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I finally got my 1975 Montauk derigged and stripped for restoration:

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/a...2ab4b9.jpg

The hull is painted. I had originally planned to make minimal repairs, touch up the existing paint, and rebuild the 1980 Mercury 80hp that came with the boat. I have since decided to repower with a Yamaha F70 (the Merc wiring was badly rotted). Once you decide to spend $10k for a motor, touching up a crappy paint job is no longer good enough! I'm going to sand and repaint everything.

The boat has the winged console:

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/a...b8ac05.jpg

Like the rest of the boat the console has a litany of problems.

1. The 1/2" plywood floor has a funny green color, and has cracks and splinters.
2. There is a thin sheet of plastic that separates the side door compartment from the main console compartment:

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/a...521afb.jpg

As now designed, this partition wastes a lot of console space.

3. There is a large (approx. 3” in diameter) hole in the starboard side of the console:

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/a...e5497f.jpg

There was nothing in the hole when I got the boat; however, there were two rivets on the hole sides that obviously had held something in place.

4. The Teleflex Big-T helm has a shaft play due to wear at the top bushing, and the pot metal chromed bezel is badly pitted. I can probably fix the play with a new bushing, but I would like to replace the helm with a Teleflex no-feedback system. Unfortunately, the steering wheel rim extends beyond the port “wing.” The length of the Big-T shaft prevents interference. My search for helm information indicates that the other Teleflex mechanical systems (Safe-T II, for example) have shafts that are too short to prevent interference.

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/a...f1d280.jpg
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/a...26b562.jpg
http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/a...d354ff.jpg

5. The original instrument panels are gone, replaced by plastic panels from a Maiko! I like the on/off switches; however; those plastic panels have to go.

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/a...f6f150.jpg

6. I want to add a fire extinguisher insert, and the console does not have a cutout.

http://i1380.photobucket.com/albums/a...3a85c1.jpg

7. The side and rear hatch openings do not have plywood backing.

Here are my first three console questions:

1. Should I epoxy-seal the replacement floor? Does anybody have a suggestion for something to replace the plastic/vinyl mat that was glued to the original floor?
2. Is the internal partition sheet original? It does not extend to the top of the console.
3. Does aybody know what the purpose of 3” starboard side hole might have been? There is no hole on the port side, and it is clearly too small for a speaker.

In order to avoid over-cluttering this thread, I will ask the other questions in a new thread.

Thanks. Glen