Hola! New guy looking to fix up a 70s Cali boat

[5NovemberTango]

It will be a lot more time consuming prepping the hull and deck for gelcoat than if you were to paint. First, you'd have to get the old gelcoat off, then prep the whole thing using water tight filler to fix all the imperfections and getting a smooth enough surface to spray or roll the gel coat on. Then you have all the wet sanding and buffing after it cures.

With paint, just fill and sand any imperfections such as gouges, spray or roll the high build primer, sand smooth and spray the paint. If you spray without any runs, no further work is needed.

As for gel coat being stronger, if you use paint, you don't remove the gel coat, just spray over it and the shell is still there plus the paint. Gel coat is flexible to a point, but when it's on too thick it will crack like an egg shell. So, not only is it a lot of work to do right, you also have to be able to know just how much to apply. With paint, you can go as thick as you want theoretically since it's way more flexible.

Makes sense.

What about wear from the trailer rollers and maybe light beaching on mud or thin sand?

If it will hold up and not be a bandaid type thing, paint would be great since I want to use red and white pearl throughout the boat.

[Motv18]

Looking at the paint I think it might just need a good buffing. Unless your just changing colors

trying to remember how Tahiti’s run I don’t think they lift but they come out with just the last 12” to 6” of hull in the water. Not as fast as pads or strokes but move good.

15” might run depends how much hull is in front of the motor to feed the water pickup and prop, but I think the transom is too flat unless you add setback. Mainly because for speee you would bring it up for the cav plate to just touch or clear the water. The main thing would be clean water to the prop even with a 20”.

Have fun.

[flabum1017]

Makes sense.

What about wear from the trailer rollers and maybe light beaching on mud or thin sand?

If it will hold up and not be a bandaid type thing, paint would be great since I want to use red and white pearl throughout the boat.

will hold up ok..... beaching will wear it off over time just as gelcoat....... just recoat the affected areas.

[5NovemberTango]

Just figured how to post pics, these are the target colors, it's all pearl, white bottom and stripe, red top and sides, I could get around beaching if needed.

https://www.screamandfly.com/showthr...93#post3030593

[flabum1017]

When I painted mine, I left the bottom white gel coat because I knew I would be beaching it, gel coat was already worn off on keel. painted it when I sold it.......... beaching will scratch and wear off any surface.......................

[oldschoolnc]

Hey 5NT, I had a Tahiti with a omc 175 , no Jack plate, I just sanded and painted mine...white bottom, blue metal flake sides to match my ford,lol, and a white deck with ghost house of color blue sparkle flames in the clear. Was a lot of fun to drive, but do to the shape of the bottom,(round), would chine walk bad above 65mph..... The hulls the guys on here are recommending have a flat pad. That type of hull is much more controllable above 65, but still take some skill to drive. That outboard Tahiti is a nice boat and kinda rare. If you decide to go for it , put you a 150 on there, and have fun...... Ted, aka oldschoolnc. A&P,sel private pilot, and Hydrostream YT pilot..... Proud to say now in the 100+ on H2O club.

[5NovemberTango]

A pad?

[Motv18]

Flat spot near the transom. Sometimes looks like a baseball home plate. At speed it’s all that touches the water.

[FUJIMO]

Yes, have to agree with simply bolting on any good older Mercury V-6. You will love the performance much better.

[5NovemberTango]

Well as the journey continues I'm starting to get the out wood transom out and noticed a few things, shouldn't the transom wood have gone all the way to the edge of the inner hull?











And should this upper quasi stringer have gone all the way to the transom?

[flabum1017]

That piece of wood is just to stiffen the deck. But when you put it back together, you can tab it to the transom if you want. It's more important to have knees glassed in to strengthen the transom similar to these: .....

[5NovemberTango]

Any thoughts on running a 16.5 inch mid section on this boat?

I found a nice 200hp v6 from someone on the site but it's a 16.5" shaft

Transom is 20" and I was planning on using a low profile bobs hydroloc jackplate, which is 4" I believe.