1974 Mako Center Console Resoration

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MAKO19
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1974 Mako Center Console Resoration

Post by MAKO19 »

Hello guys! I found this site though the very helpful videos on youtube. Thanks again for posting!

Over the past few years I have been slowly improving and restoring our 1974 Mako Center Console. The first year it was a new t-top and electronics, motor rebuild and other misc items. This year I repaired and repainted the entire console but since it already had some enamel paint on it I stayed with enamel paint in fear that if I used polyurethane it would bubble any existing enamel I failed to sand completely off. Anyway, the job came out pretty good and I have faith the enamel will hold up because the console doesn't take too much of a beating.

Now we are almost ready to go into the water and I do not have time to repaint the remaining topsides or I will miss this fishing season. Instead I have opted to wash and use a heavy duty stain remover and then minor compound and wax just to get me through this season. Next year it will be time to paint and so I am doing my research on this now.

The existing condition of the gel coat is what any typical 35 year old gel coat would be like. Dull, fine cracks, porous and pitted you get the idea. My question is, there are so many paints out there and so many different technologies to use to say I'm confused would be an understatement. What would I have to do to bring this boat back to life without getting to crazy and spending lots of money? I mean it is a fishing boat and I will not be entering any boat shows anytime soon. I just want to make the gel coat look really good again. The gel-coat is just beyond repair at this point. I can sand it, then stage buff and wax and it still doesn't bring her back to life.

So with all this being said what would be my best bet for paint? I am thinking I have to epoxy all the cracks then prime the entire boat and then finish with a 2-part poly and roll and tip method. Just not sure on products at this point and roll and tip methods for complex areas like the gunwales where there are not that many flat areas.

Old E.
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Re: 1974 Mako Center Console Resoration

Post by Old E. »

I've been through this. If it was me, I would just leave that old console on there and build myself a new one. Once the season was over, I would swap the old with the new. That said, if you really want to fix the old one, you are going to have some grinding, glassing, and fairing to do. the hairline fractures are usually caused by one of 2 things. Either a gelcoat applied too thick or the glass underneath flexing. You would have to grid down to the old glass, and reinforce it with more glass and then re-fair. perhaps on a console you can get on the backside and just lay some glass there to reinforce. :doh:
On those old consoles there are usually about 1000 holes of all sizes. Those things were built out of built up woven roving, with a core in only a few places (like the top, where the wheel is).
As far paint, you will have a hard time matching the paint to the remaining gelcoat, but an "oyster white" gets close. Any of the 2 part polyurethanes would work, as would almost any paint. I would think you would want to get off as much of the old paint as humanly possible, fair, prime, then paint.

TomW
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Re: 1974 Mako Center Console Resoration

Post by TomW »

It sounds like your planning to paint the hull after this season. If so the best way to do it would be to sand it down with 40-60 grit and then apply a layer of Quik Fair to cover the heavier cracks and pits and also the smaller ones. Then do a good sanding to fair it down. Then two to three coats of System 3 Primer and then it is up to you on how much you want to spend on top coating.
Good fishing and red skys at night sailors delight
C17ccx, Mirror Dinghy

MAKO19
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Re: 1974 Mako Center Console Resoration

Post by MAKO19 »

Thanks for the good information. My next question is how much material do you think I would need to do this boat. It is 19' long with an 8' beam. It doesn't have that much freeboard however though. Take a look at this picture and let me know what you think.

Image

mbasura
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Re: 1974 Mako Center Console Resoration

Post by mbasura »

Great looking boat and looks like it is well worth the work.

What the brown decking material on the boat? Is it carpet or paint? It doesn't really look like either in the photo.

Matt

Old E.
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Re: 1974 Mako Center Console Resoration

Post by Old E. »

mbasura wrote:Great looking boat and looks like it is well worth the work.

What the brown decking material on the boat? Is it carpet or paint? It doesn't really look like either in the photo.

Matt
That's old Mako brown gelcoat. Used to be on all the floors. Beautiful. :lol:

MAKO19
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Re: 1974 Mako Center Console Resoration

Post by MAKO19 »

Hey thanks for the compliments! Yeah you don't see to many more boats with those floors. It has some soft sports and a few stress cracks but what do you expect after 35 fishing seasons. lol. I found some Interlux videos where they did the entire hull of a 31 Bertram for about 500 bucks. I can probably do the entire Mako for less than that. I'm guessing 2 quarts of perfection will get r done. I'm sure I will be back for more help next winter when I begin.

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