Replacing your vinyl

[dogbert]

I thought I'd share my experience replacing my vinyl on my boat. The pictures here are with my vinyl already removed and I plan to take some pictures of re-installing the cushions when I get them back from my vinyl guy.

To remove the center bow seatback, I had to remove my bow speakers to reach 4 nuts and washers that held the thing on. The remaining seatbacks were fastened with deck screws directly into the fiberglass from between the seams on the seatbacks. I was able to get most of them with a screwdriver, but a few had rusted heads and disintegrated when I tried to unscrew them. I used a flat pry bar to separate the seatback from the side of the boat. I found the screws and used a hammer to tap against the screws, which promptly snapped. I then trimmed the leftover screw with a heavy duty wire cutter.

So, here's what it looks like with everything out:

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7550.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7538.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7540.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7542.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7545.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7546.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7547.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7548.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7549.jpg

[illiniboarder88]

Looks like yours was almost identical to mine. I did back out some of the screws with a pair of vicegrips. Unrortunately, I have the added challenge of no bow speakers

[dogbert]

Looks like yours was almost identical to mine. I did back out some of the screws with a pair of vicegrips. Unrortunately, I have the added challenge of no bow speakers

Time to get some! :D Get some of those WetSounds. The sound spectacular. :ro:

[TeamAllen]

Looks GREAT Dog! Good time time to clean all the nooks and crannies out.

Can't wait to see the finished product! How long @ the upholstery shop?

[spharis]

I like your boat.

[dogbert]

Looks GREAT Dog! Good time time to clean all the nooks and crannies out.

It's amazing how dirty it looked before I did clean it.

[dogbert]

I like your boat.

Thanks, man. Hey, when you redid your boat, did you also redo the carpet? How easy is that to do yourself?

[samw]

Dogbert
That looks great. Your boat looks almost like mine. I have a 01 2100 V. Now I know how it should look if I ever need to do this. Wow there is a lot of holes behid the seats.

Great job. Can't wait to se it with the new skins.

[spharis]

No carpet, mine is a mofo as I have carpeted support boards as well.

I have a bad spot. I am making templates to send to a snap in carpet maker to get overlays done. Seems like a better solution than replacing right now.

Yours on the other hand doesn't look like it would be that bad. Razz took photos and documented his replacement. You have a much easier job b/c you are all fiberglass.

[chpthril]

Looking good, cant wait to see it finished :ro:

[dogbert]

Yours on the other hand doesn't look like it would be that bad. Razz took photos and documented his replacement. You have a much easier job b/c you are all fiberglass.

I just need to replace what's in the cockpit. The spots around the fuel tank cover are pretty threadbare...I'll take some close-ups so you can see what's going on.

Other than that, it is in pretty good shape. Thanks for the tip.

[spharis]

I did find Olefin carpet in 20oz on ebay by the yard x 8ft. That seemed to be the best deal so far. I have not been able to find it from local stores like Razz did.

[dogbert]

Ok, so I got my vinyl back and I'll step through the installation.

Before I forget, a handy tool to have when removing the seat backs is a flat bar:

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/wonderbar.jpg

You'll need to carefully work the seat back away from the side of the boat to get it in there, but if you place it up against the screws that you can't back out, you can gently tap them with a hammer against the Wonder Bar and they will break.

So, the first thing I put back was the bow center seat back.

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7555.jpg

I had to slide mine in using the channels that were cut out by the factory.

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7556.jpg

Next, you'll need to remove the speakers in the bow so you can reach back behind to attach the washers and nuts. There are 4 of them. You'll need a 7/16" wrench to do that.

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7557.jpg

Next I attached the side seatback cushions in the bow. My Black & Decker drill bit kit came with a handy screw driver socket that had a sleeve that you could put over the screw. It works great for this application.

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7558.jpg

It helps having an extra set of hands and my wife volunteered. She positioned the cushion where we needed it. I started with the seat back against the driver's console and worked my way forward. I'd advise doing that because the bow is round and if you do the ends first, it won't be flush against the side of the boat. You'll need to spread the cushion in between that seam and be ready to apply some serious pressure. I used #7 Deckmate 1.5" long deck screws and they worked just fine.

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7559.jpg
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7560.jpg
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7561.jpg
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7562.jpg
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7563.jpg

And that's all there is to it.

[dogbert]

Next, I attached the side panel by the throttle. You'll want to do this first because you'll need someone to reach in behind the fiberglass to attache the washers and nuts. My arms were too big, so my wife helped.


http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7565.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7566.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7567.jpg

Next we attached the remaining seatback cushions. Just a reminder, there are lag screws that go into the back of the two rear side seat backs from the V-Drive compartments. I found that if I first attached them with a deck screw or two, it made getting the seat backs on a bit easier.

Finally, we attached the observer's seatback.

So, here's the final product.


http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7564.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7568.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7569.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7570.jpg

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee313/dogberttx/IMG_7571.jpg

I get my VisionAir chair on Monday.

[xpjim1]

Great job. Boat looks sweer

[samw]

Dog
That looks awesome, I can't wait to see the vision Air chair...
Again thanks for the the great pics.

[chpthril]

^^^^^^^^^^
What xp said :ro:

Oh, and pink nail polish is not you color

[Jason B]

Looks Nice! They did a good job.

like the shorts and barefoot too...wouldn't run that here in WI ;)

[Lunchbox]

Wow - That looks fantastic! I like the all solid color... I bet that feels like a new boat...

The Wetsounds look good too...

[shane]

I am planning on re doing my interior in the next few months. How much did that job cost

[spharis]

Shane,
I know a lady in Alexandria that you can drop your stuff off to and it is about half a shop's price. Let me know if you want her info.

[dogbert]

I am planning on re doing my interior in the next few months. How much did that job cost

I replaced all the vinyl except my dash and seat for $3500. The new stuff is much higher quality than what I had.

[kko]

my arms were to big:bs: you just didnt want to get fiberglass all over you.:D J/K congrats it really looks great. you guys did a great job.

[dogbert]

my arms were to big:bs: you just didnt want to get fiberglass all over you.

dogbert & tight spaces don't mix...let's just leave it at that :D

[shane]

Thanxs I will get a price from a local shop here and be in touch in a few months.

[laserfish]

Beautiful job. Your seat bottoms now look like mine on my Riders edition, except I have one long cushion in the back. Easier to keep clean, and no seams to tear. Wish my seat backs looked like yours though. Love the color too.

[da.bell]

Dog, are you planning to replace the carpet next?

[dogbert]

Dog, are you planning to replace the carpet next?

Have you been talking to my wife? :eek: She thinks I need to. It sounds like a messy job judging from what's been posted here. But, yes, trying to figure out what to do here. I'd really like to have a snap-in carpet, but realize that I need to then finish what's underneath there now.

The real problem as I see it is that I'll need to buy enough to cover the cockpit and then a second piece to cover the removeable floor panel above my fuel tank. There needs to be enough for some overlap for that section.

Anyway, I've still got the manufacturer's warranty booklet for the carpet so I was going to contact them to find out how I can get carpet to match what I have. I really don't feel like re-doing the whole boat if I can help it...although, removing the carpet from the bow area and rhino lining it seems like the way to go...I have to think about that.

[da.bell]

Someone on Wakeworld was asking about the rhino lining of the boat. There is pro's and con's to everything but rhino lining does seem like it would work.

[spharis]

When I get ready, I am rhino lining and then dropping carpet over it.

[dogbert]

Someone on Wakeworld was asking about the rhino lining of the boat. There is pro's and con's to everything but rhino lining does seem like it would work.

You mean even areas that you would normally carpet? I wonder if you could carpet over the rhino liner? With a snap-in carpet?

[da.bell]

Here is one article about it. Thought it was Rhino Lining but Line-X was the product that we was talking about.

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3183/550939.html