1989 Tristar 220 restomod

[cas17013]

Originally Posted by wheelerd

See, I told you you'd find an enthusiastic response here on TT. Glad to see you're sharing your dream. Use the "Search" feature and you'll find many helpful threads that directly or sometimes indirectly address your project questions. Also, I find that Google searches are sometime even more effective than using the Search feature here. For example, Google "Teamtalk Mastercraft Tristar" -- you'll have lots to read. This thread is even there!

You were right, I expected more of a push back given the nature of the site. Everyone seemed cool reading the old posts, but I was not sure how modifying this hull would go over. I imagine once I get into the stuff that I can photograph it will be a more interesting read. I started ordering the supplies to build the t-top, and some more fiberglass supplies to lay up a center console, and replace the glass being removed from the existing seating.

I had considered removing the motor this weekend to have something in the shop I could slowly work on as time allowed, but it is cold, damp, and windy out, so I am probably going to work on a plug for the center console mold.

As that evolves into something worth posting I will add it.

[cas17013]

Originally Posted by Miss Rita

Since you will have no use for the pylon, you should remove it and and get it out of the way. You could probably sell it, as it may be the most valuable part of the boat!

I am keeping the pylon. I still want to be able to ski with it. I just want to make it a little more friendly to fish off of when the mood strikes.

Perhaps I have sold the old girl short? It has seen it's better days, but it is not so bad that the pylon is the most valuable part. Aside from being a rough ride, it should fit me needs nicely once it is back on the water.

I have a larger cabin cruiser for the bigger water, but skiing behind it is not ideal, and it requires a one ton truck to move from place to place which is a pretty big production compared to the tristar which is much smaller, and about one third of the weight.

[wheelerd]

Your intended modifications really won't alter the overall handling and wake of the boat. Sure, some changes to the center of gravity and bow/stern shifting of weight might have a very slight effect from stock. But you won't know that since you won't have skied with it that way.

Some people will knock the TriStar. Yes, it does have a rough ride in chop, but so does a Stars and Stripes and the earlier ProStar 190s. The ski wake is not a smooth as the SS or PS but it is still better than most anything else. I've skied al three hullsl. Weighted properly it can throw a nice wakeboarding wake. With the 220's extra length over the 190 you can accommodate as many people as an X25 . . . and spend the $70k on something else!

BTW, on my TriStar I completely redid the interior (upholstery and carpet), replaced the motor box insulation, replaced the rubrail and insert, replaced the prop and strut, replaced some decals, did some minor fiberglass patch pasting on some gashes in the keel and rubbed out countless scratches and abrasions. I had also purchased a set of GT40 heads and an Edelbrock manifold and was looking at a new cam as well since I was planning to wake up the engine a bit. So . . . . I sort of know the boat!

I wasn't planning to sell it until I came across a great deal on the X5 (which just this past fall morphed into an X2.)

[pbgbottle]

any updates?

did you remove the motor mount floor plates ?
i'm curious how they are mounted to the stringer also

als did you find out if the foam in the floor gets water logged ?
another great question

looking forward to a progress update




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[cas17013]

Originally Posted by pbgbottle

any updates?

did you remove the motor mount floor plates ?
i'm curious how they are mounted to the stringer also

als did you find out if the foam in the floor gets water logged ?
another great question

looking forward to a progress update




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Sorry, No significant progress. I spent most of the weekend helping a friend with a completely different project. If the weather looks good for this coming weekend, I may try to do it then. I have been doing a little with the center console construction, and will hopefully have something photo worthy soon.

I am pretty hopefull that the foam is dry from my initial impressions. I am going to do some core samples when I bring the hull into my workshop to do the other work on it. I am trying to resist doing it right now because I want to properly glass the holes over after I check it out, and it is too cold in my storage area right now to do it properly.

I am still deciding on what to do to make the floor self bailing, or if it is even worth it. I proposed a few ideas on a boat construction forum, but mostly got the keep it the way it is answer, or buy a boat that is self bailing. Probably good advice in general, but I want a boat I can fish, and ski from without spending a ton of cash. Modifying this boat seems like the best option for what I want in general. I prefer a boat that is good to ski behind, and will tolerate taking a beating if I decide to do a little fishing on a choppy water day.

It is tough because the more you research, and ask, the more opinions you get. So far, they have been all over the place. Most of the discussion revolves around using, or not using the pour in foam. I suspect at some point soon I am going to just go back to my original plan, and hope for the best.

[cas17013]

Not much, but here are a few photos of the begining of my center console.

My inspiration is something like this: (this is just a random photo from Google images)


Mine will be a little more simple given the size of the Tristar, but I personaly like the look of some woodwork on my boats. A lot more maint. but I think it looks good.

Here are two photos of the early woodwork. One is just a scrap from the end which shows the profile, and the other is the finished bullnose that everythng will be built around.





The bullnose piece is the most difficult part because it needs to be hand shaped given the profile. It started out as a 4" thick rough sawn board that I had to plane down, cut to size, hand shape, and then final sand to a smooth contour. The rest of the structure is just .75" lumber that is much easier to construct with power tools. I have all of the other parts ready to assemble, but ran out of time today. Hopefully in the next couple days, I will have this small part finished, and a few coats of varnish on it.

Not much progress, but a little.

[strad]

That wood looks sweet!

[pbgbottle]

X2 beautiful

Originally Posted by strad

That wood looks sweet!

[MC209]

Nice!!



Sent from my bada$$ iPhone 5 using Tapatalk!

[cas17013]

Thanks guys! I had a little more time this afternoon to work on it. I was not happy with how one of the parts turned out so it is not finished, but it is taking shape. It also needs many coats of varnish, but that will wait until some other things are ready so I can spray them all at once.