# 89' GameFisher 14' V MOD "Kinda Finished"



## Driftingrz

this is my 5th "vessel" over the last few years and only my 2nd Tin.. first was a short project that sold shortly after i worked on it...

anyways this is the first one with a running outboard.. hadnt originally planned on buying motor with this boat.. but after seeing a buddy spend $600 to get his old mercury in good running order.. i jumped on this mint Johnson 1990 (J10RESC) it runs Awesome

as you can see it came with some "decking".. nothing more than rotted plywood layed across the ribs and screwed into them.. also had 7" pedestals mounted in the CENTER of the benches... dont understand that at all in the rear.. i ripped it off at the boatramp before taking it out on its first trip..

as of now its all stripped out. ive had it in the Chattahoochie nearly daily since the weather has finally been nice.. trying to figure out how i like the weight balanced between seats/battery and gas tank. i have 1 deck inbetween 2 of the benches that i have had in there testing out its height and stability.. and with 400+lbs of flesh along with fishing gear and 6gallon steel tank and batteries im planing out nice and running 19mph average at WOT. took some tinkering with the trim as it just plowed through the water how it was setup when i got it at about 11mph...

anyways enough ranting for now. heres some pictures of where i am progress wise.. sun finally went into hiding again today so when the rain lets up this week im gonna do my best to avoid the temptation of the river and get to work.. i have a brand new Lowrance Elite 4x DSI and a minn kota edge 45lb trolling motor that ive had for a while never used from another project i have... and they are destined to live on the Tin






















i stripped the carpet and wood out after my first trip out what a night mare the carpet residue and glue have been grinding out.. stuff is like concrete.. im making progress... still got more to do before i paint hte inside


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## papa

Hey that's my boat, well one like it. I'll be interested in seeing what you go with it.


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## Driftingrz

rain is gone hopefully for a while.. time to put the hammer down. cut out the middle bench today and grinded away at some more carpet glue.. along with getting my floor and front casting deck started. 






was piecing together the supports and trimming to fit, also trying to figure out how high i wanted floor.. not sure if i like the height its sitting at.. gonna hit the river tomorrow or friday and test the decks "Mocked up" before i start coating them with spar and carpet... orr????? still not sure. always seem to get mud or sand in boat from river.. and i do alot of catfishing so not sure if i wanna use carpet.. any suggestions on a cheap easy to clean finish?






took this picture after dark for a buddy who wanted to see he started decking his boat a few days ago aswell.. its dirty but shes sturdy as is.. for anyone interested i think this middle flooring/deck measured out at around 45 1/8" x 67 1/2"


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## papa

I used the cheap outdoor carpet from Home Depot when I built the two decks last summer and recovered the trailer bunks with it too. It seems to be holding up fine and the kids track water, mud, bait, chips and soda all over every weekend nice enough to get out on the water. For the most part it gets parked in te garage and I just let it dry and me or the kids clean it up with a shop vac. The colors are limited, they have gray and tan at the local store here. There are probably better ideas out there for sure, but it was cheap, easy and pretty nice. The carpet makes a nice "buffer" between the plywood and hull where they meet to. It closes up the fit and I don't get virbration noise when the motor is running and quiets the noise from the kids banging around too. Just a thought before you decide against carpet. I think 8 yards (6' x 12') of the stuff is only like $35 and more than needed for the whole boat.


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## Driftingrz

thanks, i saw some at lowes yesterday im considering.. just gotta figure out how much im gonna need..


heres a few more pictures. woke up to this yesterday... got a few coats of spar on just in time.. seems to be doing its job well. i got another coat or 2 im gonna put on before i carpet everything up... might aswell use it all up






"almost" done framing out the front deck.. had just framed out the hatch.. 






a majority of the deck is cut.. still 1 peice short when i took these pics











oh how i love Routers.. so worth the price of the new router bit i had to buy.... 






my grandpa passed yesterday on his birthday so it seemed an oppurtune time to get out and spend my time on the water in a calm purty place... and that would be the Chattahoochie River.. i had to see how i liked the weight distribution and deck height...my buddy also drove up with his Tin. hes in the middle of his build aswell... this is how the boat sat as i hit the water.. changed rear seat mount for a removable type much more comfy with the 3*tilt and spring.. definatley gonna have to move Battery forward under front deck and i have plans to switch to a lighter 3 Gallon Tank... but here she is as it sits


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## russelln114

Driftingrz said:


> thanks, i saw some at lowes yesterday im considering.. just gotta figure out how much im gonna need..
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> heres a few more pictures. woke up to this yesterday... got a few coats of spar on just in time.. seems to be doing its job well. i got another coat or 2 im gonna put on before i carpet everything up... might aswell use it all up
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> "almost" done framing out the front deck.. had just framed out the hatch..
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> a majority of the deck is cut.. still 1 peice short when i took these pics
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> oh how i love Routers.. so worth the price of the new router bit i had to buy....
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> my grandpa passed yesterday on his birthday so it seemed an oppurtune time to get out and spend my time on the water in a calm purty place... and that would be the Chattahoochie River.. i had to see how i liked the weight distribution and deck height...my buddy also drove up with his Tin. hes in the middle of his build aswell... this is how the boat sat as i hit the water.. changed rear seat mount for a removable type much more comfy with the 3*tilt and spring.. definatley gonna have to move Battery forward under front deck and i have plans to switch to a lighter 3 Gallon Tank... but here she is as it sits




Nice build. What kind of stain did you use? Is that exterior plywood or marine and did you stain the supports?


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## Driftingrz

i think its an exterior ply. no stains. just a few coats of Spar varnish.. marine UV resistant


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## shawnfish

Driftingrz said:


> this is my 5th "vessel" over the last few years and only my 2nd Tin.. first was a short project that sold shortly after i worked on it...
> 
> anyways this is the first one with a running outboard.. hadnt originally planned on buying motor with this boat.. but after seeing a buddy spend $600 to get his old mercury in good running order.. i jumped on this mint Johnson 1990 (J10RESC) it runs Awesome
> 
> as you can see it came with some "decking".. nothing more than rotted plywood layed across the ribs and screwed into them.. also had 7" pedestals mounted in the CENTER of the benches... dont understand that at all in the rear.. i ripped it off at the boatramp before taking it out on its first trip..
> 
> as of now its all stripped out. ive had it in the Chattahoochie nearly daily since the weather has finally been nice.. trying to figure out how i like the weight balanced between seats/battery and gas tank. i have 1 deck inbetween 2 of the benches that i have had in there testing out its height and stability.. and with 400+lbs of flesh along with fishing gear and 6gallon steel tank and batteries im planing out nice and running 19mph average at WOT. took some tinkering with the trim as it just plowed through the water how it was setup when i got it at about 11mph...
> 
> anyways enough ranting for now. heres some pictures of where i am progress wise.. sun finally went into hiding again today so when the rain lets up this week im gonna do my best to avoid the temptation of the river and get to work.. i have a brand new Lowrance Elite 4x DSI and a minn kota edge 45lb trolling motor that ive had for a while never used from another project i have... and they are destined to live on the Tin
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> i stripped the carpet and wood out after my first trip out what a night mare the carpet residue and glue have been grinding out.. stuff is like concrete.. im making progress... still got more to do before i paint hte inside




19 mph wot with 400lbs gear, tank and battery with 10hp? did you use gps to check speed? that little johnny must be on steroids lol! my freind has a little 12 foot jon with a 10hp and with him and me in it (350lbs) its top speed might be 10 mph with the wind at our backs... are you gonna add any support where you removed the middle bench? my boats ( 16ft semi-v) all but done besides putting some sort of support where i removed my bench, ive got a few ideas but cant decide. i'll be posting pics of the whole process when im finished soon....


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## Driftingrz

Yea gps speedometer on my phone and a garmin gps. It gets on plane almost instantly maybe i got lucky this johnson 9.9 is mint. A buddy of mine has a 14v thats a really deep v his does like 12-14 but it doesnt plane out


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## Driftingrz

well i didnt get a lot done today.. but its progress none the less... i cut out a hatch door for the large storage compartment.. and as you can see i left the rough edges on it for the time being. I know its gonna have to be sanded down/trimmed to fit later on once i get some carpet for it so i dont want to take off to much now... went ahead and put on a coat of spar to keep it protected.. 

im also getting ready to make a mount for the bow mount trolling motor.. with the shape of the bow its getting on my nerves trying to keep the mount Level so the motor will sit level in the water and not tilted... hopefully have that built by end of day if not tomorrow


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## MTord03

Boat looks real nice! Keep up the good work! Sorry to hear about your grandpa.


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## Driftingrz

I appreciate it


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## Driftingrz

i didnt do any work on it today since im workin all week and weather isnt gonna be great so i went fishin... anyways here she is sittin pretty as is.. gonna lay carpet soon... and heres a video runnin up the Chattahoochie











[youtube]42enXkFT7M0[/youtube]


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## Driftingrz

ended up having the day off.. so i tryed my best to make progress before a Storm rolled in and boy did i cut it close... finished this piece as the black clouds were overhead... also Primed the inside of the boat.. or atleast the spots that are gonna be visible when decking is reinstalled.. still gotta do the part behind rear bench.. but ill wait till i replace transom wood for that.. maybe later on this week.... anyways.. its amazin what a difference some primer and carpet will do to the Aesthetics of a boat...


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## Driftingrz

made some more progress before dark.. still gotta carpet the hatch and the rear bench.. along with painting back side and replacing transom wood.. but she startin to look Purty

nearly 400 views and only like 1 or 2 comments on this build.. guess it aint fancy enough :shock: :roll: haha


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## baldrob

That's looking good. I like the simple open layout you have.


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## Driftingrz

Thanks im pretty happy with the layout. Lots of ooen spacr to move around or for coolers etc.. will make running trotlines or jug fishing a breeze.


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## Driftingrz

well i got the Hatch door done and installed before i hit the water yesterday for some fishing.. if i have enough carpet left im gonna go ahead and wrap the rear bench today and prime the back section of boat.... im quite happy with the turnout so far.. great stability even with my 250lbs plus a buddy fishing the river. him on front deck me on back.. no problems at all.. even with Him dancing around to some bluegrass hahaha... with all the fishing gear decking battery, gas and both of us its not planing out aswell as it was with just me and deck.. and gps shows only 17mph... which was a bit of a let down.. that 2-3mph is a very noticable difference... i may mess with trim settings some more.. or raise lower the motor.. i dont completely understand how high the motor should sit in water.. so ill do some reasearchin today....

also got a box built for the trolling motor i have.. motor is way to long.. so im gonna try to shorten the shaft without ruining it.. 

on top of all that.. i caught 1 bass yesterday.. he was all of 4 inches long hahaha a hair longer than the crankbait he tried to Devour... ill try and post some more pictures later on in the day


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## tynimiller

Just curious...where your supports touch the hull of the boat, are you spar coating these pieces? Putting carpet between the supports and the aluminum at all? Curious because you hear so many guys saying the treated wood touching aluminum will cause corrosion over time? I love your layout and it's actually just like what we're doing to one...and will use same approach if it's working for you!


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## Driftingrz

all wood has spar on it.. and i didnt use PT wood so it shouldnt be an issue with the spots that are touching or secured into the Aluminum


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## DVeasey

Looking real good! Got me itching to get busy on mine this weekend!


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## Driftingrz

I appreciate it.. actually had a guy offer to buy my boat when i was gassing up today hahaha. so it must not look to shabby ... 

not much of an update.. but this is the only picture i have with the hatch installed.. spent a good chunk of the day trying to find some catfish.. caught a few Channels... my laziness failed me.. i didnt feel like bringing worms to catch some REAL bait.. so i opted for some chicken livers i had in the Fridge.. what a mistake.. i remember why i havent used those in like 2 years.. used probably 20 paper towels and wipes to keep blood from staining everything... my go back to the river tomorrow and use some bluegills for bait... anyways enough ranting.. heres a pic for now.. through on a few rod holders i had and hit the Water... just anchored up in the only spot of shade i could find within Miles..

and as im sure you can tell.. the "handle" for hte hatch is just some nylon webbing i had laying around.. same stuff thats on the Big lower deck that i use to pull it out.. Free and simple


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## DaveInGA

Nice simple build. The kind of boat I would have bought and built if my wife hadn't wanted a larger boat.


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## papa

Nice! very much what I have in mind for my boat when I get some time to work on it.


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## trueblue1970

Sorry to hear about your grandfather.

Very nice build. Im getting my 12 V hull tin this week and cant wait to get to work. Did you float your floor? I see the tabs along the top. I think thats a great idea....Looks great

Also, have you had anybody else with you on the boat? Just curious as to how it would handle with 2 as I will have a friend along from time to time.


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## Driftingrz

not sure what you meant by Float the floor? but yes it is removeable.. it its supports come out with it. the front deck however is secured to boat.

Yes ive fished with 2 people and it handles great (turning and whatnot much more stable with added weight) aswell as fishing.. 1 person on front deck another on big rear deck.. plenty of room and pretty stable

thanks for the compliments guys


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## trueblue1970

Not sure if I used correct term in re: to boating but meant floor not screwed into floor (attached, glued etc). I really like what you did...great job. Will probably do pretty much the same with mine. Thanks for replying and enjoy!


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## Driftingrz

no problem and yep you got it right.. the supports in this picture were secured to the plywood after they were trimmed and fitted just right.. then wrapped in carpet.. VERY snug fit in between the benches.. can barely pull it out by myself.. so it aint Budging.. if you do it similar you wont regret it.. i love the open space.. and since i do alot of catfishing.. i can just lay down and relax while im anchored out on the river and wait for the rods to bend over with a fish..


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## Driftingrz

another small update... stopped at basspro on the way home from todays job since i was in the area.. save myself the 45minute trip... and went ahead and got myself a base/seat post for passengers to ride on.. every post there says 5mph max.. but ohwell. this setup seems sturdy enough.. the post was 13" to begin with.. shortest one in stock but that was to tall for my liking.. so i cut it down to about 6-7" plus the 2-3" that the spring on the seat base adds so it sits comfortably.. and matches the seat height i have on the rear bench.

also got the back half of boat painted. none of my carpet peices i have left over are big enough to cover rear bench in 1 piece.. and i dont want to use more than 1.. so it will have to wait another few days atleast... getting closer to running my electrical... and being closer to Done.. gonna hit the river tomorrow and see how it balances out with someone in the front seat


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## papa

I think you'll like it were you put it down on the lower deck. I had mine out on some rough water the other day with my son and I had him sit down on the lower deck about the same place when we were running across the lake. The battery was up front too and the boat planed out well. I plan to put a seat base on the front deck to so I can sit up there when we are trolling around the stumps and pilings for the trout we fish for mostly out here.


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## Driftingrz

Thanks. it did fine. Still need to relocate battery to under front deck to help with weight


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## Driftingrz

alright.. so i now have battery under front deck.. just gotta start running all my wires to a switch box so i can mount both trolling motors my FF and hook up lights.. but itll happen soon.. today i finally bought another piece of carpet to do the rear bench.. it came out perfect on first try :mrgreen:... also replaced the transom boards and hardware.. so its atleast ready for water once again.. pics arent great due to Sun.. but oh well.. theyll do

*BEFOFE TODAY *

hideous bench and transom boards covered in Carpet  







*NOW*... yes theres screws on the bench holding carpet on... i ran those in to keep carpet tight and stretched as glue cures.. may leave them.. may pull em out later..


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## DaveInGA

You're getting there dude and it's looking good. Time to start thinking of final touches/customizations you want that'll make fishing the boat more fun.


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## Gramps50

Looking good, nice and clean looking.


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## Driftingrz

Thanks guys


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## Driftingrz

as always nothing big has happened.. but i now have battery under front deck.. the stern doesnt wanna sink with my far arse and gas tank back there now haha.. ran wires from my rear trolling motor into a box under deck that has a bus bar and fuse block mounted in it.. i might try to take a picture but doubt it. its way up under deck and was a PAIN to mount with my front deck still on.. but it works and thats all that matters.. also mounted my transducer for my DSI and ran its wiring up to the fuseblock.. and got it on river yesterday for some testing.. so far i like it.. river is alot different that i thought.. VERY shallow in alot of spots.. and now i know where to fish... but here it is

this is just running through simulator mode after installation






and a picture cruising down the Hooch.. clouds got DARK while i was out so i didnt venture to far out.. wind was blowing be all around the river while at WOT


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## fool4fish1226

Nice clean mod!!! I like it, great job


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## Recon

Nice work. I just mounted the same Lowrance and love it. Took little getting used to the DSI.


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## Driftingrz

thanks for the compliments.. when i saw the DSI at bass pro i didnt have a second thought on sonar.. i do alot of catfishing so having it mounted on rear bench where i can cruise around and check out where the drop offs are and logjams etc.. should help alot.. still got to get used to it. i never was great at understanding the sonar completely.. just love the Detail on the DSI


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## Johny25

Hey nice mod man.... Looks really good and nice layout too =D> Does your little johny still plane you out with another person in the boat after the mod?


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## Driftingrz

before i moved the battery to under front deck it wouldnt plane out for anything with 2 people.. too much weight in rear.. i moved it under deck and it moves pretty good.. doesnt plane out as fast or well as it did before deck with a few people.. but it was maxed out at 16mph with me my mom and my nephew a yesterday on the river.. still faster than my dads 12ft flatbottom with a 2001 8hp Mercury with just him :LOL2: so i was happy... but i setup with removeable passenger seat cause i do alot of fishing Alone.. and it still does 19-20 on a good day with just me.. the battery relocation made a world of difference.. specially when theres a lot of gas in the tank. 

i need to do another video walkaround and showing it running now that its basically finished


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## Johny25

I was just curious because I did a flooring and carpet mod to my 2001 14' Lowe deep V-hull that looks similar to yours. I had a 87' 9.9 johny that was in mint condition (been in the family since day one and had very little hours on it) and after my mod I could not get the boat to plane at all no matter what. I turned it into a 15hp by putting a 15hp carb and exhaust tube on it which then planed my boat at about 16-17 with all my gear and my 5yr old. Still would not plane with the wife and 3yr old with us though, 7-9mph. But this year winter I bought an 88' 25hp johny and tweaked it with a carb and intake mod to put out 30hp or so and now I can run 30mph plus with just my son and I and can run 27-28mph with the whole family in it (1,100lbs total)  

Still got my 9.9-15hp and it is a great little motor.....


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## Driftingrz

ive comtemplated modding this jonhson just for some extra power but for hte price didnt figure itd be worth the trouble.. i think i got lucky with this motor being as mint as it is and the boat they just made a great combo.. my boat is a pretty shallow vhull.. and i think thats what made the difference in speed and planing ability.. cause my buddy has a 14' thats quite a deep hull and he cant even get near planing or over like 13-15mph with his 9.8.. id love to drop a 20+hp motor on this boat and get it scootin


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## Johny25

I believe I spent $115-$130 total to mod my 9.9 into a 15hp. Of course I did all the work myself so that kept the cost down. At the time it was well worth it to me to get the boat on plane versus $500-$1000 for another motor. The difference in the motor was very noticeable. Went from not planing at all to doing roughly 17mph. But if I were you, and you wanted more speed I would hold out and get at least a 20hp from 1985 or newer. If pre 1985 then go at least a 25hp minimum.

Anyway I don't want to get your post off topic...... I really like the setup you designed and it has even got me thinking a little about re moding mine maybe? Did you reinforce after removing the middle bench?


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## kfa4303

I like the vintage OMC 18-20 hp myself. I run a '66 20 hp Jonson on my 14' semi-V tinny, which has a very similar set up to yours, and I'm able to get about 20 mph out of her and she get on plane in under 10 secs. Not bad for a 50+ year old motor that weighs less than 90 lbs and can be rebuilt with a flathead screwdriver and two wrenches  Best of all, there are still lots of them around and you can still get parts with ease, most of which are $25, or less. Plus old motors are just cooler  I passed a guy on the river yesterday running a '65 e-rude 10 hp and we gave each other the big thumbs up for running our cool, old vintage iron. Sure, there are lots of fancy black, plastic, Darth Vader motors out there, but who cares. They all look alike, weigh a ton and cost a million dollars to fix. Nah, I'll keep my little $100 screamer that starts with on pull and leaves the big boys at the dock. Less is more. Old school rules!


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## Johny25

I agree especially the 50's models  That was the golden age of styling IMO and they were easy to work on. The only down side to these motors pre 85-86 is they did not put out the HP at the prop that the stickers or tags stated. That is why I suggested higher HP for pre 85. I have seen a lot of people buy these pre 85 OMC's and Mercs not understanding that they were really not getting 20hp or whatever the motor's sticker said. Your 66' 20hp is probably putting out 17hp at the prop on a good day (cool weather) and in top running condition (good compression etc.). I have no issues with these older motors, I just go one HP size bigger if I look pre 85 is all.


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## Driftingrz

ill probably end up leaving the jonhson on this boat as is and mount my trolling motor up front so itll be a descent setup for bass fishing.. im planning on another boat hopefully before next spring Bigger tin with a Big motor.. bare bones no mods to it other than maybe coating the slippery aluminum.. just want it fast and simple for a boat i dont have to worry bout keeping clean so i can slime it all up with catfish and bait without worrying about it. 

and no i didnt do any reinforcing after removing the bench. it was pretty sturdy after removing it.. i also kept the tolerance so tight on the big low deck that after adding carpet to all surfaces its wedged in there TIGHT.. makes the whole boat feel solid.. whether or not it makes a difference who knows.. im not worried about it


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## Johny25

I removed half of my center bench seat and framed the floor in with support uprights that were bolted into the floor framework and made into a nice rod holder on the side. I didn't notice much or any flex in the boat when I had the smaller motor on it but when I got the 30hp on it and I was doing 28-30mph in 1-2 foot chop I was really glad I reinforced. The stress on the boat from the speed I was hitting the waves at was at least doubled from what I could tell. I don't like posting pics in someone's boat mod thread so I will remove the pic after you see what I am talking about. Just something to think about if you go with a bigger motor which will cause more stress on the boat.


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## Driftingrz

looks good. no reason to delete it i dont mind. i was gonna do some rod holders like that but since i use 7-8ft rods it just wasnt gonna happen haha. might just have to do a vertical rod rack in back for when im cruising.. and i understand what you mean but im most likely gonna just leave the johnson on here as it runs flawless.. and put a big motor on my next tin. i dont even bother with choppy water.. if i had a deep V or a bigger boat i may but not gonna risk it in this thing unless i put a bilge pump in


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## Johny25

Actually the top 4 slots on my rod holder are higher than the front bench seat so they go right over top and I can get 7' and even 8' rods in those slots without any issues : ) The bottom 2 slots require breaking down the poles or putting my kids poles in those slots.


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## JODGW1776

Driftingrz,
Looks great - I am looking to do something similar with my 14ft. I want to remove the middle bench (had three bench seats) and do something simple just like you. I am curious to know: How did you measure the braces for the plywood in your boat? Obviously, you can't just pop a piece of plywood down and hope it says in...

I am limited in my carpentry knowledge but am eager to learn...How many supports did you use? Did you secure the plywood to the braces with nails, screws, etc.?

Looks good and thanks!


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## Driftingrz

easiest way to answer that question is MATH haha. as bad as i was in school i was always good with math.. but being an architechure drafting and design student for a few years helps aswell...

its really not too complicated.. i had to decide how high i wanted the deck to sit off the real floor of boat.. and i chose the ridge that runs horizontal. and just took measurements for each support cause the boats sides arent parallel. it gets wider as it goes forward than narrows back again. take lots of measurements and if your not sure start BIG.. and trim each individual support to fit where you want it. i used 45*angles on the end of my supports so it sits flush on sides of boat.. once i got all the supports in place and fit like i want i did measurements from each side for the Plywood. once it was a good fit i just dropped it in place on top of supports (at this point supports were just resting in place) once everything was where i want it i screwed the ply to all the supports so the whole thing is removeable (hence the pull tabs)

sorry im not good at describing. 







this is the only supports for the rear deck.. all made from 2x3. as you can see there not all trimmed to fit in this picture.. when i was done they were all sitting like the one on the bottom of picture.. 5 supports in all.. the ridge in the side of the boat keeps everything from wobbling as the ply sits on it on both sides.. i made it with tolerances as tight as i could then wrapped front and rear bench in carpet along with the deck itself it is VERY snug


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## Driftingrz

i feel like its time I ressurect this thread and project.. its been a long winter of poor weather and low water levels in the river so the boat ramp has been closed.

been working on my dads tinboat the past few days getting his ready to sell. and not its time to get mine ready for the water.

this is how she sits currently after last years mods. nothing has changed except its a little dirtier.. speaking of anybody have any tips on cleaning the motor up. the rubber seal around the shroud in particular is stained a darker color and id really like to get it white again..


alright onto the mods. i dont have many mods left in mind.. nothing expensive atleast. gotta finish shortening my bow mount trolling motor shaft and installing a bilge pump i robbed from my bass boat. 

I was considering adding a door to the rear bench between my seat and the DSI, so i could have room in the bench for a small cooler for drinks/bait etc. how should i add a hinged lid to the seat that actually looks Good and flows with the rest of the seat. I dont want it to look really out of place.. so if anybody has any ideas, insight, pictures.. Anything post them up.


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## Ringo Steele

You might try a Mr. Clean Magic eraser. Those things clean a surprising number of things well. Try a little soapy water with it.


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## Driftingrz

Got my bilge mounted that i pulled from another boat. Need new hoses and a thru hull fitting

Also have a small order from iboats on the way. Seasense switch panel and some flush mount hatch pulls. Gonna get to work on atleast 2 more storage compartments and somewhere to put the switches

Any recommendations on some rattlecan paints for the exterior to pretty it up. Strong enough to withstand some riversand beachings every once in a while? Cant spend much cause my trailer is gonna need xome work aswell it is hideous

Pics to come later


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## TheMaestro

For the seal/gasket aroundthe cowling, i used a white liquid leather shoe polish with a foam applicator. You can see it on page 6 of my build here:

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/download/file.php?id=40455&mode=view/IMG_00000211.jpg


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## Driftingrz

TheMaestro said:


> For the seal/gasket aroundthe cowling, i used a white liquid leather shoe polish with a foam applicator. You can see it on page 6 of my build here:
> 
> https://www.tinboats.net/forum/download/file.php?id=40455&mode=view/IMG_00000211.jpg



Thanks, I ended up scrubbing it hard today with dishsoap aswell as the seats cleaned up good. Just need something a little more abrasive


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## Driftingrz

Pulled off the front deck today thanks to the awesome weather. And began pulling staples and peeling back the carpet, luckily the glue wasnt like concrete. 

Took my measurements and made a temp frame so i could use one of my favorite tools the ROUTER. Now i just need to get more glue and staples. And finish this piece. Gonna shorten this frame amd use it again on my rear bench
I suppose ill have to seal those fresh cut edges aswell


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## Driftingrz

Cut out my next storage compartment today.. that foam was a mess. Gonna get new foam for the big deck amd somw under front deck


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## Driftingrz

Restretched/glued my carpet back today. 
Made a floor out of some scrap 1/4 ply for the new storage compartment.
Started rerunning my wiring since i got my seasense panel in the mail today. Still gotta figure out where and how to mount it. 
Also mounted one of the flushmount handles. I like the contrast with the grey

Cant wait to get back on the water


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## nick4203

looks nice


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## hoosier78

Nice job!


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## countryboy210

Awesome Job ! =D>


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## Driftingrz

Thanks guys. I should have some updates soon. It should be in the water soon


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## bigwave

Looks very nice. =D>


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## Driftingrz

Was able to handle the cold wind long enough to carpet the hatch and mount the handles. Great investment for less than $2 a piece. Still need to put my new hinges on along aswell as pick up some stainless steel screws and screw the deck back down. Also pictured is the switch panel. Nothing fancy


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## Driftingrz

well its finished for the time being, gonna hold off on painting the hull for now, still going to show that ugly trailer some love. im just ready to fish

painted and mounted my hinges today. only things left to do are get some thru hull fittings for the bilge. and mount a stern light (wiring is already finished just gotta plug up) 











wanted to see how some tackle and whatnot would fit... I like it. gonna keep me from lugging my tackle bag around. also gonna mount a Ruler on the inside of the big hatch


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## ChitownBasser

Great work done. I really like it. Now are those seats those Bass Pro Shops 25 dollar special? If so, how are they?


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## Driftingrz

ChitownBasser said:


> Great work done. I really like it. Now are those seats those Bass Pro Shops 25 dollar special? If so, how are they?



not sure actually, i pulled the seats out of a Glass boat i bought last year for parts, they appear to be these "wise" seats that sell at walmart.. and yes i like them considering they were free. though id like to get something Beefier and with a higher back later on or on my next boat

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Wise-Boat-Seat-Grey-Charcoal/15135510


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## Driftingrz

Woke up this morning Happy... water levels are up, boat ramp is open, and my buddy was gonna drive up and hit the water hoping for first fish of the year. loaded my gear into the boat. hitched up and decided id go ahead and go fill up the boat and grab some oil while im waiting on my buddy to get up here. smooth sailing trailers pulling fine to gas station.. 

on the way home i start hearing screeching. then a cloud of smoke rises from the trailer and the explicatives start flowing :evil:. im only 3/4 of a mile from the house so i figure ill baby it home as there is no way im leaving my boat on the side of the road.. knowing theres nowhere in town to buy parts for the trailer.. 

1/2mile of skidmarks later im closing on home then POP tire goes flying in the air and i know im not fishing today. dragging rim for the last 1/4mile home. got home and pulled the hubs. i believe some fishing line wrapped around hte axle was the culprit as the seal was gone. 1 bearing was siezed and 1 was rusted through. so i went and got bearings for each side and had to drive to the next big town to get a rim/tire from tractor supply... 

well i learned my lesson. the only thing i didnt have time to work on last year was the trailer. its ugly but it pulled straight and smooth. 

shes all ready to go again tomorrow. hopefully things go smoothly and i make the whole 10min drive to the boat ramp without issue


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## thewalleyehunter

Looking good! What kind of carpet did you use/where did ya get it?


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## Driftingrz

Thanks, i just used the cheap stuff at lowes. They sell it in 6x8' rolls i think? Cheap and east to replace if i ever need to.


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## Driftingrz

was able to get out and do some fishing.. or should i say practice casting yesterday on the river. wind was blowing me all around so i spent most of the day trying to keep the boat from spinning in circles while my mom was fishing.. no bites.. bass catfish or even panfish :| . the water was freezing..

so that motivated me to finish shortening the shaft on my minnkota and get that thing mounted up. just used a simple box i made last year for mounting. i may make a nicer looking platform up front for the TM. gotta see if im gonna be able to balance up there since im a little top heavy

still gotta mount the TM plug on the deck and my circuit breaker underneath


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## bguy

Sorry to see your bearing problem, the but looks great!!!


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## Driftingrz

Got the wiring finished up on the Minnkota edge and did an onwater test a few days ago. pulled the boat around great i was even able to stand on the front deck without going swimming haha. i think i could get comfortable up there after a few outings. 

But im still planning on listing the boat here in the next few weeks and starting my next project. i think ive decided on a tracker topper 1542 as my next boat. very affordable. already have a spare trailer. shouldnt be hard at all to get it rigged up and flip it for a profit and keep working my way up towards a big tin

decided to help with resell that id invest $20 into the hideous trailer under my boat so i replaced all the bolts/nuts/washers since the rusty ones on the trailer were all different sizes and lenghts.. i should have it sanded and painted by end of the day


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## Driftingrz

couple hours of grinding and painting and it looks a Whole lot better. painted everything, made some new bunks since i had a 2x4 and some carpet laying around. redid the trailer wiring


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## stinkbait85

glad I found this site. your build is exactly what I have in mind for my boat. the only thing I will be doing different is framing and decking in aluminum. you have done a superb job on the build. keep it up and happy fishing.


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## Driftingrz

stinkbait85 said:


> glad I found this site. your build is exactly what I have in mind for my boat. the only thing I will be doing different is framing and decking in aluminum. you have done a superb job on the build. keep it up and happy fishing.



I appreciate the compliment, Thanks


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## Action762

I love the mod Drift! Similar to what I am looking to do but I have to fix the crack in my transom first. I just picked up a 16' "homemade" fiberglass and the weather has been chilly to nice to freezing the next so working on it, since I do not have cover, is based off of the weather... sucks I know. Anyway I was wondering what was the paint you used on your trailer. My trailer looks a lot like yours and yours, now painted, looks awesome! And were did you pick up the carpet? I looked at some at Menards and it looks about the same. What else are you looking to do to it?


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## Driftingrz

Action762 said:


> I love the mod Drift! Similar to what I am looking to do but I have to fix the crack in my transom first. I just picked up a 16' "homemade" fiberglass and the weather has been chilly to nice to freezing the next so working on it, since I do not have cover, is based off of the weather... sucks I know. Anyway I was wondering what was the paint you used on your trailer. My trailer looks a lot like yours and yours, now painted, looks awesome! And were did you pick up the carpet? I looked at some at Menards and it looks about the same. What else are you looking to do to it?




Thanks the paint i used is just some rustoleum high heat paint since it was on sale at lowes. no surface rust yet, but i dont know how it will hold up over time.

I would recommend a brushed on paint of some sort. something thick so water wont penetrate and start rusting

Carpet i used was bought at lowes aswell. we dont have menards so im not sure if its same. but it sells in 6x8' rolls relatively cheap. and its held up well over the last year


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## BFD59

Game fisher. I got a 1970 Starcraft 14 v deep v. I love ur design on this ol tin! Do u have any plans or can help me with mine . Any advice would be appreciated . My email is [email protected] I'd appreciate any help thanks! John from ohio


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## joseph101088

i am hopefully about to pick the same boat up for 200 off craigslist. its missing the back two seats but cant wait to get started if the guy sells to me. make two new seats and go on about building decks

.


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee

Looking awesome!!! similar to what I am building, out of curiosity, have you been on the front deck yet?, how stable is it?


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## Driftingrz

I actually sold the boat this past summer while out of work Banshee. but yes i did spend time on the front deck and being a big guy (6'1 260lbs) I was very cautious at first especially when it was windy or other boats wake were knocking me around but i got used to it quickly and found it quite comfortable. though a bigger boat would always be better

The only thing i would have changed about my front deck is to flushmount the trolling motor pedal/controls. because standing with one leg hiked up on the pedal will throw you off balance


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## Ta' Beat-A-Banshee

Thanks for the reply!


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## goodcall850

What an incredible mod! =D> You have inspired me to do this to an old Sea King v-hull that has been neglected and handed down to me.

I have a couple questions:

1) if the front decking is two pieces of plywood (one large piece that has the hole for the hatch, and one small piece towards the bow), how were you able to wrap them with carpet to appear as one continious piece?

2) when you carpet the aluminum seats, how to you hold the carpet in place underneath if you can't staple it like wood?

Thanks in advance for the response/advice.


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