1979 Checkmate Predictor Project

Hi I'm Joe. Wanted a boat and my old man was not ready to give up his 21 Checkmate Startflite so I hunted around and found a Predictor to redo.

I was already going to be near the boat for work so the timing couldn't have been better. Went to get the boat and after two hours in the rain of pulling the boat out of a dirt boat yard with a forklift with no brakes, getting new tires on the trailer and getting the trailer lights to work at the place next door.. I was on the road and had six hours to hold my breath hoping the trailer would be ok. Made it back in one piece and now the long road of restoration lies ahead.
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The plan is to get the engine off, get it off the trailer, flip it and make a cradle for it, Strip it down to the bare hull and rebuild. The cap is likely going to come off and the stringers and transom are going to be remade in coosa. Pretty much a newbie with fiberglass so slow and steady is the plan. She's pretty rough but its been sitting outside for 7-8 years the guy I bought it off said. He brought it down to lake Norman, NC from Buffalo, NY and never put it in the water. The trailer has a sticker from 1999 on it so it could have been sitting for even longer than that

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I'll probably have to ask a million questions but hopefully I can provide some good content with this thing in exchange. Thanks Scream and Fly!

Good luck with the build. IMO the rougher and wetter the better for stripping all the old core etc out. I had a Vmate 2 and loved it, it was a very fun well built boat which never gave me an issue.

Thank you. Got it pulled into the garage now and starting to clean it out before the cutting starts! It is still funny to me that I can roll this thing around by hand.

Getting ahead of myself but I modeled some new name plates that go on the sides under the windscreen :D
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Slowly making progress getting this thing un-rigged (Day job and a 3mo baby). The trip home in the rain really got this thing wet and then froze. With the temps in MD being in the 20sit been difficult getting it to thaw out even in the garage! The last few days have been a bit warmer which has helped. Was working on getting the steering out yesterday but with how the cable comes out the rigging hole the engine will need to be lifted off before I can get it out of the engine clamp. Should be picking up an engine hoist today I found on FB marketplace (what a godsend). Still toying around with ways to get the hull flipped over after I get the tank, gauges carpet, steering, engine etc. off. I was considering a method I saw on here I think.. taking full sheets of plywood and making a big circle, bolting that to the back of the transom with the engine holes, Put a strap on the bow eye with the hoist and rolling it over.

Got the tank out last week. Looks like the original tank? Says it is 16 gallons which seems like a pretty nice sized tank for this boat. Don't think I'll be able to use it cause I want to but knees on the transom and this was almost butted right up to the transom. If I move it forward then it will be in the way of the back seat (will have to make one). Seems like I'll need a shorter but longer tank when the time comes.
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Cleaned the inside out a bit as it was full of dirt and leaves. It was very wet and was clogging up the ol shop vac so I stopped and let it dry out more. I started to try and back out the screws for the ski pole mount in the middle of the floor with the drill.. but realised it was so soft i just pulled it out by hand. Looks like it was held in with drywall anchors?? Second pic is what I think was some kind of nest down in the bilge area and the nest that was under the cowling of the engine.. no wonder it was taking forever to drain out.
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Attachment 501395Made in China...

Attachment 501397Got this 2-Ton engine hoist for $175 on FB marketplace.. only to see one for $100 the next day . Oh well, a new one would be a lot more.

Attachment 501398Built an engine stand for the 140 Evinrude
Attachment 501401Jacking around lol

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Engine stand plans came from some generic drawing I found on the internet.. I beefed it up a little bit and made a few pieces bigger.. still a little small but is actually stable surprisingly.. I'll make a bigger one for the Merc 2.5:D. I was going to see if I could rebuild this one but I am not sure if it is worth the effort? Next steps are get the windshield off, take a few more things off/out and figure out how to get it off the trailer and upside down to make a cradle.

Progress is slow, a house project has taken my time lately.. but I have a line on a real nice complete XR6 150hp.. the price seems a bit high but the guy made a good point in saying well you can get one of these or get a newer one for more $$$.. wondering if i should go with this vs waiting on a 2.5 200... seems that they are harder to come by.. any thoughts? I figure that when its all said and done that low 70s with the 150hp will still be a blast vs 80 with a 200hp

An XR6 makes more than 150 HP so I think you'll be alright. Many guys running light checkmates with XR4/XR6 and are very happy with their performance. It may be an unpopular decision here, but the difference between 70 to 80 is like a C to a D cup. There's still plenty to work with and you're bound to have as much fun both ways.

Picked up a nice 2.5 200 today. 120-125 on all cylinders. Already has a bobs cone on it with low pickup. However when the seller and me were taking it off we took the steering rod out that he said was part of his seastar kit.. now the clamp is only held together with the center trim ram.. is this part of the seastar kit or did I get fooled

Edit.. yep newb move.. gotta get a tilt tube now

I might have a tube for ya. From an older 200

rgsauger - thanks I have one on the way.. ordered one right before I saw your post

this boat seems to have 1 small stringer down the middle surrounded by foam.. I am thinking that it would be better to have 2 stringers that go to knees on the transom that are on the sides of the pad and ditch the foam. Most likely raise the floor a bit to get some more height on the stringers. I have seen a couple guys on here do up their Hydrostreams like this. Going to hang a merc 2.5 v6.. thoughts? If anyone has pics of different layouts I am curious as to extra bulkheads and what not to stiffen the bottom outside the pad

Heres the mota. 92 2.5 200. My brothers think I am nuts but I just tell them I wont have the pucker prop on all the time lol. Got it from the original owner.. got pretty lucky too 'cause a bunch of people wanted it but wouldn't make the drive to go get it. Luckily I was only 1.5 hrs away. Its in pretty good shape. Compression is good on all cylinders. It still as the oil injection which will most likely me coming off. The skeg on the lower needs a little work but that about it. Guy said he had a tab welded on? Maybe I can just grind it off. Kinda went backwards getting the engine first but its motivating me to get the hull back in the garage and get the itchy part going.
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Life getting in the way of the fiberglass portion of this project. I've got the rest of the stuff stripped off the hull. I have a way to lift it so its ready to flip and get a cradle built. I am tinkering with the engine to light a fire under me. Took the oil injection off. and plugged the unneeded ports. Got the lower back on, and have it rigged up to fire on the stand. I did find this vacuum line that comes off the starboard side of the carb and it seems to come off of somewhere but cannot seem to find where it goes maybe someone can help? Also, how difficult is it to repair one of these cowlings? Tthe p/o cracked off the lip at the rear the holds the water seal on. I have been looking around to find another in decent shape that won't break the bank.
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Got the motor started on the stand. Smokey! (fogging oil). But it did not pee right away so I shut it down.. I did feel some air pressure coming out of the hole but no water came out. Might have to take the lower off and check the impeller. Also, a question this small what seems like a hard rubber tube came out of the lower I think.. was rolling around in my truck bed after I brought it home. I am obviously a total newb at this stuff but my gut is telling me that this connects the output of the water pump to the water intake tube???
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** Think I answered my own question on this one.. gotta put the tube back in between the water pump and the midsection.

Correct.

The larger opening goes up to make it easier to find it w/the bottom of the cooling tube when mounting the gear case.

On a big project like that, for me anyhow, to stay motivated is to switch back-and-forth from project project. Helps to keep you fresh.