FINALLY!!!

I'm now in the "boat owner" category with the boat fully paid for. I got it from my cousin and for $500 less than asking price. For what they were asking, that was a big chunk off the price. Below are pics. Sorry, some of these were taken with my phone on the way to my boat mechanic to get a new trolling motor. The original trolling motor is an Evinrude 24V 30lb thrust. it works but the cable is busted. Why spend $100 replacing the cable when you can upgrade to a much better trolling motor. The old one will be cleaned and make a nice ornament on my garage wall.

I think I will do more than just fish and use the boat, I think I'm going to make this my first restoration project.

First things first. This is what I have done so far since this last weekend when I bought it:

- new trolling motor (picked up a 24V - 56lb Minnkota for under $300 used)

- new bildge pump

- new Sonar unit (Lowrance X96)

- new winch strap (replaced 3/8" rope my cousin was using!) :laugh:

- new transom saver straps

- new plug

- swap current prop out with extra 19" 3-blade for top end speed (48-50mph) not bad for a 30yr old 85hp Rude!

Next on the list is:

- wet sand and buff the bottom hull on the oxidized areas to match the top hull

- polish any metal trim and remove rust from chrome steerring wheel

- patch the only two holes in the original vinyl seats

Additional add-ons within the next year will be:

- additional sonar unit on trolling motor (4,000 watt min.)

- new winch

- new trailer jack

- repaint trailer with new pinstriping

- new running boards and marine carpet

- rewire trailer lights with new fixtures and new wiring (fully concealed)

- new chrome wheel/tire package

Congrats!  I just bought my first boat, with cash as well, and am really glad I did it that way.  Good Luck with it!

looks like a great boat. enjoy!!

FINALLY!!!

I'm now in the "boat owner" category with the boat fully paid for. I got it from my cousin and for $500 less than asking price. For what they were asking, that was a big chunk off the price. Below are pics. Sorry, some of these were taken with my phone on the way to my boat mechanic to get a new trolling motor. The original trolling motor is an Evinrude 24V 30lb thrust. it works but the cable is busted. Why spend $100 replacing the cable when you can upgrade to a much better trolling motor. The old one will be cleaned and make a nice ornament on my garage wall.

I think I will do more than just fish and use the boat, I think I'm going to make this my first restoration project.

First things first. This is what I have done so far since this last weekend when I bought it:

- new trolling motor (picked up a 24V - 56lb Minnkota for under $300 used)

- new bildge pump

- new Sonar unit (Lowrance X96)

- new winch strap (replaced 3/8" rope my cousin was using!) :laugh:

- new transom saver straps

- new plug

- swap current prop out with extra 19" 3-blade for top end speed (48-50mph)  not bad for a 30yr old 85hp Rude!

Next on the list is:

- wet sand and buff the bottom hull on the oxidized areas to match the top hull

- polish any metal trim and remove rust from chrome steerring wheel

- patch the only two holes in the original vinyl seats

Additional add-ons within the next year will be:

- additional sonar unit on trolling motor (4,000 watt min.)

- new winch

- new trailer jack

- repaint trailer with new pinstriping

- new running boards and marine carpet

- rewire trailer lights with new fixtures and new wiring (fully concealed)

- new chrome wheel/tire package

ill be impressed if that boat makes that speed. very respectable

Very nice. The kids look happy also. Enjoy

FINALLY!!!

I'm now in the "boat owner" category with the boat fully paid for. I got it from my cousin and for $500 less than asking price. For what they were asking, that was a big chunk off the price. Below are pics. Sorry, some of these were taken with my phone on the way to my boat mechanic to get a new trolling motor. The original trolling motor is an Evinrude 24V 30lb thrust. it works but the cable is busted. Why spend $100 replacing the cable when you can upgrade to a much better trolling motor. The old one will be cleaned and make a nice ornament on my garage wall.

I think I will do more than just fish and use the boat, I think I'm going to make this my first restoration project.

First things first. This is what I have done so far since this last weekend when I bought it:

- new trolling motor (picked up a 24V - 56lb Minnkota for under $300 used)

- new bildge pump

- new Sonar unit (Lowrance X96)

- new winch strap (replaced 3/8" rope my cousin was using!) :laugh:

- new transom saver straps

- new plug

- swap current prop out with extra 19" 3-blade for top end speed (48-50mph) not bad for a 30yr old 85hp Rude!

Next on the list is:

- wet sand and buff the bottom hull on the oxidized areas to match the top hull

- polish any metal trim and remove rust from chrome steerring wheel

- patch the only two holes in the original vinyl seats

Additional add-ons within the next year will be:

- additional sonar unit on trolling motor (4,000 watt min.)

- new winch

- new trailer jack

- repaint trailer with new pinstriping

- new running boards and marine carpet

- rewire trailer lights with new fixtures and new wiring (fully concealed)

- new chrome wheel/tire package

ill be impressed if that boat makes that speed. very respectable

When I was a teenager (16-18), my cousin and I (same age) would ride on the front, his younger brother (10-12) would ride in the back with his little sister while his Mom drove the boat and pulled up his Dad who weighed about 225-235 on a single ski.  The boat didn't like it but did it and allowed him to ski.

It was once clocked with another boat that had a speedometer at 48 with two riders.  That was not GPS but that's probably pretty close.  I know it will run about 40-45 with only 3 people in it judging from my previous boating experiences.

I've got GPS on my phone.  I plan on taking it out for my first ride this weekend.  We shall see!   ;D

Congratulations on the new boat.

Let us know what the GPS says.

Congrats on the boat, looks great!!!!!!

That a nice rig.  You and the little fellas should have a blast fishing off that ride

wow thats a def classic!!! i better see some pics soon! good luck and good fishing

t

Big time congratulations, JB.  That boat looks like the owner took good care of it.  

Thanks everyone.  I've been living near a lake now for almost 8 years and I've wanted a boat ever since.  I've always wanted a boat since I was a kid but when I moved near the lake, the dream just grew and grew.  For YEARS I've been saying I wanted a boat. I didn't really get into bass fishing until about 3 years ago and I've been riding shotgun out of my buddy's 96 model Ranger.  That got me wanting a boat even more.

SO FINALLY!  The dream has come true.  Not exactly the boat I really wanted but it floats, the motor runs, and it will definately beat what I was using.  My father-in-law was kind enough to let me borrow his rig for two years (nice guy huh).  It was a 16ft extra wide flat bottom with a 65hp Yamaha.  Good catfish boat but not a bass rig by any means.  It would run 36mph GPS!   ;D

Well, I get the boat back Saturday and I hope the weather will hold up for a few test runs.  I will try it with the current 17-pitch prop and see what it will do.  The prop is vented so it should have great hole-shot for skiing.  The 19-pitch has less hole-shot but better top end which as mentioned earlier, with a light load and only the driver, it will hit 48ish.  I was told to expect 40mph with the 17-pitch.

I will check the motor setup to see if the cavitation plate is 1" lower than the keel.  If it's lower, that will mean the motor is too low and I could potentiall gain more top end but I doubt it's setup wrong.

Yes, the owner was my second cousin and they only used the boat for fishing for a few years.  Then it became the family ski-tubing boat for almost 20 years.  They used it about 3-4 weekends out of the year and then it would get covered up under a shed when it was not at the lake on weekends.  So it's been taken care of but it's at the turning point right now.  Either fix and polish or it could go bad quick.  I'll try to wet-sand the bottom hull and buff the hull some just to get started.  Once the trailer get's repainted, I'll try and really detail the hull and polish it good.

I get the boat back from my mechanic with the new Minnkota trolling motor.  Well, new to me anyway.  Picked it up used in good condition for just under $300 and it's a 24V 65lb beast compared to the old Evinrude 30lb antique I have.  I bet I hit 7-10mph just with the trolling motor! (haha)

I'll post up more pics when I get a chance.

Thanks again everyone!   You have really made me feel better about owning an old boat.  I feel like I'm driving a classic.

I like the layout of the boat... very unique and gives it some personality.  I also love that burnt orange fleck color... very cool.  Looks to be in great shape!  And that trolling motor is strait up old school!

I like the layout of the boat... very unique and gives it some personality. I also love that burnt orange fleck color... very cool. Looks to be in great shape! And that trolling motor is strait up old school!

Yeah, so "old school" that it will be a conversation piece.

I was really hoping to use it a while until I could buy a new trolling motor but when I picked up the trolling motor, I saw the cable was busted.  I didn't see the point in spending over $100 to fix it when I could spend a little more and get a LOT more trolling motor.

I think I'll mount it on my wall in my garage.  Right over the Craftsmand tool box!

Thanks!  I like the copper color too.  I think I'm going to name it "Ole Coppertop" because it looks like an old Duracell battery!

Big time congratulations, JB. That boat looks like the owner took good care of it.

You can say that again.  From the quick glance at the pics, that boat looks to be in fantastic shape.  Not a bad deal you got on a new TM either.  You guys should have a ton of fun using it.  Congrats

Got the new trolling motor mounted but the starter solenoid busted on me so I had to replace it.  I hope to get on the water this weekend.

Here is a better overall pic of the boat with a better camera.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/jb_adams/DSC01376.jpg

Good Luck with your new Rig Looks Good

Well I finally got out on the lake and drove the boat some.  Turns out, all of the FLW anglers were out practicing for the Walmart Open this week. So there I was, stuck in a convoy on my way to the lake.  My little boat and those big nice $50,000 sponsor rigs!  

So the WOT is not what I expected.  I think I have some throttle left but I'm not sure.  I'll have to get it checked when I get a tune-up.  Top speed was 40mph GPS and the sad this is, I can get more but the motor will not drop down any lower.  Those old flat back transoms are deep and the motor is just too high in the water so you can't trim the motor up much at all or it blows out.  If I could put on a jack plate that would give it some offset and lower it about 2-3 inches, I think I could reach 45+ with just me.

Where my cousin got 45-48mph, I'll never know.  I think the motor is strong enough for that but prop setup and motor height needs to be adjusted.  I'll take it to my boat mechanic and he'll have it running 45 before it's all over.

Gas mileage is not so good.  Just the running around I did today burned up almost (2) 6-gal tanks.  I think the tune-up and prop-setup will fix some of that though.

Seeing how I just got it, I'll work through some of the bugs over time.  It SURE felt nice to be on my own boat.  One that's fiberglass and doesn't make a lot of noise in windy/choppy water like a jon boat does.  One that has live-wells, tilt/trim, foot controlled trolling motor, rides smooth, etc.  MUCH better than the jon-boat rig I was borrowing.

AH to be a boat owner at last!!!

Well I finally got out on the lake and drove the boat some. Turns out, all of the FLW anglers were out practicing for the Walmart Open this week. So there I was, stuck in a convoy on my way to the lake. My little boat and those big nice $50,000 sponsor rigs!

So the WOT is not what I expected. I think I have some throttle left but I'm not sure. I'll have to get it checked when I get a tune-up. Top speed was 40mph GPS and the sad this is, I can get more but the motor will not drop down any lower. Those old flat back transoms are deep and the motor is just too high in the water so you can't trim the motor up much at all or it blows out. If I could put on a jack plate that would give it some offset and lower it about 2-3 inches, I think I could reach 45+ with just me.

Where my cousin got 45-48mph, I'll never know. I think the motor is strong enough for that but prop setup and motor height needs to be adjusted. I'll take it to my boat mechanic and he'll have it running 45 before it's all over.

Gas mileage is not so good. Just the running around I did today burned up almost (2) 6-gal tanks. I think the tune-up and prop-setup will fix some of that though.

Seeing how I just got it, I'll work through some of the bugs over time. It SURE felt nice to be on my own boat. One that's fiberglass and doesn't make a lot of noise in windy/choppy water like a jon boat does. One that has live-wells, tilt/trim, foot controlled trolling motor, rides smooth, etc. MUCH better than the jon-boat rig I was borrowing.

AH to be a boat owner at last!!!

to me, 40 MPH is still impressive with that set-up. i have a nitro tourney with a 115 hp and it tops out at about 42 mph. what rpm's are you turning at WOT?

I don't really know.  The boat doesn't have a tacometer and I have no idea of what the RPM range is for that model motor.  I intend on getting a repair manual but haven't gotten around to it yet.  I'm guessing 5,500 is the max. safe range.  I think I'm running about 4,500+ and if I could trim the motor up more, I'd get just over 5,000 if I had to guess.  It blows out before I can get there though and drops way down.  The only way to stop the blow-out is to trim the motor down quite a bit and then slowly work your way back up before it blows-out again.

I'm going to swap props again and put the 19-pitch back on and see what it does since I re-soldered the wire on the sending unit.  I feel I have a better current flow and that can make a difference.  After the tune up, maybe a better prop, etc. I might can squeeze out 42-44mph but that's probably going to be all I can get unless I can find som un-used power I'm not aware of.  I doubt it.

Here's an update.

I just spoke with my boat mechanic and he feels pretty strongly that something with the motor is not right.  With the boat as small as it is, he feels the 85hp motor should push a bit more than it is currently and from what I described to him, either the carb is not burning the fuel correctly at max. horsepower (which is unsafe for the motor) or the prop is slipping because it does not have enough cup (not as likely).

From what my cousin told me, both props would make the boat run about 38-40 but the bigger prop could push up to upper 40's as described earlier.  If I cannot trim the motor up where the cowling is at least level and to the optimum level because the prop is slipping, it's either the prop or the motor.  Since it has not done this before, my mechanic feels it's probably the motor needing a tune-up or it has an electronic problem with the coil pack resulting in loss of power.

A tune up or carb kit could resolve the issue and I can maintain the props I have and save the motor.  We shall see.

Congrats nice. Go get-um.

Not to sound rude or anything but why are you not happy with 40mphs? Unless you fish high end tourneys, there is no reason to demand this speed. 30-35 is ideal for cruising a lake anyway, enjoy the classic ride and don't get mixed up in the "speed wins tournaments" attitude, trust me you'll get burned out on it... just my opinion.

By the way congrats on your first boat! I remember the feeling! It rules doesn't it?!!!!! 8-)

Not to sound rude or anything but why are you not happy with 40mphs? Unless you fish high end tourneys, there is no reason to demand this speed. 30-35 is ideal for cruising a lake anyway, enjoy the classic ride and don't get mixed up in the "speed wins tournaments" attitude, trust me you'll get burned out on it... just my opinion.

By the way congrats on your first boat! I remember the feeling! It rules doesn't it?!!!!! 8-)

No offense taken.  Yes it is quite cool to own your first boat but the mechanical headaches and constant money you have to pour into one to work out the bugs and things is annoying.  Especially when the wife is not happy with having a boat anyway.

I guess the reason I'm thinking about speed is becuase I was told the boat would run faster than it currently is.  I think I'm learning to embrace 40mph and be fine with it.  The boat rides really well for a tri-hull.  I was told they ride rough but when you compare it to a 16ft flat bottom I used to ride in, this is a really smooth ride. (haha)

Not to sound rude or anything but why are you not happy with 40mphs? Unless you fish high end tourneys, there is no reason to demand this speed. 30-35 is ideal for cruising a lake anyway, enjoy the classic ride and don't get mixed up in the "speed wins tournaments" attitude, trust me you'll get burned out on it... just my opinion.

By the way congrats on your first boat! I remember the feeling! It rules doesn't it?!!!!! 8-)

I agree Speed is not the answer my ranger can do 70 tourny ready fully loaded 2 people.. I do 35-40 I want to fish not spend my time in the hospital or leave this earth to early trust me I dont need to be first to start fishing to win