# beginning of my first aluminum v!!!!



## jfetter20 (Sep 10, 2010)

okay , so the other day i posted some bad pictures that i had taken with my phone in a hurry before i left for work. i decided that if im going to redo this , i wanted to have alot of before, after , and in progress pictures. i just got these taken today and im amazed at how detailed the pictures came out! wish me luck , cause its probably going to be my late fall or winter project!!! 

p.s. , please , anyone , post opinions or ideas on what you think and how i could improve on things! i am truly a beginner at conversions and want to make it the best i can!!!


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## jfetter20 (Sep 10, 2010)

couldnt fit them all in one


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## DaveInGA (Sep 11, 2010)

I'm in the process of restoring my 86 Bass Tracker Tournament V17. The one thing I wish I could have done first was to restore the trailer. Looking at your setup, I would do things in this order:

1. Build a motor stand if I didn't have one and remove the motor from the boat.

2. Build some sawhorses, remove my boat from trailer and put on sawhorses.

3. Break down and rebuild my trailer, getting it right first, so that when I wanted to take my boat somewhere for some mod/repair, etc. I would have my trailer ready for action.

4. Finish boat clean up and basic "for sure" mods/repairs/painting/wiring.

5. Do anything related to the motor, then take the boat out and try things out.

6. Do any additional mods.

Just some thoughts to getcha started in the process. Hope this helps.


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## Ranchero50 (Sep 11, 2010)

First thing is make a list of what you do and what you do not like about the boat now.

Make a realistic list of what you want this boat to be when you are done (lightweight and simple), (decked out with all the bells). Powered by? What type fishing, What fish?

If you don't know where you want to end up you'll never get there.
Jamie


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## Brine (Sep 11, 2010)

1. Trailer
2. Leak Test


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## bobberboy (Sep 11, 2010)

When you redo the trailer you should think about the position of the bow stop. There was a post here a while back explaining that the bow stop needed to be above the eye on the bow as added protection preventing the boat from coming forward. As yours is configured, an emergency stop or impact from the front or rear would tend to propel the boat forward and over the winch post. If the bow stop is above the eye, it provides another way of locking the boat in place should something happen. In your case it will be harder because the winch strap can't go through the stop post. You may have to move the stop post up and the winch down to get it to work. Everything is bolted on so if you loosen up the bolts and slide things around I'm sure you'll figure it out.







Here is how mine is configured. My winch strap goes between the stop supports and worked out easily. Also note mine has a safety chain in case anything were to happen to the winch strap.


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## jfetter20 (Sep 12, 2010)

ok , thanks everybody! that at least gets me off to a good start , alot of things that i would have probably overlooked! i would have never thought twice about the bow eye and the winch , im going to make sure that it gets switched! the other thing that i was trying to decide is switching the size of the tires on the trailer. right now , its got the 8" wheels and tires , but i was wondering about putting 12" on it and redoing the fenders?? should I? ive heard that bigger wheels and tires are actually better on the bearings and hubs because they do not have to spin nearly as fast to keep up. should i just plan on changing out the hubs and bearings for replacement 5 lugs or just wheels and tires?


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## jfetter20 (Sep 12, 2010)

here is kind of what i had in mind as a basic plan , i dont want a lot of stuff but i want a decent front deck and a smaller one on the back. of course it will be a v , not a jon.


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## Ranchero50 (Sep 12, 2010)

On the tires, visit the spots you plan on fishing to see how the ramps are. Here locally once the summer drought hits I'm running off the end of the ramp to launch the boat, had to weld on a pair of skies to the frame to lift it enough for the tires to roll back over the edge. I ended up lowering the bunks all the way and even flipped the axle to get the boat closer to the ground so I could launch it and load it easier.

For you hull mod, sit in the boat on a bar stool with a rod and play fish for a while. It'll give you some great ideas on what you really want and will help you lay out where stuff sits and will get stowed.

What type of fishing do you plan on doing, what fish?
Jamie


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## jfetter20 (Sep 12, 2010)

mostly crappie and blue gill , possibly small mouth. there are quite a few larger lakes in our area with nice boat ramps , but after i got home i realized that i have one thing to my advantage as far as launching. the trailer that the boat is on is actually a tilt back boat trailer , you can see the parts in some of the pictures. needs some work done , pretty rusted and doesnt move very well. im just curious if the change in tire size will benefit / hurt the performance of the trailer on the highway. im trying to make sure that everything is right because there is a good chance it will travel with me across state lines for fishing


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## Ranchero50 (Sep 12, 2010)

The diameter should be more an effect of the load (larger tires carry heavier loads). If the car in your avatar is yours ask your DOT buddies.

One really good thing is most Wal-Marts carry the smaller tires mounted on wheels and they are less expensive vs. 14" jobs.

Jamie


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## C.U. Fishin (Sep 12, 2010)

What you got there is a Richline boat, same as mine. I included a link to my project thread so maybe you can get an idea or two. I'm really happy with the way mine turned out, I will probably be changing the front deck a little and adding one of those small casting seats and a post this winter. if I can find a good deal on a used bow-mount troller that will be added as well.

https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=13949&hilit=richline


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## jfetter20 (Sep 15, 2010)

ok , yesterday i got the boat off and started on the trailer frame. surprisingly , went very quick and painless. only had two nuts that had to be soaked to get them off. i guess i shouldnt have been surprised to find stuff that was mismatched and did not belong on it! hopefully start stripping ,sanding , and priming this weekend!


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## jfetter20 (Sep 15, 2010)

there is definately going to be some changes in the future , but here is a basic idea of what i am after. the one thing that i never thought of was putting down spaced boards in the center to let water drain into the bottom of the boat and give me a flat floor that is spaced out like a deck on your house. has anyone ever used the composite decking on boats before?? its just plastic mixed with a little bit of saw dust for strength but would it but water proof?? its a little pricey for 16ft , at $30 from lowes


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## DaveInGA (Sep 15, 2010)

jfetter20 said:


> there is definately going to be some changes in the future , but here is a basic idea of what i am after. the one thing that i never thought of was putting down spaced boards in the center to let water drain into the bottom of the boat and give me a flat floor that is spaced out like a deck on your house. has anyone ever used the composite decking on boats before?? its just plastic mixed with a little bit of saw dust for strength but would it but water proof?? its a little pricey for 16ft , at $30 from lowes



Hadn't used it, but the composite decking definitely has potential. The only negative thing is the thickness. It's almost too thick and may make the boat a bit too heavy. But for use in a small area, this may be a non-issue.


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## jfetter20 (Sep 24, 2010)

ok , so ive been trying to work on it little by little on my days off , and ive made it this far. ive got the shell of the boat pretty much stripped down , looking good so far! there are some spots where the previous owner kind of wobbled out the holes from the rivets so im going to have to do some work there , but for the most part its in really good shape. going to work on fiberglassing 1/4 ply and fibre glass sheets for the rear transom and i need to figure out what to do with the drain plug? since the hole sits right between the two transom supports in the back , im not sure what to do with it? im going to work on the trailer in the other part of the garage while im tinkering on the boat becuase i know cleaning up and repairing the boat is going to take a while , so i figured why not go ahead and start. trailer is just going to need bearings , lights , paint , and two new tires. everything else is good. 

also had another idea , will post it as soon as i get some pics of it!


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## jfetter20 (Sep 24, 2010)

ok , here is what im thinking. i want to try and get some high strength pcv pipe that will fit snuggly ( this is kinda big , but it works for a good illustration ) on the outside rail. what im thinking is to cut length that run from bow to stern and this will not only help to grab onto and grip , but also as a good bumper for when throwing stuff over the sides or when up against a dock. has anyone else done this before , or anything close?


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## jasper60103 (Sep 24, 2010)

jfetter20 said:


> ok , here is what im thinking. i want to try and get some high strength pcv pipe that will fit snuggly ( this is kinda big , but it works for a good illustration ) on the outside rail. what im thinking is to cut length that run from bow to stern and this will not only help to grab onto and grip , but also as a good bumper for when throwing stuff over the sides or when up against a dock. has anyone else done this before , or anything close?



I recall another member did something similar with PEX. It's main purpose was conduit for wiring though.


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## Brine (Sep 24, 2010)

I used the copper pipe insulation on my little V. Primarily for reducing noise. Will last several years.


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## jfetter20 (Sep 29, 2010)

had a neat idea today , saw my engine stand in the back of the garage and decided to get some use out of it! kind of out of the ordinary but it keeps me from having to lift it everytime i want to move it! 

also decided to post a pic of my progress on the hull


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## jasper60103 (Sep 29, 2010)

yep, both my motors have wheeled carts. They help a lot. Nice job.


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## Stevecris (Sep 30, 2010)

I just started a similar project and was in Lowe's looking at the composite flooring and thinking the same way as you on this. Have you decided if you will use it or not?


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## jfetter20 (Oct 1, 2010)

DaveInGA said:


> Hadn't used it, but the composite decking definitely has potential. The only negative thing is the thickness. It's almost too thick and may make the boat a bit too heavy. But for use in a small area, this may be a non-issue.





still not quite to sure , im starting to agree with dave. on one hand , it is waterproff and would heavy duty , but the weight factor is so much higher with the stuff. as long as i can figure out a way to do it and keep the weight down , ill do it. im thinking maybe two thin stringers underneath that are cut the contour of the boat and then use the thin decking boards to cover the top with maybe about 1/8" between the boards or something. going to doodle around on some paper and see if i can figure out the best way


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## Ranchero50 (Oct 1, 2010)

One of the curses of the composites it they sag if not supported well enough...

Personally it's pretty much a no brainer to add aluminum to an aluminum boat. Cuts and drills easy, even rivets easy or you can get it welded. It doesn't rot, doesn't suck up water, cleans easily and the best part is if you drill and tap for machine screws it can be taken apart to get at the hull for when you whack the rock...

Jamie


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## jfetter20 (Oct 4, 2010)

what about rivnuts? ive seen alot of them on the internet but i havent seen anyone really use them on there boats. they seem like a good price for the amount you get. how well do they hold in , would they be strong enough? if so , i think this would be the best bet for making removable panels?


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## jfetter20 (Oct 10, 2010)

been kind of busy lately , so havent had much time to work on the boat. luckily , ive been able to do some computer work and find out some new parts and new ideas. so far ive ruled it down to a grassy camo design. seems pretty simple and can be done with about $30 bucks in stencils and some rattle can paint after i get the base coat down. not sure what color im going to go with because im going to coat the bottom with steelflex. thinking i may go with two different shades of khaki or tan to somewhat match the picture


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## Ranchero50 (Oct 10, 2010)

Rivnuts tend to really suck when they strip out in the base metal. Then it's chisel and hammer time to get stuff apart. Tracker used them for a few years on boats, very bad poop.

10-32 hardware will hold well in 1/8-3/16" angle. Set up two drills, one with the drill and the other with the tap and you can get stuff done quickly. Drill and tap the panel and support. Put a screw in each hole as you go so the sheet doesn't shift. Once done, remove the sheet and oversize the holes a bit and put it back together.

Jamie


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## RStewart (Oct 20, 2010)

Nice boat. We have almost the same boat. I like the plans you have. I wish I would have rebuilt my trailer first, but it will give me something to do this winter when fishing slows a little. Keep the pics coming.


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## tccanoe (Oct 22, 2010)

Hay Fet, glancing through your thread I don't know if you got a couple of you questions answered or not. The wheel size on your trailer is fine. They are nice heavy duty rims and tires for the size trailer and boat you have. You can drive to Alaska with that trailer. I like the way you are decking low in the mid-ships. You may wabble a little off the casting deck but you can take a stability break for lunch and if the weather gets bad you can hunker down. What I did note was your motor may be a long shaft. Measure from the bottom of the motor to the cavitation plate (large plate above the prop) it should be 15" on a short shaft, 20" on a long shaft and 25" on an extra long (never seen one) shaft. If you have not redone your transom you could put an extre 5" on it. You could add a (brain lock) jack plate jr.? Or just leave as is because it probably won't make a world of differance. For the age of your boat and trailer, they have not been abused or messed with too much. Perfact for a restore and fabulous MOD. Keep up the goooood work. It's a Mini Jacker I was trying to think of. If it's to pricy, there a lots of examples of home mods that work well around here or like I said, just add 5" to the top of the transom. This is assuming your shaft is a 20incher. (it's hard to tell from the pics)


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## jfetter20 (Oct 27, 2010)

okay , so ive started looking around for some primer to paint the hull and ive come across a couple different solutions. i can either shell out the 5 buck a can for etching or primer , or........ i can spend 20 bucks for a gallon of " aluminum primer ". says nothing on the can about etching , but i guarantees to stick to aluminum and make a good bond. my question is would this be a suitable replacement for rattle cans? has anyone used this stuff before? i figured that if its rustoleum , you cant go wrong?


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## Howard (Oct 27, 2010)

I used the spray cans with zero problems.


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## jfetter20 (Oct 27, 2010)

just out of curiousity , how many cans did it take you to do the hull? i plan on doing both the inside and out


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## summers (Oct 29, 2010)

+1 on your question i am looking for the same information. and the choice bewtween the gallon vs numbers of cans. I know that you should have at least three coats this is why iam leaning to the gallon of the primer.


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## SaltyBuckster (Oct 29, 2010)

If you strip the boat all the way down to the aluminum you will need a lot of it.Probably the whole gallon.I am in the process also of doing my 16 foot flatbottom.My paint looks old,but it is not peeling anywhere.I'm going to sand it down with a DA sander and see how far I need to go before I by it bt the spray can or the gallon.I"m going with the Reelfoot Grasslands also.Should be interesting to watch.


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## jfetter20 (Nov 11, 2010)

ok , so ive got most of the brackets and suspension done on the frame. didnt come out as good as i was hoping due to the extreme pitting on the steel under carriage , but im not taking the time to go through and bondo everything! lol all that is left is to buy one more new tire/rim and to get the main section of the frame done , then its off to bunk building!


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## jfetter20 (Nov 19, 2010)

okay , well the suspension is put back together. started sanding on the main part of the frame and the tongue. only thing left is to get a wheel/tire, new winch , some lights , and a new hitch for the front!


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## jfetter20 (Mar 8, 2011)

ok......so ive been gone for quite a while due to my work schedule the last few weeks , but i was finally able to get the rest of the trailer finished. got it pulled out this morning and got the shell of the boat put back on it. i laughed as i noticed that the painted parts had been waiting to be reassembled for so long that they had collected dust. anyway , start sanding down the hull for primer and paint tomorrow. checks good for leak tests and ive got the trailer lights ordered


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## Ictalurus (Mar 8, 2011)

Trailer looks good, almost brand new!


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## jfetter20 (Mar 24, 2011)

ok , so the shell has been painted and the trailer has been changed around a bit. painted the hull with a 50/50 mix of mineral spirits and charcoal grey rustoleum , very impressed with how hard the finish came out. couldnt hardly even scratch the finish when i was trying to. 

also got the winch and stop at the front changed around into a safer and easier configuration.

as for the trailer , decided to get rid of the rollers all together. the more that i was messing with it , realized that it was going to be unstable and was moving around to much. removed all the sets of rollers and replaced it with a pair of 5' bunks on the rear and a pair of angled 1' bunks on the front. still easy to move on and off , but wont slide of while going down the ramp. even got the fabric cheap at menards this weekend to make it even better. was going to end up forking out 50 cents a foot for outdoor carpet off the rolls. while standing there saw that they had 6x8 sections of outdoor carpet for 9.99 on sale. got it wrapped and installed , just waiting for this weekend so that i can finish up the inside. then its off to find a new motor!


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## atuck593 (Mar 24, 2011)

I don't think you answered this but did you go with the gallon of aluminum primer or the self etching cans. I am looking at painting the inside and outside of my boat. I am thinking that the spray paint cans will be a lot out of the budget ( $5 a can). I see what ever your choice was it worked out well for you.


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## jfetter20 (Mar 24, 2011)

i actually decided to got with the cans of the etching primer for fear that it wouldnt stick right. it only ended up taking 3 cans to cover from front to back and transom on the outside. i spent about $5-$6 a can for the primer and then about $15 for the mineral spirits and paint. found that i only needed one coat of the primer , couldnt hardly even scratch the primer off with my keys. thought it came out pretty good!


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## atuck593 (Mar 24, 2011)

Thanks...

I know what you mean about the quality of it because I used it when I repainted my outboard. I was just worried that to cover the inside and out it would cost a small fortune for 2 or 3 coats. I didn't know if there was an alternative but thanks for the feedback guess I will just have to bite the bullet and get the good stuff.


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## jfetter20 (Mar 25, 2011)

here is the final design for the front of the boat. decided to just run with it and well see how it turns out. hopefully wont be to much weight in the front!


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## benjineer (Mar 25, 2011)

jfetter20 said:


> hopefully wont be to much weight in the front!



It won't be. I think you will like the extra weight in the front when you are by yourself.


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