help i dont know what my boat is

hi ive had this boat for a number of years and was hopeing to get the boat done up ive a few problems "1" what type of boat is it any idea make or model, "2" what diesel engines will fit on the the old petrol ford crossflow belhousing , "3" what is surgested to use as heat exchanger , any plans out there ,

i was thinking of putting in two ford diesels 1800 but is there anything that would conect up better to the original bellhousing plate

 

I am sure that someone with some more authority in these matters will come by and clear things up, but in the mean time I'm pretty sure that in order to "get the boat done up" you'll have to pretty much make a new one. Martricius is looking very rough right now. Has it been uncovered for these last few years?

 

Midnightcowboy, I zoomed in on the transom corner and there did appear to be a HIN plate, which would be the best way to determine what it is. Frankly at this point it really doesn't matter unless you have considerable restoration experience. The boat appears to be salvageable, but your questions suggest you are a novice at this sort of thing, which means the best advise anyone could give you is, to tell you to run as fast and as far away from the idea of restoring this old gal. Run quickly lad, scream loudly while you do, so the notion doesn't come back until you're sufficiently far enough away. If you still find the need to "think about it", go out into the garage, select a small hammer, say one intended for furniture tacks and smack yourself in the forehead a few times. If this doesn't work, tell your wife you're thinking about self-induced testicle reduction surgery and would like her advise. Maybe one of these things will "cure" you.

 

These guys are being diplomatic.

Don't do it. Find another project.

Honestly. Really. No joking.

Forget it.

-Tom

 

I will help.

I do know what your boat is:

a biosphere!

The advise given above is not honest and complete!

The hammer method (which I too recommend quite often), does not replace the fun and joy of such task, and does not provide the same level of entertainment.

The joy of watching your bank account dropping faster than hail. (now the bank doesn´t have it any longer)
The tremendous gain of diplomatic skills. (how do I tell HER, that fifty $ have three 000´s?)
The adventure of discovering unknown territories. (remove one panel to find out: 8 are rotten)
and so on....
Finally, in many cases, the fun to get rid of a nagging wife. (after some years of starvation, lies and lonesome nights, the weaker of them can get a bit abrasive)

Thats all not included in the hammer method! But I must confess, it is saving some time.

Regards
Richard

 

$3000 that is how much I would charge you to properly dispose of your boat if you live in US. I throw away boats in much better condition than this. May be find a movie prop company. This could the next boat used in a redo of Jaws. Seriously, salvage anything that could be used in another boat and buy a chainsaw.

 

thank you for your responces , it may supprise you but it dose seam to be structurally good, the structural timbers are good ,its just the weathered timber and ply bourd that needs to be changed replaced to marine ply yes its a mess at the moment ,its been under the trees for a year ,and looks messy , but its the engines i need to get sorted it has to be totaly stripped out and rebuilt i agree , i need a little help not comments like hit my self with a hammer , ive not got ten grand to be able to go get another , but i do have time , and experiance in wood work and the motor trade ,just wanted some sensable advice on what these engines were usaly replaced with on this sort of boat , again thank you for the advice ,, thank u par for saying where the plate was , ile just continue with it for now , but thanks

 

Seems we did not convince you.........

Then, clean her up and lets start again! That does not cost much and possibly gives a better impression how sound she is in reality.

 

If you are really determined to do this then just replace the engine with another crossflow ,there are so many about. Two diesels ,even little ones will stretch your budget way beyond the value of the finished product . Diesel in the UK is more expensive then petrol ,and unless you propose some long distance cruising you will never recoup your capital outlay . Keep it simple ,you have enough work to do already.

 

PAR,
Welcome back. Youv'e been missed and not long enough to be forgotten. midnightcowboy may not be a "lad" but his response indicates he's not offended.
Apex,
What a wise and almost fatherly response. I agree. I'm a dreamer and had many boats and cars with the same aspirations. These vehicles rarely amount to anything tangible but can be waltzes in a grand ballroom for some. Now that cowboy is here I think we may find his ideas more interesting than the man ga ga in the Bayliner showroom.
cowboy,
Correct me if I'm wrong but are you a bit strapped for cash? If so I'd suggest you consider repowering w a fairly small outboard. Would be MUCH quieter, Much more economical and much more easily trailered.

Easy Rider

 

You wrote in post #1 you have the boat for a number of years, then in post #7 that you have time....
Then why is it in shambles? Did you say goodbye to it years ago and now have second thoughts?

I'm an old guy, so I own lots of old stuff, but nothing looking like your boat. Either I maintain it, sell it or set it on fire!

As your boat seems to have lots of weathered timber and plywood, just a small amount of barbecue fluid will set you free.

 

i purchesed years ago as a project but with family and work it was parked on farm and stored. it was bad when i got her , and now ive had injury and am not planning on working for sum time . it gives me the time to get this done ,with help from others and friends , i must admit the idea of outbourd sounds a quick solution, but would like to put her back , to twin engine , petrol cheeper but prefer diesel as ive a friend in the scrap car buisness ,when i decide what engine i need,he will get me what i want ,, as long as i take him fishing few times , and the same with the paint from painter, and im a mechanic / welder so should be not as expencive as people think , prop shafts are good ,structure good ,no damage to shell of boat , just cosmetically she looks bad
angain thanks for your comments

they may be very basic questions but no one as yet can awnser them, 1 , what is the make model of boat ,2, what would be the best diesel engines to fit ,3, is there any plans to build heat exchangers , i weld stainless steel exhorsts as part of my job , and par it was not the hin plate you saw on the transom it wa just a vent but thanks thought i might have missed it

 

Well you'll need a friend ,in the marine manifold business ,another one in heat exchangers ,and a third one in oil coolers and pipework ,and they will all have to like fishing.

 

Again, I'm not trying to be coy, you are in for a multi thousand dollar project, just to get this old war horse staggering around on it's own bottom, without much concern it will drown you and family. Your extremely basic questions suggest (again) that you are in way over your head and the best advise would be to invest in a less demanding project. Maybe I should have used my "garden rake" analogy which is one of my better ones, though I imagine you might have just as much difficulty with it as well.

 

thank you easy rider yea ive not much cash , but im very good with mechanics woodwork and metal work there is in no way a fear of this entering the water , untill its been thourghly checked out , by my local boat builders ,as i said its structer is sound un like my friends five thousend pound boat he purchesed from a marine company , unluckaly it sunk in harbour on its first day while it was being moored up
my boat will be moored up not trailered , yes most people would prefer to buy a perfect looking boat but this dose not mean it will float just look good as it sinks ,theres nothing hiden on this just need some advice what ive asked for ,and jet wash, strip every thing off and start rebuilding hope if all gose well ile put a pic up with it all done up , my main problem is what diesel engine will fit best , the rest will be purchesed or scratch built