Diplomat BUDGET overhaul...

[RIturbohonda]

a flower pot / moss bed on a trailer! : 200$

Trailer investment:
HomeDepot black iron pipe/angle iron for trailer: 40$
Axle/leaf springs/shackles: 250$ (shipped!)
Trailer light kit: 30$
trailer jack: 20$
Hitch: 20$
rims/tires: FREE (little bro's stock jeep wheels/tires)
Paint and brushes: $15
red pinstripes: $2
wood for bunks: Free (had some lying around)
Hardware: Free (always nuts and bolts lying around, if not... WELD IT!)
Rollers: 30$
Welding wire and cutting wheels: 50$
Trailer TOTAL: $457

BOAT investment:
Bondo: 40$
Fiberglass supplies: 75$
Paint (primer, white, red) 300$
Seats: 250$
white Vinyl: 45$ (7 yrds)
window tint: 15$
carpet: 120$
carpet glue: 30$
Stainless steel staples and new staple gun: 25$
new plywood for floor, stringers, etc: 30$
the 30rack i had to buy the boys to help me flip the boat twice for fiberglassing and painting the bottom: 15$ :cheers
Boat rebuild so far: 945$

Subtotal: 1,402$+ original 200$ take it home purchase
Yet to go: engine, linkages, vhf, stereo, steering wheel, cleats, guages, and THEN we'll be ready to go.

now... i KNOW it's not sparkly like all the other original check's, but the orignial paint was way too pitted to restore. So, after hours and hours of some bondo, sanding, more bondo... the topside looks real good. ...for a budget! AND YES, there are many other small things i need to touch up on... like the edges of the vinyl in the bow to stern passage, and the lightning bolts on the back deck need to be painted black as well...

ps- i can't wait to see it all done with a shiny black Outboard making her squat in the water!
~Kevin

 

[JUPITER PULSARE]

A little elbow grease will bring a lifetime of love!! Boat looks great, keep up the good work and post your progress!

 

[Turbot-bird]

did yours have the raised bow section?

 

[RIturbohonda]

did yours have the raised bow section?

What do you mean raised bow section?

~Kevin

 

[175checkmate]

Boat looks great, you did an awesome job. Looking at your stuff now to gather input. LOL

 

[Mark]

Well done...and on a very tiny budget!:cheers

 

[Mark]

BTW, the Diplomat hull is one of the best 17' hulls ever built. Fast, stable, efficient, roomy...you will enjoy it and the fact that you brought it back from the grave makes it even better.

 

[Turbot-bird]

on mine, the bow rider section is about 4-5" higher then the rest of the floor. IDK if it came stock that way of if someone did it in the past.

 

[daren34]

must be a stern drive difference my eluder sterndrive has the same step

i don't remember the diplomat outboard being that way

daren

 

[daren34]

might be for the extra flotation for the heavier engine package

daren

 

[RIturbohonda]

Oh, the floor, Yes it steps up.
i thought you were talking about the deck! haha.

But thanks for the compliments guys! Cant wait till spring time when i can get some water shots with an engine on back!

 

[Mark]

Yup, all the Diplomats have the raised floor. It does have flotation in it, but is more than likely in order to make the floor flat.

 

[Turbot-bird]

I figured it was to make it flat too

 

[RIturbohonda]

The boat is in the water!!! Finally got some of the rigging done, just to get it in the water before the winter. (New england winters suckkk!)
So, i know it's not a real expensive restoration, but at least it is on the outside!!!

Funny story: The boxes where the stock seats screwed down into... that's the base that i made my seat bottoms fiberglassed too. Little did i know that the stock seat bases were just glued onto the bottom with FOAM!!!!!!! so, first time out on the water, jumpin into the boat, CRACK/RIP... the seat box ripped off the floor... So, later that night, had to do some more fiberglassing.


The engine is a 120hp Mercury Force. It had a stingray wing on the lower unit... all that thing did was make a mess. Wasn't even in the water at speed! So, that came off.
Once on plane, it pulls hard to the right. I have to fix the trim tab behind the prop i believe. Wide Open, it tachs around 5100rpm w/ the prop that's on it now. no chine walking, and the guage reads 45mph... but that's a little pitot tube off the stern, idk how accurate it is. I'll have to GPS it soon.
Even with 4 people in the boat, it hops up on plane in 2 seconds or less. Its got pep w/ only a 120 on it! And to think... i REEeeeeally wanted a 200.

I cleaned out the carbs on the Force, put new plugs in it, primed it w/ fuel, and turned the key... STARTED RIGHT UP!!!!!! and god only knows when the last time it was started. When i bought it from a used dealer, it had been sitting on its side on a pallet out back. The guy said he had it for a season or two sitting out there. (the more it sits, the less hours it has, right? haha)

So... i'm overall pleased with the boat... still alot of small things to fix and finish up. Wiring, stereo/radio.

ALSO>>> anyone ever heard of BoatPix.com??!!
The second day i had the boat out, in Naragansett Bay in Rhode Island, this helicopter was flying around at about 50' in the air...
Him and i had a little race as the photographer was hanging out of the chopper... It was really neat, being that it was only the second time i had the boat out!!!
Then i went online and read that it's 250$ for a photo!!!!!
ouch. That's like 25% of what i've spent on this restoration alone!!!!!!!
Speaking of which, i bought the 120hp engine for 500$ !!!!! SCORE!
Got the steering cables, hub, and wheel for my Bday from the rents, and i bought all the lights, battery, throttle cables, ignition. The Controls came w/ the outboard... they were brand new! the guy threw them in with the engine cuz he said i was a nice kid~ !

Here's some pictures!!




^ Yes, i'm 200lbs, so i make the boat heel over to the right... so it looks like it's floating awkwardly in this pic. Just means i need a bigger engine!!!


^the mug shot. 22yrs young, and proud of my budget investment. Time to race my buddy and his 5.0 glasstron Too bad he spent $20k

 

[illMATTic]

Man, that looks great in the water. Too bad you have to wait until next season the really enjoy it. :cheers

I think it would look great if you trimmed the bottom of the white with a 1/2" black pin stripe.

 

[RIturbohonda]

between the red and white??
u mean the top of the white? or the waterline?

 

[illMATTic]

I was thinking the bottom edge of the white by the water line. run it from the bow to the stern to give some defenition between the bottom and the side of the hull.

or you could just leave it. after looking at it more it does look great how it is.

 

[RIturbohonda]

o, i understand now. Yea, its an idea, but i think i like it the way it is. i still have a few more mechanical things to worry about before i go back to aesthetics. The lightning bolts on the back top deck i gotta do black also, like i did on the side. I have to finish bolting down the windshield, and get the center window to fit a little better... and fix all the rest of the rattles. After taking it out twice, everything kinda loosened up haha.