New project

[Tim McCrain]

Hauled this '56 Glasspar Del Mar home the other day.

It's pretty rough, some former owner cut a bow hatch in that doesn't belong there, added home made grab rail at the rear of the cabin, funky bow light with handle on the cabin top, original windshield gone and plexi screwed in its place, etc. etc. And, of course, all the wood is rotted. Lots of fun work to do!

Trailer is home made, heavy duty and tows just fine, but needs cool fenders and better support for the boat, expecially at the transom.

It'll have to sit for while before I can do anything with it. Does anyone know of a cheap storage yard in the Bellingham area?

Thanks
Tim

[Helmar]

Boat Restoration

That looks like a hand full for sure.
Those trailer fenders looks like a pair I made up for a old scrap hauler at one time. 55 gallon drum and cutting torch fenders I called them

The next boat project I get that needs the cabin top split from the hull, I might do something different.
If the cabin bulkhead is ok and its Just the Transom that is shot. I might take a blade and Cut the fiberglass across the back down to the hull, remove it and replace the transom.
This is of course if the cabin top is requires painting.
I am quite sure I can glass and fair the fiberglass a lot faster than I can splitting the cabin and hull.

Was that the Helm windows that was replace with Plex or the Cabin front window that was replaced with plex?
Seems to look ok from a distance in the pictures.
Not sure but I have heard a old Stude window was used for the Cabin windshield.

[Tim McCrain]

The cabin windshield is severely hazed, lots of stress cracks around the edges, scratched, etc. Just generally toasted. The side windows have the original glass for the fixed half but the sliding portions have been replaced with crudely made plex. The upper windshield is a Taylor Made unit that is broken completely through top to bottom. I read that the windshield is the rear window from a '55 Stude Champion, and that the original mold for the cabin front was made from an employee's car in the factory parking lot.

Finally had a chance to go over this thing thoroughly this last weekend, found that the transom has already been reworked at some point in the past. I remember when planning the work on the Del Mar I had years ago I was going to core out the rotten transom wood and pour in new core material between the inner and outer fiberglass transom skins. I also remember that it had no splash well of any kind, the inside of the transom was exposed from the top to the bottom. A close examination of this boat revealed that there is no fiberglass skin on either the interior or exterior of the transom. There ain't nuttin' but paint. Someone has replaced the transom and just bondo'ed it in and painted it. The splash well is also just painted ply, and has been glassed into the sidewalls and transom, with glass tape only at the corners.

My first clue that it wasn't original was the height of the transom top above the splash well, which is only 2.5 inches. As you can see in the photo, there was barely enough room for the motor's clamp pads. When I started poking around I discovered that the screws from the splash well into the stiffener and the sidewalls, which were covered with glass tape, are stainless square drives.

This will make the transom replacement easier, as I don't have to preserve something that isn't there! I'll just cut out the entire thing and start from scratch.


Yeah, this is a handful, but my plan was to build a similar styled small cruiser from scratch with old Glen-L plans, so this is just a head start.

Tim

[Helmar]

Well, if you were thinking of starting one from scratch, Your Way ahead for sure.

I have too many smaller projects myself to even Think about bigger ones.
One is a transom, full floor, foam, cabin bulkhead.
Oh, paint too...

[Tim McCrain]

Joe, when I get to the floor replacement stage I'm gonna ask for your input on foaming. I remember reading one of your posts where you said it was definitely the way to go.

Tim

[Helmar]

That might be a good topic to get into.
I can tell you the ones that have had it done or, have done it, will attest to how well it does for them.

To me, its not only the flotation, the boat is more solid and much quieter.

foam

This sounds like the makings of a great workshop event the next time someone is ready to foam their boat. I know I'm planning on doing mine too but reality says it is still a couple months away. I think I've gathered enough information to do it but there is nothing like seeing it done first hand by somebody with knowledge and experience before tackling this type of thing for the first time. Barry

[Steve_Kiesel]

Marty, and/or Joe posted a great description of the process on Fiberglassics. Don't know if the post is still there, but worth a check.

This would be a good topic for the Restoration Tips section.

[timw]

I found a foam supply http://www.jgreer.com/Foam%20Page.htm I think it was 72 bucks for 2 gallons and a couple days shipping UPS...It is closed cell foam..Wasnt that big of a deal. You just have to have everything ready to go before you mix the two parts together,as its about a 1 min. before this stuff kicks off...then expands 20 times its volume...I tilted the hull up at an angle, poured thru the lowest drilled holes, as the foam expanded to those holes I plugged them..Soon as it quit expanding I mixed another batch, poured in the next highest holes, untill it reached there ect...Alot of fun..
Tim

Dollars to donuts, your windshield is off of a 1953-60 Studebaker (it's actually the rear backlight). Not sure what exact model but they only had 2 lines, the Coupes, later renamed the Hawks, and the Cruiser/Lark sedans, coupes and wagons.

I've seen quite a few vintage boats that use this same window, and being afflicted with Studitis I always spot these windows instantly.

[ricphoto]

I'd like to do the bilge foaming to my DelMar but I'm having a hard time "reading" the heavily glassed re-do on the floor for the stringer layout / spaces...

tapping gives me a general idea but is there a way to tell without just sucking it up and just starting to drill?

Do any of you remember the layout? Tim...is yours open yet? if so would you mind posting or sending me a pic?

and if you guys were serious about a workshop I'll volunteer mine as the subject boat...it's ready

Thanks...Ric

[Tim McCrain]

Ric,
The only thing I've done to mine is to haul it to the storage yard where it will stay for at least a year, maybe two. But the floor is open, due to it rotting away, and you're welcome to take a look to see where the stringers are located if you want to drive to Lake Stevens.

Tim

[ricphoto]

Thanks Tim but "somehow" I acquired another '56 over the weekend ;-p

an Avalon this time that they had just about finished the floor on...it's screwed down but not glassed yet so I'll be able to get a real good close look when I drag her home from Portland later this week...

...Ric

[Tim McCrain]

OK. Ric, someone has to say something, you are in need of an intervention here. :eek:

Do you have anyone that can take away your wallet? or car keys?

[Marty Loken (Norseboater)]

Foaming

We've done foaming demos at past workshops and we can always do it again during this Fall's NWCBC Workshop (see Calendar of Events).

Basically, we can put whatever people want onto the workshop checklist, as long as we have an agenda worked out in advance.

- Marty