# Weldbilt 1448MV



## Earlo (Feb 11, 2013)

Howdy. This is my second tinboat. Sorry to not post photos of the process, but I was too busy trying to get this one lake ready. Picked the boat up on Friday 2/1 and was pretty much done by Sunday 2/3. Not as involved as the last boat (which leaked like a colander) but I am much happier with the layout of this one, and especially the extra width. Weldbilts have some serious ribs, and the great thing is that the floor ribs are level, making flooring one pretty easy. I put a layer of styrofoam under the floor for additional flotation and to dampen the noise. Caught a mess of crappie from it on 2/8, so so far so good.


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## Ictalurus (Feb 11, 2013)

=D> =D> =D> 

Looks great, love the open layout. Weldbuilts look like they are built like tanks, and the ribs are serious! What do you have pushing that rig?


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## Earlo (Feb 11, 2013)

Ictalurus said:


> =D> =D> =D>
> 
> Looks great, love the open layout. Weldbuilts look like they are built like tanks, and the ribs are serious! What do you have pushing that rig?



Right now, a 1968 Johnson 9.5. Top speed is about 15 mph. I'd like to get a 15 or 20 hp eventually, but the 9.5 starts easy and runs like a dream, so I'm not in a hurry to upgrade.


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## Earlo (Feb 19, 2013)

Now that I've spent a little more time on the water, the 9.5 does not push this boat as well as I would like. I found a 15hp johnson on CL,
but am wondering if that's going to be enough of an increase. 18 and 20 hp's are out there, but a little harder to find. Any ideas?


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## tnriverluver (Feb 19, 2013)

Try to find an outboard as close to the boats max rating as possible to be happy with performance. That boat is probably rated for a 20 or 25 is it not?


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## Earlo (Feb 19, 2013)

tnriverluver said:


> Try to find an outboard as close to the boats max rating as possible to be happy with performance. That boat is probably rated for a 20 or 25 is it not?



Yes. The dealer that I got it from also said that a 25 might even be too much, more because of weight than hp. I'm not looking to set any speed records, just was wondering if the difference between a 9.5 and a 15 would be significant. Right now, the 9.5 will plane the boat, unless I'm going into the wind.


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## tnriverluver (Feb 19, 2013)

I am sure you would be surprised by the difference with the 15. 50% more power than you are currently running. With that said get a 25 and don't look back!!!!


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## Earlo (Feb 19, 2013)

tnriverluver said:


> I am sure you would be surprised by the difference with the 15. 50% more power than you are currently running. With that said get a 25 and don't look back!!!!



Thanks for the advice. I also have a 1965 6 hp, so I could get to 15 by strapping both it and the 9.5 on the back!


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## TxTightLiner (Feb 19, 2013)

Lol that might work..
Or you maybe able to swap those two for a 20 or 25Hp.
A lil ole CL bartering..


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## crazymanme2 (Feb 19, 2013)

> With that said get a 25 and don't look back!!!!



I second what he said.That boat will easily handle a 25hp.


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## erictetterton (Feb 19, 2013)

what's the hull rated for? with it being a mod v i bet it will handle a 35hp


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## TxTightLiner (Feb 21, 2013)

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say its rated for a 25Hp tiller.
I have a 1436 with a 80's Johnson 15hp and it seems to be perfect for the max load cap.
That being said a 25hp would be a lot nicer to have, when the load sometimes exceeds what it's supposed to be. I am in the process of working a deal with a fella on a 1448, When/If that goes thru ill let ya know how a 15 does on it(should be next week). I say get a 25 if you can , if not I'm sure the 15 will get you there but not as quick 8)


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## BrazosDon (Feb 21, 2013)

I, personally, have an Alumacraft 14X48MV and I run a18hp 'Rude '57 model. I thought that my hull would take up to a 30hp but the 18hp is fine and it runs great. I found a chart that might help you guys. ??Good luck.


https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:xKaZxAlYMxgJ:www.akmccallumco.com/pdf/jon-boat-listing.pdf+alumacraft+jon+boat+specs&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjGPJeYaPG1iU_jsDaUyGu5xrHs5rcNSX_r6wPl7KvPcuZX_OE63yQeP2a4nhg125Wg3yzojgF--Jno9rb7uZ5dRMWd3FRjT6gg_ZuCnCHd_exw40ibhAcuMFtfuoqz0x8_WeOb&sig=AHIEtbRkg-wY0CHjy51JWQ-mhXVRmwBemw


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## TxTightLiner (Feb 21, 2013)

Nice job on the boat OP!
Thanks for the comparison chart very informative.


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## BrazosDon (Feb 21, 2013)

TxTightLiner, check your messages. BrazosDon


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## Earlo (Feb 25, 2013)

After scouring CL, I found a '73 Johnson 20 hp for $300. Checked it out in a trash can, then took it to a ramp about two miles away. Per my FF GPS, it pushed the boat at 26 mph, and I would not want to go any faster. Kind of scary. Part of that may be that I'm so accustomed to puttering along at 14 mph. The motor has some issues – dies at idle speed, milky looking lower unit oil. But for the price I decided to take a chance. I dropped it off at the house of a guy who rebuilds old motors and he said he thinks he can have it in shape in a few days, unless there are compression issues. I don't have a gauge, so didn't test it, but it ran great at full throttle, so I hoping that the fix is something pretty simple like a carb kit and a lower seal. Thanks again to all for your input. Will post a final verdict soon.


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## hotshotinn (Feb 26, 2013)

i like lookin at what you did =D>


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## Earlo (Feb 27, 2013)

hotshotinn said:


> i like lookin at what you did =D>



Thanks you sir.


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## TxTightLiner (Feb 27, 2013)

Good find on the motor.
Sounds like the low speed jet needs to be adjusted and or cleaned & a lower unit seal kit installed.
Parts are cheap for that motor!
Hope it treats you right.


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## TxTightLiner (Feb 27, 2013)

Oh ya Pics !


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## Earlo (Mar 4, 2013)

TxTightLiner said:


> Good find on the motor.
> Sounds like the low speed jet needs to be adjusted and or cleaned & a lower unit seal kit installed.
> Parts are cheap for that motor!
> Hope it treats you right.



Thanks TX. That's what I'm hoping too. I'm still waiting to hear back from the mechanic that has it. Meanwhile, I've got new decals for the cowling (it was painted cammo), as well as decals for the cowlings of my other two Johnsons. Will post pics as soon as I have something to photograph.


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## TxTightLiner (Mar 5, 2013)

Sounds good Earlo.


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## Earlo (Mar 12, 2013)

Still waiting on the 20 hp to be repaired, seal kit for lower unit had to be ordered. Meanwhile, I redid the cowling graphics on all three of my outboards and added logo to the boat. I drew all the stuff in illustrator and took it to Fast Signs, where they gave me a pretty good deal on the decals.


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## TxTightLiner (Mar 12, 2013)

Nice job on the cowlings!
I saw the 20 on CL with the camo, it's starting to look like a brand new motor.


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## Earlo (Apr 8, 2013)

Six weeks later had a weird weekend with the 73 20 hp. Once a week I called the guy, who said it still would not idle. He rebuilt the carb, and even tried two other carbs on it, checked all the firing system with no luck. I'd had enough, and just went and got it. At home, put it in the trash can and fired it up, same thing as before – coughing, spitting, would not idle. Tried adjusting the low speed needle, still no good. Then I noticed it was not pumping water. Shut it down, dropped the lower unit, the impeller looked fine. Put it back together, tested again in the trash can and it purred like a kitten. WTF???? The only thing I can figure is that I jarred something loose when checking the lower unit. Any issue with the impeller would not affect the way it would idle, would it?


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## Earlo (Aug 12, 2013)

On the canal in galveston:


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## Earlo (Aug 12, 2013)

A month ago, I found a crack in the front deck around the back of the factory seat mount. I have only had the boat 7 months, so emailed the dealer in East Texas to ask about the warranty. He emailed that he'd check on it. After 3 weeks, 5 more emails from me and 3 calls, he finally said he talked to the factory and they said I should "weld it up". They'd reimburse me up to $100. I'd already told the dealer that re-welding it was a bandaid repair, and that it was certain to crack again. To me, the fix was to remove and replace the factory seat mount and create a broader base to redistribute the weight and stress.

First, I don't weld, and did not feel like running around town to find someone to do the dealers warranty work. Second, the dealer is 200 miles away, and since it took 3 weeks to get an answer it might take 3 months to get my boat back. Third, by doing it myself, I kept the labor costs down to $2 per hour. I'm sending him material receipts and an invoice for $99.99. Will see if I get any of it back.


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## Earlo (Apr 2, 2014)

The carpet on the Suzie Too had gotten pretty nasty. I use the boat about 75 times a year, so even while keeping it inside, the floor was in need of a redo. I wanted to get something that was washable but tough enough to stand up to a lot of use. I found this "paint" at Lowe's called Restore that comes in a bunch of colors and was about $25 a gallon. Water-based, thick as a milkshake and dries pretty quickly. I did not weigh the panels before and after painting them, but they were not appreciably heavier, even though I slathered it on pretty thick.

I coated both sides of every piece on the boat, with one medium coat followed by a really thick coat. The surface looks meaner than it actually is, I was barefoot in the boat last week and it feels great and does not get too hot. We'll see how it holds up. Crappie are spawning right now in TX and my time on the water is about to go up to level orange.


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