# Another Jon Boat rebuild.



## delta dooler

A few months ago I picked up a 15' Cajun Special pretty cheap and done some work to it (stripped, painted, added floors, etc) and IMO it turned out great. I had a 40 Hp Tiller Merc from another boat that I dropped on it, and it is downright scary !
Link to other "Redo" --->> http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f23/new-old-boat-307281/

So I been looking for a smaller motor and finally come across a 20Hp Johnson on the cheap and picked it up a few days ago, it was missing quite a bit of paint so I sanded and painted it, turned out pretty well i think. 

Before








After








I plan on pulling the 40 Hp Merc off the Cajun Special and putting the 20 Johnson on it , and putting the Merc on my newly aquired boat I picked up. (a 2002 Lowe 1648 Big John)

This boat was really beat and banged up (was used in pier contruction), but it didnt leak a drop so I picked it up for a whopping $100.

It was full of nails, concrete, dirt and whatever you may think of, so the first thing I did was clean it all out. Then straightened as much of the bent up metal I could and off to the blast yard it went.

I picked it up from the yard a couple days ago and decided to remove the middle bench seat, Im also going to extend the bow deck by 2.5'. this will give me alot more floor space as well as cut down on a little weight.

when I got it (NASTY)








all cleaned out








after bench removed








going to add some transom bracing









I pln on adding aluminum floors, Im going to coat them with the same stuff I did on the Cajun Special (Rust Oleum Restore 10X) it has held up quite well in the other boat, looks great, offers great non skid properties as well.

Hopefully Ill be able to get welding done this weekend and start painting on it Monday. I'll post more pics as I progress.


----------



## TeaSea

You have talents. :thumbsup:


----------



## tkh329

Nice!


----------



## skiff89_jr

Can't believe you got away with that boat for $100...jealous


----------



## Jason

Looking good, just a few more $$$$$$$!!!! hahaha


----------



## finfever61

Looks like a great project but your supervisor in a couple pics doesn't look like she's too engaged in the build.


----------



## delta dooler

finfever61 said:


> Looks like a great project but your supervisor in a couple pics doesn't look like she's too engaged in the build.


strictly moral support there ! LOL


----------



## delta dooler

Finally was able to get boat to the shop to get welding done. Welder is backed up and not expecting to get it finished until late in the week .

Decided to try and make my own camo stencils today, we'll see how they turn out soon !


----------



## Mike aka FishWerks

I always enjoy a jon boat project. Looks like your off to a good start! Keep us posted! :thumbsup:


----------



## pigman25

I'm doing the same thing


----------



## DLo

If you don't like how the stencils are working just use limbs from around the yard, try to find some with the leaves spread out a little. I like to spray my lighter colors over these, it gives it a natural shadow effect. Palmetto leaves, oak branches, just tall bunches of grass all work well. Good luck.


----------



## delta dooler

After 2 weeks of sitting at the welding shop, the welding FINALLY got done. 
I got it home this morning and just applied my 2nd coat of paint. I'm going to let it dry for a couple house before I start my camo job.








Added some transom reinforcement , don't think it "needed" it, just thought I'd beef it up a little just in case.


----------



## delta dooler

Rivet holes welded up where I removed center bench seat


----------



## delta dooler

After 2nd coat of paint.


----------



## Ocean Master

Looks great and it's always fun to restore anything..!


----------



## delta dooler

Finished painting, not to proud of the camo job, but at least it floats and it'll serve the purpose.


----------



## delta dooler




----------



## delta dooler




----------



## delta dooler




----------



## skiff89_jr

Looks good. Camo doesn't look bad in my opinion.


----------



## Mike Moore

Fine job!


----------



## Mike aka FishWerks

The boat looks great!


----------



## delta dooler

My aluminum floor hookup fell through and um too cheap to buy the other flooring I found, so I went with some 19/32 plywood, got it cut to fit this evening, I'm gonna paint the underside and topside Tommorow, hopefully by painting the underside and by sealing the edges,I can get a few years out of it before it rots away.


----------



## delta dooler

Bow deck measures 48x54 and floor deck measures 48x102


----------



## scott44

Similar to mine.I got a 1448. Good for one person to fish out of but mine does not like rough water or wind at all but I can fish all week on $20 worth of gas.


----------



## delta dooler

Got decking painted this morning, just applied 3rd and last coat 
Went ahead and pulled wires under ribs for lighting.

I ordered a 14" LED bar light for the bow as well as a new LED red/green light. Also ordered 15' of green waterproof LED lighting for the interior for cat fishing at night, got to be better than holding a flashlight in your mouth!


----------



## delta dooler

Decks got dry enough to drop in, I'll be screwing them down Tommorow .


----------



## delta dooler




----------



## pigman25

What's the boat name


----------



## delta dooler

pigman25 said:


> What's the boat name


Haven't thought about that one yet!


----------



## Flounder9.75

Bryan 
As long as you've some air gaps around the edges and make sure all the water get's drain out and you keep it under that shed I would think you'd get a bunch of years out of the floor. 
I have a buddy that has wood in his an it was doing fine until he decided to seal up the front section to keep the fish slime from getting under it. Well the front section started too delaminate within 2 yrs and the back section is still doing fine. 

So the secret is to Let it breath so it don't rot.


----------



## delta dooler

Got motors swapped out today, (took the 40 merc off the cajun special and put the 20 johnson on it, and put the merc on the Lowe. The johnson pushes the cajun about 26 mph per GPS and the Merc pushes the Lowe about 32. (Empty boat with just me in it)


----------



## delta dooler




----------



## delta dooler

Here's a pic of both boats ready to go. Still have to install running lights, cleats and a few other odds and ends, should be complete within the week.


----------



## skiff89_jr

Wow thought the 40 would have pushed it upper 30's. Still not bad though.


----------



## Mike Moore

Impressive build. You could have a wrestling match on that front deck.... lol


----------



## delta dooler

skiff89_jr said:


> Wow thought the 40 would have pushed it upper 30's. Still not bad though.


It probably would if the motor was propped correctly, some a-hole stole the prop off it a few months ago and the one I have on it is way too small, (hits rev limiter at WOT)


----------



## Flounder9.75

Looks good now, we want an end of season picture in Feb.


----------



## delta dooler

Flounder9.75 said:


> Looks good now, we want an end of season picture in Feb.


I'll bet the decks won't look as good by then (be bloodied up) I hope season turns out good, finally learning where the deer are at over here, the hogs are easy enough, probably won't do as good as we did last year, but if we do half as good I'll still be happy.


----------



## Jason

Looks like a hunting machine!!! Did great work brother!!!


----------



## delta dooler

Got my interior LED's in this evening, I think they turned out great. I put the front lights under the deck, and the back ones under a piece of 1" aluminum angle I fastened to the bench seat. No matter where you are at in the boat, you can't see the bulbs directly, just the glow from the lights.


----------



## delta dooler




----------



## delta dooler

Rear bench


----------



## drifterfisher

Very cool rig. Would be a fine flounder rig with that front deck.


----------



## X-Shark

I find it is usually hard to photograph pix's of lights. This is due to the flash on the camera.

Your's actually seem to bright.

But I have washboards added to my boat and this acts to not allow the light to reflect up. Kinda the way a lamp shade acts.

I have 3- 2ft strings and 2- 8ft strings on my boat. The 2ftrs are under the generator stand, in the console & in the forward storage area under the deck.

The 8ftrs run under the washboards.

The lights are actually white, but appear blue against the Sea foam Green.


----------



## delta dooler

They do look unusually bright in my pic, they don't seem that bright in person. I took pic with no flash and boat was in garage last night with the lights out.


----------



## X-Shark

10-4


----------



## delta dooler

Got my light bar mounted this evening, went and dropped it in the water to see how it worked, that sucker is BRIGHT!


----------



## delta dooler




----------



## delta dooler




----------



## delta dooler




----------



## Getsome

delta dooler said:


> View attachment 347530


That is nice Delta. Where did you buy it?


----------



## delta dooler

Getsome said:


> That is nice Delta. Where did you buy it?


eBay , there are hundreds of them there and some are definitely better than others. 

A friend has had the same light for 2 yrs on his rig with no problems and with lots of use, so I ordered from the same distributor. For $70 it's hard to beat.


----------



## delta dooler

Made me a seat cushion for the rear bench today.


----------



## delta dooler




----------



## delta dooler




----------

