[Speedyzee]

I've posted a few previous posts about "Mellow Yellow" but figured I should start a new thread here. Bought for cheap; bare hull & I don't know anything about it other than home built in the 60's out of mahogany that was glassed over and was powered by a big block Ford. I've got a soft spot for saving things and already found a Casale box for it, planning on a blown 6L LS just for the look and to make it as fast as it could safely handle.
In another post I mentioned some blistering on the top surfaces in places and was planning on using epoxy/cloth to build it back up (after proper prep).
The boat has now been in my heated shop for a month with good airflow and has had a chance to dry out...
I decided (was motivated) to get out in the shop and start going over areas in the bilge etc that I know were going to need some TLC tonight.
So - I saw a little water weeping out of a low hole in one of the stringers; not good.
Sure enough, now that things are "drying out" I can poke thru the lower areas of the stringers in a few places when I reach thru the open holes - ok; rotten; I can deal with that.
Then I stepped on a section of floor that felt soft and heard something like a liquid squish sound (WTF?) - drilled an 1/8" hole thru the glass (inside the boat) and about half a cup of water came out; after drilling a bunch more holes, the separation/gap seems to be confined to about a 12x12" area...
Now I'm a little frazzled (pissed I paid 500 bux for it & the trailer). After spending another hour going over everything I can see with a small hammer and sharp pick, I found a 1/2" soft spot about 2 feet under her nose and punched right thru the hull, but hit something very solid about 1/2" above an air gap - looking inside I think it's a metal plate the builder used to stitch a seam together with. Assuming the fiberglass separated from the mahogany wood in that area? So - I'm a sucker for punishment; love a challenge (and kinda hate myself, lol) plus I can't forget that someone spent a lot of time and love building this damn thing in their garage at one point....
The stringers need to be replaced, the water logged area of the floor has to be cut open to the wood and dried out/epoxied/clothed back together and I'm guessing the hull flipped and the glass cut off the entire front area where it has separated, the wod replaced if rotten, then everything epoxied/clothed back together? Has anyone ever got into this kinda restoration, or can point me to a forum/place where anyone else has?

 

[fc-Pilot]

Okay, I will admit to getting myself (and my brother with me) neck deep in a project like this. Ours was a regular glass hull with wood core, but it needed stringers and all new wood core in the floors as well. We first built a bottom mold to maintain he shape of the bottom of the boat while we had the stringers and floor out of it. We removed the stringers and then chilled out every last bit of wood. All that was left was a very thin layer of glass. We then laid in new stringers and core and then glassed over the top. We had cut the whole deck off to give us better access as well. Yes it was quite an undertaking.

This will give you a little bit of an idea.
Paul

 

[Speedyzee]

Thanks for this I'm too stubborn to walk away at this point; and it's inspiring to see someone else rescue something most would scrap. I'm planning on replacing one stringer at a time; then the small section of the inboard floor, then flipping it and getting at the front area of the underside in an attempt to not distort the overall shape of the hull... Thanks again

 

[fc-Pilot]

Here you can see more of the step by step when we were thrashing to get it done. Hopefully you can. Good luck and ask lots of questions.
Billy'z or bust!

Paul

 

[Virginia 482]

Here you can see more of the step by step when we were thrashing to get it done. Hopefully you can. Good luck and ask lots of questions.
Billy'z or bust!

Paul

I'm glad you re-posted that thread. First time I've read it. I've seen plenty of the "After" pictures of that Boat, but never knew the story behind it. Nice job !

Mod

 

[Speedyzee]

Wow - that was an incredible amount of work in a short time (in any time, lol). So here's a progress pic of some exploring of the one soft spot in the floor - I understand I'm going to have to cut the glass out of the inside and remove any soft/mud that was once wood, lol. I can run the new wood to the outside to the side wall of the boat, the inside to the stringer when I replace them, but what's the best way to seam the front and back of the patch wood into the original core? I don't want to tear the entire floor out if I don't have to - the lower hole I left the glass over has solid wood underneath (is still bonded to the glass) and I've found dry holes towards the front that are out of the pic. Can I use a thin strip of steel screwed and bonded, or thin wood? Go ahead and flame away; this is def out of my wheel house.....

 

[Zeppelin654]

Hoping for some reply’s. Might be diving into some of this myself with my old boat that got hit by a jet ski

 

[Speedyzee]

Also - can anyone tell me what is/isn't acceptable for stringer material? I've been reading anything from only vertical grain douglas fir to laminated plywood - the fir might be a little hard to find up in Can, but if that's the only proper thing to use I'll find some somewhere & ship it.

 

[Speedyzee]

So after a little more time in the heated shop, there were more & more soft spots showing up on the inside of the 'Ol Turd - I'm going to assume the moisture is drying out of the core and things are starting to shrink? Whatever the reason; I found that half of the transom core is notably absent; and the small soft spot under her nose now runs from about a foot from the bow to right under the dash - I cut out a piece of inner glass right behind the bulkhead and wouldn't you know it; mushy core. I was inspired by your restoration fc-Pilot; I'll admit that it was always in the back of my mind that this thing's worth saving - it ain't as big a job as yours was.... but now it's getting close I think. Dammit. Why can't I just go and make payments on a new shiny thing that floats? I read that you had to build a mold of sorts to keep yours in shape when you gutted it, but the trailer this guy built is nutz - four wide, long bunks and not much unsupported hanging out front - I think it should be sufficient to support it. Curious; the exterior of the hull from the bulkhead back is solid and smooth; so I'm planning on cutting out the inside; replacing the core, transom and stringers, but the exterior of the hull from the bulkhead forward is full of crazing(?) small cracks and very soft - thinking of flipping it after the back 2/3rd's is done and cutting out the exterior of the front part since it's wonky anyways, which would save me from having to cut off the deck, which would help keep it in it's original shape..... thoughts? BTW; thanks for the responses and info so far; I posted on another forum originally that I thought was all about saving/repairing/restoring older stuff, but was only met with a bunch of "you're going to die" "just cut it up & buy a new one" BS.

 

[michaelwild.mw]

Here is a 1975 all original i just purchased. Original Terry Frahs made right here in Jacksonville Floida.

 

[Speedyzee]

Here is a 1975 all original i just purchased. Original Terry Frahs made right here in Jacksonville Floida. View attachment 1046141

I know we Canadian's are supposed to be polite, but really man? This POS won't even float but I'm gonna save it.... and you're all "original blah-blah-blah" (yours floats) get fucked.

 

[Speedyzee]

Lol; thanks for not banning me for that one; sarcasm doesn't carry well on the interweb.... won't happen again. As an update, was busy over the holidays... but picked up a bunch of tools/dust collector/cutters etc and I'm thinking the soggy transom core will be the first thing to do, so afterwards I can support the turd on the back two corners and the bow to prevent the bunks from hooking the hull when I get into the rest of the repairs. Random note - the Christmas gift I got myself showed up. Until she floats, it'll make a fine table center piece; and some inspiration to keep at it, lol.