Ongoing Progress

A couple of things have progressed with our restoration project. I'm enclosing a few word files and pictures from the day we picked up our hydroplane. Some of you may have seen early additions of the word file, but enclosed is the final edition. A couple of the pictures are after she arrived home and some are current status. We have almost reach the point of removing old stuff and will be starting the actual restoration (even though it started the day we removed the first piece). The pictures show all the aluminum before and after removal. I will be sanding all the glue and STUFF off, then NEW doorskin mahogany wood will be added to make it look as good as new again.

 

Coming Home is a little write up that goes back to the beginning and comes forward. The URL below is the trip to Seattle picking up our boat and all the friends who dropped by to see us at Don Kelson's shop.

 

The attachment is a wiring diagram that a friend (Jim Waddle) made up for me - I was having a mental block and asked him for help since he is a wiring genius.

 

http://bolamfamily.0catch.com/bobkath_Bolams_Express_Restoration.html

 

The boat is missing many hardware components, basically it was a bare hull. Since then, we have procured many needed pieces 1) rudder bracket and rudder quadrant (Don Kelson), 2) rudder and rudder bracket (Rod Bourke), 3) shaft, thrust bearing, shaft coupler and maybe engine coupler (Bryan Richards), a tachometer (Jerry Hopp), Speedometer, kill switch (kills the engine if a driver is tossed out of the boat), life jacket and helmet on loan (Scott Harger), strobe light and rubber molding for the cowlings from E-bay.  Jeff Richards has provide many, many labor saving ideas, council and advise. Jerry Kelson came up with the fiberglass seat shell and his mom Annette gave us vinyl material to repair our cockpit cover.

 

In another development, our original Chevy V-6 engine might have been located. And we are working on trying to get it back. Rod Bourke found it sitting in a boat (more about that in a second) at the unlimited hydroplane museum. It is for sale, but as a package (boat, motor, trailer). They are trying to work out a deal where they just might be able to get the motor our way. We have made a slight change in direction we were going with the motor and it is the correct direction for this boat. Kathy is the one who thought of this - we are abandoning the 283 Chevrolet V-8 engine and if not our original engine, I will build another Chevy V-6 as she original was.

 

Now about our original engine. It is sitting in a boat that I used to crew chief on yrs ago. Dick Neeson's Madame Blue. What a surprise. That is the wrong engine for that boat and if someone were to restore it correctly, it would need to have a Chevy 4 cylinder engine in it.

 

A thousand Thanks are extended to all of the above for their help and council. We aren't done asking questions yet and it is so nice to know that so many friends are extending themselves for our project.

 

Hi guys. Today I finally got all of the deck off, the aluminum off the transoms and the strut and stuffing box out. I have enclosed some pictures for your review and opinion.

 

I think the transom is pretty sound and after I clean it up, I think the door shin over that part idea will work fine to make it look good again.

 

Some wood came off the inside under the deck part of the shaft/stuffing box, but not real bad, same with the bottom. Right now I'm thinking about replacing the bottom up to the hole where the shaft hole comes out (back end of the shaft hole). What do you think?

 

I bought that 1 1/8" shaft, thrust bearing and shaft coupler from Bryan Richards. He thinks he might have the engine coupler also, but hasn't found it, when he does he will send it over.

 

We have found our original Chevy V-6 engine. It is at the unlimited Hydroplane museum. It is sitting in Dick Neeson's old Madame Blue, and it is for sale. Except they don't want to break it up the boat and engine. Dave Williams says he will try and get who ever buys the package to split it up and sell me the engine. SURE HOPE SO.... Dick boat should be restored back to a 2.5.....