Got a "FREE" boat
 

Everyone on here knows there's no such thing as a "free" boat, and this one is no exception. My buddy tells me he has this old boat in the woods by his house that he is goint to haul to the dump, do I want it?

Of course I do, I said.

My wife says, "Let me get this straight, Clay is going to throw this boat in the dump and you want it?"

YEP.

So I went and looked at it....twice....and I still brought it home. I had to cut down a tree that had grown in the way to get it out of the woods.

I had to put new wheels and tires on it, I doubled the value in just a few minutes.

So its a 1968 Fabuglas Tempest with a 1962 (?) Mercury 700 (70 HP). It was last run in or around 2001. Other than a small soft spot in the floor it looks like it will clean up real nice, the bottom of the hull actually has a shine to it.

First I will see if it will run, then worry about new seat covers and updating the "pulley" style steering.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...r/100_0604.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...r/100_0603.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...r/100_0602.jpg



I MUST BE NUTS!

Wasen't Fabuglas the one that pioneered the composite plastic and fiberglass? That stuff wouldn't bond to fiberglass or anything except their formulation.
It had the same feel as a combination of Bondo and fiberglass.

I already shared everything I know about it.

Here's some sales brochures.

You have to click on "brochures" once you open it.

http://www.fiberglassics.com/fabuglas.htm

I like it :beer:

Two blade prop....I haven't seen that before except on trolling motors.

-Svence

:sun:I like it randle, looks like a great project to do with the kids.... then let them name it ... and your golden.:sun:

Awsome Retro ride!!!!:sun::sun:

Congrats RM I'm still working on the one I got.

It matches the color of the truck!!

Yep, I can be in a time warp, pulling my 1968 boat with my matching 1972 truck.

My son is very excited about working on it, apparently this boat insanity is hereditary.

It will be a fun little boat, but it wont quench my go fast boat hankerin. My buddy said he got 28 mph out of it WOT.

gay.

28MPH when you are only inches off the water feels a hell of a lot faster then you think. My grandparents used to let us run there 14' scout, until we got a gps we thought we were doing 50....the thing topped out at 27mph.

-Svence

have fun with your new project. looks like fun

Looks a lot better than I expected. Good job!

RB that is cool. Good job even though I can't see the pics since my work blocked photobucket and other popular sites recently. Still mad about that by the way.

I had a 14' 1968 Fabuglas!! It belonged to my grandfather. I've posted here about it before....here is the link:
http://www.wellcraftv20.com/communit...light=fabuglas
and here is the post:
Update: I'm now 35 years old and sold the '72 V20 for $1200 - the same one you came to look at ;)

Looks like a good project for ya. Hope it turns out well. I like the looks of that old Merc.
Theres an old Fiber Craft that kinda looks like a small v20, with a 65hp Johnson on it for sale close to me. Ive got two boats and too many projects now, so I aint even stopped and asked about it. I like the hull though! Good luck with your new project!!
:clap:

Whatever they were doin' looks like it WORKED!!...stood the test of time right well, I'd say:clap:

You gonna look mighty sporty cruisin' around in that puppy...:beer:

I think it must have been kept covered or garaged most of its life......just the last 4 or 5 exposed.

Now, I can clean it up and put a 300 hp Merc on it and I'll be set.

Are you forgetting Mac's find
http://boston.craigslist.org/sob/boa/842702283.html

Sounds like a perfect match:beer:

just curious, anybody know what that motor weighs in at ?

Oh, sorry, the 250 yami

Well, last week I got the carbs cleaned up and replaced the fuel line, fittings, bulb, and portable tank. Filled the can with fresh gas/oil. Got a big trashcan to run the motor in, and charged a starting battery.

Yesterday I began at 11 am. The motor spun perfect and one puff of smoke was seen, then nothing.

Tried pumping the bulb, starting fluid, grinding on the starter for long periods........nothing.

So I checked the spark...no spark. Went to take the distributor cap off and saw the timing belt hanging down from under the top. (Who knew there was a timing belt on an outboard motor.....not me)

Went to my local "old school" boat repair store and they had a belt IN STOCK!!!!

I stumbled through installing the belt (I think I got it right).

Turned the key and she jumped to life like a brand new FI motor.

need a spare lol i have 2 brand new in the box Mercury bronze 2 blade props.

Take that camera on the Maiden Voyage...we wanna see some pics of that baby planed up and RUNNIN'!!...:clap:

Will do.

Hey, you mechanical types!


I have a couple of issues with the motor.

No water ever came out the pee hole however some water was comming out of the exhaust relief on the back of the midsection. (I am going to check for bugs/trash clogging the pee hole)

Water was also running out of the area around the top motormount........pretty sure thats not good.

So I think it was pumping water, but it was not getting to where it needed to go.

Any suggestions?


Secondly, I want to make sure I lined things up right when I put on the timing belt.

There is a line on the flywheel and an arrow on the dist. pulley. I lined those up.

The cover on the top of the dist. pulley also had a line on it but it was not at the same place as the arrow on the actual pulley. I assume it is used to adjust timing advance.

How'd I do?

A little update.

According to the experts, I did the timing belt correctly. And I got the "tell tale" aka pee hole unclogged. Oh, and the water leaking around the top motor mount has stopped, I guess the gasket had dried out sitting for all those years and swelled back up when it got some water in her.

I started washing the mold off of her yesterday, she is cleaning up nice. Going to do the inside today.

Then I just have to fix the steering and patch up a couple of gouges in the gelcoat and I will be ready for a ride.:beer: