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1987 Malibu Winter Project - Near Final Accounting


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Many of you who have been kind enough to answer my many question through my 1987 Malibu Skier project . . . so I thought I would post a "near final accounting" of my project. I purchased the boat in late August from a local fellow who, unfortunately, let the boat maintenance lapse and cracked the block. All the wood was solid . . so it looked like a quick fix and a nice upgrade to my '74 Nautique . . . nothing is as simple as it seems. I also "over invested" in areas, as I plan to keep the boat, and sell the Nautique. Below is a "near final" accounting of my time invested in the project and dollars. I kept my records on the back of an envelope and just typed them up.

If you are interested you can find many of the sub projects posted in other threads under my login "kkosche". I have had the opportunity to learn new skills / knowledge along the way (which was the main focus of the project to begin with) . . . gelcoat patching, hatch improvements, rub rail fabrication, drive shaft alignment, etc. For the most part it has been a fun ride. More than happy to answer any questions.

While I am no where near a mechanical pro . . I have some skills . . so the below might give folks an idea as to the total invest for a similar project. Happy reading (and laughing). ;)

I welcome your comments.

2 Hrs - 8/31 Picked up boat

2 Hrs – 9/1 Cleaning

2 Hrs – 9/2 License / Title, moved boat to shop, cleaned

4 Hrs – 9/4 Started Engine Disassembly. Cleaned Interior, Buffed Starboard side

3 Hrs – 9/5 Motor Disassembly / Removal

3 Hrs – 9/6 Motor Disassembly

2 Hrs – 9/7 Test / clean Alt / Starter

3 Hrs – 9/9 Motor disassembly

3 Hrs – 9/10 Motor cleaning

4 Hrs – 9/11 Motor cleaning, prepping parts to reinstall

2 Hrs – 9/13 Fix Horn / Replace Blower

3 Hrs – 9/14 Cleaning Bilge, Fix Bilge pump

3 Hrs – 9/16 Final Bilge clean and blower finish (all new blower vent tubes)

3 Hrs – 9/25 Parts runs, POR-15 exposed metal (seat base, ski pylon base in bilge)

2 Hrs – 9/26 New Rapido Marine Long block pick up, drop off at shop

2 Hrs – 10/1 Retap all holes in new motor

2 Hrs – 10 / 7 Replace Engine tin (pan, timing chain cover)

4 Hrs – 10/14 Reinstall Velvet Drive and Accessories, Intake Manifold

2 Hrs – 10/21 Reinstall drive shaft, repack seal, Drop back in motor/trans

1 Hrs – 10/22 Exhaust Manifold Install

4 Hrs – 10/23 Exhaust and cooling

2 Hrs – 10/25 Wiring and pressure test old Exhaust manifolds for resale

4 Hrs – 10/30 Carb rebuild (farmed out), reinstall carb, plug wires, Dist.

1 Hrs – 10/31 Trains fluid, gas tank drain, bow light replace

3 Hrs – 11/3 – Exhaust fix, All dash switches replaced, all fuses cleaned

3 Hrs – 11/4 Trailer Breaks inspect (shot), clean up shop, start up / tune (fake lake)

2 Hrs – 11/12 Picked up rear seat / drivers seat bottoms (reupholstered)

1 Hr – 11/15 Thermostat diagnosis

2 Hrs – 11/16 Prep for H20 run

3 Hrs – 11/20 Break in on water

3 Hrs – 11/21 Break in on water – Completed 2 hour

2 Hrs – 11/ 22 Pressure wash re-teak swim step

6 Hrs – 12/3 Redesign hatch hinge / mounts w/Aluminum Plate

4 Hrs – 12/11 Rub rail research, order, pick up, fab, paint, install

15 Hrs – 12/22 (thru) Trailer breaks, custom bow stop fab, trailer lights

5 Hrs – 12/23 Create boat kit (tools, rope, etc). Gelcoat patch on bow.

4 Hrs – Remaining Install guide on / bow stop canvas, finish bow patch, store for spring

116 Hours Total

$1500 Boat / Trailer Purchase

$213 Title / Licenses

$30 Manual

$60 Cleaning / Polishing Supplies

$1630 Rapido Marine 350 Long Block

$35 Solenoid

$74 Blower, Norn, Tubing

$100 Misc Hardware (clamps, bolts)

$70 Driveshaft Packing, Paint, Hoses

$70 Dist Cap, Rotor, Plugs

$50 Carquest Misc

$180 Summit Racing – Pan, Timing chain cover

$40 Filters – two sets

$330 Carb Rebuild (complete w/rebushed shafts)

$670 New powercoated (inside and out) Exhaust Manifolds and Risers

$70 Inline Flush Kit

$40 Belts

$20 Fluids

$30 Exhaust Parts / Fittings

$150 Fuel Pump

$200 Seat bottoms reupholstered

$70 Fuel Line

$700 Trailer Breaks, Wheels, Tires

$60 Aluminum for hatch

$60 Steel for bow stop

- - - - - - - -

$6452

$60 Buffer

$25 Heat Gun

$100 Prop Puller

$200 New Starter (didn’t end up using, but kept)

$120 Cleaner (5 Gal Carb Cleaner)

$80 Mityvac 7200 #1

$65 Fuel pump (wrong one, but kept)

$80 Mityvac 7200 #2 (won’t use for fuel extraction this time)

- - - - - - - -

$730

Here is a picture of what I saw when I started the project . . . .

1420ph.jpg

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Very cool, Now where is the "after" pic!!! Love to see another Classic back from the dead :rockon:

EDIT: I wish I had a pic of my Bu when I spied it on the side of the road!

Edited by Levi900RR
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Very cool, Now where is the "after" pic!!! Love to see another Classic back from the dead :rockon:

EDIT: I wish I had a pic of my Bu when I spied it on the side of the road!

Still wedged sideways in my shop, so the pictures don't do it justice. Will need to take a few this spring, once she is back in the water for an extended stretch. Here are two pictures . . . after cut / buff on the front of the boat . . . and a picture of the engine screwed back together.

346qhvk.jpg

2nir84.jpg

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sweet, looks nice! Its crazy to see the kind of hours and money a project like that can take up! A great feeling when its done tho!

I gotta know whats under the car covers???

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sweet, looks nice! Its crazy to see the kind of hours and money a project like that can take up! A great feeling when its done tho!

I gotta know whats under the car covers???

Top of the lift has a '99 Vette that has a bunch of "enhancements" (mid life crisis car). Below it is a '59 Vette that is a non-numbers matching clean stocker (wife's car). And on the other side of the lift, is my first car, a '63 Nova Convertible that has a bunch of "enhancements" (original mechanical "love").

Thanks for asking!

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Wow the shine really came back!!! Looks awesome, give me some hope that my Skier won't need any wetsanding! :yahoo:

I still have some discoloration of the gray gelcoat that is near / below waterline. I have cut / buffed as much as I dare. Gray seems to be a hard color (easy for blems to show). I wonder if some of the hull cleaner I used caused some blemishes . . I don't think so as I tested it and was careful . . . but the gray has some weird splotches that are still visible. When it is in the water . . . I don't think I will be able to see them.

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Still wedged sideways in my shop, so the pictures don't do it justice. Will need to take a few this spring, once she is back in the water for an extended stretch. Here are two pictures . . . after cut / buff on the front of the boat . . . and a picture of the engine screwed back together.

What did you use for the cut and buff? I love the garage! Nice work in the boat.

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I still have some discoloration of the gray gelcoat that is near / below waterline. I have cut / buffed as much as I dare. Gray seems to be a hard color (easy for blems to show). I wonder if some of the hull cleaner I used caused some blemishes . . I don't think so as I tested it and was careful . . . but the gray has some weird splotches that are still visible. When it is in the water . . . I don't think I will be able to see them.

Maybe try some light wetsanding on those spots, from what I hear you can make Gelcoat look brand new if you have the time.

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I made a conscious decision not to keep track of time or money on my restoration. After thirty hours in a plastic suit and respirator grinding fiberglass in a 100+ degree garage, it just got depressing. Offhand I can think of $1000 in fiberglass and epoxy, $800 in wood, at least $1000 in tools and setup, and somewhere between $750 and $1000 for new hardware and refinishing old hardware.

I just kind of figure that if you're restoring a boat, it's not about the money. I'm assuming that by the time I'm done with mine, new motor and all, it will probably have cost the same as a respectable used boat ... somewhere around $20,000. I can't quite explain the appeal, but I can picture exactly how this boat will look when I'm done, and doing it myself and being sure of the quality is a lot more satisfying than buying something out of the factory. Besides, I grew up with my Skier and it's still better suited to skiing and barefooting better than a lot of new boats that are all about wake sports.

Just my philosophy on boat work. However nice it might be to finish this boat someday, it's still going to be my first and last fiberglass restoration. After that I'm moving on to a Gar Wood.

Anyway, thanks for the pictures kkosche. I'm a little jealous, but it's reassuring to see other people putting the same effort into restoring old boats.

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I made a conscious decision not to keep track of time or money on my restoration.

I agree with this approach. I planned to flip the boat when I was done . . . so I started tracking the time / dollars. . . then figured I'd just finish the project out keeping track. . . even though I am keeping the boat.

On hobby related activities, I find I enjoy myself much, much more if I don't have any expectations as to what I am going to get done when going to the shop . . . instead of, "I want to get X, Y, Z completed this evening" I try to go into it with an attitude of, "I am going to enjoy 4 hours of hobby time". This approach helped me get though my '63 Nova project . . which I just about bailed on after having the car apart for 12 years. A few hours here, a few hours there, limit the expectations of progress . . . and there is a enjoyable path to completion. . . or at least that is what I have found this far down the journey.

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What did you use for the cut and buff? I love the garage! Nice work in the boat.

Garage was a father / son project back in 1996. Fun building it and adding to it. Never enough room thou!

Here is what I used:

Cheap buffer from Harbor Freight: http://www.harborfreight.com/7-inch-electronic-polisher-66615.html

In order:

Starbite hull cleaner

http://www.amazon.com/Star-brite-Instant-Boat-Cleaner/dp/B0014488L4

Starbrite Color Restore w/PTEF

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AY4MB/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B002MBQTIC&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=041T66YX9G1PT0J5NYWY

Meguiar's Oxidation Remover

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-M4916-Heavy-Oxidation-Remover/dp/B0000AY4YX

Meguiar's Swirl Remover

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-MEGM0916-Swirl-Remover-oz/dp/B0014DKHQE

Meguiar's M6316 Flagship Premium Marine Wax

http://www.amazon.com/Meguiars-M6316-Flagship-Premium-Marine/dp/B0000AY60S

Also used a gelcoat repair kit for a 1" x 3/8" chip that was in the bow. Still finishing this repair.

http://www.amazon.com/Fibre-Glass-Evercoat-Gel-Coat-Repair/dp/B0000AXTGZ

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  • 2 weeks later...

I went back around the boat with 1500 grit wet sand and the same buffing routine described earlier in the thread. I am convinced that as long as there is some gelcoat left, one can do wonders with careful wet sanding, patience and some buffing. Here is a section I spent some extra time on . . . looks better than some of the new boats I have seen. Rest of the boat still needs some additional sanding, but I think I will enjoy the boat for a season, or two, before investing more than the 20 hours or so I have in cleaning, sanding, buffing, minor gelcoat repair. Nothing better than learning some new skills . . or applying old skills in a new way.

ebeqlk.jpg

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