I agree...awesome thread! There are so many older Vdrives that could be converted to wrap around seating. I'm sure a lot of people have thought about doing this and it's fun to see it all come together with pictures!

shoot not only Vdrives but guys with I/O traditional seating too.

Like the direction you've been heading with this. My step dad is a fire fighter, so I know that all the time off you have when working 24's must help a lot to be able to take on a project like this.

The wrap is a bit loud, but I'm sure it'll get noticed. I like the direction you've been going. Look forward to seeing it completed.

It looks like the seat backs are going to be straight up and down... maybe you are going to slant them a little with the addition of foam. Anyhow, I have been in several boats with seat backs that go straight up and down and don't suggest it. Nice work so far.

Wow, that is impressive!

Good question. I paid a fair amount of attention to the relationship of seat back slant, seat base depth and floor space. When you increase one, it takes from another. While measuring several new boats led i found that the seat tops leaned back between 3 and 6 inches depending upon the height and location of the seat back. The side seats are all fairly vertical (3in) while the back bench and the rear facing seats all have a good deal of recline in their shape (5-6in).


I plan a large bolster like Malibu uses which affect the seat back angle. I'll pay close attention to how that all feels when I mock up the lounge area foam next week.

Thanks for the good input everyone.

The loudness serves a purpose. If I were to wrap vinyl in jest a few solid colors around the boat, then the inevitable dings and gouges would really stand out. Because every area has some action in it, it will hide the wear and tear better and any patching that I have to do because of damage to the less-durable-than-gelcoat-wrap will hide better. Here's a pic of the ghost water drop pattern that's in the back ground. v v v

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/01/sahu5e7u.jpg

Run rail plastic is on. SS insert tomorrow.

I want to put the tower back on really badly, but it doesn't fit in the garage that I'm going to be sewing the upholstery in.

Sure makes that trailer look ugly.....

I've seen trailers wrapped. Shoulda did that while u were at it.

Yeah trailer wrap would look sick. I wrapped gpd005 trailer on his mb. It was another finishing touch. Your build is freaking awesome already and it's not finished. Can't wait for final picshttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/02/y7ehujyb.jpg

The wrap on the trailer gives a very finished look. I might have gone that route if Id thought of it before hand, but I have plans for the trailer.

It will get black paint after I widen it about 8 inches and set the boat down between the fenders. PlastiDip for the wheels and maybe some LED runway lights.

That's a project all it's own that will have to wait. At least till after the boats done and after I catch up on everything I've been neglecting while working on the boat.

I would at the very least Plastidip the trailer until you get a chance to chop and drop. But other than that, the boat and work so far looks f'n amazing. I wish I had half your talent...

i like how you have a back up plan with the dings that happen on a wrap. You can't prevent them it is going to happen but with your design I think you are right it won't stand out quite so bad and you should be able to hide it fairly easy. Job well done so far, keep up the good work. We have put a few scratches in mine when tied up to other boats, it's just hard to avoid it at all times.

First cushion done! It only took me about 14 hours to make it. Sure hope the rest go a little faster. Hahaha.

I had good help from an upholsterer friend on this one. He taught me a lot and we mapped out the rest of the covers so I have a decent handle on what I'm doing. I'm on my own for the rest of them though. Should be fun. http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/05/y6ahu2uz.jpg

Today was a good day, mostly. It started a little rough when i tried a different technique on the first cushion and it didn't work oily as well as I'd like. You can see in the pic that the center cushion is a little more pillowy than the others. I backed all the panels with an extra layer of foam and it just made every thing more difficult. The seams are poorly aligned and un even. I'm going to have to re-do that one.

The day ended with a major victory as I patterned and assembled that fore most bow cushion in one try. It fit perfect and stretched tight on the very first try. Stoked!!

All the cushions are only half stapled to their boards, so I'll be able to smooth out the little wrinkles you see when I get the backing fabric and run the last round of staples on the cushions.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/11/u4u7ygyn.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/11/damanyva.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/11/ezu8u6ym.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/09/11/ja3y2a9a.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Looking good Jed!

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Wow. All I can say is wow. Very impressive.

that's a comfy looking bow setup for a '97. nice project.

I love that interior! you are doing an amazing job!

I'm liking the color scheme you have going on the interior. It's looking good. You're saying this is your first time doing upholstery too? Good job.

Looks like it's coming along real well!

So anymore updates? Please don't let this thread die...this has been one of my favorites in a long time

Upholstery work is slow going when you have to template, cut foam and pattern for each cushion. Plus I do have to work.

I'm working on the rear seat back rest. It's the biggest gnarliest piece in the boat.

Foam cut and shaped.

Checking the fit of one of the panels.

The dart shape has extra foam behind it to help it stand up a bit. They form and H on the back bench which is a nod to Hydrodyne and pulls in shapes from the wrap. It'll be a miracle of this piece turns out.

Good grief that's a big piece of fabric. About 18 hours tied up in this rear backrest so far.

Progress on that rear seat back. That left side is really giving me problems. I can't get the wrinkles worked out of the inside radius.

More heat and pull harder :) that would suck to have to pull the skin to adjust the last part of the seam!

Great work. I can't believe how much you've accomplished in such a short period of time. Would love to see a few more pictures of the upholstery process, especially the back seat.

So glad to hear that you're still making good progress. I was worried that you had hit the wall and slacked off like so many people do on big projects like this. The seats look fantastic, and like Rob said: more heat and probably an extra set of hands to pull it tight will get those wrinkles worked out.

Something you might want to consider is making a top corner panel and sew it in to give you the material you need to prevent what you are experiencing. The stress you have could lead to early failure in that area. As you are probably aware, using some adhesive spray for inside corners or a pull seam will help keep it from gapping. 2 direction stretch vinyl would help as well or ensuring the stretch is in the correct axis.

I did build a gusset in the corner. With some steam and an extra set of hands I worked the corner out. I expect that a few days in the sun and some use will help it out.

Its not perfect but I'm pleased with the result. I need to do a couple things before I can install this big dog. Can't wait to see it in the boat.

Made some progress over last couple days.....http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/09/esutyjaq.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/09/4u3ysu2a.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/09/aduqy7ut.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/09/uzyhydaz.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/11/pygyqasy.jpg
First seat base cushion.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

How many hours do you have in the upholstery so far? It is looking good. Keep it up and it will be bangin' next spring. I am a little skeptical about using dark colors on vinyl. That stuff burns my feet in the summer.

Looks good man!... thats pretty awesome that this is your first attempt at upholstery..saves you the 3-4k on getting it professionally done.

I probably have about a hundred hours in the upholstery so far. The fact that I am making covers for new seats makes it significantly more time consuming that it would be if I were just redoing an existing set of cushions. Patterning takes about half of my time.

It will be really nice when I do the driver's seat. It's the only one that I will get to cut off and trace, then sew and install. Fast.

Re: dark vinyl.... My old interior was light colored and always looking quite dirty. I'm trading a little heat for color tones that won't look dirty so quickly. Plus if it's hot, then people will want to sit on towels which will help keep things cleaner too. I have all the materials to build a rather large bimini top. It should cast quit a bit of shade & help keep me out of the hot seat :-)



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/11/ny4ytaja.jpg
After dark I got to set the back bench cushions in place. I'm liking the results.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Hey man for this being your first time at this is very impressive. The time you spent is really going to pay off. I was thinking about recovering my seats however I would just be using the old skins as templates. What do u suggest as far as a good sewing machine. I've been looking on Craigslist but I'm just unsure of which ones will make the job easier. Thanks

My friend who is owns an upholstery shop steered me towards a machine with a compound walking foot. This means that the presser foot is actually two feet and they step and pull the fabric along with the bottom, always keeping one foot pressed on the fabric while the other is stepping forward. This really helps keep stitch lengths regular and makes for a nicer looking finish as well as easier work for the operator because things are less likely to slip.

There are two types of motors for these industrial type machines. A clutch motor and a second motor. You can get used to either one, but the servo motor is way way WAY easier to feather the speed and work in tight spots.

Mine is a Consew 206RB-5 with a servo motor. Bought used off Craigslist for $800 and should be able to sell it for the same $ when I'm done.



.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Thanks for the info. I admire your work.

You rock!

^^^. That's what she said. ^^^. /snicker/


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

wwo great job and ambition man!

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/17/y9asegep.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/10/17/vanemete.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

been following this the whole time. Dude this is freaking amazing.

wow....

Yea agree with alil more heat and tension. I think you are doing amazing work man just think some of those wrinkle areas are going to get more noticable when the new foam starts breaking in.

Quick question, did you use foamed backed vinyl for the upholstery?

Great job!

I think many of those wrinkles will lessen or disappear completely after a few days in the hot sun. That was my experience anyway.

Jman

I had my seats redone on my last boat a few years ago. I got brand new factory skins sent to me and took them to a guy that came with a few referrals. A week later, I went to pick up the boat and was horrified! It looked like a wrinkle bomb went off! I was trying not to lose my mind when the guy assured me that it would look perfect after a few days in the sun. I was very skeptical to say the least.

Well I couldn't have been more wrong! By the end of the first weekend on the water it looked better then ever. Every single wrinkle tightened up to perfection. So I wouldn't sweat a few wrinkles here and there, it'll work itself out.

AWESOME JOB by the way! I've been meaning to comment, I just didn't have anything to add. I am in awe of your skills, and attention to detail.

1997 Hydrodyne v-drive renovation
 

I added 1/2" scrim foam to the back of some pieces. Anything with the vertical top stitching has scrim backing. The dart shapes in the back bench backrest have scrim to give them some elevation. A couple other spots that had a hard corner over a plastic edge got scrim too, but 90% of it is marine vinyl over a dense, high resiliency foam on a PVC board.

Early on I tried making an entire cover with scrim backing on all the pieces, but it made it look swollen and all the seams were puffy. It didn't look clean and tight like I wanted so I redid that cover and just used it selectively the rest of the time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Man I can't wait to see this thing with the tower back on it, it's going to look sick. Have you finished up the sundeck yet, or are you waiting until you finish building drainpans for it?

Nice work!

Curious to know if you have been saving your receipts, I have a new Enzo and would not trade it's surf wave for the world, however we still like to ski so we are thinking of grabbing and old Responce or Prostar and doing something like this... Sort of our 6:00 am boat..... Did you have a budget for this program? Have you been able to stick to it?

R

I didn't keep receipts.

i was guessing I'd spend about 6k. Today I'm about 10k into it.

here's a hasty list of where the money went. (Off the top of my head). This also make no account for the hundreds of hours of labor.

Aluminum for sun deck frame and seat supports $700
Stainless nuts bolts. $200
Powder coat $80
FAE + parts to reroute exhaust. $700
Wrap $1500
HydroTurf $700
PVC sheets for building the interior. $1200
Bondo, fiberglass, epoxy, paint $200
Sewing machine $800
Material, foam, and parts for upholstery and bimini top carpet $2300
Window tint. $150
Stainless Hinges $90
Latches, bilge pump blower. $140
Gas struts for compartments. $60
SS cup holders. $140
Gas filler, fittings and fill hose $100
Hard tanks for bow ballast. $40
1 Battery, 2 battery boxes, cables to relocate batteries. $250
Bluetooth. $50
Mountain Dew $300.

Love the Mountain Dew budget number. It's probably a little short if I was on the job. I can't get enough of that stuff.

How many yards of vinyl did you order? Also where did you order from? Anything else you used to make the upholstery easier? I ended up getting a juki lu55 sewing machine with walking foot. I've been practicing for about two weeks before trying some real seats.

There is a shocking amount of waste in the vinyl. I think I ordered 17 yards and that's looking like it's going to be the perfect amount. I'm nearly done there's just enough left. I ordered through a friend who owns a shop. Specify marine vinyl for the mildew prevention and the thread should have a UV protectant.

If your machine doesn't already have a welt foot, get one. I've used the welt foot for the entire project.

Hey Nice DIY boat restoration. Threads like this do a good job at inspiring people to take on a challenge like this. I think Dave should have a Restoration Thread category with guys like you that have pretty much re built their boats. I have seen a lot of cool 2001 Nautiques that have gotten the Once over.

Any updates on this great build?

WOW! Amazing job on the boat! I really like the tower that you build. It looks great with the boat. I just picked one of these up, and would be interested in hearing your experience on how to best load the boat for wakeboarding and surfing? What did you use for the hard ballast tanks? I would like to add those to mine.

Here's a pic of mine,
[IMG]<iframe src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/63524186@N05/12365682723/player/253dbd94ea" height="375" width="500" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>[/IMG]

Damn, this thread came to an abrupt stop. Definitely thought I was going to see this bad boy all finished. Hopefully we get updates soon

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/08/u4e3apun.jpg

I finished the back sun deck, but didn't take pictures and now the restoration is on hold for winter.

Unfortunately I don't have indoor storage so once temps got below freezing regularly the cover got unmanageable so I just shut her down till spring.

The drivers seat and cockpit are all the upholstery remaining to do, then I have to re hook up all the systems like the heater, stereo, and run fuel lines. I'm sure there's a weeks worth of odds and ends to get her completely finished.

I expect that I will be able to get hard after it in April.

Thanks for all the curious inquiries.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

1997 Hydrodyne v-drive renovation
 

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/08/pytyzy3e.jpg

Hey rideneversummer. Here's a pic of my first Nexstar

The one I'm refurbishing is actually my second Hydrodyne Nexstar. I built this tower too. At the time. The first mastercraft Xstars had the coolest tower & I was shooting for that look. I don't love it, but it worked. I just wanted to let you see another tower on our model of boat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Every time a see a nice boat covered in snow it makes me cringe a little. That is a lot of time and energy making something nice only to store it outdoors again. I had to keep my boat out for 2 yrs and basically double covered it. I had the regular towable cover on and then a large cover designed for T-top fishing boats that went over the tower and then most of the way down the sides. This kept things dry and clean inside. Since the big cover went over everything it did not cause mold to develop. In the mornings, the over cover would have dew/condensate on the inside....kind of like waking up and brushing your hand against the side of a tent that does not handle condensation well. The towable cover though was bone dry. Only time I would have water on the inner cover is if a monster tropical storm blew in. By the afternoon, the outer cover would be all dry again. It make a big difference not having that water getting into my boat each day.

Since you are near your house you can probably put a fan in to circulate air as well. I got one of those fans that put a lot of air in a certain direction and then pointed it down the access hole in the middle of the floor. I could feel air moving out the vent ports so I know it was exchanging air. Kept the area under the floor and the engine compartment pretty dry.

Jed, That's really cool that you have owned two Nexstars. why did you get rid of the first one? The tower on the first one definitely resembles the old X Star towers. I really like the tower you have on your newer boat. Unfortunately I don't have the skill or tools to build a tower, so I think I will go with an Aerial Assult tower.

Like I said, I would be really interested in hearing how you weight your boat for wakeboarding and for surfing. With how much time you are putting into the boat, I'm assuming you are getting a pretty good wake out of it.

1997 Hydrodyne v-drive renovation
 

My weighting scheme for surfing involves filling all the rear tanks on the surf side, filling all my bow ballast, and putting more passengers in the bow than in the back. I've added some more ballast to the bow during this renovation so hopefully I won't have to move people up front. If you don't add substantial bow weight the wave is too steep and the pocket is very short. Bow weight fixes this. The Hydrodyne wave is a little wired because of the integrated swim platform. The trim tabs come into play a little bit too. I usually put the side the surfer is on at 25% and the other side at 0%. This pushes the bow down a little and lengthens the wave in conjunction with the bow weight.

Regarding owning 2 Hydrodynes; I sold the first one for financial reasons. Then a couple years later the red one popped up for sale. I was able to get it way cheaper than a similar vintage V drive from the big 3 because it's an obscure and obsolete brand. I think they're a great boat for the money, but if I could afford one, is sure rather have something closer to 2010 vintage.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow, thanks for the information, that will give me a huge jump on getting my wake dialed in. This is the first tow boat I have owned, so the help is greatly appreciated.

As far as your ballast tanks go, you put in hard ballast tanks in the back before you started the complete rebuild correct? Where did you get those tanks? Did you have to have them custom made?

I hear you regarding getting something closer to a 2010 vintage. That would be really nice, but for me personally, I'd rather have a boat I can pay cash for than be straddled with debt and have 40K boat.

Yes, I had the ballast in before staring the rebuild. There is a business near by that roto-molds tanks for RVs holding tanks and water tanks, boat ballast and live wells and farm tanks. They have a warehouse full of blems and over runs which I picked through and found tanks that fit my needs. I paid about $15 per tank. I have 3 tanks on each rear side, and 3 tanks up front. Some people like bags better than tanks because tanks occupy storage space permanently. I've never missed the space I gave up for my tanks. I like that I don't have to fiddle with hoses and pumps to fill bags. I just flip switches on my dash...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok, I've been doing a lot of reading trying to figure out how to set up my boat, and now I have a couple more questions for you.

Is the Acme 543 13x11.5 prop the stock prop? If so, have you ever considered going to a different prop to help you get the 1,400# of extra ballast up to wakeboarding speed? Also, for surfing do you bring in any additional portable ballast bags?

What kind of cover do you have on the boat. The stock cover that came with mine is shot, and it's such an obscure boat no one that i've found makes a custom cover, and it's a bit harder to find a semi custom cover that has slots for the tower.

Sorry for all the questions, and thanks for the help!

1997 Hydrodyne v-drive renovation
 

Was ACME props even in business in '97? Mine came with an OJ 13x13. Swapped it for a ACME 13x11.5 I think. I'll look soon and edit this if it's wrong. It does the job, but takes a 15-20 seconds to get out of the hole. When we have lots o people in the boat the driver has to put the trim tabs down and at altitude I've had to have people move to the front of the boat to weigh the bow down to get out of the hole. I tried a 13x10.5 but it cavitated when pushed hard and over revved the motor.

I bring portable ballast in the shape of kids and friends. If it's a bro sessions with three people it's nice to bring one 550 and set it in the middle of the boat.

I have the stock cover & the fabric is off colored but holding up fine. The stitching started to fail couple years ago so I had a tent and canvas shop sew over all the stitching. Cost me $80 I think. If you still have the old cover, take it to a boat cover shop and have the use it as a pattern for a new custom cover. That should save you a bunch from their full custom quote because they don't have to do any patterning. Just trace the prices that make the old cover on new fabric and get
To sewing.

Did you get a tower? If so, post up some pics.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm not sure if Acme was around in 97. I'm pretty new to this whole boat thing. I'm not totally sure I have the stock prop, but I'm guessing it is because the boat was owned by one old guy its entire life.

Now tower yet. It's pretty much between the Aerial Assault, or the Krypt Pro Swoop. It's pretty much the same tower except for one piece. The boats also still in storage for the winter. Pretty cold here in Wisconsin still. I'll be sure to post some pics when I get the tower on.


Final question for now. About the FAE, did they have an application for your boat, or did you have to move the location of the exhaust (I see you had listed in your parts list things to move the exhaust)?

Thanks,

Bring back my favorite wakeworld thread... Where did u get the pvc boards for the seats? I wanna do the same thing in my boat?

James: A local plastics supplier has plastic in all shapes and sizes. Interstate Plastics.

RideNever: the guys at FAE can make a customs unit that will fit the factory exhaust but it would look ridiculous on your boat because it's and above the waterline exhaust and would stick out beyond the platform. For those same reasons I elected to move it below the waterline.

Did u get sheets of 4x8? How many did u use?

Yes 4x8. Some 3/4" thick. Some 1/2". Seems like 3 sheets of each. Can't recall exactly.

Rented some space for a couple months so I can get this thing done without having to shut down for weather all the time. Project is 80% done.

To do list:
Mesh backing on all seat cushions
Install hinges and gas struts
Carpet assorted small pieces
Sew captains seat and dash vinyl
Trim out all compartment spaces we carpet or aluminum edging
Finish ballast install
Finish re-wiring to the new battery location
Install heater
Install sound system
Install LED lighting
Finish seam tape on wrap
SeaDeak swim platform
Build bimini top

I'll get some pictures up once I make some meaningful progress on that list

Here's my work space.
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/15/ede8aju5.jpg

Sweet. I am excited to see this project go to the finish. I've really enjoyed this thread so far. Good luck!