# 1968 Starcraft V-Hull Makeover



## HookedUp443 (Mar 25, 2011)

Hey Guys
I am new to the site but alot of great ideas and info here.
I bought a 1968 14' Starcraft V-Hull w/ a 1982 Evinrude 7.5 hp motor. on a trailer.
Motor runs good and trailer in good shape.

I would like to paint the boat's interior and exterior. Also, I plan to modify the inside much like was done here. >>> https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=17144

Although I am pretty good at carpentry work & capable of the drilling, wiring, sanding, painting etc. that is involved, I am creating this thread to post pics and hopefully have somewhere to turn if/when I run into issues along the way.
I am also posting for your enjoyment as Im sure some of my questions will be quite entertaining for some peeps :lol: with more experience than myself.  

Here are the current pics as of now and as I purchased it.

I would think my 1st step would be to remove the center bench and get the whole thing sanded and painted. ANY advice is appreciated.


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## atuck593 (Mar 25, 2011)

Nice boat....I have a 71' myself. This is an awesome site for any question you may have or to see pics of what you would like to do. a word of caution though if you plan to take the seats out make sure to find a way and support the sides in place of the seats. Welcome to the site and I look forward to seeing what you do with your Starcraft.


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## HookedUp443 (Mar 25, 2011)

Thanks for that advice. I was concerned with that issue. However, nothing is immediately coming to mind as to how to do that with the least amount of "obstruction" into the open space I want to create. I will be hunting around the site for examples/pics of what others have done. Feel free to point me in the right direction if anyone remembers where there may be a good example.


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## lbursell (Mar 26, 2011)

Look under the Link For Boat Modifications. There's a whole section, about half-way down the page, about whether or not to remove benches. I won't swear to it, but I think its called, "Boat Benches - What Should I Do?" I don't think it has been updated in a while, but its a good place to start.


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## Brine (Mar 26, 2011)

Welcome aboard HU,

Step one would be a leak test if you haven't done it yet.


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## HookedUp443 (Apr 18, 2011)

Just an update on my progress. Been kinda busy and weather has been an issue but hoping good progress is coming soon.


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## HookedUp443 (Apr 18, 2011)

Oh yeah...the leak test  I will do that tommorow 1st. I plan to put water in the boat and inspect outside for leaks.
Hopefully there isn't any as the previous owner promised.


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## HookedUp443 (Apr 19, 2011)

Well, it failed the leak test :evil: Definately has 1 leak. Not sure where to go from here.
I guess order some of the Gluvit stuff. There is a Marine store not to far from here, maybe they sell it.
Will it work if I try to seal it only from the inside? Or do I have to do something outside the hull as well?


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## HookedUp443 (Apr 19, 2011)

OK, after doing some further research on the site. It sounds like I am better off trying to get the leaky area welded. 
So, looks like I will clean up the area as best as possible with wire wheel etc. and bring to someone who can weld it for me. Is this my best option? Please someone just verify this for me.


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## atuck593 (Apr 19, 2011)

I would say it depends upon how bad the leak is. I had a small leak on my boat near the back and I just applied Gluvit to the seams last weekend. I bought a can off of Ebay for $40. It was really easy to apply with the consistency of glue. You just sand or wire wheel the area near the leak to bare aluminum and apply. A quart was more than enough to cover all or the seams and rivets as well as completely cover the leaky area. I would think that welding is a better option if you know exactley where the leak is but I am not sure what a shop would charge to weld the aluminum. I also know that I will be covered if any other areas decided to leak at some point in the future by applying the Gluvit product.


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## HookedUp443 (Apr 20, 2011)

Since my boat seems to have more of a "crack" than just a "leak" i ordered some of this stuff here to try.

They say it is more waterproof than regular JB so we will see.

https://jbweld.net/products/marine.php

Anyone else ever used it for this purpose??? I will let you know how it works out for me.


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## MDFisherman57 (Apr 20, 2011)

My friend has a 16' vhull boat and the seams broke on each side of the boat. We used JB weld that was the stick and it worked pretty well. Though the boat hasn't hit the water it now doesn't leak rain water that floods it.


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## ohiobass (Apr 20, 2011)

Marine Tex is another great product for leaks & cracks! 8)


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## HookedUp443 (Apr 21, 2011)

:!: :!: :!: I FOUND THE LEAK :!: :!: :!: 

I wasnt even gonna post this cuz it's pretty embarrasing  that I didn't notice when I bought it.
Thank God the trailer and motor are pretty much worth what I payed for the whole setup.
I guess a red flag shoulda went up when the seller was so willing to take $300 less than his asking price.


I am confident that I can fix it though....

The JB Weld Marine should be here in a few days. I got a great deal on it & thank God cuzz it looks like i'm gonna need a lot!!!

But yeah, I saw it in store today for $6.50 per kit. I found deal on Amazon was 10 kits for about 23$ with the shipping.

Tomorrow I plan to flip the whole thing over and rough up the bottom as well as remove any loose paint.


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## MrSimon (Apr 21, 2011)

Wow, that is quite the hole. I almost wonder if you should just have a new piece of aluminum welded in. That part of the boat can take a real beating in waves.


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## rusty.hook (Apr 21, 2011)

Have it welded, you don't want to be running down the lake and have the bottom split out.


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## HookedUp443 (Apr 22, 2011)

i need more opinions...can i fix this myself or do i need it welded? please guys ...any input is appreciated.


this is a big decision.


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## devilmutt (Apr 22, 2011)

With that size of hole and the location I'd get it welded.


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## atuck593 (Apr 22, 2011)

Yeah I would have that welded. It's better to be safe than sorry with that one. I pictured a leaky rivet or something not a hole like the Titanic. Besides I dont think any brush on sealer product will be able to fix that.


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## dave shady (Apr 22, 2011)

Agree on having it welded in, If you CANT for some reason I wonder if you could take a chunk of alum angle and bent it to fit the bad spot and then rough the heck out of both surfaces and JB weld that in. JB is good stuff BUT thats a perty big hole.

My S-18 had wear on the outside runner only and just had them weld it up when it was in the shop. Weld = no worries


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## HookedUp443 (Apr 23, 2011)

atuck593 said:


> not a hole like the Titanic



LMAO :lol: :lol:


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## atuck593 (Apr 23, 2011)

Ha...sorry bud I just pictured the Tin Boat version of the Titantic with that hole there. I hope you can find a cheap or easy fix for it.


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## HookedUp443 (Apr 24, 2011)

dave shady said:


> take a chunk of alum angle and bent it to fit the bad spot and then rough the heck out of both surfaces and JB weld that in



This is what i've decided to do. I have spoken to someone who welds and he thinks this method will actually have a better chance of being waterproof. He said "Welding on aluminum with all those rivets in the way is prolly why the 1st attempt to patch it still leaked."


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## HookedUp443 (May 3, 2011)

Been awhile since i posted. So I figured I should update.
Not really a ton of progress due to weather and oh yeah that thing called work #-o


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## HookedUp443 (May 3, 2011)

As you can see in the above pic I did not prime the area that needed to be patched yet.
I was still waiting on the supplies for that project but since I had time to work on other stuff,
I went ahead with that.

Now onto the fun part. :---) Fixing that "Titanic" hole in the hull.  

Luckily, a friend provided me a perfect piece of aluminum to use as a patch.

I cut the metal to length using a cheapo tile saw I had purchased for doing our kitchen floor
awhile back. Very noisy and a little unerving trying to cut metal with it, but it did the job. I attempted
to cut an angle at the end to somewhat match the hull. But in the end I decided having all my fingers
was more way more important than this piece lining up *perfectly* with the bottom of the boat.

Then I shaped the metal strip to match the bends of the hull as close as possible using a rubber mallet 
and a cinder block. Prolly can't see in the pics but there are slight bends in the hull that may prevent the
bond from being totally uniform and solid.

Then, using a wire wheel I got the area down to bear metal on the boat and sanded up the aluminum patch till it shined.

Started out by mixing up 1 entire kit of the JB and smearing it over the metal strip. I applied the strip to the
hull and used the rest of the JB to fill in where needed.


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## HookedUp443 (May 3, 2011)

A few days later I mixed up another entire kit of the JB and applied over the area again,
just to strenthen up the area a little more. Also coated the rivets in the area just in case 
I knocked any of them loose with all the sanding/wire wheel in the area.


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## MDFisherman57 (May 3, 2011)

I wouldn't trust that i my opinion. One hard wave and i can see your boat taking on water like the titanic when it doesn't hold. That location is probibly the worst location because it is the area that cuts through the waves so I just hope you not expecting to go very fast because I fear at a high speed it will just come apart. I hope im wrong though [-o<


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## HookedUp443 (May 4, 2011)

Thanks for the advice man.
I think sometimes pictures give the wrong idea though.
I don't think anyone would feel that way if they saw and felt this repair in person. 
I am 99.99% sure that no wave is gonna take this patch off the boat, it is on there real solid,
and the best part is that it isn't going to leak. A weld job most likely would have leaked at some point.
A wave big & strong enough to loosen this piece would probably just capsize the boat anyhow.
I'm just looking to putz around on some small lakes...nothing crazy here 8) , and as I stated earlier
in the thread I am only using a 7.5 hp motor so not a speed demon either.

Honestly, it would take less force to put a hole right thru the side of the boat than it would to loosen 
that strip of aluminum.


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## MrSimon (May 5, 2011)

I think it will hold.

Just check on it from time to time and make sure that part of the boat doesn't hit any rollers or bunks when you are trailering it.


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## libertyday (May 5, 2011)

heck i think it looks great! who needs a welder when you got JB weld! Like the other guy said....i would keep an eye on it just in case. And if its still holding after a year make sure you update this site, heck...you may have just started a new technique using JB weld and a Tile saw!


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## libertyday (May 5, 2011)

And one more thing....You asked whether to repair or weld and overwhelmingly everyone said weld it. so if your JB weld doesn't hold.....You need to come back and eat some crow! ha


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## Honky Tonkin (May 5, 2011)

I am a believer in JB Weld. I used it to adhere the floorpan of my rock crawler Toyota, and I punished it severely. Slammed down the truck on 2 wheels plenty of time, and had it in plenty of door high water with no leaks....from the floor anyway


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## HookedUp443 (May 5, 2011)

libertyday said:


> And one more thing....You asked whether to repair or weld and overwhelmingly everyone said weld it. so if your JB weld doesn't hold.....You need to come back and eat some crow! ha



Absolutely Right. I think that's why we all visit these forums. To learn *what works *& *what doesn't*.
To express our opinion & listen to others opinions. To ask questions & to answer questions. To get new ideas & share ideas. etc...etc...etc. 

I'm not going anywhere [-X ...whether the repair holds for years or the boat sinks... [-o< PLEASE NO...PLEASENO [-o< 

You all will know about it. But trust me...It will hold.:wink:

Stay Tuned. Next Update Coming Soon.


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## HookedUp443 (May 12, 2011)

I was able to get the outside painted this week so here are a few pics.

Will be continuing on the interior this weekend.


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## atuck593 (May 12, 2011)

Awesome paint job....I like the color. What type of paint did you use and how did you apply it?


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## HookedUp443 (May 12, 2011)

Thanks. It's Rustoleum Protective Enamel. I mixed Hunter Green, Safety Yellow, & Black to get the color I wanted.
Applied it with a 2" brush & a 6" sponge roller.


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## HookedUp443 (Jun 2, 2011)

Hey Guys. Just a quick update for your viewing pleasure......... 

This project sure is going slower than I expected but that is fine I guess.
I guess I underestimated just how time consuming some of these steps are.
The supplies arent real cheap either...but so far the wife has been cool with it.


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## BearwoodBoats (Jan 23, 2012)

Hey That Sticker Looks Good ( Hooah!!!)


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## JasonLester (Jan 23, 2012)

Looking good. 

I like the JB weld fix. A good aluminum welder could have welded that and been watertight. And if you have problems I would suggest that. But it looks like its pretty stout as is. Just remember JB weld is just Epoxy. Running through the water you could have put silicone there and you piece of metal and kept it from leaking. However, hitting a log or beaching you boat...that will be your problem if you ever have a problem. I'd say thats what caused it originaly, hitting something HARD. 

Like others said keep a close watch and be carefull with it and enjoy...

BTW I love the color too.


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## shawnfish (Jan 27, 2012)

ARE YOU SURE THEM ARE NOT 2X4'S


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