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Used aluminum 12' boat

R

Ram Jet

Contributing Member
I don't know if I should post this here. It's not engine related. I just bought an old Sears 12' aluminum boat. Do any of you have any suggestions on removing the oxidation on the hull? Sort of "spiffing" it up. Triple 0 steel wool? Any ideas? I'd like to make her look pretty again.

Thanks in advance,

Bill
 
I use Mother's on aluminum wheels and it does a good job. I put it on using a Mother's power ball with a cordless drill. Polishing something the size of a boat with it would take a while and a lot of Mother's polish.

You might check with an Air Stream travel trailer dealership and see what they use.
 
Rook66 said:
I use Mother's on aluminum wheels and it does a good job. I put it on using a Mother's power ball with a cordless drill. Polishing something the size of a boat with it would take a while and a lot of Mother's polish.

You might check with an Air Stream travel trailer dealership and see what they use.
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Thanks Jay and Rook. Great ideas. I use only Mothers Car Wax and I have a small container of Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish. I'll try a small area and see what happens. I don't really want a "mirror" finish I just want to get rid of any oxidation. The boat is a Sears (1975?) but the O.B.C. rating tag is just about obliterated. I have no idea what the horsepower rating is for the hull but I'm going to be looking for a nice, restore-able Johnson, Evinrude or Merc about 20-25 horse, no electric start no CDI and no fuel injection. The Air Stream dealer idea is a good idea.

Thanks again guys,

Bill Albertson
 
Do you have some paint stripper? I used it to remove the old clearcoat on my B-II wheels and they still look good 3 years later. Not sure if it will remove oxydation? Try a small spot let it sit a few minutes then spray it with a hose.
 
I'll try it. I have a killer paint remover that you DO NOT want to get on your hands. It burns like crazy if you do. It did have a difficult time removing the paint on a 1960 Johnson 3 H.P. though. That's pretty tough paint Johnson used.

Bill
 
Wheel polish and a buffing pad on your drill will work. You can also use StarBrite aluminum cleaner and restorer. https://youtu.be/OoEudCS-WIg

Simple process and works really well without a lot of fuss.

Oh, and I wouldn’t recommend a 25HP on a 12’ boat. I have a ‘79 evinrude 9.9 and it will push a 16’ boat 15 MPH. We once used a 25HP on the same boat and it was scary. That was way too many ponies for that hull. You might consider a 15HP but that’s the max I’d use on a 12’ Hull.
 
kevinj said:
Wheel polish and a buffing pad on your drill will work. You can also use StarBrite aluminum cleaner and restorer. https://youtu.be/OoEudCS-WIg

Simple process and works really well without a lot of fuss.

Oh, and I wouldn’t recommend a 25HP on a 12’ boat. I have a ‘79 evinrude 9.9 and it will push a 16’ boat 15 MPH. We once used a 25HP on the same boat and it was scary. That was way too many ponies for that hull. You might consider a 15HP but that’s the max I’d use on a 12’ Hull.
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I think you're right, a 15 H.P. would be plenty of power. I know that Evinrude made an 18 in the 60s I think. That's the kind of old horse I'm looking for - simple, pull start, magneto and carburetor.. I don't care if I have to rebuild it from the prop up. I was poking around the web this morning and did see Starbrite Aluminum Cleaner and Aluma Kleen which got some very favorable reviews from various users.

Thanks,

Bill
 
Ram Jet said:
I think you're right, a 15 H.P. would be plenty of power. I know that Evinrude made an 18 in the 60s I think. That's the kind of old horse I'm looking for - simple, pull start, magneto and carburetor..
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You don't have to go that old to get a simple, reliable engine. The OMC 9.9HP and 15HP engines were basically unchanged from the late 70's until the early 90's. They are very simple CDI ignitions which means no points and condensers to fiddle with and adjust. Single carburetor and pulse driven fuel pumps that run on pre-mix fuel. There were some available with electric start but a great number are basic rope start engines.

These engines would be perfect for your 14' aluminum hull. A 15HP would probably push that hull about 20MPH which will be plenty fast.

KJ
 
Thanks KJ. That opens my search field a whole lot. I just restored a 1960 Johnson 3 H.P. which should be fun for this season (I'd send you a picture but I don't know how to here). I plan on running on a small river here in Port Huron Michigan - the Black River. It's funny the boat comes with a 1952-54 JW-10 3 H.P. and an electric trolling motor and nice trailer. He was asking $800.00. I asked him if he would just sell the boat and trailer and he said no I had to buy the whole package. I thanked him and wished him luck. He then wrote back $500.00 for the whole package. I couldn't resist. I'll pick it up after I install my new Draw-Tite hitch. I'll be looking for a larger motor (engine) between now and the next season.

Actually the hull is 12' 013.jpg I figured out how to post a picture.

Thanks again,

Bill
 
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