i got and reconditioned it in 11 days from the day i brought it home. i put two layers of tri-axel 22 oz (expensive snowboard laminate glass) on the inside of the back transom and re-laminated the outside......so yeah its plenty strong and should be fine for 3-5 more years.

i did replace alot of the foam in the hull....it was quite dry though and still not ate up and depleted.....i have a ton of Smooth-on brand plastic and foam at my house (im a small parts prototype builder) so i dumped a bunch of the 8 lbs urea- foam in places....which also adds a ton of free "stiffening"

for the little that i have drove this thing with the ill running motor it has been a hell of a nice riding boat.....the hull makes no weird noises...the steering cable is quite new....throttle control was fresh and easy to move...the trolling motor is great for the buddy of mine plus we added padded front and rear fishing decks.....which in my opinion MUST be on every boat.(i have a complete steel left ankle :)


This is not my "go to war boat" hell its not even really for me..... but it will look nice enough graphic'd up and be reliable for the fisherman i am building it for.....then when we win a new boat in the next few years.....we will give this to our local highschool team we are constructing in our spare time. they will love it..im sure.

Thanks again for the kind words and fishing fever... cant wait to see ya come up some time...your always welcome here.....

well were gonna go rip some lips right now with just the trolling motor....cause my merc skills are still being polished and i must fish TODAY.

Kevin

[Amc147]

What brand paint did you use and does anybody know how to replace the wood were battery goes then glass it back in. Any ideas? Thanks

[G3 Trent]

I really like the looks of an all white boat.

[Dooner]

Lots of guts to sink moneyinto a boat you don't have the title for.
I think I would have waited untill I had the title in my hand.

[Big Ron]

Very nice work, Hope you enjoy