1976 Bicentennial Restore

[rjlehr13]

I posted some questions last week regarding the type of power I should put on the boat and someone suggested I start a thread to follow the restore of "old glory". This may be a long thread as my goal is to have her completed by July 4, 2011. The reason it may take so long is due to her condition (FULL RESTORE) and the fact I have a job, wife, 2 kids, and a budget... So I will do my best to keep you all posted on the latest to this long but very fullfilling project.

Last weekend, out came all the electronics, windshield (broken glass), part of the seats, fuel tanks, battery, and some of the carpet. Today was the first really nice day here in Michigan so my dad came over and we removed the '76 Merc 85 hp motor and all the cables. The sterring cable was shot so we removed that as well. I did take some pics of her right before I started last weekend and I will post them this week. Plus I will take some additional pics to reveal the damage to the transom. Sit tight...more to come. To all who read this, I want to thank you for the information that many of you have shared on this website. I have learned so much in the last several months just reading the posts and viewing the pictures. This website is just fantastic!!!

[shellyisland]

A lot of knowledge here...me not so much, but learning :0) I will be watching...good luck!

[frogII]

enough of the mumbo jumbo , we're all a bunch of gear heads
we need pics to full understand

[HST4ME]

I posted some questions last week regarding the type of power I should put on the boat and someone suggested I start a thread to follow the restore of "old glory". This may be a long thread as my goal is to have her completed by July 4, 2011. The reason it may take so long is due to her condition (FULL RESTORE) and the fact I have a job, wife, 2 kids, and a budget... So I will do my best to keep you all posted on the latest to this long but very fullfilling project.

Last weekend, out came all the electronics, windshield (broken glass), part of the seats, fuel tanks, battery, and some of the carpet. Today was the first really nice day here in Michigan so my dad came over and we removed the '76 Merc 85 hp motor and all the cables. The sterring cable was shot so we removed that as well. I did take some pics of her right before I started last weekend and I will post them this week. Plus I will take some additional pics to reveal the damage to the transom. Sit tight...more to come. To all who read this, I want to thank you for the information that many of you have shared on this website. I have learned so much in the last several months just reading the posts and viewing the pictures. This website is just fantastic!!!

Nothing less and nothing more than a 1976 150 inline.

[ccrick]

Love the way the inlines look on these!

[77viper]

Sounds good, just think the kids can get into the tight places.

If you have any specific questions just ask and someone will point you in the correct direction.

Oh and post some pics, good luck to ya.

[ccrick]

this would work pretty good
http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcb/boa/1640420084.html

[ccrick]

another one
http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/boa/1644728005.html

[VultureNo2]

Making any progress on the Bicentennial? Let's see some pictures. Where have you been? Bill

[rjlehr13]

Well, after trying to get through the "honey do" list this spring plus getting a new computer due to our old one crashing, I am finally posting pics of "Old Glory". She is in rough shape as you will see, however, this will be a labor of love as I have been looking for this boat for the last 12 years and now it is time to bring her back to her original beauty. Bear with me on this project everyone, as I have never taken on a project of this magnitude. I worked at a boat dealership for 8 years and did floor jobs, installation of outboards, hull detail work, and replaced electrical systems. Doing a core and stringer job is something that is new to me. But with all the help out here on this site and getting in touch with a local glass shop, I should be able to get this boat completed.


Here is a picture of her when she was brought home in November. You can see the busted windshield.


Here is a shot of the interior. The original seats actually are in halfway decent shape. Still, I will be having them rebuilt and hopefully can use the same vinyl or get some to match the original.


The motor is the original motor-1976 Mercury 85 hp. She runs, however, I will not be putting this motor back on. The 50 fourstroke in the background is also not going on this boat in case you were wondering. I am still debating on a "tower of power" or a "looper"


Yep-the transom is basically gone as you can see by this pic. There is another pic further down this post that shows the damage with the motor off the boat.


This is a more recent pic showing the motor off, seats out, and windshield off. She is a bit faded and has some cracks in the gel on the deck and the gunnels. I will be needing some advice on how to bring the color back and fix the spider cracks. Also, any advice on how to work with metal flake gel coat would be a big help.


The entire floor aft of the seat box is spongy, meaning the floor is bad, stringer are most likely bad, and finally the core is probably bas as well. My question is what is the best way to remove the seat box? I will be removing all the carpet and also removing all the floor.


In this pic, the damage is very noticable to the transom. If you put your finger in the motor mount holes, the wood is amazingly still moist. My question is will it be easier to work on this boat, being it is going to be a total restore, by removing the top deck? If so, then what is the best way to go about doing this?


This shows the starbord side rub rail already pulling away from the meeting point of the hull and deck. To remove the deck, if I should choose to go this route, do I drill out all the rivets and just pull the rail away? Then, how do I seperate the deck from the hull?


With the motor off, you can see the damage better to the transom


The hull itself needs some TLC and some gell coat repair. No other major cracks, gouges, or holes in the hull.


This is a shot just under the windshield in which you will see a deep break in the deck. I guess the damage was done when a tree branch fell on top of the windshield, breaking the glass, bending the frame, and putting this hole in the deck. Will need some advice on how to fix this when the time comes.

So, as you can see, I have A LOT of work ahead of me. I know the job I am getting into, and I will be taking this job to the end. I have many questions and have been studying the posts on this site and Scream and Fly as well. Everyone out here on this site and S&F is awesome and some very good advice is given on both sites.

My next step, I think, is to drop her off the trailer and put her on a 2x12 to support the keel and hull better before I take out the floor, stringers, and core...correct? Also, any advice on the pros and cons of taking seperating the deck and hull would be great. As much as I don't want to split the boat, my gut is telling me it will be easier in the long run.

Thanks for your help!