83 V-King (Bruiser) Restoration

[83VKING]

Hi Everyone, I can't wait for spring to continue working on the V-King. I am starting this resto thread because I want feedback as I am building.

The boat is a 1983 V-King with a 1983 Merc Inline 115 hp. It's the Bruiser color scheme. I am hoping that its just oxidized because its sooth but just turfing a white color. it had a belly strap on it when i towed it home and when i took the strap off, because of the rubbing the flake really popped! hoping with a strong buff it may come back. With water is on it you can really see the color.

I will be lake running and there will be a lot of waves and hull slams unless I ride very early in the morning. I've been trying to read up on balsa core or a thick layup ribbed. The two previous restorations I've tackled never had a core (glastron carlson) (I know core was used in streams because it was a way to have it be strong and light weight) I don't think I'm going to be going to fast with the inline 115 but eventually will be upgrading to a V6.

The floor and core were soaked which was good because it was easier to take out. The transom was just wet wood which made it hard to remove. The transom took the longest to remove. I noticed that Hydrostream used thick fiberglass to top off the transom about 1' thick, anyone know why they did this?

Anyway I will show some pictures to show you what i am talking about! Look forward to talking to everyone.

-Mark

[83VKING]

[AdamDK]

Good luck. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

[Hippie459MN]

Very nice! Looking good so far. Dont forget about the float boxes. They are probably wet too. I personally would take them out and run a stringer in their place place. Kind of like the earlier vkings and vultures. Plus you can kind of use it for some storage space if you want. Later years had to have them per coast guard rules. Here is my vulture and you can see the outer stringer that is where your float box would be...

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Either way, it looking great so far and cant wait to see the progress.

[83VKING]

Thanks I agree! The foam boxes will be taken out, no need for them and i can add some storage room. just when i though i could start glassing more grinding.... haha good catch though! i don't think there is core under the foam boxes in the V-Kings, seems to be a little thicker fiberglass above the floor.

I am really leaning towards hand laying fiberglass and ribbing the hull instead of balsa core... I'm on a lake that has waves i will be slamming for sure. i know a lot of people build for speed, so i understand why core was used, but if am going to be taking some good waves do you agree a hand lay option is be better than a cored hull?

Do you think I could rib the hull and put balsa core in between? or is that over kill and just adding more weight?

-Mark

[Hippie459MN]

You are correct, there is no core under them in a vking. A Vector and Viper there is.

As for no core, I know of two boats that were built with no core, one of them is not yet finished, and the other one took a pounding. They ares laid up pretty thick though.

This Beekids Vector with no core.

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Ill dig up some pictures of Dans vector he is building with no core in a bit.

[83VKING]

Yes that is the vector that I got the idea from! After I hand lay the hull and glass the stringers to the hull. Do you think I can glass balsa core in side the stringer boxes for added support? Not sure if someone had attempted this before. (Stringers and balsa core)

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Hippie459MN]

If I were to add core, I would just core it like normal and call it a day. No need for all the added weight. Otherwise just do a stringer type setup with a thick layup, not both. When done right, core is not only very light, it is very strong. Thats why so many boat mfgrs use it. And on these streams, the factory was pumping boats out as fast as they could so they weren't built the best and certainly weren't built expecting them to be around 20, 30, 40 years later, but when you do rebuild them right, with wood, they will last a very very long time. My vulture was redone with all wood core, stringers, transom, and floor and it should easily last another 40 years.

And yes, a properly cored boat will be able to take the pounding from the waves no problem.

[Hippie459MN]

Found it, here is a picture of Dan Bulgers vector with no core. He is also not going to be running a floor and having an open stringer set up. Being built as a center steer drag boat.

He did however leave his float boxes in and in his Vector there is core under them. Weather its good or not we dont know but he is leaving em as he did a few samples of the foam and found them to be dry so he decided to leave em.

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[83VKING]

Wow! Great photo the stringer set up. ! I did not realize there is only 2 streams restored with stringer set ups. the original design has been proven and almost seems the best option in my case. I will need to research more on how to apply core correctly.

After removing the old core it's scary how thin the fiberglass hull is. Can I lay some glass down on the hull before the core or does the core need to be layed down first? Not sure if there will be a difference glad before and after or just over the core.

Do you know anyone who has put foam over the core?(filled with foam under neath the floor on each side of the two main stringers).

[ Post made via iPhone ]