Got My First H.p. Boat Need Hints&tips On Viper !!!

[mercpunk]

Alright I Got A 85 Viper Hydrostream Today And Need Some Opionons And Tips On What Im Planning . Right Now Im Trying To Decide Whether Or Not To Paint It Or Wet Sand And Clear It Becuase It Is Hazzy But Never Refinished So It Would Come Out Nicely The Gel Is The Blue/black Metalflack Fade. Also Taking The Windsheild Off I Noticed Rivets Can I Drill Them Out Without Screwing It Up ( Dont Want To Mess Up The Shield It Is In Perfect Condition) I Will Not Be Keeping This Boat Long About A Year Give Or Take A Little But I Want It To Flow And Be Clean Yet Great Structuraly Also When Doing The Seats It Had Two Buckets And A Rear Bench . Should I Go New Style Fiberglass Buckets Front And Bench Rear Or As Close As Origanal As Possible ??

Thanks Shane F. ............... Pics To Come

[WATERWINGS]

As far as the finish goes, I would (and have) sanded and re-cleared the metal flake.

It will look brand new if done right.

I even put a little pearl in with the clear, (thats where the green tint came from, actually a black and blue boat)

Its the Vector in my avitar and sig.

These pics were taken about 4 years after the re-clear was done.

[Hot Shot Merc]

If you dont plan to keep it leav it alone or just wet sand buff and matbe reclear.

I put a ton of money and time into my old V-King resto.You will never get the money back out of her.

[chynewalkr]

like hot shot said, if you dont plan on keepin it dont clear it. wet sand it and buff it. id that to mine and it looks fantastic and its held up for 3 years now, just keep her covered.

[mercpunk]

thanks guys I striped it down today and started wet sanding on the side i got pics i will post in a little bit :)

[mercpunk]

pics ... i have already removed windshield , seats and carpet plus all hardware like radio lights gas cap vent and rivets .... ( put seats back in for before pics ;) )

[SUPAJAY]

Theres nothing like a metalflake stream. Try and restore the original finish:D

[79viperOMC]

wet sand and buff it dont paint it please
ruins the boat
appears to be hiding something

stock interior and rear bench is the best
to cover up the portable tanks
dont mount anything onto the boat less is better
screw holes cause rot

dont overpower the boat i want it in one piece

Thanks

[mercpunk]

ur the guy that emailed me ?
man this boat is pretty now .... overpower :confused: :confused: is a mod 2.5 overpowering :confused:

[gotboostedvr6]

Did you investigate the core? i have a viking in similar shape maybe we can trade ideas on fixing them up :)

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c24/gotboostedvr6/hydrostream/hydrostream2351.jpg

[mercpunk]

it was good so i tore the boat down to it and then have started rebuilding fom there all that is left is carpet and riggin

[WATERWINGS]

ur the guy that emailed me ?
man this boat is pretty now .... overpower :confused: :confused: is a mod 2.5 overpowering :confused:


Is that a BELTSANDER on the side of that boat??!!:eek:

[mercpunk]

No way man thats a variable speed buffer and all the lint coming off of it ... The whole boat was hand sanded with progressive grit . I guess that would be the reason it still isn't done I take to long to do small stuff perfectly . or atleast the right way.

[WATERWINGS]

No way man thats a variable speed buffer and all the lint coming off of it ... The whole boat was hand sanded with progressive grit . I guess that would be the reason it still isn't done I take to long to do small stuff perfectly . or atleast the right way.


Oh yea, I can see it now.:rolleyes:

[79viperOMC]

very nice job on the polishing
i got a fever for more photos

[mickeyjr]

Good job! Keep the pics coming.

I'm about to do the same thing to a Varmint in the Moonshadow color scheme.

[draghag]

The before and after on the finish is really impressive. I have never done this - what grit sandpaper do you start/finish with?

Looks like you really found a diamond in the rough there - congratulations.

John

[vectordriver]

hey mercpunk, it is really looking good in the after pic you posted.. im amazed cause it almost looked like the clear was worn right off in the before pics! anyways id love to see some more pics after the sanding and buffing..

[baja200merk]

You better be careful with that 2.5 on a viper if your not you and your passengers could get wet. Thats a drivers boat especially if its not set up right. PM ronnie on here hell point you in the right direction as far as setup goes. quit polishin it and get it rigged summers right around the corner!!!

Good luck, Have fun!

[gotboostedvr6]

< (zipping up my flame suit)

I was going to bring up that a while ago but didn't want to step on any toes..

Don't forget your only 16 and this is your first go fast boat..

I would never allow my 16 year old to operate anything over 50 mph. you have a hull and motor combo that could push you to damn near 100.

You really need to consider that it is an unsafe combo even if a pro is driving.

Again no offense but you cant change the fact that you don't have the years under your belt to justify the need or want for the animal this boat is and can be that you have now.

[mercpunk]

I have driven one or two fast boats before << no joke :D maybe a couple of people will chime in and back me up on my driving skills .... I consider myself an average level driver. Yes I do understand that this boat is going to be extremely touchy in every aspect, and I thank you all for caring. I will have the upmost respect for it. Besides it will not be a top end boat but more of a weekend rider-drag racer ;)

As far as finishing the boat I am really undecided, it may be up for sale sooner than I thought. If it does not bring the money I want for it I will just finish it, it aint no big deal either way.

If it gets rigged it will be done in the next month and a half so ya'll stay tuned >> new pics to come<<

[mercpunk]

You better be careful with that 2.5 on a viper if your not you and your passengers could get wet. Thats a drivers boat especially if its not set up right. PM ronnie on here hell point you in the right direction as far as setup goes. quit polishin it and get it rigged summers right around the corner!!!

Good luck, Have fun!


Ronnie and I had a little chat session awhile back and he gave me some really good advice in several categories... thanks Ronnie;)

[gotboostedvr6]

I'm glad to hear that just be safe

[hsbob]

if the sand and polish does restore the finish. try ver-a-gals. its a urathane clear finish the brings the gloss back for a couple years [then recoat]. its a last resort measure prior to paint. did a good job on my voyager. west marine carries it.

[mercpunk]

isit just rub-buff on like wax ????