Has anyone fully documented a restoration?

[billh1963]

Has anyone fully documented their restoration with pictures and text showing the details that someone starting a restoration will always ask? Some of these questions would be:
1. Is the cap removeable on an older A.S. and should it be removed for replacing the floor or transom?
2. How should you remove the floor (tools and techniques)?
3. Do you remove the old floor all the way to the hull or do you leave a 2" lip to attach to?
4. Can you recreate the original non-skid flooring? If not, what is a good substitute?
5. Should you make the floor out of plywood or newer materials?
6. What is the best closed cell foam to use for flotation and what is the best way to apply it?
7. What is the best way to replce the transom? From inside or outside? Do you use plywood, coosa board, or something else?
8. What are some interesting upgrades to add and how do you add them? (e.g. baitwells, hydraulic steering, trim tabs, etc.)
9. Is there a standard checklist for disassembly and assembly as you restore the boat?

I'm sure I'm not the only one asking these questions. I like the classicmako.com and iboats.com forums, however, they have no consolidated thread or compilation of knowledge that covers these steps in detail.

I wonder if we could compile something similar....something like "25 Steps to Restoring your  Rotten Transom, Spongy Deck, and Misunderstood Aquasport!"

[warthog5]

Man , If I staarted answer all those question's I'd still be here typing until tommorow.
It's not an AS, but here's the link. 44 page's so far.
http://www.classicmako.com/projects/xshark/

[billh1963]

Warthog,
I've been following this page and others for a while now. I'm a visual person and love detailed instructions! As I mentioned in previous threads I will farm out some of the work but will try quick projects on my own.

I just thought it would be interesting if someone had a detailed restoration history of an Aquasport that would be basically applicable to the olders A.S. models!

BTW: Your Mako looks great!

[JimCt]

Bill,

You've asked some tall questions there that may take several hundred pages to answer.  But, if you can set aside a few hours to go through the posts in the "'AS Rebuilds" section, you'll find a fair amount of existing documentation in place.  Topics may wander around some but that's the normal course of any conversation.

It's safe to say there are many ways of approaching rebuild tasks so many of the old AS's require.  New materials & techniques are developed all the time.  Also, since money appears to be tangentially involved with boats & their repair, there are many "levels of the game" in restoration.  Example: a transom can be rehabbed at modest cost (chainsaw method) or at  "museum quality" cost.   Depends on what you want & can afford. Both methods are valid in their own way. Some guys here have boats that are stronger and better looking than new.  Basically perfect. That's their deal.  Others have boats that are maybe a bit tired and tattered around the edges and are used simply as tools for fishing; dings & bashes not a cause for concern. That's their deal.

Look through the posts and get into the swing of the discussions.  Maybe you have some improvements to a method to bring to the table. Toss in your $.02.  Ask the "dumb" questions; that's what I do of necessity.

Purpose of the AS board, I reckon, is to advance the base of knowlege about these boats.  Maybe an illustrated primer for  basic repair/rebuilds is needed.  I'd be more than happy to kick in what little I can. Maybe a few of the more experienced hands can help even more.  Let's see...

[billh1963]

Thanks, Jim, for the reply.

I have searched the A.S. forums extensively as well as iboats.com, classicmako.com, and a couple of others. The challenge is that it seems that every manufacturer did domething a little different and everyone's approach on how to make repairs is different.

For instance, when discussing deck replacement you hear several schools of thought...leave a couple inches of the old deck against the hull with a 45 degree bevel and lay the new floor in there, or, leave a couple of inches around the edges and build up the top of the stringers the thickness of the old deck and lay a new floor over that, another school of thought says take the old one completely out to get the original look.

I don't know what the best method would be for an A.S. ...maybe, to your point, it depends on what you want the boat to do.

I guess I'm just looking for the "no brainer" manual that is like a cookbook. Just follow the recipe and everything will come out delicious!  

[ddd222]

i do alot more reading than posting , but the best thing i suggest would be to take the aquasport specific info you can get from here, and learn what you can from the aquasport, classic mako, seacraft, etc., and plan your own course. There are quite a few different ways to accomplish each of the hundreds or thousands of things needed for a "complete" restoration. Many things are going to be dependant of preference, time and money, how nice do you want it? When doing something like this it also gives you the oppurtunity to outfit your boat with many luxuries that were not available back in the day. I've found the guys at mako very helpful, it's kind of a brotherhood, and many are out there to be helpful. Good luck, the process is contagious, we all look forward to the next step

[warthog5]

As to the floor replacment. By leaving a 2in or 3in lip around the permiter. You have a solid surface for the new panel to set on. Along with raising the height of the stringer's slightly, you can help the deck drainage.

Now your going to loose a 1/2in or 3/4in of gunnel height where it hit's your leg.

You can keep the new deck panel spaced back from the side by 1in and have a channel to pick up water on the deck and funnel it toward the back.

To me you get a stronger joint at the side's and less chance of devoleping a crack along that joint. That and you don't have those outer edge's flopping while trying to get them tabbed in.