87 Saltare rebuild

[Salty87]

before
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/P9240075.jpg

tear-down
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/IMG_0121-1.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/IMG_0189.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/IMG_0218.jpg

[Salty87]

the stringers were rotted at the notches made to support the cross-frames, and pretty much everywhere else. notching appears to be the kiss of death unless you do a better job than the factory...i did not notch my new stringers. i built small bulkheads that ran between the stringers to add support for the new floor instead.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/IMG_0301.jpg

building it back up
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/IMG_0386.jpg

drainage, i added limber holes to let water out
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/IMG_0393.jpg

i also made blocks out of flotation foam, water can get away from the foam so it won't ever get saturated again. i poured the foam into trash bags that lined each area. the trash bag peels off leaving a perfectly molded block.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/IMG_0484.jpg

the bulkheads were cut to allow water to flow under them. there's also a forward limber hole in the inner stringer in this pic, small tube near the bottom of the stringer just forward of the engine area. since i was working outside, i got to test the drainage system a time or 2...jack the trailer all the way up and then all the way down and the water will get moved to either the forward or rear drainage holes to the bilge.

the cross-brace running across the bilge is to replace the frame of the factory tow bar. it was always in the way and didn't want to mess with it.

[Salty87]

putting engine back together
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/DSCF0060.jpg

hull's ready and waiting
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/DSCF0107.jpg

still needs a rub rail
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/DSCF0191.jpg

some shine
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/DSCF0148.jpg

[Salty87]

454's rebuilt, repainted, and ready
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/DSCF0228.jpg

rub rail wasn't too hard
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/DSCF0192.jpg
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/DSCF0193.jpg

all done
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/DSCF0227-1.jpg

[Salty87]

the carpet is textured, from ingles carpet.
i got my fiberglassing supplies online at uscomposites
i had a shop rebuild the engine
i cleaned/painted/or replaced everything that went back in. skidim cleaned up on this project.
i still need new upholstery and have no plans on learning how.

ok, not completely done...i'm using interlux perfection on my tower. no room in the budget for powder coating. this is a primer before the jet black goes on
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/DSCF0230.jpg

[Salty87]

forgot this one. this was a fun day
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/IMG_0269.jpg

note the formerly flat black tower on the deck
the 40 gal gas tank on the deck
and the rear storage compartment on top of the gas tank

kudo's to mrs. salty for living with our boat spread throughout the house/yard for the past year.

[wotan2525]

Awesome work. Not sure about putting the carpet in before the engine.... I did it vice versa just in case there was any oil or other things leaking/issues. The one corner I cut was not painting my engine after the rebuild.... you just made me regret that.

Also... what did you use on the fiberglass? Looks great!

Rob

[Salty87]

thanks

i didn't want to lay the carpet over/around the engine. i thought it would be easier with nothing in the way. the edges of the engine compartment got a little dirty from forearms and tools but the engine cover hides it.

i used 3m stuff on the gel coat with a harbor freight buffer, wool pads.
3m heavy duty marine compound
3m finesse it II polish (amazing stuff, worth the price)
3m boat wax

[Seabeejamie]

Beautiful work! I have a 2002 (all fiberglass). I am hoping I never have to go to this extent. I am just about ready for new interior, maybe one more season. Other than that The boat is holding up great. You really did a great job on this! Congratulations!

[2002 LAUNCH SS OWNER]

Looks like you did a very nice job, I have done this work twice in the last 20 years and hope to never do it again.I have a 2002 Launch SS so there is no wood in the floor or stringers.Its a nice feeling when a large project is completed,enjoy your accomplishment and enjoy your rebuilt boat.
Dave

[mapleleaf]

wow, that is some incredible work... Mrs. Mapleleaf already sent the boat to grandpa ML's farm, would love to go that far, but with the boat 2 hours away not sure...it looks great! Enjoy...

[87sunsport454]

I just put a new floor in my boat, but i didn't take the boat apart. I am wondering how you took it apart? The next time I put a new floor in it I would like to split the boat in half.

[Salty87]

I just put a new floor in my boat, but i didn't take the boat apart. I am wondering how you took it apart? The next time I put a new floor in it I would like to split the boat in half.

the last pic on the first page....i used 4x4's to make a big sling, backed the trailer into the spot, pulled the rub rail and drilled out the rivets, started prying the top off. it was mostly manual lifting/prying then i used the sling to hold it in place. took about 4 people to get it lifted into place and it was heavy. i was able to put it back together by myself though, it worked pretty good. i left the top cap hanging there for 8 months or so, supported from below by additional 2x4 bracing.

[87sunsport454]

I see....... I wonderd how it was held together. Is it a bunch of rivets going around the hull. The other ? how about the wiring, was that a bear to tackle?

[Salty87]

the wiring is really easy...disconnect the main harness under the dash, depth gauge, stereo...that's about it. with the boat in a sling, it's also really easy to clean up factory wiring, tighten hand rails, run new ventilation hose, buff interior walls that will make a mess when it's back together...all sorts of stuff.

the rub rail is screwed but the top cap is riveted to the bottom. drilling them out is pretty simple.


your stringers were in good shape? i tried to do it the easy way but there was nothing worth saving.

[Blackntan90]

Don't know if I have said this before, but you are a brave man, Salty. My kind of people- GIT ER DONE!!

[87sunsport454]

Yea, my stingers were in good shape except were the drivers seat was and in the back were there is a drain hole ,it was plugged. So what I did was cut out the routen stuff and patched it with plywood and more fiberglass. The tricky part was right upagainst the interior wall. I used (grey) FIBERON decking,it is like trex decking but more improved, and used that so I have no carpet for water to soak in to and rot. It gives it a original look and the fiberon will never rot.

[csuggs]

Yea, my stingers were in good shape except were the drivers seat was and in the back were there is a drain hole ,it was plugged. So what I did was cut out the routen stuff and patched it with plywood and more fiberglass. The tricky part was right upagainst the interior wall. I used (grey) FIBERON decking,it is like trex decking but more improved, and used that so I have no carpet for water to soak in to and rot. It gives it a original look and the fiberon will never rot.

I would like to see this material you are talking about.

[87sunsport454]

Yea, I will take some pics of it this weekend. We keep the boat at our summer house on the Columbia River about 130 miles from where I live. So i will post them on Monday.

[Salty87]

Don't know if I have said this before, but you are a brave man, Salty. My kind of people- GIT ER DONE!!

thank you, sir

[Salty87]

Yea, I will take some pics of it this weekend. We keep the boat at our summer house on the Columbia River about 130 miles from where I live. So i will post them on Monday.

cool, i'm curious too.

i had originally cut away the floor while the top cap was still on. that looked like a mess waiting to happen with the dash and interior walls still on the boat. was it a pain to keep clean?

[87sunsport454]

The mess wasnt to bad, I had the floor redone back in 1996 by someone who said that he "knows what he is doing". So all of the foam and really messy stuff had already been pulled. This time I had decided to do it myself and save some money. I just put old sheets over the top cap and had to be very carefull not to scratch anything.

[johnathon_03]

Salty what kind of epoxy did you use to coat the floor and stringers? I started to replace my floor but once I started to rip up the floor I realized it really isnt all that bad. There was a pretty good soft spot in the back on the right side so I just ripped the whole right side out all the way the drives seat. I think the rest will be just fine. I am just gonna coat the seam really good so no water gets under there. I have been tested the floor all the way around the boat for soft spots or rotting but I am not really finding any.

What do you think I should do to keep the rest of the floor from rotting in the future? Should I rip out all the foam where I have pulled up the floor? I have also been testing the stringers and they all seem fine except for the cross support the runs over the exhaust right about where the back seat is. Any advise on that? What if i just cut that section out and try and replace it? That section rotting has probably caused the main section to start to rott... I know I am trying to cut a lot of corners. I am just hoping to keep it as simple as possible and get another 10yrs or so out of my boat. Thanks a lot and great job on your boat!! Braver man then I am!

[Salty87]

thanks johnathon

i used polyester resin, it's a little cheaper than epoxy resin. the cost adds up over a big project. for a smaller one, epoxy is great stuff.

the foam will tell you everything. if it's wet, it has to come out. if it's not, you're probably good to go.

cross-supports were a bad design, or at least poorly executed. all of mine were rotten but then again my foam was soaked. if you can cut corners, that's great. the sooner these problems are caught, the less damage there is to fix.

i added drainage to my floor so i won't have to do this again. you might do the same to the side you've worked on. i doubt my fiberglassing skills were good enough to create water-tight areas. i sleep easier knowing my boat drains well.

[johnathon_03]

Another quick question. Do you have to put any kind of fiberglass down on the marine ply before or after you put down the resin?

[Salty87]

Another quick question. Do you have to put any kind of fiberglass down on the marine ply before or after you put down the resin?

if you're using poly resin, you need to put down chopped strand mat after spreading resin or the resin will peel off eventually. with epoxy resin, you can just spread the resin and it will stick.

[jet]

WOW! I did mine like 5 years ago, but didn't have to take it down that far. Great work though. Jet

[jet]

Hey Salty. My 89' maroon paint is looking ruff. The top beige which takes the most sun is shiny and new looking because i can put harsh chemicals on it and get back to a new surface to work with, but on the maroon sides Im afraid to use anything harsh. What did you use on your blue part of the paint? Jet

[Salty87]

i used rubbing compound. unless your boat has been painted, the color is in the gel coat. it's about the thickness of a credit card, you'd have to be asleep at the wheel to go thru it.

wet sanding is an option if it's really bad. the fewer laps around the boat with the buffer the better and compounding is a workout.

what chemicals are you using on the topside? mine is fading around the tower leg cut-outs on my cover.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

As long as I am using very fine grit sandpaper, would it hurt to wet sand every couple years or every year?

jon very interesting to hear about your partial tear-down. Did you take any pics? I have 3 very small soft spots and I was thinking of investigating. Hoping to take minor preventative measures if it is not bad.

[Salty87]

i doubt you'd need to do it every year. i wouldn't get too gung ho. once you wet sand once, if you keep it covered and wipe down every time out it should be good for years.

a quick polish every year or other year is alot easier than letting it get bad.

[87SunSportMikeyD]

yeah it is sad but I am bad at wipe downs hehe

[Salty87]

you keep yours in a lift, right? that can't be easy to wipe down. i got to use a lift for a while, so much easier.....to get the boat dirty but why not?

[87SunSportMikeyD]

Not to mention it is dark and I am super tired by the end of the day lol. A lift is pretty nice but I have to crank it up and we have to lug the boards and cooler back and forth from the dock to the house everyday. At least with a trailer you can pull up next to the garage lol. It is nice though dont get me wrong. I will have to work on that this summer lol

[jet]

Salty..don't freakout, but I used carb spray to clean the whole top of my boat. it works like a charm. I would spray a hand held rag and then rub the area and it would strip all of the oxidation right off. then I would wax and buff lightly and It looks brand new now on top. but your saying my maroon color is is under the gel coat, so I can wet sand or buff with no probs? i cant wait till it warms up again. I'll try it. Jet

[jet]

How do you take off the blue supra stickers? And will it have fade marks under neath? jet

[Salty87]

hey jet

i'm saying the maroon is IN the gel coat. a pigment is added during layup, the gel is maroon.

i'm no chemist, i took a quick look at a data sheet for carb cleaner and the main ingredient is petroleum products (naptha). that makes me wonder if you're really getting the oxidation off or just filling in the imperfections with petroleum portion of the carb cleaner. petroleum jelly does that, might be a less toxic way to get the same results. lots of 'miracle' type products just hide the problem.

put me in the skeptical camp. once the carb cleaner washes/wears off, the gel coat quickly fades again? a good wet sanding or compound job should last alot longer.

the stickers can be taken off with a heat gun or eraser attachment for a drill. the heat gun leaves glue behind which has to be taken off. i've never tried the drill attachment but everything i've read says it takes the glue too. you will see that the gel coat under the stickers isn't faded. it will make you want the rest of the boat to look that good.

[cyndiv]

Did you look into composite material for stringers and floor instead of wood? I have an 87 Saltare that I purchased a few years ago and have gotten 4 good summers of fun out of it. I plan to do the same insane rebuild that you did along with new upholstery and rearrange some of the seating. I was thinking of using all of the subfloor area to install ballast since we mostly wakesurf/wakeboard. I was considering building in what would amount to built in fiberglass containers with plumbing to fill and drain the tanks. It looks like the Saltare has copious amounts of space under the floor for plenty of weight. Am I out of my mind?

[WATERSKI44]

I am sorry to ask this dumb question, how did you attach your string lines?

[Rusty]

the carpet is textured, from ingles carpet.
i got my fiberglassing supplies online at uscomposites
i had a shop rebuild the engine
i cleaned/painted/or replaced everything that went back in. skidim cleaned up on this project.
i still need new upholstery and have no plans on learning how.

ok, not completely done...i'm using interlux perfection on my tower. no room in the budget for powder coating. this is a primer before the jet black goes on
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a10/salty87/DSCF0230.jpg

That's a great looking tower! Where did you get that?

[Smokeyjoe3d]

How did you do the foam and how much was the restoration may i ask just curious i have an 1988 comp that was given to me and i need to rebuild the motor the boat is in great shape and i could do the motor this year and the rest later.

[Salty87]

Did you look into composite material for stringers and floor instead of wood? I have an 87 Saltare that I purchased a few years ago and have gotten 4 good summers of fun out of it. I plan to do the same insane rebuild that you did along with new upholstery and rearrange some of the seating. I was thinking of using all of the subfloor area to install ballast since we mostly wakesurf/wakeboard. I was considering building in what would amount to built in fiberglass containers with plumbing to fill and drain the tanks. It looks like the Saltare has copious amounts of space under the floor for plenty of weight. Am I out of my mind?

sorry cyndiv, didn't see your question. composites were extremely expensive when i called them. and, there's not as much room as you think. the stringers take up prime space. you could redesign them but then you're getting in pretty deep. it all adds up.

[Salty87]

That's a great looking tower! Where did you get that?

that was made locally in austin. i can't remember the guys name but it was made for a MC and the windshield couldn't close or open...take your choice. it fit the saltare like a glove and ended up being cheap in comparison. it doesn't fold down though.

[Salty87]

I am sorry to ask this dumb question, how did you attach your string lines?

leave a lip of fiberglass and drill a small hole. the lip is good reference for the floor height. you'll grind the lip away before everything is done.

[Salty87]

How did you do the foam and how much was the restoration may i ask just curious i have an 1988 comp that was given to me and i need to rebuild the motor the boat is in great shape and i could do the motor this year and the rest later.

the floor was somewhere around $2500. comp should be a good bit cheaper as you don't need as much in materials.

the foam was simple...line the area with the plastic and pour the foam. don't let the foam sit too long or it won't release from the plastic. the foam will set up in mins, peel while it's still warm.