2010 Tracker 1860 Conversion!

[AR_Fishing]

Hey guys, new to the site and have been reading around, lots of information here! Sorry for the long post but trying to get all this squeezed in is tough. Anyways I'm currently in college (20 yrs old) and have been dreaming of a boat for quite some time. I've been saving up and watching craigslist and other local ads for really any kind of cheap boat with a motor :LOL2: I was talking about it with my grandfather a couple weeks ago and this past weekend he called me and said I could have his boat!! I had no idea he had one (he lives pretty far away so I don't get to see him much) and turns out its a 1860 Tracker with a 50 horse E-TEC :mrgreen: I finally got time to go get it yesterday and I couldn't be more excited. It needs a lot of work but you can't beat a free boat! Here's some pics -









The motor and trailer all need ALOT of TLC, but I'm fairly confident I can make it happen. It's been sitting outside since new without a tarp unfortunately, so everything is faded and looks 20 years old.

The outboard is going to have my immediate attention, it needs a new prop before it gets in the water and a full service. I'm going to start with spark plugs, the whole Water Pump/Impeller kit, fuel filter kit, new lower unit oil, etc. I'm also going to use the portable gas tank it has for awhile and then eventually try to get a more permanent, larger setup.

The Trailer is in pretty rough shape. All the bunks are rotted and and I could only get the tail lights to work, the side marker lights wouldn't come on. Also, the front keel/winch mount whatever you call it was broken, so I borrowed his welder to bandaid it until I got home and actually repair it. The wheels/tires are in ok shape, but I need to repack or just replace the wheel bearings soon. I feel like I need to add a rear mount for a transom saver so that will get added as well.

Now the boat :lol: It is in pretty decent shape, but the foam under the deck and in the bench areas is totally water logged, so that will be coming out. My current plans for this spring are to extend the front deck and make my own compartments for tackle and such, extend the rear deck a little and add a battery box, and try to get the whole inside carpeted for the most part. I'm working with a college kid budget so bare with me! I'll try to get the pics working correctly. Anyways let me know what you think and sorry for the long post!
I'll be working on it most of the day Saturday so I'll post an update then.

 

[TheLastCall]

Amazing looking boat. You have a great platform to start with.

If I were you I’d empty / clean the fuel tank mine had a bunch of crud in it. Put in a fuel stabilizer and run the engine. Have it in water or hooked up to water. The impeller might be fine, could save you a couple $. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. And then your typical maintenance dog the engine, change oil and oil filter and the bottom end and new plugs.

Hard to tell by the picture but a few nicks on a prop won’t make a difference. You’ll add some more anyway.

Congrats on the new boat


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[AR_Fishing]

Amazing looking boat. You have a great platform to start with.

If I were you I’d empty / clean the fuel tank mine had a bunch of crud in it. Put in a fuel stabilizer and run the engine. Have it in water or hooked up to water. The impeller might be fine, could save you a couple $. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. And then your typical maintenance dog the engine, change oil and oil filter and the bottom end and new plugs.

Hard to tell by the picture but a few nicks on a prop won’t make a difference. You’ll add some more anyway.

Congrats on the new boat


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Thanks! I'm super excited. I should've taken a better pic of the prop. It's pretty bad. I'll post one when I get back home.

 

[water bouy]

Nice. Looks like a semi-v. Does he have any more he'd like to give away.

 

[AR_Fishing]

Alright heres some better pictures of the prop and the foam I was talking about. I really don't think this prop is usable... not sure what he got into :shock:

Also, on the last two pictures I think he had someone cut the middle out of where the rear bench should be. It doesn't look factory to me and the other Tracker 1860 threads on here have a full length rear bench. So I'm pretty sure he had it cut out?

 

[TheLastCall]

I’m no expert on props by any means. The nicks on it don’t look bad at all. But from the picture looks like 2 blades are bent. I’d replace it and straighten out the old one keep it as a spare.

Your skeg took a couple good hits, if it looks ok I’d leave it or add a skeg guard.

I’d look into that gray/silver fuel line. A lot of them are rotting from the inside and cause all kinds of problems. Do a search on here lots of information.

Looks like cleaning, paint and foam. You’ll have your self a really nice boat.




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[duckman11]

That prop looks just fine!! might want to bend that one dog ear out with a crescent wrench but a new prop will cost at least 150$. if you don't run in timber or rocks go with a stainless prop and keep that aluminum one as a spare in the boat for an emergency.

get some stabil and seafoam in the fuel system and clean out the fuel tank. dawn soap and a pressure washer will clean out the fuel tank just make sure you get all of the soap out. a new 12gal fuel tank is 100$ here in Texas so don't spend money buying things that are fixable.

my advice is to pull the motor off and turn the boat upside down on some saw horses and let it drain and dry as much as possible. you can also do any repairs to the bottom that way and work on the trailer.

if it had fuel in the fuel lines those will need to be replaced or you will have hell getting it to ever run right due to vacuum leaks.

buddy your boat is in better shape than my duck boat that I've had for 12yrs lol.

 

[Prowelder]

Hey guys, new to the site and have been reading around, lots of information here! Sorry for the long post but trying to get all this squeezed in is tough. Anyways I'm currently in college (20 yrs old) and have been dreaming of a boat for quite some time. I've been saving up and watching craigslist and other local ads for really any kind of cheap boat with a motor [emoji38]2: I was talking about it with my grandfather a couple weeks ago and this past weekend he called me and said I could have his boat!! I had no idea he had one (he lives pretty far away so I don't get to see him much) and turns out its a 1860 Tracker with a 50 horse E-TEC :mrgreen: I finally got time to go get it yesterday and I couldn't be more excited. It needs a lot of work but you can't beat a free boat! Here's some pics -









The motor and trailer all need ALOT of TLC, but I'm fairly confident I can make it happen. It's been sitting outside since new without a tarp unfortunately, so everything is faded and looks 20 years old.

The outboard is going to have my immediate attention, it needs a new prop before it gets in the water and a full service. I'm going to start with spark plugs, the whole Water Pump/Impeller kit, fuel filter kit, new lower unit oil, etc. I'm also going to use the portable gas tank it has for awhile and then eventually try to get a more permanent, larger setup.

The Trailer is in pretty rough shape. All the bunks are rotted and and I could only get the tail lights to work, the side marker lights wouldn't come on. Also, the front keel/winch mount whatever you call it was broken, so I borrowed his welder to bandaid it until I got home and actually repair it. The wheels/tires are in ok shape, but I need to repack or just replace the wheel bearings soon. I feel like I need to add a rear mount for a transom saver so that will get added as well.

Now the boat [emoji38] It is in pretty decent shape, but the foam under the deck and in the bench areas is totally water logged, so that will be coming out. My current plans for this spring are to extend the front deck and make my own compartments for tackle and such, extend the rear deck a little and add a battery box, and try to get the whole inside carpeted for the most part. I'm working with a college kid budget so bare with me! I'll try to get the pics working correctly. Anyways let me know what you think and sorry for the long post!
I'll be working on it most of the day Saturday so I'll post an update then.

That weld looks terrible


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[eshaw]

I think you have a generous grandpa! Nice first boat, even if it does require some work. Make sure when you do the trailer that you use bearing savers after replacing the bearings. I'd think long and hard about putting carpet down. If you do make it removable so that if it gets to stinking you can take it out and power wash it.

 

[AR_Fishing]

That weld looks terrible


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It was to get me from his house back to my house. I had to do it with a arc welder that halfway worked with rods that weren't for the material and that's why it looks "terrible". Its getting replaced. Thanks.

 

[Prowelder]

That weld looks terrible


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It was to get me from his house back to my house. I had to do it with a arc welder that halfway worked with rods that weren't for the material and that's why it looks "terrible". Its getting replaced. Thanks.

I realized that after I read the whole post. The boat is very nice. Especially for the price! Excited to see what you do with it

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