89 sunsetter project getting started

[Steve B.]

This is just off the hook. Really. Look forward to watch the continued progress.  That boat will love to get back in the water.

Steve B.

[Andrew999]

Thanks for all the love guys! I'll be working on it tomorrow morning. Reading all this motivated me to post a video of the engine starting and revving a bit. It's now in the boat and I'll have to show that to you guys later but for now here is what I got. And no worries it was warmed up but not hot and the water pump was disconnected so it could wind up a bit not being on a hose or in the water. Killed it after this so nothing got hot. 

 

[Andrew999]

Got the boat back to the house this weekend and started putting things back in. Before and after on the dashboard. 

i just need to touch up that little tiny black trim on the bottom. 

Tying in a little bit of the wood from the swim platform to the steering wheel. I'm going to try and add little teak accents where I can. Gotta get the mini lathe out and turn a knob for the throttle when I get to it. 

[Michigan boarder]

Looks great!  Powder coated bow rails too?

[Andrew999]

Here it is with the wrap in the outdoors and the logo on 

[Andrew999]

Just now, Michigan boarder said:

Looks great!  Powder coated bow rails too?

Thanks! Every metal piece that was faded got powder coated. Rails, windshield frame, down to the engine hatch and seat hinges. 

[Steve B.]

Didn't think I'd like the wrap but it looks awesome. Engine sounds very good too.

Steve B.

[minnmarker]

1 hour ago, Andrew999 said:

Here it is with the wrap in the outdoors and the logo on 

 

Sleek!  That is one nice "28 year old" boat.  Love the dash refurb.  How much upholstery are you going to put in?  Going without windshield?

[Andrew999]

6 hours ago, minnmarker said:

Sleek!  That is one nice "28 year old" boat.  Love the dash refurb.  How much upholstery are you going to put in?  Going without windshield?

Thanks Minnmarker,

all the upholstery is going back in factory spots. I'm not really happy with the job that was done. I got the skins done but I'm having to do some extra work to make them fit and they just aren't up to par with the rest of the boat I feel so I'm going to put em in  it worry about beating them up and secretly hope they get messed up so I can have an excuse to get new ones made not cheap out and probably update the pattern, style, and stitching to something that might come out of the factory now. 

The windsheild is going back I just ran out of the little weatherstripping that goes between it and the boat and the head of the screws I got were a little big. Pesky details. 

[Andrew999]

6 hours ago, Steve B. said:

Didn't think I'd like the wrap but it looks awesome. Engine sounds very good too.

Steve B.

Thanks steve. Can't wait to hear it burble and cough up some water out there. I'll be honest with you I'm still between on the wrap but it's growing on me. The sun hitting that color looks pretty good. 

[Dare2goBare]

Wow... just saw this post. .. What can I say... your a magician, an absulutly stunning trasformation! 

[Sunsetter89]

this build is great. i just picked up my first boat and it is a project as well. in about the same shape this started in. i have been trying to do research on it but it seems my boat is different than this one but the same year. i need to replace the floor and possibly have the stringers redone but its looking like the whole top of the boat would have to be cut off to lift the front section up to get to the floor. are there different models for the 89 sunsetter? any help i can get would be great. yours is looking great andrew!

[Sunsetter89]

Also, did you put foam back under the floors? From what I've read it's really only there for floatation if you take on water. But does it also deaden sound when your going across water? I would also guess it adds stability to the floor as well. But I really would rather not go back with it if it doesn't serve multiple purposes. 

[Arctic Slalom]

that wood steering wheel!  damn dude; that is sweet.  well played!

[John I.]

Looks and sounds great! Awesome work!!

[Andrew999]

On 1/29/2017 at 3:05 PM, Sunsetter89 said:

this build is great. i just picked up my first boat and it is a project as well. in about the same shape this started in. i have been trying to do research on it but it seems my boat is different than this one but the same year. i need to replace the floor and possibly have the stringers redone but its looking like the whole top of the boat would have to be cut off to lift the front section up to get to the floor. are there different models for the 89 sunsetter? any help i can get would be great. yours is looking great andrew!

Hey sorry I haven't checked this in a bit. Yeah they had this one and the eurof3 which is pretty close to the same thing. 

The floor is in sections and once you rip up the carpet you can see the pieces and just the seams are laid with fiberglass. Does yours have the closed bow? Is that why you're saying you need to take the top cap off? Do you have any pics of so shoot me a message and bounce whatever questions you have off of me. Be prepared to spend some ChaChing on it because even just the little things add up.

the foam was added in its buoyancy and deadening so once you get your floor in just get some of the two part closed cell stuff and cut some holes and dump it in then fiberglass them but don't overdo it. 

[Andrew999]

So not a whole lot has been going on with the boat lately between wet weekends and life stuff but here are a couple things I've done. Yesterday was planning out the flooing. 

A few weeks ago a got tired of scraping up the driveway so I added these 

You can see where that cage bar had gotten bent and scraped through the years. 

the drag wheels work perfect but tig welding upside down between the driveway and there was a little challenging. I did take some thick U channel and butt it against the nut  on the drag wheel where it couldn't spin and using it as a stand off from the cage and welding it up. Let's you just unscrew the bolt and the nut and wheel drops free. 

The interior is coming along and the trick front piece is finally done. Here is the before and after of it. 

Bonus pic of the engine cover off but the swim platform on. 

[Andrew999]

Made some decent progress today with the weather being consistently nice out I gotta get this thing done. Got the floor in today. Looks kinda piece meal without the seats in but I promise any white you see is covered with seat. The seam on the left is about 6" all you see and the right side is under the driver seat for the most part. This stuff is pretty easy to work with and if you plan it out and make your parallel seams in the black they basically disappear. Had to leave a gap where the access hatch is beveled but going to paint in there black and it should disappear. Spent $500 on this stuff off eBay so time will tell with the poor mans gatorstep. 

Before 

After

[Levi900RR]

That stuff looks great. Nice work man, keep it up. 

[90oldskool]

are the seams going to be very visible  ? Want to take on this project as well!! 

[Andrew999]

2 hours ago, 90oldskool said:

are the seams going to be very visible  ? Want to take on this project as well!! 

I'll take a few pictures of the seams later this week when I grab it out of storage. Sharp razor blade, steady hand, a straight edge and some planning and you can hide it well enough 

[90oldskool]

That would be much appreciated!!! Put the order in yesterday afternoon and started disassemble.  I PM'ed you a few months back about the floor, shoot me a message about the install process if you get the chance.  

[Levi900RR]

Do you mind posting a link to where you got that flooring? 

[Bozboat]

On 3/19/2017 at 10:06 PM, Andrew999 said:

Made some decent progress today with the weather being consistently nice out I gotta get this thing done. Got the floor in today. Looks kinda piece meal without the seats in but I promise any white you see is covered with seat. The seam on the left is about 6" all you see and the right side is under the driver seat for the most part. This stuff is pretty easy to work with and if you plan it out and make your parallel seams in the black they basically disappear. Had to leave a gap where the access hatch is beveled but going to paint in there black and it should disappear. Spent $500 on this stuff off eBay so time will tell with the poor mans gatorstep. 

Before 

After

Great looking floor project.

Side Question, the white hoses on the back of the engine look like two blowers or two blower hoses, my understanding was to put the blower hose inlet near the bottom of the bilge and put the blower on the other end of the hose pulling air instead of pushing?  

[90oldskool]

1 hour ago, Levi900RR said:

Do you mind posting a link to where you got that flooring? 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/132089023058?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

There is a few sellers on ebay, this is the only one I currently found out of the US.