Looking really good! Did you paint bilgekote on the entire floor?
Printable View
Looking really good! Did you paint bilgekote on the entire floor?
Actually, it's gelcoat over the entire floor and bilge. Wanted to play around with splatter technique for the bilge & figured it wouldn't hurt the floor to have another coat and carpet would eventually cover up the test area anyway.
Good news, used up the last of some scrap (free) white gelcoat on the floor & the black splatter worked out pretty cool. Bad news, my buddy's other leftover (free) can of gelcoat labeled GR turned out to be green (kinda seafoamy) not gray as I thought. It was already catalyzed, so I shot it. Keep telling myself it'll all be covered up & it's just a bilge, but not sure if I'll keep the green.
Man that 3rd picture makes your boat look like a SHIP!! Man it looks long and big. Nice job man. Jet
I think the green is pretty cool. It's something different! Almost all bilges are white or grey. Your's will be a bit unique.
Awsome job you are doing- I kinda like the green, Its a custom touch for sure!
Been making some progress of late, but a little remiss on taking pics. Finally got the trailer complete enough to bring back home (my buddy's wife was reeaal understanding having it sit in their backyard & me working on it at odd hours for weeks). Man, I hate working outdoors this time of year!
Had had a welder modify for new actuator, winch & jack mounts. I torched new openings for added back up lights. Had the trailer blasted & powdercoated, fabbed & installed new bunks (carpeted PT 2x6), installed new LED lights all around, and mounted new F2 winch & jack. I pulled the suspension, blasted and painted, and installed 14 new bushings before reinstalling. Then installed new grease seals, repacked the bearings and new bearing buddies. Installed the new swing away actuator & disc brakes on one axle and remounted the tires on "new" used aluminum rims.
Brought the trailer home last weekend & winched the hull back into the rafters, slid the trailer under & lowered back down. Then pulled it out of the garage, reconfigured my Rube Goldberg contraption for lifting the top cap (2 winches, 8 pulleys, a mile of rope, & 2 ladders). Wheeled the top cap back to my lifting area & raised the cap. Backed the boat & trailer back underneath & lowered the cap for a trial fit. It wouldn't fit. My new floor is 3/4" higher than original (Doh!), so trimmed the bottom edge of the top cap liner & it went together nicely. The floor holes for the air vents, cables, ice chest drain, etc. are all close enough, as well. Yea!
With the hull finally back on the trailer, I could then properly fit the new fenders. I couldnt' find direct replacements for the oddball sized fenders, so went with some aluminum diamond plate's that were close enough. A little judicious bending with my highly calibrated knee and foot & they finally fit (3/4" higher than original, but I feel better & think they still look good with the extra clearance). The new carpeted PT plywood fender liners should cradle the hull nicely on loading. Finally, added some functional bling with matching diamond plate step covers (cooler on the bare feet than black metal). Forgot how messy cutting aluminum is - I still have aluminum glitter all over the garage despite 2 cleanings.
Still have a few minor details on the trailer - polish up on of the old rims best I can & mount spare tire carrier, cut chains to length, bush the wiring frame holes, & think I'm gonna try to carpet wrap pvc covers for the guide poles the PO had welded on, etc.
Next is to pull the top cap (again) & clean up a few areas on the floor & bilge before laying carpet (black roll laying under the trailer in pics). Also going to change up the bracing under the playpen for more open storage of ballast sacs, glass in tower mount supports, & rewire the top cap before mating the halves one last time.
Man, coming along NICELY. That trailer looks great! Sucks you were a little off, but it shouldn't hurt anything that you trimmed the bottom of the top cap, I would think.
Whooaaa..... you just ended up with a brand new trailer! How much did they charge you to blast and powercoat it?
Your supra dealer (or ebay in the spring) will have Supra branded guide-pole pads. Believe me... It's a much better idea to get the real ones!
Yeah, sucked having to trim the cap. Not sure how I messed up that very basic dimension, but just means I have even more solid structure down below now (ha ha, see how easy it is to justify screw ups). Since I was already cutting (and itchy), I went ahead and opened up an access behind the observer's seat to slide my batteries in under the storage area.
Had to look around for an oven big enough to load a 24' trailer, but lots of heavy industry in Houston. $600 cash to blast & powdercoat the trailer (they r&r'd the suspension - can't cook springs, brakes, etc.), 3 engine pulleys, rub rail cap piece, and 20 pieces of windshield frame. Deal was contingent on using it as filler work, and of course they took a big job right after I dropped it off so ended up taking 5 weeks to get it back. Put me farther behind schedule, but the price break was worth it - it sure is purty. Now if I can just get the boat as nice...
Looking good! Makes me want to brush the snow and ice of my beast and get to work :). . .. . Looking like that isn't going to happen until the new year.
Keep up the good work Mike!
Cheers and Happy Holiday's!