86BassTrackerV17 1st fishing trip w/son 10/11/13 vids p15

[DaveInGA]

Thanks gentlemen,

Having seen the quality work you do, makes me feel great to read those comments. Now to get that motor on. :beer:

 

[Gators5220]

Sweet boat man!

 

[DaveInGA]

Thanks Gator,

Love your build, except for those funny colors. You oughta repaint it Georgia red and black!

Ordered a cover for the boat today, picking up the motor tomorrow. Gonna feel weird having the garage empty after two years.

 

[Gators5220]

What kinda motor you puttin on it?

And nnnnoooo way man, I'm orange and blue through and through. I respect Georgia but could never wear those colors lol!

 

[DaveInGA]

What kinda motor you puttin on it?

And nnnnoooo way man, I'm orange and blue through and through. I respect Georgia but could never wear those colors lol!

I had the electronics replaced on the original motor (1986 75 HP Merc), the carbs rebuilt and a new water pump put in. Mechanic says it runs like it's new and I've been over there to see it run, it sounds like a Harley motorcycle.

I hear ya about the colors, never could see myself in orange and blue.

 

[Gators5220]

Did you go to the University of Georgia? I have some friends who did PA school there, so I've really learned to hate them (Georgia) by having to hear the last few years how we got our butt whopped (which we did lol)...

 

[DaveInGA]

Did you go to the University of Georgia? I have some friends who did PA school there, so I've really learned to hate them (Georgia) by having to hear the last few years how we got our butt whopped (which we did lol)...

Nah, I went to Athens Technical College, but my daughter in-law, son in law and several others go to college at UGA or have graduated from there. I live about 30 minutes tops from the campus.

 

[Gators5220]

Ya well hard not to be a Georgia fan growing up in Athens, Athens reminds me a lot of Gainesville actually, the campuses are alot the same, old southern brick campuses.

 

[DaveInGA]

Ya well hard not to be a Georgia fan growing up in Athens, Athens reminds me a lot of Gainesville actually, the campuses are alot the same, old southern brick campuses.

Yes, it's a nice place for sure. I'm not from there though. But one other thing the area shares with Gainesville is all the lakes/fishing areas. Unfortunately here, if you don't have a boat, you just about can't go fishing, very little bank access. But the lakes, both small and large, are every where.

 

[Gators5220]

My buddy and I were talkin about this the other day actually (not sure if it's the same issue), when we were kids and not that long ago mind you maybe 15 years lakes were all public, no one trashed them or really kept the fish. But now it's so hard to find a lake that is public and allows fishing from the bank, which I find crazy.

 

[DaveInGA]

My buddy and I were talkin about this the other day actually (not sure if it's the same issue), when we were kids and not that long ago mind you maybe 15 years lakes were all public, no one trashed them or really kept the fish. But now it's so hard to find a lake that is public and allows fishing from the bank, which I find crazy.

Illegal aliens seems to be the "unspoken" issue around these parts. Too much trash, debris and crime related to having the banks open to the public. Sad, but true.

 

[Gators5220]

Ya its a shame, people don't pick up after themselves and spoils it for all of us.

 

[harleydoc]

I have a 1985 Bass Tracker V17 I am about to take part and redo it as well. I am so glad I found this web site and you project. You go look outstanding. I can wait till duck season is over here so I can get started on the overhual of my boat.
Dave did you have a problem with the foam being water logged?
I think my foam is what logged in my boat becuase it seat very low in the water.
How low does your boat seat in the water? pics would be nice if you have some of it seating on the water.

 

[DaveInGA]

Howdy, answers in red in the quote below.

I have a 1985 Bass Tracker V17 I am about to take part and redo it as well. I am so glad I found this web site and you project. If you have questions, feel free to message me or email me and I'll be glad to help you in any way I can. The one thing I would suggest strongly for you to do is to take lots of pictures at various angles to insure you know how things go together so you will be able to get things back together. Missing a single detail can cause lots of problems later on down the road. This particularly boat has several quirks that can be a pain if you've had it apart a good length of time and can't remember how it went together. Particularly the console.

You go look outstanding. I can wait till duck season is over here so I can get started on the overhual of my boat. Thank you. The one thing I would do different is I would buy a quality aluminum console and eliminate the fiberglass one I now have. I would not cheap out on the console.

Dave did you have a problem with the foam being water logged? I was lucky and did not. For some reason, most of the foam in mine was in excellent shape, those I did replace almost all of the "board" foam with closed cell.

I think my foam is what logged in my boat becuase it seat very low in the water.Could be, I honestly don't know.

How low does your boat seat in the water?
I still haven't had mine on the water because just about the time I got the motor back on it, winter hit here and I've had to work a lot of hours in the hospital taking care of sick patients. So the boat is languishing in the garage still with two minor lighting problems to resolve (wire reversal for LED lighting I couldn't test without a battery earlier) and still need to go to the lake with the mechanic for final motor tuning and stainless steel prop selection. I feel frustrated, but the hospital takes priority. Hopefully, flu season will have a break or two and I'll be able to get it in the water for testing.

pics would be nice if you have some of it seating on the water.
When I get it in the water, I plan to take a few pics to post here.

 

[harleydoc]

Thanks and I am sure I will be hitting you up for some info. I am going to strip the whole boat down and prime and pair the whole boat inside and out. We hunt And fish in salt water sometime so just just want to keep the water from eating it alive. Plus I will have it all the way down to take all the old foam out and replace that.

 

[fender66]

Thanks and I am sure I will be hitting you up for some info. I am going to strip the whole boat down and prime and pair the whole boat inside and out. We hunt And fish in salt water sometime so just just want to keep the water from eating it alive. Plus I will have it all the way down to take all the old foam out and replace that.

Hey....Welcome to TinBoats harleydoc! We're happy to have you on board. Don't be afraid to ask any questions and please take pictures when you can. We love pictures. :wink:

The search engine in the upper right hand corner also will take you places that I'd bet you don't have enough time for in a week. Enjoy!

 

[DaveInGA]

Finished final work on my 1986 Bass Tracker boat restoration this week. Cranked motor to flush after lake tests and fishing trips, then ran the last of the fuel out of the engine/carburetors to ensure good cranking next time. The little 75 HP Mercury motor will move the boat, an extra 6 gallon tank, several tackle boxes, a cooler and two large men at a brisk 32 MPH on the GPS. Not bad for a motor made in 1986.

The Terrova 80 ft.lb. trolling motor gets you out of the wake of a skier quickly (I love the remote control and ipilot) and the two Hummindbird fish finders, a 998 SI and a 898 DI, make finding fish in deeper water a whole lot easier.

This boat is a lot of fun and I really like her. You can see the added fish finder at the console and the added rod holders. This floor layout is no good for laying rods on the deck, but the rod holders work well.

A couple things I would do different:

1. Use no other paint than the Grizzly Grip.
2. Use the two part epoxy primer Grizzly sells.
3. Use double the amount of Grizzly Grip every where.

Without further ado, here's a video of the upgrades and motor cranked. Much thanks to my wife Donna and her patience for making this video for me and putting it on Utube. Otherwise, it would not have happened.

https://youtu.be/2y1_so0XC1E

 

[fender66]

Looks awesome Dave! I want to know more about that HB bracket in the front though.

 

[DaveInGA]

fender66 » Sat Aug 24, 2013 9:40 pm[/url]"]Looks awesome Dave! I want to know more about that HB bracket in the front though.

It's a RAM mount. I really like that particular one and used a version of each for both Humminbirds.

 

[fender66]

Thanks....looked different to me for some reason.