1964 Star craft refit.

[Getducks!]

Hello, I am new to the forum and looking for some advice and suggestions for my project. I have never done anything like this this before so all help will be much appreciated!

My project is a 1964 Star craft 12 foot v bottom aluminum boat. I don't know any more specifics than that, I picked it up on the cheap My goal for the refit is to completet restore it to new. I am also thinking about building a deck in the front but not sure how to go about it.

The first thing I want to address is the paint. There are two coats of previous paint and both are peeling. I want to completely repaint and do the best job/ use the best materials I can
Also there is old carpet in the inside of the boat I want to take out and paint instead. Also I want to replace the transom and the wood seats.
So here are my specific questions:
1. Can I sand all the old paint off with 80/ to 100 grit sandpaper? Some one was telling that I might damage the aluminum if I sanded it too hard .
2. Is a premium paint like durabank worth the money for a good job?
3. Would it be feasible to build a deck with a little live well in the front of the boat? Any and all ideas on this would be appreciated .
4. Does anyone know what color or paint scheme a original star craft would have had?

Thanks for reading! All advice and suggestions would be appreciated by this newbi to the hobby!

 

[CedarRiverScooter]

A DA sander with 80 grit (to start) & finer grits to finish would be most economical way to remove the paint. You might have a hard time getting the crevices cleaned out, if tht bothers you, maybe use paint stripper there. You will not sand thru the aluminium, unless it is really bad in the first place. The sanding scratches will help hold the new paint on.

Use the best paint you can afford, Cheap/soft paint will mar easily & degrade your efforts over time.

For the deck, think about how you are going to use the boat. Make it functional & light weight & you can't go wrong.

 

[Weldorthemagnificent]

I had a similar vintage boat. Here is the link to my refresh. https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44152
I don't recommend decks on anything smaller than 14ft for stability reasons. Just my experience and opinion. I really dig those old lapstrake hulls and it should be a pretty boat with some elbow grease!

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

 

[nerdtastic]

So I have the exact same boat and had a lot of work to get the whole thing back to clean aluminum. The original paint they put on these is tough as nails. I used pretty much everything to get mine cleaned up. you can see the full write up here:
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=44838&p=451013#p450974

the previous comment was right 80 grit and a random orbital works great for the flat spots but with the lapstrakes in this hull there isn't a lot of flat spots.

I had the best results from just using the angle grinder with 3M (or equivalent) abrasive pad they had them at the local hardware store for around $11 I went through 3-4 for the whole boat.

https://www.amazon.com/DUROPEAK-5Pa...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

I tried using the same sort of pad on the drill but it just didn't have the power to really take the paint off without really stressing the tool.

I still ended up using a stainless steel braided wire wheel again on the angle grinder for a lot of the detail work around the rivets and the cross braces along with a little tiny one on the drill. All in all it was a long process but worth it as a got a clean surface for all of the paints, I ended up using a little of everything. I used no less than 5 different products (2 primers and 3 different top coats). I started with the Rustoleum self-etching primer for the outside and it worked OK-ish and I also used a 2 part epoxy 2K self-etching primer from the automotive paint store and it worked great if I could do it over again I would have used the 2 part stuff and spayed the whole boat with it it really didn't cost that much more than the rattle cans and it worked so much better and faster. I also used the Rustoleum Pro Rattle cans for the red and it looks pretty good and seems to be pretty durable. again if I had to do it over again I would have used the HVLP sprayer for everything as it was just so much faster and easier than the rattle cans.

I wouldn't put a platform on this boat unless you were going to be in really calm water it isn't that wide and there isn't a lot of freeboard meaning that you could easily end up swamping it. I fish the bays here in OR though so it tends to be a little rough at times so your application might not be as adventurous

 

[nerdtastic]

I had a similar vintage boat. Here is the link to my refresh. https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44152
I don't recommend decks on anything smaller than 14ft for stability reasons. Just my experience and opinion. I really dig those old lapstrake hulls and it should be a pretty boat with some elbow grease!

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

OH and listen to Weldorthemagnificent he knows what he is talking about! He was a great resource for me when I was building mine

 

[Weldorthemagnificent]

Thanks nerdtastic. I just looked over your thread again and it really came out nice! A great goal and hopefully inspiration for the OP in this thread. Hope some fish have come over the gunnels.

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

 

[nerdtastic]

4. Does anyone know what color or paint scheme a original star craft would have had?

Thanks for reading! All advice and suggestions would be appreciated by this newbi to the hobby!

I found this which is the original sales brochure from starcraft in 1965 I thought it was cool to see how they were originally built

http://www.fiberglassics.com/library/index.php?title=File:Starcraftb65025.jpg

it also has all of the technical details on some of the other pages there that are helpful to get an idea of what the capacities are, as at least on mine the coast guard plate was long gone.

oh and weldor I have pulled lots of rockfish over the gunnels and over thanksgiving, we got 24 Dungeness Crab so yeah it's been great I will try to get some action shots up on the thread if I get a chance.

 

[1960 yellowboat]

I did the same thing with a Richline 14 ft'er
You don't have to get all the paint off, just the loose stuff.
I used Rustoleum primer and paint and it worked out fine.
Two coats of white primer, 3 days to dry between coats, and yellow gloss to top coat. Three coats.
Dark blue for the trim so as to match the 1955 Evinrude on the back.
If you have an oil less compressor, you can get a HVLP spray gun from Harbor Freight for around $10. Or use brushes and a roller.
The main thing is to get the surface clean and smooth.
I used 2x12 pine to re do the seats. Stained Walnut and sealed with Marine spar varnish.
Good luck on your project, just keep it simple and plan each step.

 

[Getducks!]

Thanks so much for all the replies. It defently gives me some ideas. I really enjoyed seeing all the other builds.i will post more picks and keep this a working thread as I start the project.

 

[Dhoop31]

Looks like a great project! Can’t wait to see how it turns out!
Mine is a 1966 now complete with line-x liner, 20 HP Tohatsu, trolling motor and refinished seats. Pictures are from the first time out in the water this past weekend.
New to this type of boating but absolutely love it. I have owned many boats but never an aluminum v-bottom. I will never go back to my pontoon, bass boat or fish and ski. Great forum!
DH