79 Vulture Recore

[77viper]

Looking good keep at it. I had so many "issues" that I was so close to giving up many times especially once I got my vegas. If there wasn't issues anyone could do it, it will make you that much more proud once your done.

I coldn't find just the gauge for your jack plate but I know you can buy the pl65 with a gauge I just can't find it yet. I did find a universal gauge and sending unit from Panther for about $125.oo

[Hippie459MN]

Looking good. Giving me a little bit of hope on mine by seeing what yours looks like all apart.

[VultureNo2]

I the front, where my feet will be when driving, there was a single stringer running up the middle with a plywood floor over it (see middle of picture). I don't remember a floor on VultureNo1. Anyone know if that looks like an add on after or should there be a layer of flooring over the glass. I thought the first one I had just had carpet over the cored in resin.

[VultureNo2]

Chet, the piece that I think they call the bulkhead was completely blown out from past mountings of the footpedal. It looks like it was installed and broken off several times. One of the installs included screwing it completely throught he bottom of the boat. That has been glassed over from the outside but it looks like that was responsible for quite a bit of the core rot up front. There is foam in front of the bulkhead area that is cracked and core rot underneath and will come out also. I have a couple questions. Question 1. The bulkhead was just formed glass and appeared emply inside. Was it originally hollow or should it have had core or wood inside it? I think I saw in some of your pictures that you elliminated that. Is that true? Question 2. Do I need to replace the foam flotation crap? I would like to skip it. It's not going to keep the boat from sinking anyway, right? Question 3. I will be using this boat primarily for skiing. I want to carry extra fuel so I want a second tank up front. Should I build a plywood floor for that up by the nose of the boat? If I do something like that, do I want a low single stringer underneath it or is it a small enough area to just glass in a nicely fit piece of plywood? Could that replace the bulkhead designed the way it was? I'd like it to be designed like where the floor is designed by the front seats. I know this is a long post, but any direction would be appreciated. Bill

[Hippie459MN]

As you can see I have that front footwell bulkhead also but mine looks to have had the airbox removed (No longer a hollow box like yours) at some point in its life if there really was one ever there. I will get around to pulling the top floor piece off of it (and get to fixing everything else) once it warms up outside and a few things here at home get back on track.

Im itching to go boating this coming summer so hopefully I can knock it out in 2 months come early early spring.

[Hippie459MN]

Dont mind the mess. I was taking a bunch of wiring out and the neighbors cottonwood tree had been going crazy for a few days.

[VultureNo2]

Hippie, its all coming out of mine. I already pulled that bulkhead out. See picture. Look at the rot underneath it especially on the starboard side.

[77viper]

Bill I'm not sure about how the bulkhead was, I had what they call the air tank that was just fiberglass and no wood.

I was going to put foam on the deck when the boat was upside down just so if Sh*t happens the boat will be easier to retrieve. I know some guys just use a inner tube. I wouldn't put any foam under the floor or anywhere it could get wet.

If you put a fuel tank in the bow it will cause the boat to handle different with a full or empty tank. A lot of guys don't like bow tanks for this reason. As long as you know how it handles I think you will be fine. I would think you could make a shelf for a tank without a stringer just the top and a bulkhead under. It will be a small shelf anyway.

[Hippie459MN]

If you put a fuel tank in the bow it will cause the boat to handle different with a full or empty tank. A lot of guys don't like bow tanks for this reason.

Even my big ole Glastron had a temp tank up in the cubby for a weekend and that thing was a whole different animal with the tank op front and we only had a 15 gal tank up there. The original is a 40 gallon in the back if I remember right.

Here is my hardly spoken of glastron... Shhh

Gell is a bit faded but with a 475hp 427 BBC it goes alright.
The original 454 inhaled something and damaged it bad so in went the good power.

[77viper]

Nice Hippie, I wont tell anyone. I bet it went fairly well with the extra HP.