New to the site..... New (old) Aquasport 19-6

[GoneFission]

Buy the boat because you're in love. A pretty blonde with blue eyes.
Guess what...In Tampa Bay, these boats/hulls are worth 2X or more what they bring in Podunk, NC

 Set aside good money and treat her right

Podunk, NC??     I resemble that remark!    

[gran398]

bofus and...maybe more?

         

[Spectre5922]

Hey Gran,

Just for grins, here are some before and after pics of my old bike.  It was a 1992 GSXR 750.  The pics don't really show how bad the paint was when I bought it.  It was painted metallic black from a rattle can.  There were runs everywhere, metallic pooling and light spots.  I did all the prep, fiberglass work and painting myself during the rebuild.

BEFORE

 

DURING












The after pics are in the next post to keep tjhis one short..............

[Spectre5922]

After a LOT of blood, sweat and tears, here is the finished product.  The whole point to all of this is to show that I am the same type person as you guys.  I don't like to half-do things.  I am passionate about older vehicles and bringing them back from the dead.  I love the old lines and think that older vehicles (including boats) have a character that newer ones just don't have.  Here she is $2500 later and all finished up.  I would park next to bikes that cost 5-10 times what mine did, but mine got the attention.  During a ride to Galveston (167 bikes) the leader rode beside me the entire time so his girlfriend could take pics of my bike on the road the whole way.

Here she is.....


















The upgrade list includes:
Bodywork/paint
HID headlights
New skull grips
New chain/sprockets
New levers
New dark smoke windscreen
New mirrors
New led instrument lights
New led tail lights
New clutch/cable
Flush brake system
Rebuild calipers
New EBC Wave rotors ($322 each)
Reupholstered seat (Sea Doo material)
New carbon fiber led turn signals
New bearings throughout
New Michelin M22 tires
Reflective rim stripes
Fiberglass solo tail
I'm sure a lot more than I'm forgetting

The bike had 5 coats of paint, wet sanded between coats with 4 coats of clear.


The really sad part is that I ran into a friend of the guy that bought it from me last June the other day.  He said that the guy that bought it was out riding it in December and lost control and totalled it.  I spent a month every night and weekend working on her for some noob to go out and total it in the first 6 months!  I almost cried!  lol

[gran398]

Well that sucks. But hey, what a beautiful job!

Thanks for posting the pics...they were awesome

[gman 82 aquasport]

Go ahead with the Aquasport, I picked up a 82 aquasport 19.6 Osprey in March on a tandem trailer(no motor) for $700, 2 months later had it in the water with a 92 Johnson 150 on the rear ,new wiring on everything, new paint(baby blue over white on the bottom) new gas tank,new lights, all new gauges,built my own t-top, removed front section of the floor to fix soft spot and to replace fuel filler and vent hoses,did all work myself except for alum welding on t-top, making my own electronics box (Foam core) for top.Everything said and done including all new bolts and tires and lights on trailer for under 5K. Yes I could have bought another boat for the same money but this way I know what's been done and how....besides it just feels good to know that the way the boat is and looks is because of your own hard work... :)

[pete]

Welcome gman!Your boat sounds awesome,need to see some pics

[Spectre5922]

BREAKING HEADLINES!!!!!!  

For those of you who followed everything that was going on (or weird), there has been a MAJOR change in the guy's attitude that had the AS I was looking at!  It seems that he needed a Johnson 88 pulled from a little Bayliner bowrider that he had, and at the same time, he needed the Tracker 40 pulled off his pontoon boat and the 88 installed on it.  Long story short, I did the swap for him last Friday, and guess what?

Wait for it.......


Wait for it......

HE GAVE ME THE AQUASPORT FOR DOING THE SWAP!

Not only did he come off his inflated price, but he gave the boat for doing the job!  It went from $300 to too much to $0 for it!  I will be starting on it this weekend with some dismantling, pulling what is left of the harness, removing the console, etc.  

BTW....  Here is a pic that was taken Friday afternoon at my buddy's shop after we pulled MY new AS there!

[gran398]

SA-WEET!!! Welcome to the club of esteemed and distinguished Classis Aquasport Owners  

[Spectre5922]

Hi guys!

I thought about posting this as a seperate post so it would get more attention.....

I have started to tear into the AS a little.  I have pulled the center console, coffin cover and tank.  I am in the process right now of removing all of the bolts, screws, brackets, steering and other items from the console to get it ready to sand and prep for gel coat.  The good news is that the tank APPEARS to be okay.  I am going to clean it up and have it pressure tested soon.  Also, I have decided that, rather than do a temporary fix for the soft spots in the floor with the foam, I am going to do it right from the beginning and replace the entire floor.  This way, I won’t have to disassemble the boat again for years.  The water separator was mounted inside the console and had a hole rusted through the bottom and the PO had cut the fuel filler line and put a PVC plumbing cap on the line under the console right at the tank.  
Anyway, I have a TON of questions for you though being the noob that I am.

1. Are all steering wheel hubs universal on boats or do I have to get a wheel specifically for whatever system I install?  The cable was completely frozen and the wheel is toast (as you can see in my pics).  I do not want to install the cheapie black sport wheels like I see in sport boats.  If I am going to do this, I want the correct wheel like the stainless ones that I have seen in various posts here.

2. Are proper throttle control levers really $230???  If so, maybe that is why the PO had that junky one that was not designed for a center console boat installed (it was mounted to the console with a homemade aluminum L-channel bracket).

3. Where do I find the thread that describes using a PVC pipe under the floor instead of using the cable trough?  You guys are right.  It is just a collection point for dirt, debris and muck.

4. Can you use automotive glazing putty on small scratches and nicks or do you need to use a marine-specific product?  I am will be starting to sand the console this weekend after I patch all of the various screw holes, bolt holes and unwanted drilled holes from old controls and switches that are in the console.  I don’t want to do anything that will not react well with the gel coat when it is applied.

5. Are the gas tank compartments supposed to have drain holes in them that go to the bilge area?  Mine has no holes and was completely full of water from rain over the years.  Should I install a drain in that area when I redo the floor?

6. Is there a preferred type of steering system for a boat this size?  I don’t think that I can do the hydraulic setup due to cost considerations, but is there a preference between a rack and pinion setup and the one that looks like a spring that wraps around the hub?  The one that is in the boat now is the spring type setup, but it is trashed and will be replaced.

7. Would it be a total insult to AS owners and classic Aquasport boats everywhere if I replaced all of the wood doors (anchor locker, console storage) with the marine plastic hatches?  It would save a ton of money and maintenance down the road.

8. Is there a reason why there is wood between the console and deck, or is that just for looks?  Does it serve a purpose?

9. I don’t have an outlet for cypress in my area.  Is there any other wood beside cypress and teak that are acceptable for marine applications?  The supplier of teak in my area charges $.27/sq. in. for ¾ in. teak.  The wood under the console alone would cost right at $200.  I MIGHT be able to save the teak step rails on the sides, but the anchor locker door is missing and the door frame on the console has a big chip out of it.

10. I’ve noticed in another build post that a lot of extra bulkheads were added during the floor replacement.  Is that something that I should consider on mine?  Is it necessary support that people have found should have been done from the factory?

I’m sorry for the huge list, but you guys are the gurus.

I will keep posting pics as I progress.....

Thanks for any help.

[gran398]

No questions are dumb...glad you got her!

Step by step...save the rigging/mechanical stuff for last.

You don't need the teak beneath the console, unless you want it. If you want to keep it the same height, use starboard.

Check the build date on the tank...see if its been replaced. If its original...chunk it.

There are a BUNCH of tank threads on here...see which method is most appealing to you. Anytime we get to talking tank installs, well....we end up having "lively discussion"  

Let us know how the transom and stringers look when you get the floor out. Tx.

[imonna 19 6]

Congrats on the boat.  i just (a few months ago) did a full install of a new gas tank and my post is here somewhere with a ton of pictures: ranging from removing the old lines to wiring the sender.  Having done it so recently, all the info is fresh in my brain, so send me a PM if you have any questions.  

Again congrats and good luck

Bill

[adpostel]

Congrats on the new rig, I have a 78 19-6 and am right down the street from you in Seabrook. I am redoing mine as well.  Lets keep in touch.

[Spectre5922]

Congrats on the new rig, I have a 78 19-6 and am right down the street from you in Seabrook. I am redoing mine as well.  Lets keep in touch.

Absolutely!  Check your inbox.  I'll PM you my number.

[Spectre5922]

Well, it's been a real slow start.  Work has been brutal lately.  I have pulled the tank and console, stripped teh console and started cleaning the boat.  It was so nasty before that I almost didn't want to work on it.  Here are some before and after pics of the little that I've done so far.

Console before....



Console after....







Grungy nasty dirty old boat....





Not so grungy nasty dirty old boat.  It actually looks pretty damn good cleaned up.





Console and tank pulled.  Ready for tank pressure test and new floor after I clean up the inside just like the outside.




With work the way it is, it's going to be kind of slow going until the winter.  Once work slows down I can really get moving on her compared to what I'm able to spend time doing now.