Progess! Thanks for all the great info...

[wca_tim]

I picked up a well faded 1988 Diplomat with two flat tires and a box motor (most of it was in boxes...) a few weeks ago, and based on a lot of the very good info / advice people have given me it's starting to look like it's going to really take shape nicely.

I don't thin the gelcoat had ever been touched - I wound up going all the way to 400 grit wetsanding and then worked back to 1500 and got the majority of the deep haze out without hitting metal except in a couple of littls spots. I'm amazed at the clear this thing has on it - I would be through body panels in most cars by now. I'm finishing up buffing it out with compound using a high RPM hand grinder toned down to probably about 5000 rpms with a large 3m wool bonnet and it's looking fantastic (I got impatient with the slower buffer I have...) I was really conservative at first and was afraid to be too aggressive. I would never have sanded this much off without the urging... even the way I'm buffing it out would peel the paint right off of most of the cars i've touched. Damn what a lot of work - but I love the way it's coming out and am actually enjoying doing it. This was clearly a thing of beauty when it was new. Only problem is that somehow this has turned the gold metal flake silver????

I've got most of the hardware off and the few piees of wood (seat bottoms, upholstered trim up front, reaqr set bottom, etc...) that were getting rotten out, and have everything cleaned up. As far as i can tell the floor is all sound (ben over it inch by inch, but haven't felt the need to peel the carpet back since it looks pretty good and I'm gonna wait until this winter to redo the upholstry. on the upholstry, the tops of a couple of the seats are coming apart and I'm worried about the foam getting wet / runied. This may sound really silly, but I'm seriously considering mixing up some elastomer type polyurethanyurea formulation (diol, diamine, isocyanate, etc...), add UV stabilizer and spray coat the seat tops to provide structural integrity (to seat covers...) and keep them from getting to sun damaged before I get to them. Shouldn't look any worse than now if i spray em with a couple of thin coats blending it down to where the fabric is stin in decent shape. this would form tough / durable but vey flexibla waterproof film on the seat - much like the outer layer on a tough closed-cell polyurethane foam. Anyone ever try anything like this before?

I'm set to order a new / reman 4.3 tomrrow AM, going with newer version long block with roller cam and lifters and installing an electric fuel pump. I stille need to scare up a 4 barrel intake and carb and since I broke my collar bone and dislocated my shoulder a couple weeks ago playin on the ice, I'm going to treat myself and have a local guy put the engine in while I go to the beach on vacation... then put the details back together hopefully in time to have everything shaken down and feeling dependable by 4th of July week... if all goes well.

Bigdave had me really thinking seriously aobut a 350 (thanks a ton for all the info), I did the math to see what had to move how far, etc..., but I decided that I wanted to see how it goes with the little v6 first. I'm assuming based on what others have posted, that with the 23 pitch LaserII I sitting on the kitchen counter this should put me perhaps mid 50's, maybe a little better if lucky, a little worse if not? If it's not fast enough that way, perhaps this winter will either get a faster boat or do something silly like play around and see if I could manage to set up a blower on the v-6... have read some interesting articles about centrifugal or twin screw like vortech, procharger, Kenne Bell set-ups over the past few years... Not cheap, but then again, would be a lot of fun to play with and stayed conservative on the boost, bet there's a pretty good chance at ending up with a very workable 300+ horsepower set up that's still dependable and reliable.

OK, I rambled enough - not sure why.... Time to get stuff together for work tomrrow and crash. I'll post some pics here in the next day or so of how the gelcoat is coming out. Thanks again for the hints and ideas to get started from. I forgot how much fun toys can be... Cheers!

 

[sawcat]

Looking forward to the pics Glad everything is coming together for you

I'm also happy that this Board came through for you.

Good Luck

 

[Eaglenva]

hope he has before and after, i want to take paper to mine but wife wants to wait until fall. (i may sneak out at night and do it anyway - lol). think she will notice?

 

[wca_tim]

Sanding, etc..

Here's a couple quick pics of what I did at the very first just to see how it might turn out. I've taken all the hardware and upholstered panels off since and am gradualy getting it done



Working at night with a light might be just the thing. I found quite by accident that working at night in the driveway with a portable light, when the finish is wet, the oxidation is really easy to see. I have been removing the milky looking component using 320 or 400 grit, rinsing often so it is clear where still need to take some off and then moving up through 600/800 1000/1200 and finally 1500 before buffing with a high speed buffer and compound. I got some Aqua-buff in the mail today and will try it this afternoon / evening after work. I'm going to take a break for a week or so, dropping it off at local shop (while I go to the beach) to have engine put in once it and other parts I ordered for it arrive. I'll post some more pics of the finish once It's finished.

I've got a few spots down near or below the waterline where it looks like the damage to the finish goes all the way through the clear and maybe well into the color. I'm reall tempted to sand off the ver worst f it, then thin out some epoxy with laquer thinner, and a tiny bit of pigment (enough to offset the milky looking haze but not enough to completely obscure the metalflake or make it hard to blend color), and see what I can do with a touch-up gun. COuld wetsand and buff it out after if it helps, or worst case, if it doesn't look so good, at least it'll be down near or under the watrerline (not so noticable).

I'm curious, I'm very tempted to reshoot the whole bottom with clear or even color this Fall and have been reading / thinking about the options. Why wouldn't I use epoxy rather than styrene / polyester based gelcoat for this? EspecI may be missing something really stupid, but with what I've been readin about secondary bond adhesion seems like the epoxy would be a better choice.

anyhow, better get back at work here. Cheers!

 

[Big Dave]

Looking good!

If I would have had a v6 or another 3.7l 4cyl, I probably would not have the v8.
If my oldest son had not run the 305 out of oil twice in one day, I would not have a 350-400hp 5.7 in it either
The 228hp 305 ran real good, pulled skiers well, made lots of noise....

I think you will be happy with the v6
performer alum intake will work real good, should be able to find a carb at a used boat parts shop or at least get a part # off one to find the correct new one.
What are you going to use for water manifolds and risers?
thru prop or thru hull exhaust?
Your drive should either be a 1.65 x 1 or 1.84 x 1 high altitude
If the lazerII does not carry the boat well, look for a mirage

 

[wca_tim]

Here's what the aquabuff did - before polish. This is after the 2000. Hard to do justice to how nice the gelcoat is going to turn out - especially once I have a chance to do the interior area and use a small set-up to detail the little nooks and crannies that the big wheel wouldn't get into. The 1000 version seemed to make bigger scratches than were there before I started. Wound up going to 1200 wetsanding and then the aqua-buff.

I liked the idea of a v8 and really thought hard about it - there's not much in the world that sounds better than a healthy smallblock... unless maybe a big block...

I wound up ordering a marine longblock with around 9.5:1 compression pistons , roller cam and lifter and vortec heads on the non-vortec block that works with my oil pan, etc... I ordered an edlebrock performer made for the higher flow on the vortec heads their matching 600 cfm marine 4-barrel for intake. Thought about going with 1.6:1 roller rockers, but since block and heads are coming assembled, don't want to mess with it right now. planning to go with stock exhaust for now. I've looked at the manifolds, and from my previous experience playin with cars and bikes, it just doesn't seem like the exhaust is that restrictive... I'm gonna see what the mechanic thinks about the intakes and risers, but I set aside the cash to buy new ones - I read way too many stories about leaking manifolds screwing everything up...

In terms of performance, seems like that engine set-up should get me 225+ and that beyond that most other mods to the engine would only give incremental gains - short of a 350 or a blower on the v-6. (wouldn't that little v6 look cute with a procharger centrifugal blower on the front of it? I reread a muscle car mag article where they got 500 horsepower out of a blown 4.3 with the vortec blower set-up... sureley could get mid 300s and stay in reasonable rev range keep reliability, etc... ok, back to reality) Once the engine is running well and we get wet, we'll play with the prop set-up. I'm a little worried that the one on it will suck on the holeshot, but be good on the top end. Since we plan to do a lot of skiing and wakeboarding (if I can do do the wakeboard... never tiried... as I sit her with a broken collar bone and separated shoulder from crashing at the ice rink a couple weeks ago...)

As a single parent with a 12 year old daughter, one of my duties tends to be haulin silly little girls all over the place... That and once in a while might have the girlfriend and her kiddos along too. seems like pretty good speed, relatively quiet, clean everything up nice, add a decent sound system... just about right for a days of skiing and and playin on the river. At least for now that is...

Gotta tell ya, seein the metalflake gleaming broaght back memories of playin on hydrostream as a kid... That's actually what I was kinda lookin for when I ran across this and thought... hmmm.... just maybe...

Hope everybody has a great weekend!

 

[wca_tim]

ever forget to attach pics???

they say the mind is the first thing to go. What's next?


Dave, did you have an open through hull on the v-6??? what did it sound like? Kinda thought that through-hull exhaust with v-6, even with mufflers might sound a lot like a souped up vacuum cleaner...

 

[Big Dave]

for exhaust, if you are going to replace it, look at the GLM brand aluminum manifolds and risers for a huge weight savings.
have seen complete kit on e-bay for 600 or less

 

[sawcat]

WOW wcatim you must be pleased

 

[Big Dave]

they say the mind is the first thing to go. What's next?


Dave, did you have an open through hull on the v-6??? what did it sound like? Kinda thought that through-hull exhaust with v-6, even with mufflers might sound a lot like a souped up vacuum cleaner...

the 228 was a v8-305 chev and I did not have a y-pipe for a v8 when we put the motor in(left it in the doner hull) so the first time I fired the v8 was with no exhaust at all. had to make templates from cardboard and had a local machine shop bend 3"aluminized pipe to fit.....only had to have them tweaked once. Drilled 2 31/4 holes with a Hole saw(had to stop and remove the plug to get all the way thru the transom) then used 1/8"flax packing and 3m 5200 sealer and rubber flapper tips

I have a freind with an s-10 with a hopped up(yes he is a redneck)4.3 with duals and a 4bbl carb, and I thought he had a v8 in it first time I heard it.

 

[wca_tim]

Dave, I liked the way you did the thru-hull exhaust... and if I had gone with a v8 would have strongly considered it. If get new manifolds and risers, I'll take a look at the aluminum. Between that and the aluminum intake that would make the ass end about a whole person lighter than stock...

Just thiking about the through hull reminds me how good the big blocks sound opened up. They always seem to be out on the river running the high end fountains where we go the most. Damn they sound good...

I just noticed currituck... I been there once. Sawcat, that wasn't you that were kind enough to let us use your phone to call the only towtruck in the area when my truck spit a fitting out of the transmission and left us sitting on the beach a couple miles from the VA line over a large seaming puddle of tranny fluid... or were you one of the two lauging and drinking beer in the back of a truck that came by while i was sittin there thinking aobut how to get home. They were shouting "that's what ya get for drivin a Mopar dude" from the back of the truck as they drove by...

Seriously do love it out that way. Normlly turn left instead of right when we hit water, but it's all beautitul out there. You're lucky to live there.

 

[Chris E]

had a customer with a donzi 16 4.3 and through hull exhaust - didn't sound bad, just a little higher pitch than a 350.

 

[sawcat]

Hey, wca tim Don't think it was me with the cell phone loan
I'm sure I didn't hack on your Mopar. I had a 68 pickup,73 Challenger,
81 pickup,84 pickup,91 pickup,95 pickup,03 pickup to date all Dodge's.

As far as nice up here,yep it's nice but you live closer to God's Country.
Family's from Pamilco, I hunt & play in Beaufort were the Creeks are the
size of the Rivers up here.

Yep it's nice where you are also. Been down around Columbia several times
loved the place it's just like down home.

I was told there are old homes there that wre built out of the timbers from the ships that brought the people there.

Good Luck on your project

 

[Big Dave]

Driving thru NC, I have wished more than once I had my boat with me