Here she is!

[jflots]

After getting her home and a good pressure washing.  Since then I've loaded it on a trailer and moved into my shop for evaluation.  My wife really likes the boat and wants to keep it.  Hopefully she'll help with the work.  The bad news is the soft floor, the good news is I'm not intimidated by it.








Due to Florida summers I'm not intending on anything major until the fall when it cools off, but as a teaser I'm planning on working on the bow area.  The bow eye has almost pulled through  so I hole sawed through the floor in the anchor compartment to get to it.  The nuts on the back side wouldn't move and there were NO WASHERS, the bottom nut was buried in the glass.  I sawzalled it and am planning on removing the floor for access and more anchor/line room, by sealing it off to the rest of the hull and drilling an overboard drain hole.

Thats it for now, just wanted to share.  thanks.

[bamafaninfl]

Keep us posted and the pictures coming.

[slippery73]

Might want to think long and hard about doing a complete rebuild if your boat is in decent shape, it looks to be. I would rig a cheap motor on it and just use it, people really underestimate the time and money it takes to do a full rebuild and do it properly. For some people it works, others it doesn't. Unless you have lots of free time, work area, tools, know how etc. Its really not worth it, in retrospect I may have done things differently. I was using my boat as a learning tool for me, I eventually want to get into the marine business and I thought this would give me a taste of what to expect. I also had a workshop, tools etc. Just some food for thought, you'll find that even a boat with a soft floor and a motor on the back is a lot more fun than the hacked up boat in the back yard.

[jflots]

Slippery73 is bumming my high.  Just kidding Slip,  I hear ya on all of that.  I've gone through the different scenerios on different vehicles.  Do your want to work on the boat or go boating?  Well I enjoy both, as long as the pace of the project allows for some reward.  The floors are quite bad in front of the console and especially behind the seat box.  I don't know if its dangerous or just annoying.  The hull and transom seem sound.

Last night I removed the bow eye and anchor locker floor.  I was suprised to find the plywood floor was only sealed on top and bare on bottom.  Theres a piece of wook backing the bow eye that's soft from moisture getting in arround the loose fitting.  I also enlarged the opening to the compartment by 1/2" all arround.  This cleaned up the factory cut and allowed better access.

So far it's fun, like the beginning of all projects.  I'm playing it by ear at this point.

thanks

[wingtime]

Sweet boat.  Is that the back end of a CJ-5 body tub I see sitting near the boat?

[jflots]

Good eye wingtime.  I have a '59 Willys CJ5, one of the sceneriors I mentioned earlier.  It's basket case to most people, but we enjoy it.  My attitude towards it has been to keep it running and relatively safe for neighborhood and beach driving.  The body is toast, the spare tub is fiberglass and was cut in half by a PO who had big plans of a monster truck thingy.  It's been a debate on when or if to do the project.

[wingtime]

Ok this is off topic a bit but....
It's called quick aperture jeep recognition.  The ability to spot a old jeep in someones back yard that is half covered up while driving 50 miles an hour!  LOL  I have a 67 CJ-5 that is 99% restored.  Here's a pic.


If you need a front end I have a 1-pc fiberglass one that you can have.

Are you a member of Early CJ-5?

[jflots]

Nice Jeep.  Mine may some day look like that.

[RickK]

Both look like worthy vehicles  
I once owned a '63 International Scout 4x4 - first year they made them.  Man was there a difference between the 63 and the 64   They sure did learn quickly

[slippery73]

Nice Jeep.  Mine may some day look like that.

Good god man, its already perfect. What more can you ask for?

[jflots]

A tub that's not sagging arround the frame and seats that aren't held up with plywood would be nice.