I thought I'd "blog" my experience in purchasing and "dolling up" a bare bones jon boat. Might be interesting to follow, and it might also prompt some advice from the seasoned modders out there about what to do and *not* do...in the process sparing me some expense, pain, wasted time, etc.
So! Here's the back story. We live on a river and I played with a number of scenarios before deciding that the best type of boat for us was a small jon with back bench, casting deck, no center seat, and modified vee hull. We have opted for an Alweld welded boat and decided on the 12' model after comparing 12, 14, and 16. The 14 and 16 seemed to beg for a bigger engine than I want to pay for or spend money feeding. Despite being shorter than the others, the 12 looked nicely stable and surprisingly roomy for its length. Combined with a low (8 HP) motor, my theory is that this one should tiptoe through our shallow waters well, and still be able to get up and buzz along decently at full throttle.
I'm faced with the dilemma of limited budget combined with limited skill set, and ultimately the limited skill set is winning out over budget...so I have decided to have the few initial modifications I need taken care of done right at the dealership before I pick the boat up. I still have to get a quote from them on the whole package before I confirm the boat purchase, so this seems like a good time to huddle with the "Tin Boat Experts." Let me tell you what I need them to do, and maybe you can tell me what I ought to expect to pay for it. I'll in turn, provide some photos of the process, befores and afters, etc.
Attached is a photo of the bare-bones "Barbie Doll." It's an Alweld 1242 Vee SS. Initially I want to accomplish the following (before it's delivered to me):
- Wire for lights front and back and add the lights to it
- Add bilge pump with switch
(These two might be on some little switch panel)
- Wire harness and outlet for trolling motor
- Install pedestal seat mounts front and back
- Add a bracket up front for a trolling motor
Assuming they supply the parts and do the labor, what would you guess is a reasonable estimate from them for the custom stuff above?
After the fact, I plan to also put in a floor. The ribs stick up pretty high and I can already picture myself with missing teeth after stumbling over them. But we'll deal with the floor later.
So here we go...this should be a fun adventure and I'll keep you all posted as we go along. I appreciate everybody's insights and opinions.
Dane
So! Here's the back story. We live on a river and I played with a number of scenarios before deciding that the best type of boat for us was a small jon with back bench, casting deck, no center seat, and modified vee hull. We have opted for an Alweld welded boat and decided on the 12' model after comparing 12, 14, and 16. The 14 and 16 seemed to beg for a bigger engine than I want to pay for or spend money feeding. Despite being shorter than the others, the 12 looked nicely stable and surprisingly roomy for its length. Combined with a low (8 HP) motor, my theory is that this one should tiptoe through our shallow waters well, and still be able to get up and buzz along decently at full throttle.
I'm faced with the dilemma of limited budget combined with limited skill set, and ultimately the limited skill set is winning out over budget...so I have decided to have the few initial modifications I need taken care of done right at the dealership before I pick the boat up. I still have to get a quote from them on the whole package before I confirm the boat purchase, so this seems like a good time to huddle with the "Tin Boat Experts." Let me tell you what I need them to do, and maybe you can tell me what I ought to expect to pay for it. I'll in turn, provide some photos of the process, befores and afters, etc.
Attached is a photo of the bare-bones "Barbie Doll." It's an Alweld 1242 Vee SS. Initially I want to accomplish the following (before it's delivered to me):
- Wire for lights front and back and add the lights to it
- Add bilge pump with switch
(These two might be on some little switch panel)
- Wire harness and outlet for trolling motor
- Install pedestal seat mounts front and back
- Add a bracket up front for a trolling motor
Assuming they supply the parts and do the labor, what would you guess is a reasonable estimate from them for the custom stuff above?
After the fact, I plan to also put in a floor. The ribs stick up pretty high and I can already picture myself with missing teeth after stumbling over them. But we'll deal with the floor later.
So here we go...this should be a fun adventure and I'll keep you all posted as we go along. I appreciate everybody's insights and opinions.
Dane
