1980 HydroStream Vamp resto-mod

New prop is on, went to go do the lower unit oil and its fresh as can be in there, though now I cant get the smell of gear oil out of my nose....

 

I love the smell of gear oil in the morning! LOL

 

52 mph! We are having a fueling issue at higher RPM though, it starts pulling really hard, then it starts to fall down to 45mph as all the fuel in the bowls runs out and the pump cant keep up.

So Im going to replace the fuel pump and the lower fuel line.
Also the tilt and trim unit can not lift the motor when its under load, it could easily trim up the 85hp motor under full throttle, but this one has too much power. I really need to get a jack plate and get the factory trim system hooked up so I can trim it out right.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv4K59JOZyk&ab_channel=Downintheparkfishing

 

That sounds great when it is pulling hard.

How many RPM can that type of engine make?

 

5500-5700 rpm at wide open. Tach will be here this week, so I am going to put that in and do another run next weekend after taking care of the fuel issue.

 

Speedometer has now been replaced with a tach. Going to hook it up tomorrow and get the boat out this weekend.

Got some good suggestions on facebook for my fuel issue, also got some bad suggestions. But the best one I got was that since I am using a sealed fuel tank, pulling that much fuel is creating a vacuum in the tank so it cant flow fast enough into the motor.
So, I will give it another shot with the fuel cap cracked open a bit. If that does not work, then I will replace the remaining old fuel line, and rebuild the fuel pump.

 

My buddy just came into a 140 HP with wiring in same condition.

Where did you source your wire harnesses?

 

This is the harness I got

$208 CDI Electronics Mercury Marine 414-5532 Internal Engine Harnesses

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AJVNIAY?ie=UTF8

Make sure it fits that year before ordering though, I think it should, but this harness was 79-81 only I think. Mercury did some goofy things on these motors when they were switching from distributor to ADI systems.
That motor has the ADI, but its also still got the plug on the side of the motor so its the early model of the ADI.

The usual suspects in the harnesses on these are the main harness, the stator harness and sometimes the trigger harness.

 

Whelp the boat has officially been put to sleep for the winter. I have done the motor prep, unhooked the batteries, and covered the front with ice fishing gear.

6 more months and I will be back out on the lake with it. While I am waiting for summer to come back, I will be on the hunt for a jack plate to replace my tilt and trim plate.

 

A job well done sir. You'll have many years of fun with it I'm sure.

 

Spring is in the air and its time to get the boat ready for the summer. First order of business was to get the noco charger all hooked up and mounted. I put it on the transom and hooked it up to both batteries.

Next up is to buy a new gas tank for the boat, I want one that I can put a external fuel filler neck on so I can fill the boat without having to remove the rear panel/seat
Before I get the fuel tank though, I need to build the rear seat. The new motor is a little too fast to have the kids just flopping around on the deck. Going to start the rear seat this weekend, going to build it out of 1/2 inch plywood. It will be anchored to the floor in 4 spots and then to the splashwell in 2 spots. Still trying to figure out the best way to anchor it to the floor, Im thinking if I use metal hooks that the cushions can hook to will allow me to remove them easy to get to the mounting bolts for the seat.

 

And we are back at it!!!



"We" as in you do all the work & your viewers get to enjoy the project.

 

After spending time planning out a rear seat, I have found that its going to be cheaper just to buy one.... so I bought one.

Its not a perfect match to the front seats, but its close enough and it folds down. Its 48 inches, and the boat is 50 inches wide in the back, so it will be nice to fit the full width. It will be here next week sometime where I can start making the mounting solution for it.

 

New seat is here and its perfect! Just need to build the stand offs for it to bolt it down to the floor. It will sit a few inches higher than this picture. I really need to get this boat out of the garage though so I can wash and vacuum it all out.

 

Alright, frame is made and the seat is on it. Just need to screw the frame into the floor and we are all set.

 

Carpet all vacuumed up and cleaned, seats match pretty well and now I have a small storage area under the rear seat. I have my tools under there right now.

Next up is I want to make some side panels to go next to each seat. Im going to build them just like the carpet ones I have on there right now, but they will be just smaller ones that fill in that gap on either side. Im thinking I will make them with some foam and cover them in gray vinyl to match the rear seat and give the kids something softer to bump into.

I have some more folding cleats that showed up, Im planning on mounting them inside the boat as a dog leash holder. My dog isnt the best swimmer, nor is he the smartest crayon. So he has to be leashed on the boat or he jumps off.

I have a bimini top on order, it should cover everything from the dash to the splash well to give us some nice shade.

The wind shield is going to get made hopefully this coming weekend. Debating on tinted plexi vs clear. I like the look of the tinted, but clear would be much better for being able to actually see.

 

Started making the rear seat trim panels, had to order some more clips though before I wrap them in foam and vinyl. These are going to be padded for the kids instead of just carpet like the rest of the panels are. If they come out nice, I may pull the rest of the panels and wrap them too.

I was also thinking about putting some speakers back there, but decided against it as you cant hear anything over the engine anyways.

 

Little CAD (Cardboard aided design) for my windshield. I did one side, then I will just mirror it for the other side.

What do you think, clear or tinted? The stock is tinted, and it would look real nice, but I fear it might make a little hard to see out the front very well.

 

Tinted would look cool but I think clear is the better choice for overall visibility.

 

For sure on clear being a better choice. Depending on how the first clear one comes out, I might try to make a tinted one too.

I think I am also going to make a plug that I can form these windshields with. Right now no one makes them, and I can make a plug from layered wood and fiberglass so I can start bending more.