Just bought this 16' boat/trailer for $400 total.  Boat doesn't leak, and trailer rolls with good lights.

In the end, we're going to try for the closest approximation of this possible.  My boat, being over 40 years old, isn't nearly as wide, so obviously won't be quite as stable, but I did something like this (less ambitious though) with a 1970 14' sea king semi-v and it worked fine- I never fell in anyway .  Wanted something a little longer/wider for bigger wanter (i.e. Canada) this time around.  I'll post pics as I progress on the build.  Won't be picking up the boat until next Sat.  It's a 2 hour drive from here.  For now, it will be powered by a 50lb. MK Endura and a 30lb. MK all-terrain for ~100-200 acre lakes locally.  Later, it will get a 15hp Honda 4-stroke when I can afford it.  This is my first post, so if you're wondering, yes I'm new to the board.  I was inspired to do this by the many websites devoted to modding jon boats, though I've always been partial to the versatility of v-hulls for my multi-species lifestyle. Cheers.  Also, any suggestions would be appreciated.  Most of all, how to affix the rear floor to the boat, and support it.  I'll be leaving the two front benches in the boat to support the front deck.

You got a good deal!  Keep us posted on how it goes:)

The boat in the 2nd pic looks like a Crestliner Canadian 16.  I have a Canadian 18, my first boat.  Really happy with it.  Good luck on you conversion, looks like a fun project.  

Just bought this 16' boat/trailer for $400 total. Boat doesn't leak, and trailer rolls with good lights.

wow ... definately a good deal . There's one just like it in my area for sale but with a 8 horse motor for 1500.00

so I'd say

" Nice Score "

good luck

Yeah, the fellow measured it for me today.  16' long and 60" wide at the transom.  Perfect for a decking project.  The wood will cost me $85 (I've got a contractor friend) and hopefully I can score some reasonable marine carpet.  Two fold down pedestal chairs and an adjustable butt seat will be about $115.  Two Minn kota trolling motors, a Garmin sounder, and batteries for ~$400and I should be fishing for around $1000.  Later I'll add an electric start gas outboard, and still be under $2000.  Can't beat that, and this boat should be big enough to fish just about anywhere.

Looks like a nice boat.  You got a deal!  I redid a boat like that last year.  Mine is a 16' Starcraft.  It had bench seats in it.  I made the deck as high as the bench seats.  I think mine is a little wider than 60" though.  The link to the share-a-project for my conversion is in my signature.  Post up some more pics when you pick it up.  You might want to start a share-a-project on it so others can reference it on their builds.

Just looked at your conversion.  Beautiful work. I don't think I'm going to paint mine this season, I'll save that for a later project, and I think I"m going to use the front bench seats for support of the deck, however, your aluminum frame rear floor has me intrigued.  How much more difficult was it to do that way than with wood stringers?  Because I don't hunt, just fish for walleye, crappie, norther, and bass, I'm going to nix the benches for mobility and space, but for a hunter, I can see why you did it that way.  Really looks nice.  I think they're roughly the same width, too.  I"m not going to run as much electronic stuff in mine because it will be stored outside for the next couple years, so I'm making the electronics as removable as possible.

The aluminum angle is really easy to work with.  Buy in bulk if you can (It keeps the cost down).  I'm not sure of the current layout of the inside of your boat, but if it is like mine was, the benches provide some structural integrity by keeping the sides of the boat from spreading out.  That's the main reason that I kept my benches.  You can get away with removing the front benches because the deck acts as one big bench.  You may be able to get away with removing the middle bench all together and back bench.  JMO

Well, I picked up the boat today.  My wife is out of town with our digital camera, so no pics now.  First impressions-

- I will probably not be able to do everything I was planning to do- mostly because it seems that on this boat the structural integrity depends greatly on the presence of the benches.

-The boat is shallower than I thought- definitely a shallow semi v, tapering within the first 5 feet of the bow into an almost completely flat bottom, almost jon flat

-because of the flat bottom toward the back, as well as the fact that the previous owner laid carpeting over the whole floor, I don't think the flooring in the back will be necessary, especially since I'm not removing the benches.  Floor would just add weight.

-Boat can easily be pushed by trolling motors.  It is VERY light weight.

-I will probably just install a front deck at bench height with as much under-deck storage as I can safely manage, and put a pedestal on it and on the rearmost bench.  I will also have to replace the wood portion of one of the benches, as it is rotten.  I will also replace the aluminum bow cap with a plywood one to better accomodate trolling motor/depthfinder.  All in all, much less work than I had originally expected, although the final product will be marginally less satisfying

-Even though it isn't exactly what I expected, $400 is still a good deal for the boat.

I'll post some BEFORE pics when I get my camera.

finally got around to doing the wood cutting and taking some pics today.  Enjoy.

heres the rear floor and the rear bench (it will swing open to reveal storage, that's why its 3 pieces.)

the front deck supports

the deck

and the whole thing from the back with storage holes cut in deck (supports removed)

coated all wood in fiberglass resin today.  For those of you do-it-yourselfers out there- be warned, that stuff is sticky, sticky, sticky and impossible to get off.  Don't get it on your hands once you've put the hardener in it.  Wear gloves.  Bolting everything together next week and carpet next weekend.  Yee-haw!

Lookin good man! Keep us posted!