I bought a 1989 Spectra 171 Project in February. 
Somebody had painted over the sunburnt and faded gelcoat with what almost looked like bedliner. I used Fiberglass paint stripper to remove it section by section
Then I used a DA sander with 320 grit and sanded deep into the sunburnt red gelcoat until the crazing was gone. I can't believe how thick it is... was. Then I wet sanded the whole boat with 600 then 1000 then 1200 then 1500. Then I used old school compound and wax and got a mirror shine.
Then I found a soft spot in the floor behind the driver's seat. Went to fix the floor and boy did that snowball. Removed the floor, found rot in the stringer's I ended up having to pull them out from midway back. The old stringers were tabed on both sides to the floor. But only glued to the hull and tabed on the inside only. No fiberglass on the outside of the stringer at all. It's no wonder they rotted. But it is 34 years old.
New stringers are in.
New floor is half glassed in. I ran out of materials.
I just picked up a 150 Merc from Scream & Fly sight unseen for $500. Guy said it came on a center console he bought. But it was a 20 inch shaft and the boat needed a 25. plus, it has some performance parts on it. So he put an extension kit on it and used it for a few years. Then he decided it wasn't right for his boat. so he took it off and stored it in his shop for the last 5 years. Now he is leaving his shop and has to get rid of it. I get there it has an Offshore Exhaust and a Bob's Machine (I think) Nose cone and fin.
I put it on a stand and started it up. It started up and idled without having to give it any throttle advance at all. Reved it up and it sound really powerful and much more responsive then the 135 I have with bob's exhaust I was going to use. I look over the motor and I notice the oil pump block off plate says "FULL RACE"
Somebody had painted over the sunburnt and faded gelcoat with what almost looked like bedliner. I used Fiberglass paint stripper to remove it section by section
Then I used a DA sander with 320 grit and sanded deep into the sunburnt red gelcoat until the crazing was gone. I can't believe how thick it is... was. Then I wet sanded the whole boat with 600 then 1000 then 1200 then 1500. Then I used old school compound and wax and got a mirror shine.
Then I found a soft spot in the floor behind the driver's seat. Went to fix the floor and boy did that snowball. Removed the floor, found rot in the stringer's I ended up having to pull them out from midway back. The old stringers were tabed on both sides to the floor. But only glued to the hull and tabed on the inside only. No fiberglass on the outside of the stringer at all. It's no wonder they rotted. But it is 34 years old.
New stringers are in.
New floor is half glassed in. I ran out of materials.
I just picked up a 150 Merc from Scream & Fly sight unseen for $500. Guy said it came on a center console he bought. But it was a 20 inch shaft and the boat needed a 25. plus, it has some performance parts on it. So he put an extension kit on it and used it for a few years. Then he decided it wasn't right for his boat. so he took it off and stored it in his shop for the last 5 years. Now he is leaving his shop and has to get rid of it. I get there it has an Offshore Exhaust and a Bob's Machine (I think) Nose cone and fin.
I put it on a stand and started it up. It started up and idled without having to give it any throttle advance at all. Reved it up and it sound really powerful and much more responsive then the 135 I have with bob's exhaust I was going to use. I look over the motor and I notice the oil pump block off plate says "FULL RACE"
