# Finally happening!!



## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Hey guys! I joined the site last year after purchasing a mid-70's 14ft. mirrocraft. Well I finally got some time to work on it this summer. WoooHooo!! Got the trailer all done about a week ago and it looks sweet. Got me excited, and now i've started stripping the boat down. Have a question about sealing seams on the hull. While stripping it, I saw there is some sort of epoxy that seals the seams, and although there was no leaks last time I had it out, I would like to re-seal these before i paint it. Can anybody recommend a product that I could pick up at a local hardware store that would do the job??
Almost forgot the pics. Here she is!!


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## G3_Guy

Wow... Trailer looks great! Looking forward to seeing pics of the boat mods. =D>


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## ben2go

Trailer looks better than new.Gud werk.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Thanks for the kind words guys. Like I said before, getting the trailer done and seeing how good it turned out got me excited to get crackin' on the boat. Spent all day yesterday with my buddy fixing a few issues with the trailer lights, and scraping the old paint off the boat. Got about 85% of it off, and hopefully get some time this week to work on the rest of it. Still not sure what to re-seal the seams with if anybody has any ideas. Think I read a couple of old posts on here about a 3M product that works for marine applications, but can't remember what the # was.


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## Waterwings

Great job on the trailer! 8) 

The 3M product number is 5200, and can be found at Walmart in the boat supplies section near the fishing stuff.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Thanks waterwings!!


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Well I finished stripping all of the paint off this weekend. Didn't want to use the stripper due to the fumes, so did the entire thing with a scraper and wire brush. What a chore to do by hand, but it'll pay off. Also got the seams resealed with the 5200. Was also looking at paint and found the rustoleum marine paint to be a decent price ($11.49 / qt.) and they have it in the navy blue I wanted. Question though, can I paint the entire boat with topside paint since the boat will not be in the water constantly, or do I need to use some kind of antifouling bottom paint to do underneath the waterline. Would like to paint the entire boat 1 color, but all the bottom paints I found are the wrong color, and would really like to go with the rustoleum since its the right color and fits the budget well. 

Here's the pics. Sorry they're so dark in the garage.


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## huntinfool

Anti fouling paint is really for boats that are going to stay in the salt water all the time. It is to keep the barnacles from attaching. You can use the paint you have if your not keeping it in the water all the time, however I believe you are going to need to paint the boat first with an etching primer. I don't know of any paint that you can spray on aluminum and it stick real good with out the primer first. 

I'm sure that there are others on here who have done it and had good results.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Thanks huntinfool. Priced the etching primer at the local auto parts store. Think they said $32.00 / qt. for the primer itself, and then like $45.00 for the thinner because he only carried gallons. Knew the stuff wasn't cheap, but whew! Thought I remembered reading a post somewhere that you could buy it already mixed. One more question for you guys. My boat is a 14 footer, so 1 quart should cover the whole thing right??


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## lckstckn2smknbrls

Look at Wal-Mart for the primer, it might be in the auto dept.


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## huntinfool

You only need the thinner if you planning on spraying it. But I would read the primer can and see if it can't be thinned with something other than their thinner. Also read on the can and it should tell you the sq. footage that it will cover and go from there.

Spray cans are easy, but they are more expensive and don't cover as much.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Gonna stop at a few stores om the way home from work tonight and see if I can find some other options as far as the etching primer goes. Think I'm definitly going with the rustoleum products for the paint though. Does anybody know if I thin this out to use in a spray gun if I need to add some sort of hardener with it?? 

Hopefully the 5200 will be dry enough by tomorrow that I can get her flipped over. Crawled underneath yesterday and was checking the transom out. Looked like it was in ok shape, but started poking at it a little with a screwdriver and it seems to have some soft spots in it. Looks like I'll be replacing this before I get any painting done. Searched back through some old posts and it doesn't seem like its too hard to do (hopefully). If I haven't said it before, thanks to everyone on this site past, present, and future for sharing. There is a wealth of information here that is great for a newbie like myself. Hopefully will have some pics of progress in my next post.


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## huntinfool

Rustoleum does not require a hardner. I believe it can be thinned...again just read the can it has all the info. Good luck with the transom, it isn't a hard job, but does take some time and thinking.
You'll do fine.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Had the day off today, so decided to make it a productive one. My buddy from work came over yesterday and helped me get it flipped over. So this morning I decided to get on ripping the old transom out. Wasn't too rotted out yet, but was extremely waterlogged so I'm really glad I decided to pull it. As for replacing it, I've read that almost everyone uses plywood that they've bonded together. Is there a reason that nobody uses like a 2"x10" board? It would be the ideal thickness for me to use and just rip the length to 8 3/4" width, unless there is some problem with using these kind of boards. Here's the pics of the old transom.
















Taking the transom out didn't take all that long, so I went at tearing the seats and flotation pods out. I've read quite a few old posts about having the hull want to flex out a few inches when you take the seats out, so I decided to put a ratchet strap across the top where each seat is and then removed the seats. Might be kind of a PITA to work around, but it looks to me like it worked like a charm. The hull didn't move at all. Left the old seat brackets in hope that I can tie into them with the framing and keep everything nice and tight. After getting the seats out I gave the inside a good scrub down with some simple green. Here she is all cleaned up and waiting for a new transom.












Last project for the night is repainting the old MirroCraft emblems. Got them painted black the other night, so gonna try to mask them off and get some of the white details painted tonight. Have one last question though. When I go to put the floor in, what should I use for a level line?? The gunnels, top of the boat, ??? Looks to me like the bottom of the boat gets increasingly deeper from the top of the boat as you go further toward the front. Anyway, here's the last few pics.


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## RBuffordTJ

Great work so far man, keep it going and keep us posted.


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## Sureshot

Nice job on the trailer, it looks great. Im wanting to paint mine too, any tips or techniques you want to share to make my life a little easier? :mrgreen:


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## huntinfool

Looks good. Best way to measure for your floor is to put the plug in the boat and make sure it is level fron to back and side to side and then fill it with water until you have the level of the floor that you want. Then mark the water line. Simple and easy.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Sureshot,

Best advice that I can give you from my experience on the trailer is that if you have to srtip the paint off first and it looks like the original paint was clear coated, I would check into sandblasting it. I spent ALOT of time on mine using an angle grinder with a 4" wire wheel and busting through the clearcoat was a PITA :x . Was told after the fact that the clearcoat just melts and smears as opposed to any sort of cutting action. Was also told after the fact that there is a local sandblasting company that would have blasted it and primed it for $100. Might have cost a little more to do it this way, but would have saved alot of headaches. Sure did make srtipping the hull of the boat seem alot easier though :roll:. Only other advice I have is that if you put new lights on and you have a split trailer, make sure to run a ground wire to the back half of the trailer. It doesn't like to pass the ground through the split in the trailer. Hope this helps and good luck.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Got some more time to work on the boat last night. Got the new transom cut and glued together. Finally got a rough idea of how I want to layout the inside, and started putting in the framing for the floor. Decided to make it level to the top , which should leave me a fairly deep storage area up in the front end. Gonna try to get at it this afternoon again. Sorry no pics, but the girlfriend started her online classes for her masters degree so she had the computer tied up. Hopefully have some up in the next couple days with lots o' progress


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Back at it again last night. Got 2 coats of helmsmen spar urethane on the new transom and it's looking pretty sweet. Last coat is going on this afternoon. Also got the rest of the stringers for the floor laid in place. Looks like it's gonna work out nicely in my opinion. Should have about a 3' wide flat floor when its all said and done, which will make it much easier walking around. Sorry, but no pics again. Was like 9:45pm and I had 2 holes left that I wanted to get drilled. Picked up the drill and.... WHAM!!....stung in the hand by a yellow jacket :evil: . I've had reactions that have put me in the hospital, so I spent the next hour monitoring how I felt [-o< . Good news was no hospital trip, just a swollen hand :mrgreen: . Will get the pics up this afternoon so you guys can let me know what you think.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

As promised, here's the pics from the past couple days.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Made some progress over the past couple of days. The boat is really starting to take shape for me now. I know ther was some other people on the forum looking for ideas to put a floor in a v-hull mirrocraft. The idea I came up with is working out well. Here it is.

Started by cutting some verticlal braces to sturdy up the floor. Added a small pc of carpet to the end againt the boat to hopefully keep any noise down. Made a cardboard cutout to do the layout of the floor, the made a 2 pc floor out of 1/2" exterior plywood.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

To keep the sides from flexing, I fashioned brace to go from the old seat brackets down to a clete on the floor. Made a template out of 2x2's then transfered it to a 2x6 so that they were one solid pc. In the front end I just ran 2x2's beteen the seat brackets. Worked out very well. There was no flex in the hull between the seat brackets, and the top of the hull only flexed out about 1/4" in the middle.





















Started to frame in the side storage areas last night which should keep everything nice and tight. Will hopefully finish them today, and get started framing in the front deck. Once I get everything framed up, I plan on flipping it and painting the hull before adding the rest of the plywood.


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## Captain Ahab

Thanks so much for posting this and continuing with your update. i have the same boat - this is a big help!


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## zaneroni

Thank you for posting all these photos, I'm about to start working on a 14 ft Crestliner and wanted to put in a low floor but instead of using plywood, I thought of using 2" - 3" wood strips spaced about 1/4 or 1/2 inch apart. 
What did you find out about the primer? how come you didn't paint on the existing paint? 
Thanks


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

zaneroni, 
Haven't bought the primer yet, but I think I'm gonna go with the spray bombs from walmart someone had suggested for the etching primer. Coat of rustoleum marine primer over that, and then the rustoleum marine paint. Decided to strip the old paint completely because after loooking at it, it looked like it had a bunch of hairline cracks through it.


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## CarlF

Nice rig!
Are you using screws or rivets to hold the floor frame in place?
If using screws, any concern about them vibrating loose? 
I have that problem with my aluminum floor all the time, I used screws so I can remove it & get the mud & dirt out after duck season. But they do have a tendancy to vibrate loose over time.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Thanks! The floor is screwed into the existing supports using stainless sheetmetal screws with a dab of the 5200 on the threads. Was the only sealant I had on hand and figured it would help keep them in place. The supports tied into the seat brackets are stainless screws (from the original seats) with nylock nuts on the back. Went with the nylock nuts because when I took the original seats out, I found that about half of them had rattled the nuts off.


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## hamar507

Great looking work you did there. Just wondering how many hours do you have into the work on the boat?


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Not exactly sure. Work a few hours here and there when I can. Had alot of time in stripping the paint off the trailer and the boat. Probably 40+ hrs. combined. Could have been done faster with the stripper, but decided to do it all by hand. Bet I have another 35-40hrs. into the rest of the work to the trailer and boat. Enjoying every minute of it  .


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Got a few more hours in on the boat today. The endcaps and transom cap are back on, and got one of the side storage areas framed in. Hoping to get the other side done tomorrow. Off to lowes this weekend to pick up the paint for the hull.






The storage area turned out better than planned. Riveted three strong ties to the hull with a rubber backing and some 5200 smeared on to seal everything up nice and tight.Then I ran a 2x2 across the top of these and built everything to this level line at the top of the boat. Ended up with a small stoage box where I believe I will put a life vest, and a larger one toward the back which will more than likey be used to hold tackle trays. The other side will be identicle, but I think I'm gonna have a fella at work weld me up a thin gage aluminum livewell for the larger area.


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## River Rider

It is looking really good. You are giving me some ideas for my borther's boat.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Thanks! Went at it again last night and managed to get the other side storage cabinet framed in. The sides of the boat are quite sturdy now, so I think I'll get it flipped and painted now that I have all the rivets in that I needed, before I add any more wood to the inside. Was pretty late when I got finished up, so no pics. Have a great weekend everyone!!


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## RBuffordTJ

I love how this is coming along man, keep the pics coming it is great!

Bufford in Orlando


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## Hydrilla

Man, this is looking fantastic, I've been following your progress. The whole rig is going to look new when you're done. Great work on the trailer, transom, all of it.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Well after a trip to Florida for my sisters wedding and waiting out the colder temps. here at home, was finally able to get back on track with the boat. Got it flipped back over and masked off for paint yesterday. Once I got my hillbilly paint booth all setup, I managed to get a good coat of rustoleum self etching primer on it. Took 4 cans at a cost of $4.50/ea., so thanks to the fella that suggested the spray bombs from wal-mart. Looks like the next few days are gonna be the warmest I'm gonna see for a while, so I'll be working fast and furious to get all the paint on. The garage gets some heat from the furnace, but I need them higher temps. [-o< . I'm envying you guys down south right now. Sorry, no pics this time, but hopefully tonight.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

With the warmer temps this afternoon (59° - heatwave right?!?), I was able to get the 2nd coat of primer on. Hit it with a thin coat of rustoleum marine primer. The setup worked awsome!! Was kind of worried because I didn't take a close look at the gun when I bought it, and when I got home I noticed that it was not recommended for use with a 6 gal. compressor (which I have). Decided to chance it anyway. Only thing I noticed was that it didn't spray as heavily when the compressor was actually running. Worked out pretty well the end. Hillbilly paint booth worked well also. Put a box fan with a disposable filter on the back, in the corner of the paint booth blowing out the door. Kept the fumes from building up nicely. Enough rambling, here's the pics!


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## danmyersmn

I think it came out awesome!


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## recon2g

That looks great!! It is coming along, And is going to look like new, I like what you are doing on the inside to. 8)


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Thanks guys! Gonna get the first coat of the navy blue topcoat on tonight.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

First off, thanks to mother nature for cooperating with me the past 4 days. Was over 65° and sunny everyday, so I was able to get the rest of the painting finished up. I am very happy with the color choice I made, and can't wait to get it out in the sunlight to see how it really looks. The garage is kind of shadowy, so hopefully I didn't miss any spots. Let me know what you guys think. 

A light sanding with some 320 grit in between coats and a quick wipedown with some acetone then a tack rag really helped to smooth it out.












The end result!!


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## dyeguy1212

nicely done! =D>


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## azfish

Absolute awesome job on the boat. I am getting redy to start a similar project myself. Your progress notes have been a great help because I just could not figure out how I was going to start the seat arrangement. I want a deck as well so I think I am going to swipe this great idea of yours. :lol: Keep up the great work and keep those pics coming.


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## danmyersmn

Awesome!


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## Boater

I have the same boat, just curious haw hard did the paint come off? and was it yellow under the red?? Also could you please post what type of tools you used to strip it. wire brush and drill or what??


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Thanks for the compliments guys. Have been taking a short break to get some fall fishing in, and have also been sick, so haven't really got anything else done on the boat. Planning on hitting it hard again next week.

Boater,
The paint was no easy task to get off. As stated in previous posts, I wanted to avoid the fumes from the chemical stripper, so I went with old fashioned elbow grease to get the paint off. Used a 2" wide, 4 sided paint scraper from sherman williams to get the majority of the paint off, the went around with a standard 1" scraper to hit the areas around rivets and seams. Took my buddy and I the majority of a saturday to get it all off. And yes, it was yellow underneath the red paint. The original yellow paint was stuck on pretty good and left alot of spots on the boat after scraping, so I went back over the entire boat with a small wire wheel in my power drill, which also served nicely to rough it up for the painting. Good luck with your project!


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## gregk9

NIIIIICE! You do good work!!! :!:


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## Hydrilla

Man, this paint job looks amazing! :shock:


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## RBuffordTJ

Man I love that blue!


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Very happy with the color choice. Looks awsome when its out in the sun! So much for getting on it this week. The crappie bite up here is ON!! :lol:


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Well, finally drug myself away from the lake for a few hours yesterday and managed to get a little bit of work done. Started framing in the rear storage compartments and gas tank compartment. Didn't get alot done, but felt good to get back in the swing of it. Will be on it again tonight hopefully, so I'll try to get some pics up later.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Was at it a little more tonight. Got the rest of the rough framing done in the back. Just needs some support in a few places and it'll be done. There will be a large storage area on each side and a gas tank compartment in the middle that also flares out in the front to act as a small bench.

Few teaser pics...


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## azfish

Great job so far, can't wait to see more.


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## bandgeek1263

Very Very Very Very good work and layout. can't wait to see the finished product


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## AlumaDude

I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST NOW FOUND THIS BUILD?!?!?! ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I WISH I HAD THE TIME, SKILL AND PATIENCE TO DO THIS TO MINE.... WOW!!! KEEP IT UP!!!!


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Thanks everybody! Has taken a while to get to where I am at, and I have a long ways to go, but it will all pay off this spring when I'm crankin' in those big slab crappie with the little woman.


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## Nick Jones

Man that looks great! You guys and your v-bottoms are making me want to find one and fix it up. Most of the places around here are shallow and muddy so you dont see too many!


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## danmyersmn

It looks like you are setting up that rear bench so that it will allow you to put a seat for sitting/tiller and then put then remove it or raise it and make it a casting platform? That's how I did mine, but then I wanted to be able to turn sideways and run the tiller without needing to put my leg up on the platform. Thus the cutout I put in mine.

Are you going with a pedestal system or mounting the seat directly to the platform or something else?

You ever look at your oar pin holder things and think "i should take those off?" I did for weeks.....until I drilled em off. I got tired of looking at them and I told my buddy "1. I don't have any oars, 2. I will never bring oars with since I have a collapsable paddle. 3. I will be running 1 gas and 2 electric motors, I have redundancy. 3. I would rather drift to shore and wait for help then row this big pig. :mrgreen: " 

I suppose they would be nice to have if I ever plan to river drift fish, but I am planning a 12' jon boat with a 9.9/10 hp gas for that next year


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

You are on the $$ dan. I plan on using the pin style seat mount directly into the bench. I like the idea of being able to remove the seat, and may buy a small extension for it as well. The front seat will be the pin style directly into the floor of the boat with an 11" extension. I actually just came up with the rear bench idea the other night when I was working on it. Wanted to make the gas tank compartment big enough for a 6 gal. tank and it would have stuck out a few inches past the storage cabinets, so to make it look decent I decided to put the bench in. I like the way its turning out so far.

As far as the oar locks go I'm gonna keep them. Got stuck on the lake once with a motor that wouldn't start back up and the oars saved my butt. I have a place planned out to store the oars where they will be out of the way, so I'll keep them in there "just in case" :wink: .


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## jasper60103

Mann, don't buy a fishing license next spring.
When you launch, crappie are gonna jump in the boat!


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

:LOL2:


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

With a little bit of work the past 2 days, I have gotten the rest of the framing done on the boat. Just a few supports to put in once I start boxing everything in. Man this is getting me excited. Can't wait to see how it all looks once it's carpeted. Here's the boat porn for you guys, enjoy.

A look at the paint out in the sun.






Rear seat.





Front deck.





Couple shots of the entire layout. Just from sitting in it while working on it, I can tell that having the open floor space in the middle is going to be great. I'm kind of a tall guy, so being able to stretch the legs out will make a day of fishing that much better.


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## danmyersmn

livewell?


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Possibly. Got a guy at work that is a whiz at welding, so I might have him fab me up a specialty on that would fit in one of the large side storage compartments. Don't know if it would be a livewell so much as a baitwell though.


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## Hydrilla

Looks awesome man!! I love the pic showing the paint. Everything looks better than new.


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## danmyersmn

CRAPPIE_SLAYER said:


> Possibly. Got a guy at work that is a whiz at welding, so I might have him fab me up a specialty on that would fit in one of the large side storage compartments. Don't know if it would be a livewell so much as a baitwell though.



That's what mine is mostly used for. Keeping sucker minnows alive.


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## Boater

Paint looks good, question for you What did you use for paint and how did you apply it?? I will be doing mine this winter. Looks to be the same boat as yours. Keep the info coming Thanks...


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## danmyersmn

Boater said:


> Paint looks good, question for you What did you use for paint and how did you apply it?? I will be doing mine this winter. Looks to be the same boat as yours. Keep the info coming Thanks...




Check back earlier in the thread I think he said what paint he was using. If not, it was Rustoleum Marine topside sprayed on thinned at 10%.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Thats it exactly dan.

Haven't been on for a little while, but have been getting some work done. Worked on boxing everything in over the long holiday weekend. Got the pcs. for the side compartments all cut and tacked into place. Also got the cardboard template for the front deck made. Hopefully get some more time this week to plug away at it. Will try to post some pics as well.


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## Boater

I was just curious if you tested how stable the boat will be with the deck at seat height in the front? Did you stand on the seat and rock the boat while in the water? I forgot to check mine and now that I am ready to start the inside of mine I cannot check it due to all the water here in MN having ice on it. I was thinking of installing the deck lower approx 4" lower than the seat was. HELP any info will be appreciated. Thanks David


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Haven't checked mine out, but was using a boat of a friends for the past 2 years that is the same as mine that had a deck across the original front seat and I personally didn't think it was too shaky.


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## Lunkerville

Hey Crappie,

Excellent job on the boat so far. Are you keeping us all in suspense for the final spring unveiling??? [-X


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Hey guys! Haven't been on in a while, but the weather is finally starting to break around here so I am starting to get some work done again. Planning on getting the rest of the plywood cut, fit, and carpeted in the next 2 weeks or so. Pics to come soon. Can't wait to get her done and in the water!!


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## rfarrands

This has to be one of the best mods I've seen. I can't wait to see it finished. =D>


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Well now that I'm finished catching fish like this 14 3/4" hawg through the ice, I can get focused on the boat mods again. Was off work today and its been a busy morning. Got most of the plywood cut and tacked in place. Short lunch break, then back at it.






Veiw from the drivers seat





And from the front seat


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## ober51

Great build. Any plans on flotation foam? How are you pwoering it? I havent read the whole beginning part, so it may be covered, but tiller or fabbing up a console?


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Still kicking around the idea of putting the foam in or not. If I do, it will be placed along the bottoms of the side compartments where you can see that it is still open. Also going to run the electrical through here. There will be a trim piece to cover these areas allowing easy access if there is any electrical problems. Would also place some foam underneath the rear seat and front deck. The massive :wink: powerplant going on the rear of this thing is a '76 evinrude 9.9 tiller. Motor needs a serious tuneup that is going to happen as soon as I finish the mods. Started chugging badly on me the last time it was out. Think I'm gonna replace on of the coils and do a carb/fuel pump rebuild on it. Also going to need the waterpump worked on. Thanks to the link that was provided on this site, I know have the original owners manual with all of the info on rebuilding the motor. Thanks TinBoats =D> !


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Got a little more time this afternoon, so I tore apart everything and got it watersealed. Plans for the weekend are to get the lids for the storage areas cut out, build the inner areas of the storage compartments, mount and run the wire for the fish finder transducer, and cut out the holes for the seat mounts. Possibly paint the 2 small areas above the deck in the front if time and weather permit. Have a great weekend everyone!


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Here she is with all of the woodwork done, but still waiting for some carpet.

A look at the inside of one of the storage compartments and the front storage areas









And all finished up


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## alanbird_87

Man that trailer is amwesome!! How did you go about painting it? Was it galvanized? Mine needs a little work to make it look good again.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Been working on the carpeting lately and hope to have it done this weekend. When the fish are hitting, I have a hard time not breaking out the waders and getting my fix  .Gotta say, other than stripping paint, laying the carpet has been my least favorite part of the build, but the end result is looking sweet so far. Will have pics up this weekend for sure.


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## Troutman3000

CRAPPIE_SLAYER said:


> Been working on the carpeting lately and hope to have it done this weekend. When the fish are hitting, I have a hard time not breaking out the waders and getting my fix  .Gotta say, other than stripping paint, laying the carpet has been my least favorite part of the build, but the end result is looking sweet so far. Will have pics up this weekend for sure.




My hands hurt for three days after carpeting, and its so tedious and time consuming.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Took advantage of the long weekend and got the carpeting all finished up. Makes all of my crooked cuts look like gold 8) . All of the pieces were glued and wrapped individually, then tacked on the backside with stainless staples. Wanted to get the two small sections in the front painted today as well, but lookin' like rain is on the way. Hoping to get to the store tomorrow and get the seats and mounts so that I can get them in and also get the fishfinder mounted. Planning on mounting up some navigation lights soon as well. After that just some work on ther motor and hoperfully be boating by the end of the month. Can't express how happy I am with the way everything has turned out. Has to be hands down the most rewarding project I've ever completed. Anyway, here's my brand new 1970's mirrocraft. Let me know what you think.


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## KMixson

CRAPPIE_SLAYER said:


> Let me know what you think



But, Does it have any storage lockers? lol. Looking good. Nice and open. you can move around without tripping over seats and ribs. I like it.


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## gregk9

Looks like a professional job to me! =D> 

What size outboard are you puttin' on her??


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## dyeguy1212

Nice job! Looks really professional


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## Troutman3000

Very Impressive.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Thanks guys! Gonna try to get the old 9.9 fixed up to get me thru this year, then hopefully when I get my truck paid off next year I can look into getting a newer 15-20hp motor since they upped the horsepower on the local lake.


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## Waterwings

:shock: Wow, that is one great looking job! 8) =D>


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## river_wolf

Great job!!!!! Congrats on a job well done!


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## phozzy

Looks great , been waiting a while to see her finished up, your boat was an inspiration for mine, I have the same deep fisherman


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## Bzalmano

CRAPPIE_SLAYER said:


> Well I finished stripping all of the paint off this weekend. Didn't want to use the stripper due to the fumes, so did the entire thing with a scraper and wire brush. What a chore to do by hand, but it'll pay off. Also got the seams resealed with the 5200. Was also looking at paint and found the rustoleum marine paint to be a decent price ($11.49 / qt.) and they have it in the navy blue I wanted. Question though, can I paint the entire boat with topside paint since the boat will not be in the water constantly, or do I need to use some kind of antifouling bottom paint to do underneath the waterline. Would like to paint the entire boat 1 color, but all the bottom paints I found are the wrong color, and would really like to go with the rustoleum since its the right color and fits the budget well.
> 
> Here's the pics. Sorry they're so dark in the garage.



I am new to the site so everything may have been said before but WOW! And stripping it all by hand that is a lot of work! All I want to do is stop a few leaks. Your boat looks great!

Now I have read the entire thread and looked at all the pictures. What a great job! She is beautiful.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Thanks! Have been tinkering around here and there the past coupleof days. Got the seat posts, trolling motor, fish finder and navigation lights mounted up, and planning on heading to the store today to get the rocker switches and wiring for everything. Can anybody give me a wire size recommendation to run to these switches. Wanted to put the batteries in the 2 compartments on the front deck, then run the power back to the rear seat . Can I run just one set of main wires back to some sort of power block and then split the power at the back seat? Also was wondering if there is any problem with running the power from the 2nd battery to a set of remote terminals in the back so that I can still use the alligator clips hook up the trolling motor?


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## switchback

I'm usually not much on blue boats, but man that looks great. The inside turned out great to. Really clean and looks like a newer model boat. 

Congrats on a great job!!!! =D>


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## SVOMike86

Dear Crappie Slayer, 

All I want for christmas is for you to come and do allllll of my decking and carpeting to look just like yours. I've been a good boy, you can even ask my wife. Hahaha. Man, your boat is gorgeous! Wish I had the skill needed to make my boat as nice as that!

Mike D.


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## Froggy

That is an absolute Gem!! you outdid yourself, Man that is the kind of boat I will look at next! Is that an Evinrude Motor in the garage? I just picked up a similar looking 6 horse, Fisherman.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

That is definitly a '76 evinrude 9.9 sitting there. Bought it last year off of a local boat dealer, and it ran good the first few times I had it out, but has had troubles ever since. Have found out over the past year that the guy doesn't have the best reputation for his mechanical abilities. Also found from a few things that I have read that it wasn't the best year for evinrude either. DAMN #-o ! Gonna start tearing into it this weekend hopefully. Think I will be replacing the fuel pump, water pump, 1 coil, fuel lines, and a carb rebuild. Think there is definitly an electrical problem that is causing the 1 cylinder to fire weakly. Have read about some guys replacing the points and wonderd if anybody might have some information / guidance on this.


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## russ010

I dunno about the motor - but in response to your paint question as to if you can use topside paint - yes, as long as you don't leave it in the water for months at a time


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

SVOMike86 said:


> Dear Crappie Slayer,
> 
> All I want for christmas is for you to come and do allllll of my decking and carpeting to look just like yours. I've been a good boy, you can even ask my wife. Hahaha. Man, your boat is gorgeous! Wish I had the skill needed to make my boat as nice as that!
> 
> Mike D.




Hmmmmmm....says you're in Virginia Beach. I am about due for a nice beach vacation. :mrgreen:


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

While its on my mind, anybody have any links for a good place to buy replacement outboard parts?


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## Nevillizer

WOW. That turner out realy great. Good job.


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## WhiteMoose

Just wanted to add to the compliments... very nice work! 

Here is one place I found for motor parts, but I haven't got anything from it yet- 
https://www.boatsportandtackle.com/servlet/StoreFront


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## fireshadow

https://www.crowleymarine.com/parts.cfm
Good guys to work with


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## SlowRollin'

Sorry I'm only a year behind on this post, but I'm reading it for the first time. OMG!!!

Has to be one of the cleanest builds to date. Just when you think you've figure out the layout, you see something like this and automatically want to scratch it all and start over. Loving the side lockers and open cockpit. 

Very nice build from top to bottom! =D> 

T.


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## catfishhunter

sweet build !! =D> i like all the storage


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## reedjj

WOW! The Craftsmanship is unbelievable! Very innovative and original, but still simple and functional.


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## ROBB

Great Job!

Love the paint job and the utilization of the space.


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## popoeye

Awesome build. How heavy did all the wood make the boat, and has it affected the performance? Great Job.


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## Fudoshin

I have a 12' version of almost the exact same boat. Mine is a few years newer, non the less I bought this boat and trailer almost two years ago and it's been sitting in my garage upside down collecting dust. The previous owners had about twelve coats of oil based house paint over the original paint so it took me over 50+ hours of work to strip and remove all the grime/paint. Your project motivated me to get started on mine. I completely stripped everything out of the boat, just finished stripping all of the paint off of the outside, and used a power drill and buffer attachment to rough up the surface a little. The only thing I messed up on was I took the seat holder pieces off except for the front two. I want to do basically the same as your boat so I will have to fasten the other four back on. I hope you won't mind if I basically copy your design, I really like it and I too am 6'4" tall so the extra space is a plus. I will post progress, and pictures as I go along. Thanks again for the motivation! =D>


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## Fudoshin

I have to get started on my trailer, it's not in too bad of shape so I might wait on that until I get some fishing in after the boat is finished. How did you fasten those 2x2's onto the bottom of the boat? Sheet metal screws I am guessing I could not tell with the pictures.


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## Fudoshin

earlier on you said you cut and tacked all the plywood up for the storage spaces etc...but then you said that every piece was individually wrapped and glued, does that mean you took it all apart and then reattached all the plywood after the carpet was on? Or did you just not secure all the individual pieces right away? Looks awesome, just trying to figure out how to do mine.


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Hey Fudoshin sorry, but I haven't been on in a while. Finally got a viable motor for the boat this spring, so most of my time has been spent fishing. The boat has worked out to be everything I wanted it to be, and I have really enjoyed being able to take out my friends and family. As for your questions, I did use sheetmetal screws and some sealer to attach to the ribs, and as for the plywood I did tack everything in place to make sure it fit, removed it all and carpeted it, then put it all back on. Good luck with your build. LOVE THOSE MIRROCRAFTS! :beer:


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## Fudoshin

That's what I did as well, I have taken pictures up to this point, I now have the frame attached to the ribs, I am getting the plywood this week, the lumber guy at home depot told me that I can use 1/2 plywood through out and that it actually can hold more pounds per square foot than the 3/4" and that should take my weight down a bit. Something I think I will do once I cut all my pieces is I will glaze them with a fiberglass resin, should prolong the life of the wood somewhere around 10-15 more years depending on the use. Mine is actually a 12' of your exact same boat, so I will have to adjust some of the lengths and what not of the frame to compensate for the loss in length on the boat. Thanks again for posting your build, it helped me a ton in mine. something else I did with my subfloor frame is I used Gorilla glue (wood) and put inbetween every single joint to make it that much stronger and prevent screws coming lose or vibration noise, those things aren't coming apart..EVER! Lol good luck fishing this summer I hope to have mine done in the next month. :shock:


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## Fudoshin

This job is not easy to do when you have A) no carpentry experience B) only a saw zaw/skill saw and C) Don't know what you are doing...lol...none the less your plans have helped a ton, thanks again for posting the pics. I am almost done framing, except where your casting deck is you have two small seat braces at the front, my 12' boat didn't have a small bench seat there so I have to try and figure out what I am going to put there for bracing. Shouldn't be too big of an issue. How did you put your seats? did you put two platforms at the front and just move the seat from the lower deck to the casting deck when you wanted too? Just trying to get some last minute ideas. Also on your subfloor did you just roll the carpet over that and glue it over the 2x2 base boards?


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## CRAPPIE_SLAYER

Sounds like you're humming right along. Don't worry about the carpentry skills and small tools available. I was in pretty much the exact same boat when I started. Just read alot on here and winged it. Might not want to worry about putting the casting deck in if its gonna be too much of a pain. Mines not really that tippy and I'm starting to get used to it, but if there alot of boat traffic out making waves it gets pretty shaky. I can imagine it would be magnified in a smaller boat. I had every intention of putting a posthole for the seat on the deck, and just be able to swap the front seat up to there, but I haven't done it yet. The carpet on the floor was not wrapped like everything else, just laid on top, glued, and stapled around the edges. As I installed the verticle side panels that box the floor in, I tried to push them down tight against the floor to also help hold the edges in place. Hope that helps. I can take a pic of the inside all fisished up and post it if you want. Speaking of pics, lets see them ones you took. you know everyone on the forum is a picture junkie :LOL2: . Few from the weekend

Buddy with a basket full of big gills






Bouns hammerhandle


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## Fudoshin

Sounds good thanks for the reply. I will put my pics up this week promise!


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