# 1981 Bass Tracker II Project



## altimas (Aug 4, 2010)

I lucked up and a buddy thought of me when they decided to get rid of his grandfather's old Bass Tracker. They kept it in a boat house on a lift and only ran it about once a year. They didn't have a trailer for it and just wanted it out of the boat house. I made an offer on it and told them they could probably get more for it from someone else, but that was all I had. They accepted my offer and I was getting a boat!!

I tried borrowing, renting, and Alabama rigging a trailer up to get the boat home and had no luck. So I posted a want add on craigslist and had a guy email me that would take 150.00 for the trailer he had in the yard. It was adjustable and I knew I could make it work for the boat. I checked the outside of the tires and they looked fine, so I took it home. When I got home I looked it over a lot better and noticed there were some sidewall cracks in the back. With as hot as it was I didn't want to chance bringing it home on those tires. So I went ahead and bought some new ones. 

Big day finally came and me and my buddy went to pick up the boat.







Got the boat home with no issues. Was surprised how good of a shape it was in. Nothing was rotted. Only thing wrong was the Nav lights on the front weren't working and the windshield was cracked. Navigation lights were an easy fix. Here's the boat in the garage.














From what I can tell from the Hull ID # it's a 1981 Bass Tracker II. Then the motor is a Mercury Classic Fifty 45 HP motor. Not sure what year is on the motor. 

Decided to work on the trailer and repaint it and put new hardware on it, but first I had to get the boat off of it... 






My Uncle did the same thing with his Ranger so I knew it would work, but it was kinda scary lifting it up in the air like that.

Pulled the trailer out.






Stripped everything off of it. Couldn't take pictures of the next step where I took a wire brush and knocked off most of the rust then brushed on naval jelly over the whole thing and sprayed it off. 






Started Priming it.










Then a monsoon came and I had to retreat to the garage where I decided to go ahead and replace the water pump. 










It was easier than I thought dropping the LU, but putting it back up there, even with my brother's help, was a pain in the neck. Put new LU Lube in there and was good to go. 

Did get the trailer flipped over and and finishing the underside of it, then I will start painting it black.


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## altimas (Aug 4, 2010)

Here's my first question of many I am sure. How in the world do you get the rollers off of the trailer?


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## Troutman3000 (Aug 4, 2010)

That engine looks great man, a little cleaning and you got a fihing machine. 

You may have to cut the rollers off with a rotary tool or something, IDK.


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## altimas (Aug 4, 2010)

Oh yeah.. I got the boat and motor for 600.00! :shock:


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## Zum (Aug 4, 2010)

Wow,$600 plus the trailer looks to be in great shape as well $150.
I know looks can be deceiving but that boat and motor especially look to be in hardly used shape,real clean.
Nice find.


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## MassFisherman (Aug 4, 2010)

Looking good...I like how you raised the boat off the trailer...How the heck are u gonna lower it back down?




:beer:
:USA1:


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## BaitCaster (Aug 4, 2010)

$750 for that rig is a steal! Congrats.


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## altimas (Aug 4, 2010)

MassFisherman said:


> Looking good...I like how you raised the boat off the trailer...How the heck are u gonna lower it back down?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Slowwwllly. :lol: We raised the front end and lowered it a couple of times before we decided to go with this option. There's plenty of slack on the straps to make it work safely.


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## bassboy1 (Aug 4, 2010)

Most of those rollers are held on with a pal nut (usually looks something like a top hat) at each end. _Sometimes_ you can pry those off. Use some sort of pry bar, and when they come free, you'll never find them again, as they fly off into neverland. More often though, they aren't going to come off, and you just need to cut the shaft (recipro saw works well for this), and buy some new shaft (just steel rod - fairly cheap, even if you buy it at Lowes/Home Depot's ridiculous price. Buy it from a steelyard and it will be less)


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## Jis4jeep (Aug 4, 2010)

Very nice score I am sure you will take very good care of your new boat!


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## Pumping4Jane (Aug 5, 2010)

$750 for that rig is a steal. I just sold the exact same setup, in similar condition, w/ a 9.9 Merc for $2300 this past spring. Nice score!


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## ohiobass (Aug 29, 2010)

Pumping4Jane said:


> I just sold the exact same setup, in similar condition, w/ a 9.9 Merc for $2300 this past spring. /quote]
> 
> 
> Yea.......sure did! :evil:
> ...


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## Pumping4Jane (Aug 29, 2010)

^ yeah, it was a little touch and go on the check clearing thing, but it did. And had to pony back $200 to get the engine squared around. - hey, you sold me a lemon :x .


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## lpotter (Mar 27, 2012)

Any new work on this project?........I just bought the exact rig.....had to pay $1200.......I would like to see any updates.....Thanks!!!!


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## Kochy (Mar 28, 2012)

I got an 87 Bass tracker MV-16 and its almost the exact layout as your boat. I got the same motor, a Classic 50 45hp. My boat, though when we bought had a deck in the back that the last owner did a poor job in making it.


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## nuckinfutzracing (Mar 28, 2012)

ROLL TIDE!!!


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## maddog (Mar 29, 2012)

nice setup! is that a 1648 size boat?


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