Avon Searider Deluxe (?) console conversion

jimbojambo · 04 October 2011, 08:25

Hello there,

I've just bought an SR4, which has the 4 "porn" seats, bonnet, dashboard & windscreen - which I assume is the deluxe model. It does, however, have the s/s struts for the transom to the deck, so appears to have a ply/GRP floor - I read this was not normal for a deluxe somewhere... anyhow.

I cannot live with the setup and will be converting to a console over winter.

Does anyone have advice on this? Having not picked the boat up yet, I'm not even sure how easy it is to remove the bonnet neatly - I'm sure it will be obvious once I see it closely, but any pointers?

Going back to the bigger project, if anyone has done this before (I'm sure loads of people have!) please can you advise on what to do, how to do it and if there are any "gotchas"?

Thanks in advance
James

Neil Harvey · 04 October 2011, 11:10

Check out nos' build thread here:-
http://www.rib.net/forum/f8/nearly-f...sr4-11007.html
N/ot sure it was a delux, although had a bow dodger

Nos4r2 · 04 October 2011, 19:10

Yes, it was a deluxe-the dash was there but the porn seats were missing when I got it.

jimbojambo · 04 October 2011, 19:46

Thanks guys - pleased to see someone else has been through the same exercise before. I had a good read of the other link and it looks like all might be doable (with a lot of hard work!)

Nos - would it be ok to occasionally pick your brains over the coming weeks as and when I need some brain power? No doubt I'll hit a few issues along the way

Thanks
James

Nos4r2 · 04 October 2011, 22:38

Feel free

Downhilldai · 04 October 2011, 23:37

All the earlier SR4s had plywood floors & stainless transom braces.

Around the early 1980s, Avon developed a moulded GRP deck, which was used in the deluxe 4-seaters and to a limited degree in some of the rescue layout boats. The deluxe versions were subsequently dropped and all later rescue versions reverted to the plywood floor with stainless transom braces.

The 'bonnet' of early deluxe 4-seater boats was grey hypalon. This would be easy to cut & dress down to the tubes. From the late '80s, the bonnet was made of a red coloured synthetic cloth (on grey toobed boats), with a nylon sort of texture, which IMO wouldn't look very good dressed back & stuck down onto the tubes. Probably better to remove it completely and make good the glued sections on the tubes by covering with some new hypalon patches.

Great boats, BTW.

jimbojambo · 06 October 2011, 18:34

Thanks for the comprehensive reply, Downhilldai. So, from what I think you're saying, the bow dodger is glued on and I will have to cut i off, leaving a little bit (an inch or so?) - gluing that bit back onto the sponson. Or - I could peel the whole thing off but would leave a obvious strip along... Not ideal as I wanted to remove it but no doubt it would be very obvious after gawd-knows how many years of UV damage etc

Although I will be collecting on Sat, I am anticipating to have to do this little lot:
- Remove porn seats
- Remove dash
- Cut off bow dodger
- Take outboard off (50hp Merc)
- Clean boat until fingers bleed
- Stick remaining bit from bow dodger down
- Patch up transom/deck as much as is needed
- Rub down both
- Gel coat/paint both
- Work out how to get a reasonable price console (i.e. buy vs make)
- Work out how to fix console to deck - then do so
- Reinstall outboard
- Buy Teleflex (?) steering and install
- Buy throttle/gear control and install
- Do other console stuff (isolator/kill cord/VHF and GPS holders)
- A hundred and one other things which crop up
- Enjoy!

I think I might not get on the water until 2012. I am not going to be on a shoestring budget, but I do want to keep the cost of all this as near to £500 as possible, Am I deluded?

James

Neil Harvey · 07 October 2011, 18:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbojambo

but I do want to keep the cost of all this as near to £500 as possible, Am I deluded?

James

Possibly, i would think that a console (unless you make something yourself), and steering will not be too far off that

Poly · 07 October 2011, 19:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbojambo

I think I might not get on the water until 2012. I am not going to be on a shoestring budget, but I do want to keep the cost of all this as near to £500 as possible, Am I deluded?
- Remove porn seats £ 0
- Remove dash £ 0
- Cut off bow dodger £ 0
- Take outboard off (50hp Merc) £ 0
- Clean boat until fingers bleed £ 30 for cleaners, scourers etc
- Stick remaining bit from bow dodger down £ 20 for glues/solvents etc
- Patch up transom/deck as much as is needed £ 20 for fillers etc
- Rub down both £ 15 for sandpapers
- Gel coat/paint both £ 50 for materials (thats a guess)
- Work out how to get a reasonable price console (i.e. buy vs make) New £ 400+? Second hand £200+50 on tidying up and shipping or £ DIY at least £150 on materials
- Work out how to fix console to deck - then do so £ 40 for s/s self tappers and sikaflex
- Reinstall outboard £ 0 hopefully!
- Buy Teleflex (?) steering and install £ 100?
- Buy throttle/gear control and install £ 40+
- Do other console stuff (isolator/kill cord/VHF and GPS holders) £ 50 on wiring and bits and pieces easily
- A hundred and one other things which crop up
- Enjoy! £ 50 to fill it with fuel!

have you got battery, isolator, cables etc £ 70

i.e. the bad news is it will cost you the best part of £500 when you add up all the little bits and that doesn't include the console

billboat10 · 07 October 2011, 20:07

hi i put one of these on mine not bad for the money i did build the one befor it but it cost 50 quid to get it gelcoted over it and it was very heavy the new one is only about 2 or 3 pounds in weight i glassed mine down to the floor

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Blank-Jock...item27bee15015

jimbojambo · 16 October 2011, 18:21

i've just bought a console, as per Billboat10's suggestion - hopefully it will arrive this week so I can crack on.

Bow dodger all cut neatly, glued to the tubes and some fairly large black wear patches have been stuck over where the old patches were that protected the tubes from the dash.

Does anyone have any tips on how to polish a dull (but smooth) deck/hull/transom? The deck is not too much of an issue as when I glass the console in I will do most the deck, as it will be with grey pigment.

Thanks

jimbojambo · 18 October 2011, 20:15

Right - I've made a bit more progress and now need some advice! I've re-done the life-lines (grab ropes, whatever you want to call them) with eye splices in black 3 strand rope. Looks quite smart - especially compared to the ropey old rope with grey sleeving. I've also removed a few bits and pieces using the Mrs' hairdryer (shhh).

I'm expecting a console on Thurs/Fri, and need to work out how to fit it. I have a deck with transom braces like this:
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...b/DSC00138.jpg

Does anyone know if this is GRP and plywood, or just GRP? I would like to secure the console to the deck with sikaflex (or "CT1" - to be precise [recommended by the chandlery as an alternative]), with also self tappers and washers. I've not got experience with fiberglass so am slightly put off, and I also read somewhere that the temperature needs to be between 15 and 20 degrees. Naff all chance for a few months!

My only other issue, not so pressing but potentially major, is that the tilt tube is very rusty inside and I *think* I need a new one for the planned teleflex steering. Has anyone got any experience with a similar situation (lots of cleaning or fitting new tilt tube)? Due to the weight of the outboard (Mercury 50 2-stroke) I would prefer to leave it in place as the transom looks ok and the engine does too (apart from that).

Anyway - ramble over.

Thanks in advance
James