1959 Alumcraft FDR--UPDATED--12-30-11--got a motor!!

Hello everyone!

I apologize ahead of time if I get a bit long winded here. First, a quick background. I live in upstate NY, so the boating season is short here. Parents have always had boats--always newer fiberglass models throughout the years. I have always had a passion for fishing, and throughout my life I have predominately fished from shore. So I have been looking for a steal of a deal on a boat for about 6 months now. Of course during the summer, the demand is high, and consequently--boats never sell for less then $400-$500, even for small row boats. I needed to find something for closer to $250, with a trailer.

Luckily, last Sunday--I found my deal!! A craigslist special, had a simple 2 sentence description about it on craigslist, with no picture. The best words in the entire ad was 'MUST SELL THIS WEEKEND!'. After some emailing back and forth--I decided to drive out about an hour away to check out the boat. All I knew was it was a 14ft aluminum v-hull, it was larger then a row boat, and had a trailer. The seller was asking $300. Upon inspection, the boat was rough--but as advertised. It was fairly apparent the boat had been stripped down at some point in its life, as the walls and transom have several places where small holes have been drilled in the boat. I honestly had no idea what I was looking at, but minus the small drill holes, the entire hull seemed very solid. No major dents or dings, nothing bent or really out of place. Knowing that I was going to have to put some money into the trailer, and get the holes fixed--I felt comfortable offering $200. After a little negotiating, we settled on $220.






Notice the Black Square in the pic below--this is where 2 small holes are in the bottom of the transom.

This image is a zoomed in picture of where the holes are in the bottom of the transom

View of the holes in the Transom from the outside

Zoomed in on the holes from the outside... Idea's on what these holes were or how to fix these? Probably will have to weld

The image below shows some of the several holes in the side of the boat. I assume where different things we're mounted over the years.

This image shows more of the holes in the nose cone



After about an hour of research, I thought I had a late 1950's Alumacraft model FD. However, after taking in the evidence of the pulley's--lack of a front seat--and the bracing which runs from nose to stern, I was thinking it is a very unique FD model. Finally I found a model number on the transom support, and sure enough--it says FDR! Which answers all the questions I had on the seating, the pulleys, and some of the holes in the hull.


Ultimately, I am glad it is the FDR model. I am also glad it is already stripped down, as that makes a lot of my job easier. What I am thinking is I will clean it up and paint all the seams/rivets with Gluvit and do a simple ply floor. Add a tiller motor and a couple swivel seats--and perhaps 2 raised decks (1 in front and 1 in back) for fishing and storage.

It should be a real fun project, and I cant wait to hear what everyone thinks of my boat, my deal, and idea's for what I should do!! Thanks for sticking around and getting to the end of the post!! :LOL2:

Hi BigKat and welcome to the forum.
Your post was excellent - complete with Pic's/storyline.
That is one cool boat and trailer for 220.00 (like an early Christmas :LOL2: for ya) and will make a very good project.
The 2 holes in the Transom could have been for ....?? who knows but easy to repair.
Question: What's the condition of the trailer?
Good Luck with the project/keep us posted.
bobby

Great boat, I have an 85 alumacraft, 14xl built like a battle ship.

bobbyb said:

Hi BigKat and welcome to the forum.
Your post was excellent - complete with Pic's/storyline.
That is one cool boat and trailer for 220.00 (like an early Christmas :LOL2: for ya) and will make a very good project.
The 2 holes in the Transom could have been for ....?? who knows but easy to repair.
Question: What's the condition of the trailer?
Good Luck with the project/keep us posted.
bobby

Click to expand...

Thanks! I was thinking perhaps those holes could have been where a fish finder was attached? Who knows, but I am not overly concerned--as like you said, I think it should be a simple fix. It does have several holes all around the hull, luckily the vast majority of those small holes are above the water line.

As far as the trailer, it like the boat needs a little work too. The main problem I see is the axle appears to need some reinforcement. I haven't taken a real close look at it, but other then that--it seems to be in pretty good shape. Unfortunately I don't really know what to look at to really be able to tell what needs repairs and what does not. On the plus side, I am hoping for a welder this Christmas, and while I have zero experience welding, I am a quick learner with a steady hand, so hopefully I can get competent enough to make my repairs before the spring comes--as I am hoping to keep this project on a strict budget.

NICE DEAL!!!

I'd say the two holes in the transom where for a FF transducer bracket.

Firescooby said:

NICE DEAL!!!

I'd say the two holes in the transom where for a FF transducer bracket.

Click to expand...

x2. The transducer bracket strikes again!

Pretty boat, nice curves. Post pics of your rebuild. Any ideas on a motor yet? Before you put any money into it make sure you have proper paper work by going to the tag office and registering it in your name.

sixgun86 said:

Firescooby said:

NICE DEAL!!!

I'd say the two holes in the transom where for a FF transducer bracket.

Click to expand...

x2. The transducer bracket strikes again!

Pretty boat, nice curves. Post pics of your rebuild. Any ideas on a motor yet? Before you put any money into it make sure you have proper paper work by going to the tag office and registering it in your name.

Click to expand...

That was another part of what made this deal worth it, both the trailer and boat had all the correct paperwork, so transferring ownership should be a breeze--or at least as easy as it could be dealing with the state that is...

As far as the motor, I have a 1970 Chrysler 9.9 that I will use until I get a great deal on a 20-35hp tiller. Also have a 4hp, so I can entertain trades and get a good deal on a little bit bigger motor.

PS. Your profile picture is awesome, I love Denver!

I looked through several restoration projects, and I had a question that I didn't find the answer to, so thought I would ask:

What kind of ply are you guys using for the floor boards? Do I have to use Marine Ply, and if so, where can I find it? Lowes said all they had was pressure treated ply and that is what they recommend. However I don't think that is what I want to use, as I know pressure treated tends to warp. Also, from the pics of the in progress restorations I have seen on here--none of them have the color of treated ply.

Honestly I'm going for good, I don't need great/perfect. If there is a decent 'budget' option for ply, that would last in good condition for several years with some minimal care--I would be interested. It doesn't necessarily have to outlast the life of the boat. And I also don't mind doing a little extra work (such as sealing, etc.) in order to save a couple bucks.

Thanks for the help guys!!

Exterior Ply (Make sure it's Exterior Grade) or Marine Ply - NOT Pressure Treated.
Pressure treated is not what's condusive with Alum and you will regret it. Run a search on the forum using "pressure treated" as your search.
bobby

I used interior grade plywood and put two coats of spar urethane on everything. This really seals the wood and will last for years. I'm going to finish with a coat of outdoor carpet adhesive and some marine vinyl flooring. Good luck with your build.

My build:
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=22710

Sounds good! I assumed pressure treated was something to avoid, as I didn't see it on any of the rebuilds on this site--kinda was a red flag. Thanks for the help!

I found a 3D image of a row boat (Google Sketch-up file), figured I would try and model what I would like to do to my boat using this boat as a mock-up. About an hour into it, I realized I am not very good at Google Sketch-up!! So I took a screen shot of it from an overhead view, and went back to ol' faithful--MS Paint (hahaha :lol: )

I know this is not to scale yet--I just and trying to formulate a plan at this point.

So this is my mock-up:



A: Since I plan on running the trolling motor in the front, and the fact that I need to add weight to the nose of the boat, I plan on adding the trolling motor battery to the front. The battery will be hidden under a small table built into the corner(table is in black), and behind the elevated casting platform. The table serves as not only a table--but as a way to keep water spray from making contact with the battery.

B: Front Elevated Casting Platform. This platform will be raised up about 8-10" from the rest of the floor. The idea of this is to provide storage area as well as an elevated place to cast from and operate the trolling motor. This storage will contain the necessities for the boat i.e. life jackets; flairs; collapsible paddle; sun screen; etc.

C: The general lay-out will be as low as possible to keep the boat as stable as possible, with an average height of just 6 inches above the bottom of the boat. This will provide an open area to move freely about the boat. Two swivel seats will be mounted down the center of the boat. Four inches of foam insulation board will be attached to the bottom of the ply between the bracing, resulting in about 6 cubic feet floatation PLUS room under the foam to allow water to still channel to the back of the boat. According to my calculations, this will be more then enough to keep the boat from sinking even under full submersion.

D: Simple rod holders will hold between 2-3 rods per side. The rods will be easy access. Still have to work out the mounting system, but should be fairly simple.

E: Rear bench system will be padded on the top. The top of the bench will be split in half and hinged to allow for storage under the benches on the left and right hand side. The middle between the benches (area in black) will be where the gas tank is located. This storage area will contain slots for clear plastic tackle boxes and other fishing accessories.


I like the simplicity of the design, and believe it will provide a stable and practical platform to fish from. Thoughts? Have I missed anything? Be critical guys--If you think of a way I can improve, please let me know! Thanks!!

Def. a very nice layout. I like the plan(s) and you will love the walking room you'll have.
Have you made up your mind as to what (hp) your going to put on the back?
bobby

bobbyb said:

Def. a very nice layout. I like the plan(s) and you will love the walking room you'll have.
Have you made up your mind as to what (hp) your going to put on the back?
bobby

Click to expand...

It will either be a 1970 9.9 Chrysler, or if I get a smokin' deal on a 25-35hp between now and April--I'll pick it up. Found a nice late 50's 35hp which would make the absolute perfect match with this boat, but the guy wants just a tad more then what I want to pay, at least at this point that is.

So this weekend's project was to remove the old paint on the inside of the hull. Problem is--it turns out its not paint, its Rhino Liner (or a similar product). I've tried using 2 thick layers of Jasco Paint remover, and got about 1/3 of it to chip up on the small section I started on. Decided I needed something a bit more aggressive, so last night I purchased a 3" diameter stainless steal wire wheel for the drill... again, its helped remove another 10% in the area where I used the remover. Yet there is still about 50% that does not look like it wants to come off.

If this Rhino liner was applied correctly in the first place, it would probably still be doing its job now. However whoever applied it originally either did not completely clean the hull off, or used the wrong material, because there is places that it has pealed up on its own and flaked off.

What should I do?? Spend 50+ hours and probably 2 gallons of paint stripper to get this stuff off? Should I just clean it up the best I can and remove anything that is loose--then just coat it again? I wanted to use Gluvits on the seams and rivets, but I do not know how well it will stick to this stuff. All I want is to assure it will not leak when I use it next spring. Frustrating... lol

First off let me say that I love those old boats and you got that one for a steal.

The small holes in the transom are an easy fix. I would not even bother with welding them personally. The simple fix would be clean the area, run a bolt through the holes with a nut on the inside and cover it with clear silicone. You could also just fill the holes with epoxy a small cover plate over the area.

On the wood for the floor use exterior grade and I like a minimum of 3 coats of Spar on all sides including the edges and inside any holes drilled for fasteners. Also make sure to use stainless fasteners if you screw it down.

Bed liner material is a pain to remove and stripper is a waste of time. A wire cup brush on an angle grinder works pretty well. If it's thick you can use a course flap disk on the grinder to cut it and finish off with a cup brush. A regular wire wheel is not strong enough to cut the material usually. Be sure to wear long sleeves, gloves, a face shield and ear plugs because that stuff is going to fly everywhere when you start cutting it.

On the trailer check all of the bolts that attach the suspension and make sure they are not rusted in to or bent. There's nothing worse that having an axle break lose going down the road. Also check axle bearings and make sure they are properly packed and in good condition with no flat spots or frozen bearings.

Have fun with your project!

New Plan!!!

I have been doing a lot of research, and a lot of planning... and rather then making the tiller set-up as posted earlier, I am thinking of restoring this boat as a run-about! I figured I would also like to use it as a pleasure craft, and also figured if I ever wanted to get my wife on it, it would need to be comfortable and a completely enjoyable experience. Since I still want this to be primarily a fully capable fishing machine rather then only a ski/pleasure craft--it is going to be a modified pleasure cruiser.

Now, the new plan!


Ok...
--Large green casting deck in the back, and one in the front with two grey circles centered in these two decks are for rotating fishing chairs.
--The black circles represent cup holders. There are two in the steering helm and one on the passenger side.
--There will be a bench seat across the center of the boat, which will have a back rest that folds down on the seat while not in use.
--The bench seat will have a couple inches of foam cushioning (represented in red)
--There will be several storage compartments under the casting decks for storing battery; gas can; safety items; and fishing items.

The main problem I am having with this set-up is I am unsure what to do with the back-rest. I want to be able to step on it in order to step down to the lowest level (in black). If I have cushioning under the folded down back rest, it will 'squish' down into it when I step on it--which would be a tripping hazard. If I can figure out this problem, I think this would be an excellent option.

Thoughts?? BTW, currently am stripping off the paint inside the hull. I will post pictures soon of the progress (well, as soon as there is a tad more progress that is!! :LOL2: )

I liked your old design better, I thought it would be much more stable. I used to have a 14ft lund, 1974 model so old like yours. I had a plate on it that indicated it was only rated for 20hp, just thought I would bring that up because I have not heard you say there was a capacity and rating plate on your boat but you keep talking about 35hp and now skiing behind it. I would like to complement you on all the drawings, seems very well done, I need to try some of that stuff myself this winter. Good luck.
Tim

earl60446 said:

I liked your old design better, I thought it would be much more stable. I used to have a 14ft lund, 1974 model so old like yours. I had a plate on it that indicated it was only rated for 20hp, just thought I would bring that up because I have not heard you say there was a capacity and rating plate on your boat but you keep talking about 35hp and now skiing behind it. I would like to complement you on all the drawings, seems very well done, I need to try some of that stuff myself this winter. Good luck.
Tim

Click to expand...

Ahhh, sorry about not giving the info on the ratings/capacity. The Mid-Late 50's Alumacraft FDR was designed as a small runabout which is rated for up to a 35hp outboard.

This is what it looked like in the 1959 brochure:



While its a neat little boat--I would prefer something that I could use for not only pleasure--but for fishing as well. I could stick with the tiller motor, but I think that would be less pleasure, and more fishing--which is OK with me. But I keep telling my wife how awesome I am going to make this boat, and I just don't see her ever stepping foot on it unless its more of a 'pleasure craft' style.

As for the motor, I am thinking something along the lines of 25-35hp. If it went 25mph WOT, that would be about what I would want.

I love the green 3D "paint" model! I'm digging the floor plan. You might want to make the front deck bigger and the back deck smaller like you'd find in a modern bass boat, though. I don't use the back deck nearly as much as I thought I would, and when I do, the 2foot deck is enough or I can use the side deck.

On a funny note, when I first saw this thread, I thought the title said: 50' Alumcraft and I was really hoping to see a fifty foot long tinboat project!!! I have to say, I'm kind of sad now

Good luck with the build!

HOUSE said:

I love the green 3D "paint" model! I'm digging the floor plan. You might want to make the front deck bigger and the back deck smaller like you'd find in a modern bass boat, though. I don't use the back deck nearly as much as I thought I would, and when I do, the 2foot deck is enough or I can use the side deck.

On a funny note, when I first saw this thread, I thought the title said: 50' Alumcraft and I was really hoping to see a fifty foot long tinboat project!!! I have to say, I'm kind of sad now

Good luck with the build!

Click to expand...

LOL that would be fantastic!! hahaha I will change it up as to avoid any future confusion.

The reason for the large back deck was simply because of the 'stock' layout of the boat. Originally, the steering wheel was closer to the nose then the aft. My plan was to reuse the stock mounts for the throttle controls and the stock pulleys that are still on the starboard side of the boat. On the same hand, I think I would prefer the helm to be closer to middle in the boat (which would mean I would bring the helm back about 18 inches) so I could make the back deck smaller, and front deck larger... I am just unsure as to how the weight distribution further back would affect performance. It is probably minimal, but I don't want to have to go 20+mph to get it on plane either.

As far as the issue with the bench seat, I think the easiest solution would be to install 2 folding seats with 16-18 inches in-between the two for a path from the front to the back. Comfortable, practical, and an easy solution.

We have POOOWER!!

Picked this up this afternoon--a perfect match for this my project.

1958 Johnson Sea Horse 35hp!!









I love it!! Condition looks pretty good, paint/decals are great for the age IMO. It sounds like it will be a strong runner. Compression isn't fantastic, but is acceptable (100 in 1 cylinder and 95 in the other--maybe the seals will expand a little when it gets some continued TLC and usage). It has a new impeller and new lower gear lube. Like with any motor almost 55 years old that's not 100% restored, its going to need some TLC. The guy I got it off of really hooked me up. I traded 2 smaller outboards plus $150 (total of $350 invested between the motors & cash) for this beauty. PLUS he hooked me up with the pressurized gas tank, some gently used throttle controls, throttle cables, AND steering helm & wheel--All of which I needed for the project. The extra's alone would have cost me $150-$200 easy.

All I have left to acquire for the project is hardware, wood, sealant, paint, carpet, carpet adhesive, flotation foam... seems like a lot, but most of which I can get at Lowes/Home Depot--and thanks to the holidays, I have several gift cards to both

Parts ACQUIRED!! Now, WE BUILD!!

Stay tuned!!