25 Sea Vee

[spareparts]

This is my friends 25 Sea Vee he just splashed after a multi year restoration. Its 77. He had the stringers, transom and floor replaced before he started bolting stuff on. The pics suck, next time its on the water I'll snap a few. The console is a pod type with a raised center dash from 29 tides, the coffin box was a craigs list score, the leaning post/live well is from a pioneer. I helped him paint it(awl grip). He modified the engine bracket. Has a pair of 2.5 200 EFI's with 20" offshore mids, spinning 26 choppers, it ran 68 on the rev limiter with the 24's using no trim. Got a pair of CLE's on the way to fix the water pressure issue

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n175/spareparts_photos/Marcs%20stuff/P8082813.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n175/spareparts_photos/Marcs%20stuff/P8082814.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n175/spareparts_photos/Marcs%20stuff/P8082815.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n175/spareparts_photos/Marcs%20stuff/P8082816.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n175/spareparts_photos/Marcs%20stuff/P8082817.jpg

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n175/spareparts_photos/Marcs%20stuff/P8082818.jpg

if you look hard in the back left corner of the first pic, you can see my rock buggy

[RidgeRunner]

That turned out, what a beauty. The leaning post, boxes and console work well together. Shiny..and fast.

[cterrebonne]

looks awesome!!!

[charlie_the_tuna]

that thing is insane.
so, it's nice to have money, right?

[macojoe]

Yep she looks great!! Who makes that bracket?? Love the ladder and grab rail mounted on it!

[RidgeRunner]

Bracket looks like a Stainless Marine then modified and painted.

[randlemanboater]

That is AWSOME!

[spareparts]

Ridge got the bracket right, He bought it used, had it blasted. He welded the ladder piece and the grab handles on it(he builds t-tops for a living) before we painted it(my buggy has a fine coat of white awl grip on all the steel). After he bolted it to the transom, he cut the epe' wood to fit in the opening. Charlie, its a bunch more hard work, trade outs, swaps and more hard work than $ on this boat. The only thing he farmed out was the glass work on the transom, floor and stringers. He's done everything else himself(with some help from time to time) I'll get some pics of his Superboat tomorrow

[Kracker Jack]

Hard work,swaps and trades are the best way to go. I have a bunch of people ask me the same thing about my build. I have hardly any money out of pocket invested in mine because I've sold alot of old boat parts and outboards I had laying around. Beautiful boat by the way!!!!!

[jasoncooperpcola]

Holy cow thats nice. :clap:

Is there any difference in the cowlings on the EFI vs Carb 2.5L Mercs? I like that motor paint job. I might have to order me some new decals, maybe "150 Offshore"???? make it a sleeper :zip:
That is some high quality boat porn right there Spare. :love:

[spareparts]

Stock 2.5 cowls, he had them painted at an auto body shop. They told him to wait till they had to paint a black car and did them at the same time. I didn't care for hte stickers, he got them from a local sign shop that reproduced the Mercury Logo, I thought it needed the swoosh to go along with it

[Blue_Runner]

"The shoemaker's son has no shoes"
"The T-Top maker's boat has no T-Top"

:fam:

I love the boat! Very unique and sleeeeeeeek. Is he planning for a top?

[Stinky_Hooker]

Man thats a fine ride!!

[charlie_the_tuna]

say what you want spare, there's a TON of dough in that boat. hull. materials. motors. everything i see looks to be pristine. sure, may be a ton of work but there is some sick money in that vessel.

[cterrebonne]

say what you want spare, there's a TON of dough in that boat. hull. materials. motors. everything i see looks to be pristine. sure, may be a ton of work but there is some sick money in that vessel.

I am with you,.They definitely don't give those 2.5's on 15"s away that's for sure. That trailer is 4k or better.

[spareparts]

so you asked, he bought the trailer 9 years ago after the trailer he originally had fell apart, he bought the boat 11 years ago as a complete basket case. The guy who runs the shop behind his is a trailer repair shop, he got the trailer at cost(he does a lot of free welding for the shop), I think it was around $2200 at the time(I've got a used trailer just like it that needs fenders that i gave $750 for)He gave $350 for the bracket, got it blasted for $25. I don't know what he paid for the fiberglass repairs on the hull, but I know he built two T-Tops for the guy who did it. The 2.5' 200's came off of a 23 seacraft that the guy was going to re-power, one of the engines had a worn out pivot shaft and need $2500(retail) worth of work, he got both motors for $4000. The 20" mids came from a buddy of his that traded them for a prop he had(exhaust housings only, we reused the pivots and trim). I found the twin stick shifter for him in a discount box for $100. The console was a scratch and dent one from the guy who ones the mold, they traded out some aluminum welding. He got the leaning post from pioneer(they build them near here), he knows the owner and got one that had some surface defects that wouldn't pass QC at the factory(everything was repainted anyway with awl grip). I gave him the GPS, the gauges were some we found out of other boats. Wire harnesses came with the motors. Most of the deck hardware was stuff I gave him or we cleaned up the original stuff. When you guess at what the fiberglass work was worth, and all the misc new stuff an materials, I guess he probably has $20,000 in the boat, plus an a$$ load of time and work. Not much more than some of the V's on here. And not too bad over a 10-12 year project. He decided to get this one done while work has been slow the past year. A new boat of similar condition would run you well over $100,000.
I tell you what he doesn't have, he doesn't have paid vacations, he doesn't have employer provided health care, he doesn't have a pension or any retirement. He's self employed and probably on the fourth worst year of his career. He pays an obscene amount of money for highly overrated Mt. Pleasant commercial property( a tin barn with no heat or in door plumbing) that eats up most of what he earns. His wife works nights to get the extra pay and his two boys hang out at his shop after school do he can get work done without having to worry about a sitter. He works his *** off, uses his brain and always find a way to do something nice with out paying full price. So to all that thinks its only money, get off your *** and put your mind and back to it, leave the wallet and check book at the house till you run out of options. Leave the check book builders to the TV shows.

[spareparts]

BR, we've talked about a top, for right now, the boat attracts more attention by not having a top. If he builds one for it, he's in a bind, if it ends up being a calling card, it will have to be over the top, and probably looked odd or outdated in a few years, he wants a plain simple top, but every one will ask why he didn't go all out. So its a catch 22, right now, its topless. He built the tops for the Freeman 33 , so I know he can make one that will handle the speed(they run high 60's), so its kinda cool not having one right now

[reelapeelin]

It musta been out for FG work when I was down there...I'm SERIOUS!...CENTERFOLD MATERIAL...:party:

[Monkey Butler]

so you asked... Leave the check book builders to the TV shows.

Best post on this forum in a long, long time!

It's midnite here but I think I'll go do a few more things in the garage before I turn in.

[Blue_Runner]

Spare for the record - I think it is SEXY as hell without the top. Also if mine, because of my local lake having the low bridge clearances I wouldn't put one on it anyway. You tell him Blue approves of toplessness on that sweet cc.

[Destroyer]

I tell you what he doesn't have, he doesn't have paid vacations, he doesn't have employer provided health care, he doesn't have a pension or any retirement. He's self employed and probably on the fourth worst year of his career. He pays an obscene amount of money for highly overrated Mt. Pleasant commercial property( a tin barn with no heat or in door plumbing) that eats up most of what he earns. His wife works nights to get the extra pay and his two boys hang out at his shop after school do he can get work done without having to worry about a sitter. He works his *** off, uses his brain and always find a way to do something nice with out paying full price. So to all that thinks its only money, get off your *** and put your mind and back to it, leave the wallet and check book at the house till you run out of options. Leave the check book builders to the TV shows.

In other words, he's what made this Country what it is today. He's an American. :clap::clap::clap:

[Blue_Runner]

The government rebuilt that boat for him. :you:

[bradford]

That boat is sweet. I kinda like the topless look myself, but the sun would probably change my mind. Spare, I'm with ya on the bust your *** part to make things come together. I've put some money into my V in the last couple years, but skimped, saved, horse traded, and most of all, worked my *** off for every penny.

[RidgeRunner]

Love your way of thinking Bradford, now how about some pics. When is it to be "Complete" enough for a splash test.

[spareparts]

its been in the water several times, just I haven't been around to take pics. BTW, I put his 14 McKee in the classifieds

[the daydreamer]

SPARE WE NEED SOME MORE SEA VEE PORN!!!!!!!!!! LOVE THEN CENTER CONSOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:sun::clap:

[RidgeRunner]

its been in the water several times, just I haven't been around to take pics. BTW, I put his 14 McKee in the classifieds

SeaVee is very nice, but I was referring to the Bradford boat.. When are we gonna get a proper update Bradford?

[bradford]

SeaVee is very nice, but I was referring to the Bradford boat.. When are we gonna get a proper update Bradford?


Been a long road.

Felt pretty disillusioned and depressed about the whole thing, even woke up having nightmares about it.. I'm not kidding. In one she came back with the scuppers plumbed to flow water INTO the hull, another she was all finished. Absolute perfection. Except that she was painted red white and blue.

In the grand scheme of things though, most people in the world would pay money to have my problems.

Everything that is finished looks beautiful.

I haven't been on here much due to her not yet being finished, but will post up a report when she does finally get to come home.

Hopefully very soon.

Thanks for your interest.

[spareparts]

Marc finally put a T-Top on it



http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n175/spareparts_photos/Marcs%20stuff/IMG_4616_zps891rfbrp.jpg (http://s112.photobucket.com/user/spareparts_photos/media/Marcs%20stuff/IMG_4616_zps891rfbrp.jpg.html)

slowed him down to 68 in this heat. He's put Chris Carson Reeds in it, finally changed the tuners so they match. Put Brucato ECM's on and spinning either 24 or 26 picth choppers(same speed, different rpms). He says he's going ot put the Brucato SVS on it, we'll see

[RidgeRunner]

I was thinking that he must plan on staying in the river and having fun with it. If it is that strung out, don't you think 3 footers will have those motors overheating again ??? SVS he does want to play. It does look normal with the top, but not the cowls. Cool Project:money:

[spareparts]

no more overheating issue, low water pickups fixed that. He's only running about 50 in that picture. That thing still launches like a drag boat, even with the 26 choppers. He's fished it several times this year, it plays off shore as well. Ive seen fish blood stains on the deck, well at least they were there for a little while