Got a new project. 87 seville 21 cc

justintaylor

New Member
May 6, 2017
4
West Virginia
Boat Info
Seville 21cc
Engines
4.3l merc
Hey guys i am new to this site and forums all together. I am also new to boating. I have a small 12' v bottom but thats a far cry from rebuilding this one. I love the water and everything to do with it so i am excited to get started. Me and my brother were given a 21' seville cuddy cabin. I am going to rebuild the deck and were going to rebuild the motor. We have the old kotor with a cracked block and a used motor. I guess i need some help deciding in what order to do it all. I know nofjing about outdrives, cables for steering, wiring.....but i am an able bodied carpenter who can rebuild the deck and seats!

I will appreciate all the help on the boat, expierences, pictures, and advice on even knowing what questions i should be asking.
Thanks
 
Search for FriscoBoater he also has a you tube channel. Plenty of info on rebuilding.

Good luck. And without pics it didn’t happen!
 
Congrats on the boat and welcome to the Forum. I recently refurbished a 1984 19' Seville for a friend and I am in the last 30 days of a restoration/modification/upgrade of a 1985 Cobalt CM23. First, I admire your enthusiasm and I hope you will stick with the project.

My Cobalt was supposed to be a 6-month project. I am now approaching year 4 and I, like you, am capable and have done much of the work myself. I started with a very sound structure with the Cobalt as it had solid transom, stringers, foredeck and floor. You say you are going to rebuild the deck, do you mean the foredeck or the floor? I would also strongly urge you to have the transom and the stringers professionally inspected for rot which would not be uncommon in the Seville models. You don't want to dump a bunch of time and money into a project only to find out very costly repairs are needed to the boat's structure. The Seville models were sort of an entry-level Sea Ray and some areas of construction and materials were not the same quality as say the Sorrento or Monaco models that came out about the same time or a little later.

The 4.3L V-6 and Alpha I package is a very good one for that boat and it should provide great performance. A word of caution....be sure the old motor you are going to use for the rebuild is a "marine" motor and not a automotive motor as many parts are different. For just one example, the freeze plugs in a marine motor are brass and not steel to prevent corrosion. Also you cannot safely use an automotive starter or alternator in a boat.

I hate to be negative but I want you to understand that this effort/project you are about to tackle is not cheap and will consume a lot of time. I usually advise folks starting this type of boat project to figure on spending twice the amount of money you are planning on and triple the amount of time it will take. Also understand that you will never get all of your investment back if you want to sell. Your boat in very good condition is only worth about $3-4,000 assuming it is sitting on a very nice trailer. As a reference I overpaid $3500 for my Cobalt. This was a boat that I owned for 10 years 1989-1998 and I knew the boat very well. I am now into it over $13,000....and remember, I have done most of the work myself.

Hopefully I have not depressed you too much. I hope you stick with it through completion. It can be fun and rewarding....just not financially rewarding. And its a great opportunity to learn the workings of a boat and its systems. Another tip is to use the internet for research, parts and instruction. As big Island Lifer said, check out YouTube as there are many videos of how-to tips for boating.

Keep us updated and post pictures. Feel free to ask me questions and I will help you where I can. I hope you see it through.
Shawn
 
Thanks guys. I spent hours and hours doing research wjen i first got the boat. Then with my new job it was put on hold all winter. I know it wont be cheap by any means. But i am hoping to go in stages. And never do i plan to get my money back. Just want a boat to get out on the water with family and friends. I am glad to have gotten feed back so quick.

The man who owned the boat was planning to restore but didnt have time. So i have the extra motor, new rollors on the trailer, new wheels and tires on trailer, and half of the seats are new. I know thats a far cry from getting me finished but its a start. I try to be a glass-half-full kind of guy.

I will have the help of 2 other shade tree mechanics and carpenters. Well 1 is another really good carpenter. So i think as far as labor goes were good. It will move along as fast as our schedule and pockets allow. The budget will really be calling the shots. I will try to attach some before pictures.
Thanks
 
Here a coupke pictures. I have spent 3 hours cleaning out old junk. And the tarp flew off in a storm a few nights ago. Got a boat cover in my shopping cart from amazon now.
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Justin, from just what I see in your pictures I am really concerned about the integrity of the stringers. Do yourself a big favor and look for a Professional Marine Surveyor and have him survey the boat. Look for one with experience surveying that vintage/model boat. It will cost you a couple hundred dollars but could save you thousands.

I didn't see pics of the outdrive but if it needs a lot of work look into the drive units made by SEI. They are good reliable outdrives and the cost of a new one could be less than the rebuild.

Best of luck. I think you have your hands full. Great color on the boat. Love the green.
Shawn
 
Thanks for the heads up guys. I think instead of having it surveyed only to tell me what i already know, which is to replace it all, i am just going to proceed. That way i can use the couple hundred on repairs instead of survey. Tore apart the marine engine this weekend. Has a cracked block. Now i have to tear apart the replacment engine and see what all i have that is salvagable.

I also have a boat cover and a few tyvek suits on order. Gonna start gutting the deck and stringers from the cabin back once the weather clears. Wish me luck and keep the warnings and advice coming.
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here are my two workers
 
Justin

I think you may be missing the point the guys above are trying to give you.

A marine surveyor is well worth their weight in gold, with the boat full of water in the pics there is a significant (read 75% or greater) chance the stringers are rotten. If this is the case, you will have to make significant repairs to maintain the structural integrity of this boat (read 3-8k dollars). While we love restoration threads and helping with the process along the wat, the last thing you will want to hear is you have spent 10k on engine and interior just to find out the hull itself is shot.

I can’t stress enough how seriously you should find a surveyor as step 1.

Not trying to scare you off but the engine and interior are the easy part compared to structural items. Where are you located? Someone on here probably knows a reputable surveyor in your area.
 

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