# 1996 Bass Tracker TX 17 Build- Updated Progress Pics



## cooter brown (Aug 21, 2011)

A few weeks back, I got a good deal on a 1996 Tracker TX 17 Tournament. The boat had some issues but the motor had good compression and ran well. The front deck structure and rod locker had been removed by the previous owner. He was going make a raised deck for bow fishing but realized it wasn't stable enough to build on. 

Here are some pics of how it looked when I picked it up:












Nice stainless prop













Here's where things get a little more interesting. In the pic below, you can see how the deck structure was cut out:





On to the teardown.....


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## mmf (Aug 21, 2011)

you will have your hands full on your build but you will like it in the end. I just did one of these(still working on) but mine is older (1990). I did mine up in all aluminum (except for transom) so I would not have to do a repeat in about 5 years. It was moderately expensive but wood rot will be history. Good luck and take your time to do a good job!


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## cooter brown (Aug 21, 2011)

I fish in freshwater and saltwater. My plan is to get all the wood and carpet out and go all aluminum w/ Kiwi grip or SeaDek. 

I'll bet I removed 150lbs of wet wood, carpet, and saturated foam. This has been discussed before, but Tracker used open cell foam throughout the boat. The foam under the front deck was an expandable foam. This stuff expanded under the drainage channels and blocked any flow to the back of the boat. Any water up front just sat there for years and saturated the open cell foam.





Had a little visitor that wanted to help with the teardown. Actually, she was munching on pears and couldn't care less about the boat.....





Above you can see the carnage from the sawzall and budweiser..... :lol: 















One more pic of my little visitor.....


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## cooter brown (Aug 21, 2011)

mmf said:


> you will have your hands full on your build but you will like it in the end. I just did one of these(still working on) but mine is older (1990). I did mine up in all aluminum (except for transom) so I would not have to do a repeat in about 5 years. It was moderately expensive but wood rot will be history. Good luck and take your time to do a good job!



mmf, I've been watching your build for a while. You inspired me to pull the trigger on the boat. It was nice to know what was lurking under the carpet before I purchased the boat. That's why this site is so great. I would have passed on this boat without your and all the other great builds on here. In the end, it's going to be perfect for what I want.


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## TNtroller (Aug 21, 2011)

looks like a good project, should be fun to do and to use when its done. GL


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## Zum (Aug 21, 2011)

Looks like you have it cleaned out nicely.wtg.


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## clarego (Aug 21, 2011)

im thinking i got a good deal for my 88.. It looks all original and it looks as though the front deck was replaced and or just looked through i am close to 300 lbs dad does as well and still had another two on the boat the rear of the boat was inches from the water (with me and the engine) so im not 100 % sure if it was water logged or is suffering from the same prob as much of older tracker owners have lol i am afraid to check. there's no warping of wood that i know of has almost all original stuff fish finder etc. has a classic 50 mercury on the rear and i know she has some weight how much im not sure, I still havent started her most of the drinks around my initial area are electric only. still pondering over the oil thing


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## cooter brown (Aug 21, 2011)

clarego said:


> im thinking i got a good deal for my 88.. It looks all original and it looks as though the front deck was replaced and or just looked through i am close to 300 lbs dad does as well and still had another two on the boat the rear of the boat was inches from the water (with me and the engine) so im not 100 % sure if it was water logged or is suffering from the same prob as much of older tracker owners have lol i am afraid to check. there's no warping of wood that i know of has almost all original stuff fish finder etc. has a classic 50 mercury on the rear and i know she has some weight how much im not sure, I still havent started her most of the drinks around my initial area are electric only. still pondering over the oil thing



I'll bet you have some extra weight from saturated foam also. My floor felt very solid and i figured it wouldn't be too bad. I cut the carpet and the wood felt damp on top. Once I got the floor up, I was amazed how much it weighed. This boat had even been garage kept the majority of it's life.


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## dyeguy1212 (Aug 21, 2011)

Nice, I have the exact same boat and motor. I almost wish the front and rear decks would have been torn out so I could set it up to my liking. There's a lot of wasted space with the stock set up.

Good luck.


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## cooter brown (Aug 21, 2011)

Friday afternoon, I went and picked up my aluminum. I really wanted to go with 1x1" square tubing for most of the deck structure. I've seen builds that use angle, but I didn't want to deal with spacers or use the non-structural angle. I had planned on using 1/16" thickness, but the local metal supply could only get 1/8". After I got it, I was glad it worked out that way. One thing is for sure, I will not be using near as much of the 1/8" as I planned. This is some stout stuff. 

I worked for a few hours yesterday. My main objective was to get the rear bulkhead installed level and square with the existing front bulkhead and side L braces. I still have to add another couple vertical posts to it, but I'm still thinking about hatches. It is amazingly strong as it is. I tied it into the existing factory L brackets that run lengthwise down the sides of the boat. I also added some angle for a lip to attach the forward edge of my floor. The existing lip was so cut up, it just wasn't very strong anymore. 

Here are a couple pics:













I messed up here and forgot to put the wiring harness on the other side of the post. I will have to pull the wire back and snake it through. #-o



My original plan was to make a couple aluminum hatches flush into the deck. I may eventually put a TM battery up there. I'm now debating the hatches. I'm not sure I can wrap my head around making hatches with lips and keeping everything flush. I just don't want hatches without lips. I want them to be fairly watertight. I will be using this in the salt and you will eventually take one over the bow in Charleston harbor. I don't want water pouring under the deck in that situation. Also, since this is an all aluminum build, I'm not too excited about putting the plastic style hatches on top of the deck. I did consider keeping this thing simple and putting a 10x20" or so plastic hatch vertical on the rear bulkhead. That would allow access under deck for now. If anyone wants to school me on aluminum hatch building, please do. I would love to hear some ideas.


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## jigngrub (Aug 21, 2011)

cooter brown said:


> I'll bet I removed 150lbs of wet wood, carpet, and saturated foam. This has been discussed before, but Tracker used open cell foam throughout the boat. The foam under the front deck was an expandable foam. This stuff expanded under the drainage channels and blocked any flow to the back of the boat. Any water up front just sat there for years and saturated the open cell foam.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That does not look like a factory installation on the foan @ the front deck, nor does it sound like something Traker would do by blocking the drainage channel. 10:1 the foam was ripped out and replaced by the PO when he lowered the front deck.

I think one of the biggest problems with foam is that some people can't tell the difference between closed and open cell. 

Closed cell foam will waterlog, but it has to be submerged for a year or more.

Why aren't there any pics of the rest of the foam? Or a closeup of the front foam?


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## cooter brown (Aug 21, 2011)

jigngrub said:


> cooter brown said:
> 
> 
> > I'll bet I removed 150lbs of wet wood, carpet, and saturated foam. This has been discussed before, but Tracker used open cell foam throughout the boat. The foam under the front deck was an expandable foam. This stuff expanded under the drainage channels and blocked any flow to the back of the boat. Any water up front just sat there for years and saturated the open cell foam.
> ...




There has been at least 1/2 dozen builds on these exact boats on this forum with the same problem. I know for a fact the previous owner did not install that foam because he is a friend of mine and I saw it when he first cut the deck out about a month ago. It really doesn't matter if it's open cell or closed cell, it was completely saturated in areas around the blockage and had to go. I didn't take close up pics of the foam before I started ripping it out. Didn't really think there was a need. Under the deck area, every single drainage channel was block under the ribs where the foam expanded and hardened.


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## spotco2 (Aug 21, 2011)

jigngrub said:


> That does not look like a factory installation on the foan @ the front deck, nor does it sound like something Traker would do by blocking the drainage channel. 10:1 the foam was ripped out and replaced by the PO when he lowered the front deck.



That looks just like the foam that is currently under my deck and every other Tracker that I have seen naked.

They just pour/spray it in the floor and let it expand.

It's a nightmare.


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## mmf (Aug 21, 2011)

Can't wait to see your build! I know what you mean about tracker filling up the valleys with their foam, took me awhile to get mine unstopped too, I also drilled out a new hole in the very center at the bottom floor brace, I started out with a 1/4" bit then increased to a 7/8" hole on all the floor ribs here's a pic when I started to drill............


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## jigngrub (Aug 21, 2011)

My boat doesn't have that problem... but I bought it new and no one else has ever laid a hand on it.


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## mmf (Aug 21, 2011)

jigngrub said:


> My boat doesn't have that problem... but I bought it new and no one else has ever laid a hand on it.


looks like you bought a good one, is it a tracker?


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## jigngrub (Aug 21, 2011)

mmf said:


> looks like you bought a good one, is it a tracker?



Yeah Buddy! It's a '97 Pro Deep V 17.


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## BYOB Fishing (Aug 21, 2011)

cooter brown said:


> jigngrub said:
> 
> 
> > cooter brown said:
> ...




My 1983 tracker is the same way.


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## jigngrub (Aug 22, 2011)

Dang! It must really suck to be Tracker owners like y'all eh?

I love my Tracker!!!


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## crkdltr (Aug 22, 2011)

Good looking project. If you have any questions regarding that motor, let me know. I've got the same motor that I've been all over tuning and repairing. I have a fairly good understanding of it now through trial and error. 

Good luck!


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## clarego (Aug 22, 2011)

im may get a peek underneath the deck before she goes into storage but i hate to say it i may not go the foam route i have till the middle of october id rather fish for now then go into a project :mrgreen:


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## Ictalurus (Aug 22, 2011)

jigngrub

While I've never owned or remodeled a Tracker, I've heard of and seen many pictures on this site described the expanding foam problem in Trackers. In the picture of your boat, it looks like Tracker only cut out two drain holes down the centerline of your boat.


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## cooter brown (Aug 22, 2011)

jigngrub said:


> Dang! It must really suck to be Tracker owners like y'all eh?
> 
> I love my Tracker!!!




Not at all! I love this boat too! I was't complaining, just stating that this situation existed with _my _boat. No one here is slamming Tracker. If you look closely at the pics of the ribs in my boat, they are solid in the middle from the bracing. I have no holes cut in my center of the ribs like your boat does. The only path for water to run on my boat is in the v channels of the hull under the ribs. Those were the channels that were blocked in my boat and other TX 17 Trackers that I have seen on this forum. The TX 17's are modified V's, not V hull designs like yours. The angle of the hull is not as steep and all of the water has to run along those outer hull channels 'cause there is not center channel hole.


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## cooter brown (Aug 22, 2011)

Like many others I was not looking forward to removing the 15 year old carpet glue from all the aluminum panels, hatches and deck framing. I had decided that I would just use a cup brush and a big electric drill. I found some old varnish remover that I had around from a gun stock refinishing project. I brushed it on and let it sit for about 30 minutes. What do you know, it worked great. You may have to leave it on some stubborn stuff for longer, but does work and much easier and faster than the cup brush. Here is a panel i used it on and the can of the remover. It is called Bix and I bought it from Lowes, I believe:


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## mmf (Aug 22, 2011)

Look like it works good, brother. Keep up the good work!


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## jigngrub (Aug 22, 2011)

Ictalurus said:


> jigngrub
> 
> While I've never owned or remodeled a Tracker, I've heard of and seen many pictures on this site described the expanding foam problem in Trackers. In the picture of your boat, it looks like Tracker only cut out two drain holes down the centerline of your boat.



That's just camera angle.

All drain holes are clean, present, and accounted for.


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## cooter brown (Aug 27, 2011)

Got a little time to work on the boat this morning. My boat is actually located about 35 miles from where I live. I live in a town house and don't have room for a boat. I keep it at my buddy's house and it's not easy to find time to get down there. 

Today, we added some additional bracing to the deck structure. It went surprising quick since we had everything all leveled up and actually had a game plan before we started. Below are some pics of the progress....






















I'm going to have to add some more bracing depending on what gauge deck sheet I go with. Structurally speaking this thing is very strong. 

I have a little situation going on the port side. The factory "L" bracket has been hacked up. I can't get a rivet gun in there because it has been cut off so close to the port gunnel. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to tie it all together on the sides. 

I hope to get down there tomorrow AM and will update soon.



Eric


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## butchertony (Aug 27, 2011)

cooter brown said:


> A few weeks back, I got a good deal on a 1996 Tracker TX 17 Tournament. The boat had some issues but the motor had good compression and ran well. The front deck structure and rod locker had been removed by the previous owner. He was going make a raised deck for bow fishing but realized it wasn't stable enough to build on.
> 
> Here are some pics of how it looked when I picked it up:
> 
> ...


shoot yea thats what I need


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## mmf (Aug 27, 2011)

cooter brown said:


> Got a little time to work on the boat this morning. My boat is actually located about 35 miles from where I live. I live in a town house and don't have room for a boat. I keep it at my buddy's house and it's not easy to find time to get down there.
> 
> Today, we added some additional bracing to the deck structure. It went surprising quick since we had everything all leveled up and actually had a game plan before we started. Below are some pics of the progress....
> 
> ...


Looks good cooter, Is it possible you could SS bolt a new plate in thru the gunnel.?
Sometimes I use SS cap bolts with an allen head, they look like a big RIVET when installed.
You can get them from McMaster-Carr in Atlanta much cheaper than the hardware! :wink:


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## cooter brown (Oct 3, 2011)

Well, it's been a while since I updated this build. I've been really busy at work and haven't had too much time to get to the boat. 







Here we added some additional bracing.






Here you can see the test fit of the main deck sheeting. The front area will be a separate panel held down by button head SS screws. This way, I will always be able to get to the trolling motor/ light harness. It also maximized the 1/8" 4x8 sheet of aluminum. The seat post base will be up here. 


I had some old signs that I was planning to use for the floors. I was going to put foam board under the floor but the more I thought about it the more I didn't like the idea of saltwater being trapped under that the foam. The signs were just too thin to use without the foam board. The only way that they would have worked would have been to add additional braces to the factory ribs. I bit the bullet and purchased another 4x8 sheet of 1/8" aluminum. It hurt my wallet but I'm happy I waited and got the right stuff.






Shiny new floor! You can also see the additional bracing for the front section in this pic.






Got the vertical bulkhead panels cut and installed. I used a piece of the angle at the base for a trim piece to give it a finished look. The side panel on the right is not installed. It's just kinda leaning over there. 






The front section is still not installed. It's just up there to get an idea of how it will look. I still have to figure out exactly where I want my seat base.

Next, I will start to work on the side panels. They will have to be extended a little. The starboard panel is not cut straight at all. I plan to use the foam board behind the side panels. 

It's getting closer and closer..... more to come. 

-Eric


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## mmf (Oct 3, 2011)

Oh yea! I like it Cooter, I'm watching your build.....


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## cooter brown (Oct 3, 2011)

mmf said:


> Oh yea! I like it Cooter, I'm watching your build.....



Thanks, if it turns out half as good as yours, I will be happy!

-Eric


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## cooter brown (May 6, 2012)

Well, it's hard to believe it has been so long since I last posted an update. I have been really busy at work and haven't had time to work on the boat until the last few weeks. I got most of the wiring done today. Thankfully, I took pictures of the wiring before I took everything out. It was still slow going figuring everything out. At least everything works. List of things I still have to do:

-Mount Trolling motor (going to order this weekend)
-Trolling motor wiring/ onboard charger wiring
-Interior lights
-Adjust Carb
-Mount front seat post base
-Front lights
-Install Hydroturf
-Trailer (replace broken bunks, bearings, new tires, new lights, new jack

Here's some pics of how it sits right now:









































More to come soon......

-Eric


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## Gators5220 (Jun 1, 2012)

Nice build thus far, are you gonna stay with that force or go a little larger with the motor?


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## cooter brown (Jun 13, 2012)

Gators5220 said:


> Nice build thus far, are you gonna stay with that force or go a little larger with the motor?



Thanks. I would love to get my hands on something a little larger. The boat is rated for 70. 
__________________


I have been working on the boat the past few weeks and got quite a bit done. I ended up ordering a Minn Kota Riptide SP Autopilot in 55lb trust. I originally wanted a 24V, but just didn't want to deal with the 3rd battery. I have the 12 gallon fuel tank in the back. I didn't think there would be enough room for three batteries and my onboard charger back there. I also didn't want that much weight in the rear of the boat. I found a screaming deal on the 12V, so I pulled the trigger. The onboard charger I decided on was the Minn Kota MK-210-D. Batteries are new Exide group 29 deep cycle marine for the TM and group 24 marine starting for everything else. If you have an Academy Sports in your area, they have really good deal on the Exides right now. I have no idea how they will hold up. I'm hoping that they will last a while since I have an onboard charger now to keep them topped off at all times.

I ended up mounting the trolling motor on the right hand side. It just seemed to make the most sense. The boat is a side console and putting the trolling motor on the left would just eat up deck space while it is stored. With it on the right, the front deck is wide open when it's stored. There are so many times in both fresh water and salt water when you have grab a rod and run to the front of the boat to cast on schooling fish. It is nice to have a wide open deck for things like that.

I have a few odds and ends to finish up. The main thing now is the trailer. I just got some new tire and wheels. I have to replace bunks, deal with the bearings, and replace the lights and wiring. I did pickup a Reese galvanized 1000lb jack onsale the other week at Tractor Supply for 26 bucks! It works great so far. 

The hydroturf turned out pretty good and was easy to work with. I didn't get the peel and stick style. I used DAP Weldwood red label. I still want to do the sides but need to order another sheet to do it right. I'm going to finish up some other areas and trim this weekend.

Anyway, thanks for looking and on to the pics:
_______________________________________________

I used some aluminum cleaner on the boat and it made a huge difference. I still need to go over it again.






How y'all like our crappie beds in the background? They aren't attracting many fish to the yard! Got to get em in the water soon.






Trolling motor on the right. I caught a bunch of grief for this but it just make sense to me.






I'm going to redo the rod holders. They are not going to stay where they are now.



























Updates coming this weekend..

-Eric


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## fishingmich (Jun 13, 2012)

Instead of redoing the bearings, take the hubs off and take them to tractor supply, You can get a whole new hub assembly. Bearings packed already and the whole nine yards. I had to do that a couple of years ago when me and my son were in the U. P. of Michigan. One of my hubs went to hell when we were in the middle of nowhere and I had to limp it almost 50 miles! I got mine at NAPA and they were $35 a piece. Just open the package they come in and slap em on! Sure beats messing around trying to repack the bearings and hoping they're ok. That way you can buy an extra set to take with you on trips, leave em in the package and they're redy to go if you need em. Already packed!


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## bigwave (Jun 14, 2012)

Awesome job, this boat looks better than new. =D>


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## fool4fish1226 (Jun 14, 2012)

Boat looks great, you did a really nice job =D>


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## Vermonster (Jun 14, 2012)

Great Job indeed!


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## MrSimon (Jun 14, 2012)

That hydroturf stuff looks great (as does the rest of the boat).

Can you take any high-res close-ups of that stuff?


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## hotshotinn (Jun 14, 2012)

nice work and you used alumimum for the decking and floor =D> only way to go =D>


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## cooter brown (Jun 14, 2012)

Thanks for the kind words guys. 
________________


MrSimon said:


> That hydroturf stuff looks great (as does the rest of the boat).
> 
> Can you take any high-res close-ups of that stuff?


MrSimon, I will take a close up pic for you this weekend. My boat stays about 40 miles away from where I live and I don't have a piece of it with me right now. I used the 47" x 84" 3mm sheets. At the time, I got it as factory seconds. Some of the ends and edges were a little rough but the price was right. The 3mm seems fine to me. The normal stuff is 5.5mm thick and comes in many colors and patterns. Here's a link to the webpage. You can zoom in on the image: https://hydroturf.com/products.php?cat=Sheets of Hydro-Turf
If you email them what you are interested in, they will send you a sample via mail. Let me know if you have any questions on it.

-Eric


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## MrSimon (Jun 15, 2012)

Great info ... thanks!


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## DaveInGA (Jun 15, 2012)

Eric,

Looking fantastic. I've been debating back and forth on putting some hydroturf in my console deck area. Do you think the 5.5MM would be thick enough to allow the wife to throw a couple beach towels on it and take a nap?


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## cooter brown (Jun 15, 2012)

DaveInGA said:


> Eric,
> 
> Looking fantastic. I've been debating back and forth on putting some hydroturf in my console deck area. Do you think the 5.5MM would be thick enough to allow the wife to throw a couple beach towels on it and take a nap?



Dave, I think it would. I would guess that the 5.5mm stuff should be just as soft as carpet in a bass boat. The 3mm stuff I have is really comfortable on bare feet. You could always shoot them an email and ask for a sample. It comes snail mail from California, so it takes about a week.

-Eric


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## scsdiver (Jun 16, 2012)

looks awesome!! you did a great job on it.


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## novaman (Jun 16, 2012)

Very Nice =D> =D> =D> ! Tracker still hadn't learned by 2004, as my Tracker Grizzly had about a gal. and a half accumulated in it just driving in a rain storm for 6 hrs., and I'm talking the front deck under the floor. Foam expanded into ALL drain channels. Made my own drain thru it with a drill, rod(with a hook bent on the end), and a pc of tubing driven thru the hole I drilled in the foam. At least mine was on in the front. You've done a beautiful job on the Tracker, Congrats.


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