Tracker Restomod...

[BARBLESS]

Hello,
A new member here. I've been looking and searching the forum for a while "from the outside" and have enjoyed seeing the projects that many have taken on and I've decided to take on a restoration and modification project of my own. The candidate is a Tracker Tournament TX that I just picked up. I have some unique modifications and updates in mind that will hopefully come together for a satisfactory end result! Hopefully I can use some insight and tips from others here that have gone down this path.

 

[BARBLESS]

The boat has all the usual issues. Bad transom, wet foam, random holes drilled in it etc...

 

[richg99]

Main thing that I would worry about would be if the previous owner used any treated lumber in his partial restoration. If not, go for it.... there are plenty of build threads here from which to get ideas.

What size is it?

Looks like a great base from which to build.

richg99

 

[BARBLESS]

Thanks,
The previous owner hadn't started back with any kind of construction or adding any wood yet. I don't plan on having any wood in the boat at all. It will have a composite transom and foam cored fiberglass floors and deck. "That's the initial plan anyway". The hull is the TX 17. And I have a 40hp Mercury slated to go on it.

 

[BARBLESS]

Made some good headway already. I've removed most of the rivets that hold the puzzle pieces of aluminum together. I've found that a smaller drill bit down the center stem of the rivet followed by a wack or two with a "not quite sharp chisel" shearing off the heads is the way to go when removing this many rivets. It makes short work of the process.

 

[BARBLESS]

The foam was surprisingly dry all in all but down below against the hull it is certainly soaked.

 

[BARBLESS]

Too bad no consideration was given back in the initial build of these boats for the ultimate rotting away of transom. I don't imagine very many of these exposed plywood transoms have survived over the years. This one will be replaced with Coosa or a Vacuum bagged fiberglass laminate.