Wakeboarder Forum Index

 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   StatisticsStats   FavoritesFavorites   RegisterRegister   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages  Log inLog in 
BlogsBlogs   

Bought this 1977 Cobia as a bucket of bolts

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Wakeboarder Forum Index -> Share Your Boat
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Wolffman1
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 21
City: Waterloo Ontario Canada

PostPosted: Aug 08, 2010 3:46 pm    Post subject: Bought this 1977 Cobia as a bucket of bolts Reply with quote

I purchased this boat 4 years ago and it has gone through a couple serious redo's since. The biggest was this past winter when I gutted it completely, and I do mean completely as there was not 1 screw bolt or original piece of wood left in it. Pulled the cap off replaced transom, stringers and floor. Redid the interior in a more updated fashion, added Bimini and the teak swim platform.
The boat is called Beats Workin' (Blood Sweat and Beers is what my kids thought it should have been named)

A tight budget as well as a desire to have something most anyone else doesn't have are the biggest reasons for this project.
Have a look, I hope you like it. We sure do!

PS I am going to go at it again this winter and change/redo a bunch of things.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Okie Boarder
Ladies Man
Ladies Man


Joined: 03 Mar 2008
Posts: 10056
City: Edmond

PostPosted: Aug 09, 2010 7:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks pretty good. Looks like you've done a lot of updating. You should post some pics of the work in progress or what she looked like when you first bought her.
_________________
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Wolffman1
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 21
City: Waterloo Ontario Canada

PostPosted: Aug 09, 2010 2:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks.
My plan is to post some of my before as well as some of my during pictures.
Time time time. I will get it done.

_________________
Everyday is a good day.....Some are just better than others!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Wolffman1
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 21
City: Waterloo Ontario Canada

PostPosted: Aug 09, 2010 6:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Couple Pictures from this past winter.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Wolffman1
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 21
City: Waterloo Ontario Canada

PostPosted: Aug 09, 2010 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are a few from the day I picked it up. Seized outdrive. An electric shift drive which was mated to the original 120 hp 4 cyl until they thought they blew the motor. They pulled a motor out of their Blazer and tried to make it work only to find out they were clueless and that the outdrive was smoked ( I think they figured it out when they tried to turn over the engine and it made the same terrible noise). Then they left the engine to seize being filled with rain water etc.....
Anyway I bought another boat (ended up buying more since to get parts for some day....) with a3.8 l Chev V6 229 cubic inch.
Since that I have added dual fuel tanks and last year a highrise aluminum intake and 4 bbl carb to replace the stock 2 bbl.
Boat has gone from 28 mph top speed to 45 mph now.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Wolffman1
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 21
City: Waterloo Ontario Canada

PostPosted: Aug 09, 2010 6:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here are a couple from a couple days after I bought it. I fixed it once doing a half decent job and then did it the right way this past winter.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Okie Boarder
Ladies Man
Ladies Man


Joined: 03 Mar 2008
Posts: 10056
City: Edmond

PostPosted: Aug 11, 2010 10:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like it was pretty rough when you first got it. I'd love to see more pictures. I see all the wood seating you built looks white. What did you coat all your wood with?
_________________
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Wolffman1
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 21
City: Waterloo Ontario Canada

PostPosted: Aug 11, 2010 7:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The framing for all of the seat boxes etc.... is plywood that I laid a layer of glass on to strengthen and water proof and then I added coats of Tremclad. lol
The only reason I used Tremclad was I had a few cans of it to get rid of. I am going to use Interlux bilgekote on all the insides of the seat/cabinets as well as going to do up the bilge so you need to wear sunglasses to look at it and it wipes up super easy.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Okie Boarder
Ladies Man
Ladies Man


Joined: 03 Mar 2008
Posts: 10056
City: Edmond

PostPosted: Aug 12, 2010 8:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Cool, sounds like you took some good precautionary methods. Did you use epoxy, vinylester or polyester resin? Something you might look into with any of the rest of the wood you do is using CPES.
_________________
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Wolffman1
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 21
City: Waterloo Ontario Canada

PostPosted: Aug 12, 2010 5:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Poly. 99% of boats are Poly - by the sounds of your comments/questions you are already well aware of that - and at half the price of Epoxy resin it is the only way to go.

Thanks for the CPES idea. I wasn't sure what it was so I did some reading here
http://www.rotdoctor.com/test/plywood/plywood.html it definitely looks like something I am going to look into.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Okie Boarder
Ladies Man
Ladies Man


Joined: 03 Mar 2008
Posts: 10056
City: Edmond

PostPosted: Aug 13, 2010 5:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The only disadvantage to poly is it isn't quite as resistant to water permeation as epoxy. CPES is a great product. Many guys rave about how well it works to help preserve wood. I've seen lots of projects with stringer and floor replacement where all the wood was coated well with CPES. It is an epoxy based product, so before you use it, you might double check if there will be adhesion issues using poly over top of it.

About the stringers and deck on the boat... What did you do there? Wood choice? Layout? Changes from original?

_________________
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
NKCrider
Wakeboarder.com Freak
Wakeboarder.com Freak


Joined: 05 Apr 2008
Posts: 2644
City: NKC

PostPosted: Aug 13, 2010 6:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

45 mph you better watch out for them new HPs, she might haz too much for ya...jk

boat looks great glad to see you took the time to restore her to a better glory

_________________
Lanexa VA
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Wolffman1
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 21
City: Waterloo Ontario Canada

PostPosted: Aug 13, 2010 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Okie Boarder wrote:
The only disadvantage to poly is it isn't quite as resistant to water permeation as epoxy. CPES is a great product. Many guys rave about how well it works to help preserve wood. I've seen lots of projects with stringer and floor replacement where all the wood was coated well with CPES. It is an epoxy based product, so before you use it, you might double check if there will be adhesion issues using poly over top of it.

About the stringers and deck on the boat... What did you do there? Wood choice? Layout? Changes from original?


Yes Poly isn't quite as strong/hard also not as water resistant it also smells like heck when you are working with it compared to epoxy. Also poly on poly is ok. Epoxy on poly is ok. Poly on epoxy or dirty, wet or .... wood is a no.
I am going to do some more reading about CPES. I was thinking primarily of applying it inside the cabinets, on the seat bottoms etc....

Transom, stringers and floor were all gutted. I used 3/4 ply for the stringers and transom and 5/8 for the floor.
I sealed up the chambers in the bow as well as made a couple in the stern under the fuel tanks (L and R 18 gal tanks) to make flotation chambers which allowed me to take the flotation chamber in the center of the floor and make it into a locker.
I dropped the engine stringers lower so I could make perches for engine mounts to give additional clearance for working on the engine.
I dropped the floor L and R of the bilge to allow the fuel tanks to sit lower.
I dropped the floor and stringers 1 1/2 inches in the bow to allow the windshield and dash to fit level rather than pointed up to the center as it had been since it was made ( I am certain it was a boo boo on manufacturing)
I moved the separation cross member from bilge to floor/flotation chamber back 14 inches to allow for more open floor plan and bigger floor locker.
Got rid of the dog house and 2 jump seats and 14 inches of rear deck and changed them out for a sundeck with car style engine hood for easy access to the bilge. I covered the sun deck with carpet after glassing the wood. I used carpet instead of vinyl as I felt it was going to be more durable, less expensive as well as comfortable to sit/lay on and I liked the look. Each side panel on the sundeck is easily removed to gain easy access to the fuel tanks, as well as removal of the tanks if required for even easier access for engine work or ???.
I am a licensed auto mechanic for 25 yrs and I wanted to make it very unique as well as very functional. All stringers, transom and floor was covered in GSM and polyester resin.
I am not completely satisfied (anyone who knows me knows I likely never will be) with the way things turned out. It is my first time doing something like this and I kept coming up with so many different ideas along the way it was at times just so overwhelming.
I had planned on working on the project all winter giving me more than enough time to invent and install. My oldest son then decided to play on 2 hockey teams instead of one and with me coaching both. The Saturdays and Sundays with nothing to do dried up. I actually didn't really getting going at it the last week of March and it hit the water June 30th.
This winter he will only be playing on one team and I am only coaching one so I will have lots of playing time.
I plan on revamping the seating a bit again. Making a L seating arrangement with backrest just behind my seat similar to the seat on the port side. Also adding a kneeboard/wakeboard rack likely mounted on the side of the sundeck (going outside as soon as I am done typing this to reinstall my carb and then start on my rack system trials)
Windows tinting a bit darker.
I also just started fishing so I am planning on making interchangable seat cushions for when we out as family or I am out fishing as well as one seat cushion removing in the bow to reveal a pedestal mount that will slide in with a false panel to cover the hole to add a casting seat up front as well as interchanging the center seat cushion near the bilge sliding in a panel with a pole and net rack and cutout to house the tackle box. And on and on and on............
Well I am off to have a few brown pops and work away on the boat.
Later
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Wolffman1
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 29 Jun 2008
Posts: 21
City: Waterloo Ontario Canada

PostPosted: Aug 13, 2010 3:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NKCrider wrote:
45 mph you better watch out for them new HPs, she might haz too much for ya...jk

boat looks great glad to see you took the time to restore her to a better glory


lol 45 isn't bad for an old turd.
I still haven't ruled out the idea of a 350. If I can come across a boat to scrap with a complete setup I will probably do it. I will be staying with the OMC Stringer set up as it is something again that most people don't have nor have a clue about! I just picked up a 14 1/4 x 21 prop for $20 lol going to give it a run tomorrow.
Family raced Late model stock cars for years I built motors, tuned them and did chassis set up. I will likely never quit trying to eek out a MPH here or there, what fun would it be if I said I was done trying? Most people in this world can only buy em fast and/or pretty. I don't have the cash for that and have the talent to make em that way. So I will..........
Very Happy
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Okie Boarder
Ladies Man
Ladies Man


Joined: 03 Mar 2008
Posts: 10056
City: Edmond

PostPosted: Aug 16, 2010 8:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lots of great mods. I bt you're really enjoying the ideas you put into place. A lot of those type of things are very enjoyable when the idea becomes reality and it works well, which it sounds like it has for you.
_________________
If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Yahoo Messenger
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    Wakeboarder Forum Index -> Share Your Boat All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

Add To Favorites

Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You cannot download files in this forum
             


Copyright © 2012 - Wakeboarding - Wakeboarder.com - All Right Reserved
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group