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Did it to my 75. Two years in and I love it !!

UPDATE : We are enjoying another season on the old Ray in lake Ontario this summer. There literally is only one major component not hull related I have not replaced - the gas tank. As fate would have it, the gas tank now has a small leak. I'm like, are you kidding me ? I was able to...

Some pilothouse interior pictures. All it needs yet is a new helm seat. I finished it off with a grey outdoor carpet on the walls and new cushions for the seat I built. The seat doubles as a bed and opens up for storage. I built a simple new dash. Nothing fancy or elaborate. One of the cool...

Thanks!! That was a very cool series to watch.

Thanks so much guys!! I got in the boat the last couple days and started the interior work. Sure does feel good !! Carl, with the set up I have now with the 250 Merc, wot is around 35 mph. I am loosing a little top end speed because I'm using a 4 blade prop to help my mid range cruising...

For anyone wondering how an old Ray runs once converted to an outboard, Here's a short video from last summer pulling the kids on a tube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuTUmRpjbqY&feature=youtu.be

Thanks guys, it's been fun reliving the process, tough I wouldn't want to actually physically relive it. haha I know I went a rather unusual route, diverting far off the path of keeping my Sea Ray original. However, I've probably put 2000 hours on it in 10 years and I like it now more than...

The last upgrade in spring 2016 is one I wished I'd thought of sooner !! This particular model was so stern heavy with twin I/O's. I had a real love/hate relationship with my 165 mercruisers. During my month in Key Largo on my 50th birthday, I found myself working on an engine two times. I...

In 2014, when I returned from Key Largo I knew the boat needed something else. I felt the top was just a little less ridged than it should be when we'd run her in heavy seas. So, spring 2014 before our Lake Ontario season began I built a back wall and make my ray a pilothouse. I know this was...

After completing the rebuilt top, my Sea Ray was used a lot in 2011,12 & 13 with no further structural work. Each year I'd find myself dealing with at least one engine issue though and in general they required constant upkeep. Still, the 165's served me well for many hours and were eventually...

Thank You! Happy to share :-) She's turned into a great fishing boat. Nothing fancy, just functional and reliable. The purpose of the top rebuild was the head room. I could touch the roof with the top of my head and I am only 5'9". My goal was to make the headroom closer to 6'3"...

Thanks!! Yes, this is the only pic I have of the boat from when I bought it in 2007. Here is the Flybridge before I took a saw to it. I learned the bridge on these 240 SRV's don't just come off, so I removed it piece by piece :-) And then it was gone, and the real work started ...

Her first splash into the water.....4 months after the project was initially started. Notice how much higher it sits out of the water? The black bottom pain you can see towards the stern was submerged with the I/O's. She ran and performed flawless with 200 hours on it the first season...

Here is the Armstrong bracket I bought for the boat. I purchased a twin outboard bracket, with the thought that I only wanted to do this once and who knows if I'll go to twin 150's in the future. I think I'm going to a 300 hp Suzuki next, but I like having options and twin 150's are another...

Pulling the motors last year during a warm spell we had in Jan. 2016

Here are the only pics I have at the moment of the back of the boat where the engine box and twin mercruisers once resided.

I owned two SEI drives hooked up to twin mercruiser 165's before I converted my Sea Ray to an outboard boat. In short, my opinion is they're decent outdrives with a great warranty. I wouldn't label them awesome, just good. I purchased both new. I had one get very noisy in its second year of...

Thanks! I will post pictures of the flybridge removal, new hardtop build and outboard conversion in a couple weeks. I am finishing the interior up in April, so I'll take pics and post as I go.

Beautiful !!

This is her first time in the water with the outboard. Spring 2016. We went on to put 150 hours on it last year on Lake Ontario New York, plus a summer trip in July to the Florida Keys to do some lobstering & fishing :-) Love this boat now more than ever !!!