1997 Hydrodyne v-drive renovation
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Before:
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Before
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Keep us updated! Don't see many of those around!
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Yes, as far as I understand there were less than 20 of these 1997 Hydrodyne Nexstar V-drives built. Its the only year they were built. The company closed its doors that year.
I bought this one in 2007 for $15k. Built the tower, installed perfect pass, stereo and hard tank ballast. The years have been hard on the boat and the upholstery has failed so its time for a re-do. I own it outright and can't see taking on payments to buy a newer boat. I'm pretty handy, so I'm gonna make this sucker into the boat I really want. I'm deep into the project already, I've only just found time to post some pics. Here you go! |
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More before pics.
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tower matches up perfect.
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Before. Bow.
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I always hated the bow layout, with the fake recliner action and the thin padding on the upholstery. Worse than the bow is the non lounge area. Captains chairs an a rear bench. Really? Lame. We always had the observer seat spun backwards and a cooler along the side to make a wrap around-ish seating. That rear bench is made forward than it needs to be too. It could've been snugged closer to the engine and created more lounge space.
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Before: rear bench area
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Tear down started on July 10.
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Can't figure out why some pice post sideways. Also can't post more than one from my iPhone. Any pointers?
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This is the bench seat back. It's glass an gel, built with the top half of the boat. If I remove it, I can gain a foot of lounge area. There's a big gap between this support and the fore end of the motor.
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You might also lose side-to-side rigidity.
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Kind of a big decision to start cutting fiberglass out of my boat. Here's what we gain:
Moving the back seat aft 11 inches enlarges the lounge area. This shrinks the compartments a little bit. I enlarged the opening to the slightly smaller compartments by removing the gutter around the sun deck. |
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A bunch of the old boat removed. I used a sawzall at theis point, but later found that an angle grinder with a thin cutoff wheel was the best tool for the job. Any toothed recip or circ saw made lots of chippin and splinters.
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More old stuff removed.
Previous exhaust was above the waterline and was really loud at surf speeds, so I ordered a FAE and some other parts to re route the exhaust below the waterline and to the FAE. |
This is cool
I want to bring home an old Response or Echelon, restore it and use it for skiing |
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Pulled the gas tank to get some new fitting installed. The new location of the rear bench required some re configuring of the fill and vent hoses so that I can cover it with floor.
In this pic the tank is reinstalled, seam is patched with glass & resin, the. Some bindo is floating the transition from glass seam to old floor. |
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Cut the seat bases out of the bow. Prepping for a playpen configuration over some ballast
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The darker red is fiberglass that I added to support perimeter of the playpen floor.
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Aluminum 1/4" 3"x4" rec tube. Cut, welded & powder coated for the rear deck and back bench top support.
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^^ also have trimmed out the rest of the gutter around the rear hatches. Nice wide access to the compartments. It's not installed in this pic, but there's aluminum 1/4" 2x2 angle behind the back and side of te compartment opening.
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3x4 aluminum angle is fitted to catch the bottom of the seat backs and the back of the seat bottoms. Also visible are the vertical supports for the ledge going from floor to gunwal. I welded the center leg to the backer for the tower which made a great improvement to the widdle and shake in the tower. Previous flex in the gunwal allowed the tower to wiggle, now the tower is tied all the way to the floor so it's rock solid!!! Im very pleased with that improvement.
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Building the seat foundations. 3/4" expanded PVC board. Curve profiles were achieved by making multiple relief cuts and then using a heat gun to relax the un-cut side until the desired radius was formed. Then a top plate of 1/2" PVC board was glued and pin nailed to secure the shape. Standard plumbing PVC primer and cement works perfectly
Also visible are the front ballast hard tanks. In compartment behind the observer and in what used to be the walkway to the bow. (The white one gets secured deeper in that compartment) |
Final seating layout will be much like Supra boats from a couple years ago.
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Seat foundations are all configured. Time to work on the seat backs.
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bro.....this is awesome
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I admire your ambition but you won't have me as a believer in cutting out chunks or fiberglass that all worked together to support the hull and bolting in support - it isn't the same. You went from chemical mechanical bond to straight mechanical...
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Nice work. You doing all the foam and vinyl work yourself? That foam gets pricey. Good thread.
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Building the back panel of the back bench seat. Working on the port end inside radius
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Better pic of the front foundations, battery box and stuff
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Dang the rotated pics!!!
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Do you glass in the seat bases? I like the looks of those bad boys for sure! Are you done with this project and just posting all pics? Keep em coming
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Seat bases will assemble like Malibu 2005 ish. Seat bases get carpet and the screw to the floor with brackets
Job isn't done yet. Working on the upholstering now. Sewed my first piece of vinyl yesterday. |
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Patterning for seat back panels
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Jigging for a uniform radius
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Most of the plastic structure is assembled.
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Pull it all out to install carpet.
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Carpet on the seat bases.
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Carpet an cup holders!!!
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Behind the drivers seat I built this rear facing seat with back rest. The elevated seat spot adjacent to it will be a carpeted step for entry/exit the boat at the dock. Our lakes have developed picnic docks spots than we frequent.
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Holy chit man. Nice work.
Just quick question. Why did you go the hard tank route vs a bag. Would think you could fill up the space more efficiently with a bag. Again tho crazy skillls |
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Cut the foam for the bow. Spending some time figuring out how to pattern the vinyl and make the covers now.
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Once they're installed the hard tanks are super easy and worry free. I have a fill and drain pump for each of the three balast zones, and all tanks in each zone are plumbed together. RearRight, RearLeft and front zones. I will have one sac when all is done, down in the ski locker area which will be plumbed in with the front zone. |
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Removed the tower and windshield preparing for the wrap.
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Removed the rub rail and all the exterior hardware too.
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This is VERY impressive.. What do you do for a living?
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Fireman
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So in other words refurbing boats is your full time job. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Couldn't resist
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Ahhhhhhhhhh. Well played. :-)
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Didn't even know a vdrive hydrodyne existed. Is it comparable to a 205v, or something completely different. Mad props on your redo of everything.
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Get a foam saw
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Very cool thread.
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I'm subscribed!
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Someone else mentioned they were nervous about the structural integrity. I am as well, but the aluminum bracing looks to be well done and hopefully will be a good stand in for the bracing cut out. All that to say, very ambitious and it looks like you have the skill to pull it off. Work looks nice so far!!
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Best thread ever
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That's awesome!!! I've redone two boats but never thought about redesigning the seating, The best part is when you do finish you'll have what you want and know exactly what's under the carpet.
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I love the Idea of just taking somthing and tweaking it into somthing better.
Looks like your well one your way . Good work keep it going. |
I really admire your work. This is far beyond my skill level, but it sure motivates me to do more.
Keep up the great work, and I can't wait to see the rest of the project. |
Crazy ambitious and i admire the persistence and dedication most. Many times people begin projects like this with a grandiose vision and the thing eventually dies under its own weight.
A couple of thoughts: Did I hear you say you used Bondo to fair the decks? Bondo will do poorly under sopping wet carpet and quickly fail. You have cut out all the gutters and now have zero deck water management. You had better buy a good shop vacuum and a case of CorrosionX You may wind up with stress cracking at your brace points due to point loading at that cross member. The full height tabbed in bulkhead does much to resist torsional or twisting loads. All that said, i am not hating. I have more skills than most and I will admit that I would never finish this project. |
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Water management. This will be an issue, so I'm going to have to be that guy who tells people to towel off on the swim deck. Not ideal. Stress cracks are already an problem with this hull. I have contoured every bracket and backer plate to ensure a even pressure across mating surfaces. Despite my precautions, I expect some stress cracks. I'm wrapping the boat with a new graphic so most of the old, or new stress cracks will never be seen |
i feel like a worthless human being...
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What he said ^^^^^^^
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This thread is awesome and although I agree with the comments about structural changes - I think you've addressed them as well as you can and are prepared for any fallout..
Love this project.. Great fricking work! |
only time will tell but the topcap that was left in tact isn't much different from what a direct drive would have. the removed support would obviously come into play for the sundeck so while that's a consideration (that appears to have been corrected) there shouldn't be any issues with the hull in general.
hopefully that was epoxy resin on the bondo. great project! |
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Subscribed, can't wait to see this project completed!
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Subscribed. I have to see this get finished. We did something like this to our 73 Marlin when I was a kid. Completely redid the layout of the seating area, but nothing as ambitious and we had all the foam and upholstery work done at a shop. Very impressive here.
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Yes. Polyester epoxy resin over the Bondo. Then bilge paint over that in the rear where my water management issue is. Installing the wrap today and tomorrow. Pics will follow.
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Pics of the hard tank balast in rear. 475# each side rear. 385# up front with plans to add 250 more in a sac under the front floor. Just need to figure out how to put better connectors in an old sac that has waterbed style connectors.
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Ballast configuration is one large thru hull in the bilge that feeds three centrifugal pumps. (2 tsunami 1200 feeding the back tanks an one smaller one feeds the front). Then there's a tsunami 1200 at each balast area for drain. Three 3way switches control the fill drain of the system. Pretty simple and requires zero fiddling with while on the lake. Just flip switches. No bags or hoses to mess with.
With all three zones full and our usual 6-8 adults the boat take a while I get to wakeboard speed. I know don't have a ton of ballast but I don't think I want any more with this motor-hull combo. Prop is acme 543 13x11.5 |
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Wrap competed today. Picking up the windows from tint this evening
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Great thread and impressive skills to boot!! |
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Pleased with the window tint.
The wrap was challenging at times. In impressed with the material and how workable it is. The air release is amazing. The compound curves and sharp angles were a bugger. With the help of a pro (friend of mine) it took us 18 hours to print and install the wrap. I had completely prepped the boat and created the art ahead of time. |
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^^^^ I second this
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probably one of my favorite threads on any boat forum. Cant wait to see that interior!
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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!
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shoot not only Vdrives but guys with I/O traditional seating too.
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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.
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Wow, that is impressive!
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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. |
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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.....
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I've seen trailers wrapped. Shoulda did that while u were at it.
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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
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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. |
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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.
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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.
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that's a comfy looking bow setup for a '97. nice project.
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