kathycool

Very nice looking. Gonna be like a brand new boat!

blown formula

At this point, I probably have over 250 hours in the boat. However, the hours spent since the Miami show were all done with an anchor on my leg and using crutches. You ever tried to hang a transom assembly with only one good leg? It can be done!! After that said I would have to say probably 150 hours in real productive time. Some of my time was spent scratching my head saying... Oh chit!! What have I done!!! Now, for sure I will have the only 1000 hp Sonic in Oklahoma when done.

blown formula

This will float this summer!!! When depends on my engine builder!! And the outdrives. I finally found my heads tonight and they should be shipped later this week. So, now I have all the hard engine parts together. I am hoping by the end of May or the first half of June. The problem is my mechanic wants to fix his boat first!! It's simply a matter of priorities!! And I do have other boats to use, so nothing is lost except the excitement of launching a "new" boat!!

mpally

I know you probably don't want to think about this, but roughly how much have you put into the boat to get it this far? BTW, it looks great. Sure wish I had the talent to do that stuff.

apache21

George, I have been were your at. I restored my old 1972 25 Magnum Marine and it was a lot of work. I worked on it for 6 months every evening when i got of work. I almost cried the day I sold it. I had some much time wrapped up into it. Hope to see you on the lake this summer

Shooter

Hi,

I was on my way to buy this boat when Too Old changed his mind, money stuff or something like that. No BS, was ready to make the trip over a weekend. I guess he changed his mind about 1 1/2 months later and you got the boat. No worries here, I got a great deal on another boat that by the looks of it, needed infinately less work.

My question is if you had to, would you do it all over again and if you don't mind the question, what are you into this project for?

Take care and good luck!

Audiofn

Looking VERY nice Blown. Were did you get the Color Coded water tight quick disconnects?

Jon

GregP

I'm going to have to have one of you guys "adopt" my boat for some cleanup/refurb sometime. Excellent work.

One word of warning, dump the plastic flush valves. I had them on my Donzi, they "ocasionally" stick closed after running on the flush hose. I had more than one ocassion when it started to overheat when idling out and I had to limp back in and disassemble the valves to get them to open to the water pickups again. The Formula has manual valves at the sea strainers which I like much better. I forgot to switch them once, but it is much easier to just reach in the engine bay and turn the valve than to contort around a hot engine to rebuild the plastic ones was.

-Greg

blown formula

Answers to questions-
The color coded plugs are marked with vinyl tape. The plugs actually are 6 pin trailer plugs available at O'Reilly's Auto Parts for about $2.50 each. The boot fits pretty tightly but pull it apart and fill with dielectric silicon grease and they are now watertight & corrosion proof.... all for 2.50 a pop!!


GregP- What manual vavles are you using? Please advise.
Thanks....

blown formula

Shooter- Yes, I would do it again.... but I haven't finished THIS one yet!! I will however, never again base a buying decision based on a Marine Surveyors review. Yes, it is a lot of work, but it keeps me out of the wife's hair...... as for the cost, well I figure it always cost me a $100.00 extra each weekend I stay at home/don't go to the lake. So, if I spend that money on the boat each week, then I'm even, aren't I????
Does that make sense??? Really, I probably have about $750.00 in cables, wire, blocks, lugs, clamps, etc. Some parts were made from stuff laying around the shop (aluminum plate, copper bar stock, plastic pieces, etc), I had to buy the diamond plate about $100.00...., then the steering -OUCH!!, tilt helm, depth gauge, GPS, Transom assy, all new or used engine alternators, pwr steering pump, starters, carbs, forged crank, a second four bolt MK IV block, a set of square port heads, roller rockers, 7/16 push rods, new pistons, head work, machine shop, valves, springs, cams (times 2 for twins!) and so on.......... let's just say I have exceeded my budget.
but, I will have a unique, one of a kind boat that I built. What's that worth?