1968 Mustang Resto-mod Jax, FL

man am I enjoying following this...just an awesome job!

john

Thanks for all the kind words.

It really is a life long dream to own this boat. I have had boats all my life and done lots of work on them, but nothing to this extent. Here is a pic of me in the summer of 1967 at Lake Tarpon in Tampa, FL. Its hard to beleive I am only 2 years older than the boat! If only she could talk! What stories could it tell?

I spent a rainy Saturday fitting the front part of the floor, with some help from a friend. First I measured the opening, then made a cardboard template. Once we got that to fit nicely, we made another template from 3/4 inch foam board. I got that in place, then pushed down on it over the battery box. The edges of the battery box left a nice impression in the foam that made it super easy to cut the hole for it.

We placed the foam over the floor plywood and traced it out. I cut it out with a jigsaw and used a belt sander to get a perfect fit!

Now I have to mark the height, finish the foam up under it and then laminate both sides with fiberglass and cpes the edge grain. Once installed I can fit the flex pipe up front and foam and glass in the last bit of the bow.

I sealed up the edge grain of the floor with cpes and bedded it in with lots of peanut butter. I got it screwed in and sealed all screws with 5200.

Today I worked on getting the front lifting bar set and installed. Then I cut the tubing for the air intake and the cabling.

Foamed in.

Busy weekend, perfect weather :) Cleaned up the boat, then foamed in both sides. Cut and sanded the foam down. Then I made up some templates out of foam and cardboard.   I got both pieces of wood cut and the port side glassed and CPES'd. I went through a gallon of resin and all my chop strand. Still have the underside of the starboard board to do. I also made a huge mess in the back yard.

Bill,
Your project is moving along and looking great.
I do have a couple suggestions. On your next project, do not use any screws but rather just thicken epoxy the sole down. Screws are a stress point. Also people think stainless screws are the way to go and they are not. Unless stainless is exposed to oxygen, it rusts in the presence of moisture. At least you sealed them off with the 5200. You mentioned you "peanut buttered" the sole to the hull sides. I'd get some glass at that junction as well.

Keep up the great work. The water isn't that far away for the boat!

A bit of progress to show. I now have emblems! Thanks TRbenj

Modified the rudder port and installed it to test fit rudder.

1st pony.

I have been so busy with work, combined with some crappy weather it has been really tough to find time to work on the boat.

I did get under the dash filled in with peanut butter to reinforce it. Then I ground out all the high spots in the floor.

Today I laid in a layer of chop strand on the inside walls of the boat. Hopefully that should be it for fiberglass work.

I have the boat back up on the stand and I will be doing lots of color sanding and gel coat work....

Finished color sanding for today, its getting closer.

looks fabulous! nice job!!!

8122pbrainard wrote: Bill, What name did CC call that metal flake blue?

Masters Metal Blue!

I think I will call it what Little Daddy Roth calls the flake I used, Bad Azz Blue. What a B!#%&! If I hadn't of done the metal flake, the engine would probably be in right now. Oh well its really shiny...

Not original, but this boat was so hacked up I'm just making it the way I want it.

Bill