Not another Mustang restoration thread.

john b wrote: I was thinking of using screws more to hold it in position while the thickened epoxy sets up. I'm sure the bond is much stronger than the screws. Maybe just putting some weight on it while it sets up, or remove them and fill the holes with epoxy and one coat of cloth on the whole thing?

John,
If my memory is correct, it was Tim who posted some pictures using the weight method while the epoxy kicks. I think it was in his thread on the composite stringers. BTW, the weights used were 12 packs! Why drill, screw, remove the screws and then fill? Regarding the screws you must use say for seat frames, drill CPES and then 4200 when installing the screws.

peter1234 wrote: what is the sole?

Most normal people would just call it the floor instead of the sole

peter1234 wrote: what is the sole?

Peter,
Just so you can brush up on your nautical terms. I remember the last person I ran into that called his boats sole a floor, also had a tube strapped down on his aft deck!

peter1234 wrote: what is the sole?

It's what we call flounder when we serve it up.

Riley wrote: peter1234 wrote: what is the sole? It's what we call flounder when we serve it up.

It's also what you call someone who has 38 pages about an old Mustang and it still isn't finished.

8122pbrainard wrote: john b wrote: It is available off the shelf about 2 miles from my house at Owl Hardwoods. I go there now and then just to admire the wood.. owl hardwoods John, Moving up here, I sure miss Owl!! BTW, their Des Plaines location is their home and has a better selection just in case Lombard doesn't have what you are looking for.

Looks like a foggy morning in the northwoods. I hope you're staying warm and your project list is growing shorter.

John can't put the boat back together just like it was and go foamless at the same time. I appreciate the challenge in keeping the floor height the same when replacing <1/8" fiberglass skin with 3/4" plywood. Without doing something to compensate, that would be a pretty big change..[/QUOTE]


Tim, is that floor system any different than the pre floor pan Mustangs?

I was just wondering if they changed the floor system when they went from the earlier Mustangs to the newer ones with the fiberglass floor system. Prior to the fiberglass floor pans, they used 3/8" plywood over the foam and stringer system. The floor system looks the same to me..

I'm asking if the floor system, (the wood framing that is glassed into the boat) changed when they came up with the fiberglass floor pan. I'm, going to say it did not in any way at all. If John goes over it with 5/8" or 1/2" plywood without doing anything to the framing underneath, and then puts the pan on top of it, his floor will be plenty strong and he will save himself huge amounts of pain and work. . That 1/2" won't be noticed at all.

When they went to the pan about 1/4" was gained and no one noticed.. Adding wood is going to loose a little, but I bet no two boats measure within 1/4" of each other anyway, and no one's going to notice that 1/2" or so. He's got a glass windshield, which is taller than the plastic windshield, so even someone with your height isn't going to be affected. I doubt it'll be noticed in the seat. Resizing the floor strinngers sounds like a lot of work to me for little if any gain...

Well at least he's not ripping the stringers out due to a little bit of moisture and those pesky mold spores.

We raised the floor 1/4" in the BFN (split the difference on the new 1/2" floor panels) and I can tell... now I'm spending $$$ for custom seat frames to get lower and offer some adjustability. In retrospect, I wish we had lowered the floor a bit rather than keep it close to the same- certainly shouldn't have raised it. Other than raise motorbox height (and increase motor height clearance), I can't think of any upsides of raising the floor- and there are several downsides. I think it's worth the effort to keep it the same.

Think about the difference sitting on a 2" throw cushion makes when driving the boat. Surely that 2" thick cushion is reduced to 1" or less under your weight... makes a pretty significant difference though, no?

TRBenj wrote: I thought that might be what you were getting at. I disagree 100% on that 1/2" not being noticeable, particularly in drivers seat height- important in keeping knee to steering wheel clearance and looking through the windshield (and not over it). In an early wood framed seat boat you could potentially compensate with seat height (though that's still less than ideal) but that's not an option on the fiberglass buckets with aluminum frames. The back seat may be affected too, as would the side pockets.

And I have the most beautiful Mustang fiberglass seat frames on the planet!!! They came from a secret source.
The stringers are already notched 3/4" for the cross member for the pylon and the another one at the front of the seat. would need to fill those to make it even to accept an overlay, and the floor would still be 1/2" higher than original. In addition I dont like the way the plywood must be cut around the motor mounts to retain the correct alignment. It looks wonky when you open the hood. I think it's better to just finish milling the front of the stringers down and making the floor the correct height.

John,
Use a straight bit with a top mounted bearing of the same diameter as the bit. They are typically called a "pattern bit". Use the boards you clamp to each side of the stringer as guides for the bearing to follow. Your depth of cut will depend on the height of the boards on each side as well as the router bit protrusion from the base.

8122pbrainard wrote: John, Use a straight bit with a top mounted bearing of the same diameter as the bit. They are typically called a "pattern bit". Use the boards you clamp to each side of the stringer as guides for the bearing to follow. Your depth of cut will depend on the height of the boards on each side as well as the router bit protrusion from the base.

Thank you Pete, the top mounted bearing is the key I was looking for. I didnt know how to avoid cutting off the guide boards.

Are you hoping to cut this down in one pass? Maybe I'm stating the obvious, 3/4" in one pass is alot with a flush trim bit. Wonder if you set your guide boards first where you want them. Take about 4-5 passes over the stringers with a portable planer and then make a final cut with the router. Instead of setting your guide boards 2 maybe 3 times for each pass