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Project Hydrostream Vulture

Restoring your Hydrostream or just giving it a small makeover? What better place than to show off your project. Big or small.
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Project Hydrostream Vulture

Post: # 8732Post Hippie459MN »

Well, I decided to make a whole new topic as the other one was getting very overwhelming with posts and clutter. I will date all of the posts to current so you can see the time frame I have been at what seems to be a never ending project.

Everything will be here that is in my original topic from getting it home to discovering my issues to tearing it apart to my current point and I will be using this topic to do most my updates from now on also.

Original topic - 1977 Vulture Rebuild (NOTE: A lot of the images are broke in that topic due to Photobuckets recent changes -July 14th 2017)

Enjoy. :boating:
-Kevin
Project Vulture | Project Vector | Project Vamp | Project Vixen
The Vulture Wish List | Project CobraJet

1977 HydroStream Vulture - Worlds longest ongoing project. :eek:
1982 Hydrostream Vector
1982 Hydrostream Vamp
1973 Hydrostream Vixen
1976 CobraJet Jet Boat - Outboard conversion project
1976 Pontoon - aka The Family Truckster
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Re: Project Hydrostream Vulture

Post: # 8733Post Hippie459MN »

Original Post - Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:37 pm
Well, I made it home with my new Vulture but it wasnt easy. About 1/4 of the way home the transmission on my truck decided to go south and lost overdrive and about 3/4 of 3rd gear. After a quick temparay fix (Gotta love Lucas products) I was back on the road. It was a slow drive home but I made it.

Here are a few pictures of my new 1977 Hydrostream Vulture.

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It needs a few small things here and there and some power but it will be in the water this summer for sure. First on order is some rubrail, a windshield, and a shifter. Then the seats will get some attention and I should be in good shape for the summer.

Many more pictures to come as I get to work on this thing. :boating:

And Todd (hotrodtodd), Thank you for the boat! :up:
-Kevin
Project Vulture | Project Vector | Project Vamp | Project Vixen
The Vulture Wish List | Project CobraJet

1977 HydroStream Vulture - Worlds longest ongoing project. :eek:
1982 Hydrostream Vector
1982 Hydrostream Vamp
1973 Hydrostream Vixen
1976 CobraJet Jet Boat - Outboard conversion project
1976 Pontoon - aka The Family Truckster
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Re: Project Hydrostream Vulture

Post: # 8735Post Hippie459MN »

Original Post - Wed Apr 15, 2009 6:12 pm

After about a few hours of work today I managed to get the back seat out and that thing was completely rotten. It was just sitting in there so that was super easy to get out. Just lift and toss.

Next I drained about 4-5 gallons of what looked and smelled like paint thinner out of the gas tank and that got that outta there.

Next I started removing all the wiring and so far I am half way done with that. I will continue taking the rest out in the next day or so but got most of the big stuff out.

Well, here is what I started with.
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All that wiring kind of scares me. :o Time for all new stuff! :mrgreen:
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Here is half of the wiring I pulled out of it. Alot more to go yet.
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Here it is with the back seat and gas tank and all the wiring out and all cleaned up.
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Dont worry, This winter the major makeover gets done. Just putting in the water this summer to get it out of my system. :boating:

Until next time...
-Kevin
Project Vulture | Project Vector | Project Vamp | Project Vixen
The Vulture Wish List | Project CobraJet

1977 HydroStream Vulture - Worlds longest ongoing project. :eek:
1982 Hydrostream Vector
1982 Hydrostream Vamp
1973 Hydrostream Vixen
1976 CobraJet Jet Boat - Outboard conversion project
1976 Pontoon - aka The Family Truckster
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Re: Project Hydrostream Vulture

Post: # 8736Post Hippie459MN »

Original Post - Mon May 04, 2009 7:11 pm

Worked on it a bit more today. Worked on more wiring. Got it all out of there for the most part. They sure didn't hold back on the electrical tape.

Here is the gas tank and wondering if there is any way to figure out short of dumping something in gallon by gallon to figure out what size tank this is off the measurements.

Also, Anyone know where to get a new sending unit for this? I am thinking of going with AutoMeter gauges. Wonder if they would have one that will work.

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That black mark on the one side is a grease mark and its not a crack. Also, The little top section is 7 inches wide. I forgot to mark it in the picture.
77viper wrote:Most boat dealers should have a universal sending unit. You will have to bend the float arm to make it read correct.
-Kevin
Project Vulture | Project Vector | Project Vamp | Project Vixen
The Vulture Wish List | Project CobraJet

1977 HydroStream Vulture - Worlds longest ongoing project. :eek:
1982 Hydrostream Vector
1982 Hydrostream Vamp
1973 Hydrostream Vixen
1976 CobraJet Jet Boat - Outboard conversion project
1976 Pontoon - aka The Family Truckster
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Topic Author
Hippie459MN
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Re: Project Hydrostream Vulture

Post: # 8737Post Hippie459MN »

Original post - Wed May 06, 2009 3:10 pm

With the tank in the boat the filler neck on the tank is just about right under the filler on the boat.

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As for the transom support inside, it does look like someone notched it so the tank would sit back farther.

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And now for the bad news of this whole thing but it has not stopped me from finishing this project, Just a little bit of a new direction now.

The neighbor guy came over today to check it out and while he was there we moved the boat around on the trailer so I could get a better look at things and I didnt like what I found. :(

Now I have not had the boat off the trailer myself so dont get on me to much about this. :)

First I had been looking at some of this silicone on the bottom of the hull/transom area and decided to peal some off (Alot of it actually) and this is what I found under it.

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After finding that is when I decided to enlist the neighbor to help me move this around some and look at this... :(

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I really dont know what to say other than... :shock: :cry:
-Kevin
Project Vulture | Project Vector | Project Vamp | Project Vixen
The Vulture Wish List | Project CobraJet

1977 HydroStream Vulture - Worlds longest ongoing project. :eek:
1982 Hydrostream Vector
1982 Hydrostream Vamp
1973 Hydrostream Vixen
1976 CobraJet Jet Boat - Outboard conversion project
1976 Pontoon - aka The Family Truckster
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Topic Author
Hippie459MN
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Re: Project Hydrostream Vulture

Post: # 8738Post Hippie459MN »

Original Post - Jun 01, 2009 7:19 pm

Well, I got a tiny bit done. Not near anything that should have been so far but this whole being sick and on all kinds of meds for 3 weeks now kicked my butt but I am now feeling up to working on the boat a bit now that I don't have to take them tasty non coated pills 3 times a day.

Today all I really managed to do was get the seats out and most of the carpet. The bottom cushions of the seat had wood bottoms and the wood was so wet it turned black. The back and seat base are all ABS though so I will be able to just get them redone at some point.

I also pulled all the carpet up and just scratched my head and said wow out loud to myself. lol

Here is the seats out and the carpet up. The back side of the seat box and the entire seat box sounds like just a hollow thin fiberglass box with no wood and it flexes like crazy in the back. Also not the lack of any glass/epoxy or anything on the floor. Only on the edges of the non marine grade plywood.

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Notice the holes in the floor in the 2 pictures above and below. I am going to say 3-4 good whacks with the claw on the hammer to break the somewhat dry pot layer of wood then right into the mud! And that's just the floor. :(

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Check out the lack of bonding on left side of the entire floor. I pealed a bunch of it up by hand. The right side was actually attached for the most part.

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I would have been able to just pry the floor out I'm sure if it wasn't for the screws every 6 inches or so from the seat box area back. And as luck would have it they were all filled with glue or epoxy or whatever they used so they are all going to see the grinder. :up:

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Here are just a few more pictures I snapped today. Someone really took just about every shortcut on this thing at one time.

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How do you like that fiberglass knee brace. If that's what it really is. :cry:

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Well tomorrow I hope to have a lot more done. I seemed to have not brought back the right bucket of tools from my other garage so I had no grinder or anything really otherwise that floor would have been out in no time flat today. HOPEFULLY there will be more pics tomorrow with no floor and some other stuff gone. :)
-Kevin
Project Vulture | Project Vector | Project Vamp | Project Vixen
The Vulture Wish List | Project CobraJet

1977 HydroStream Vulture - Worlds longest ongoing project. :eek:
1982 Hydrostream Vector
1982 Hydrostream Vamp
1973 Hydrostream Vixen
1976 CobraJet Jet Boat - Outboard conversion project
1976 Pontoon - aka The Family Truckster
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Topic Author
Hippie459MN
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Re: Project Hydrostream Vulture

Post: # 8739Post Hippie459MN »

Original post - Jul 01, 2009 10:25 pm

Little update. I managed to get the floor out today. Only had about 2 hours to work on it so I made the best of it.
Now, The core has been replaced at one point and I will show you the wonderful job they did.
:pound:

Click the images to enlarge them. :up:
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As you can see, the core is plywood but looks to be dry but I will not know for sure till I get it out. And by the looks of everything else in the boat, I doubt its even marine grade. Also the seat box (or what one would call the seat box) is soaked and coming apart. I might try to get that out tomorrow if I have some time.

Also, There was strips on the outside that the entire edge of the floor sat on that was used to screw into. Some one also wasn't shy about using plenty of epoxy and what not by the looks of it. The stingers are not covered in anything in a few spots but don't seem to be wet but then again, Looks can be deceiving so it will all get fixed. If there in like the floor was it should just about pull right out. lol

I still need to get the jackplate and all the transom reinforcements junk off and then I will figure things out more from there.

Any and all comments are welcome. :) Good or bad. lol
-Kevin
Project Vulture | Project Vector | Project Vamp | Project Vixen
The Vulture Wish List | Project CobraJet

1977 HydroStream Vulture - Worlds longest ongoing project. :eek:
1982 Hydrostream Vector
1982 Hydrostream Vamp
1973 Hydrostream Vixen
1976 CobraJet Jet Boat - Outboard conversion project
1976 Pontoon - aka The Family Truckster
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Topic Author
Hippie459MN
Site Admin
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Posts: 3966
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Re: Project Hydrostream Vulture

Post: # 8740Post Hippie459MN »

Original Post - Sun Aug 09, 2009 1:31 pm

Hopefully Monday the boat comes home so I can get to work on a few things. I took it in to get an estimate on getting the bottom of the hull fixed. I want to get to work on this big time! I must have a boat next spring. :D
-Kevin
Project Vulture | Project Vector | Project Vamp | Project Vixen
The Vulture Wish List | Project CobraJet

1977 HydroStream Vulture - Worlds longest ongoing project. :eek:
1982 Hydrostream Vector
1982 Hydrostream Vamp
1973 Hydrostream Vixen
1976 CobraJet Jet Boat - Outboard conversion project
1976 Pontoon - aka The Family Truckster
User avatar

Topic Author
Hippie459MN
Site Admin
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Posts: 3966
Joined: Mar 25, 2009 7:31 pm
Location: Nowthen, MN
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Re: Project Hydrostream Vulture

Post: # 8741Post Hippie459MN »

Original Post - Tue Aug 18, 2009 4:02 pm

Well, I got my REALLY hight estimate today for them to do all the work as of where it sits right now. He is guessing once they get it in and look at it more it should go down some but here is what they have so far...

2.00 hours to set up to rotate or lift from trailer
8.70 hours to remove old section of floor and center stingers
18.30 hours to remove wood laminated to hull as core
4.50 hours to prep and pattern new core for hull
23.00 hours to straighten hull and laminate core in place
6.80 hours to cut out spalshwell and remove ald transom and clean
6.40 hours to pattern and fabricate new transom and laminate
5.70 hours to laminate splashwell in place and transom gussets

For a total of 75.40 hours at $89.00 an hour for a total of $6,710.60 and another $1,508.00 for materials and $98.02 of materials tax.

So I am looking at a super high of $8,613.62. :shock:

He said he is sure they can knock that down some and if I do a few things myself it could save some here and there also. No matter what direction I go, It will be ready for the water come spring time so start buying some stickers people so I can fund this thing a bit. :D
-Kevin
Project Vulture | Project Vector | Project Vamp | Project Vixen
The Vulture Wish List | Project CobraJet

1977 HydroStream Vulture - Worlds longest ongoing project. :eek:
1982 Hydrostream Vector
1982 Hydrostream Vamp
1973 Hydrostream Vixen
1976 CobraJet Jet Boat - Outboard conversion project
1976 Pontoon - aka The Family Truckster
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Topic Author
Hippie459MN
Site Admin
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Posts: 3966
Joined: Mar 25, 2009 7:31 pm
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Re: Project Hydrostream Vulture

Post: # 8742Post Hippie459MN »

Original Post - Wed Mar 31, 2010 5:14 pm

Well, Got the seat box out today and was amazed at how they repaired this boat. :dunno:

I will have pics in a bit with some info. Its going to be slow getting this apart as the amount of epoxy they used is ridiculous and uncalled for. LoL
-Kevin
Project Vulture | Project Vector | Project Vamp | Project Vixen
The Vulture Wish List | Project CobraJet

1977 HydroStream Vulture - Worlds longest ongoing project. :eek:
1982 Hydrostream Vector
1982 Hydrostream Vamp
1973 Hydrostream Vixen
1976 CobraJet Jet Boat - Outboard conversion project
1976 Pontoon - aka The Family Truckster
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