yembo77
06-26-2013, 08:29 AM
Well I bought this boat after an exhaustive search last fall. I got her back home, put her in the garage, and started to plan.
The boat has new awlgrip paint and a new rebuild Merc 350, so it's a great place to start. Most of the vinyl is new so it didn't need much, but the dash was original and hurting. See the before pics to see what I mean. Someone had cut a hole in it, the stock volt gauge died, so they cut a hole to add another, and they cut another hole for a gas fumes alarm. It needed help.
I started by picking out the Autometer Carbon fiber gauge kit and decided to delete the speedometer. I like the big center tack look and wanted to go that route. I then decided on a Livorsi steering wheel and I was off.
I then had to figure out what to use for the new panels. I was hell bent on red anodized aluminum, and I still think that might have been a better choice for durability, but it's much harder to produce, and doesn't hold up as well. A friend of mine owns a trophy and awards company and uses laser engraving machines for everything. Most the of the products he uses for that are acrylics with a solid color or pattern laminated to the backside of the clear acrylic. You then laser through that layer and engrave into the thick acrylic. I decided on a 3/16" carbon fiber laminated acrylic. I then went to town drafting the panels and adding the logos in adobe illustrator. My background is design so this part I had down.
And after many months of work, She's finally done. It didn't come out perfectly and I still have to mount switch, but overall I'm happy with it. I'll redo a few pieces over the winter time, but the summer is here! Hope to see you guys on the water.
Thanks,
Matt
87' Donzi ZB21, "She Gone!"
7644476442764437644076441764457644676447
The boat has new awlgrip paint and a new rebuild Merc 350, so it's a great place to start. Most of the vinyl is new so it didn't need much, but the dash was original and hurting. See the before pics to see what I mean. Someone had cut a hole in it, the stock volt gauge died, so they cut a hole to add another, and they cut another hole for a gas fumes alarm. It needed help.
I started by picking out the Autometer Carbon fiber gauge kit and decided to delete the speedometer. I like the big center tack look and wanted to go that route. I then decided on a Livorsi steering wheel and I was off.
I then had to figure out what to use for the new panels. I was hell bent on red anodized aluminum, and I still think that might have been a better choice for durability, but it's much harder to produce, and doesn't hold up as well. A friend of mine owns a trophy and awards company and uses laser engraving machines for everything. Most the of the products he uses for that are acrylics with a solid color or pattern laminated to the backside of the clear acrylic. You then laser through that layer and engrave into the thick acrylic. I decided on a 3/16" carbon fiber laminated acrylic. I then went to town drafting the panels and adding the logos in adobe illustrator. My background is design so this part I had down.
And after many months of work, She's finally done. It didn't come out perfectly and I still have to mount switch, but overall I'm happy with it. I'll redo a few pieces over the winter time, but the summer is here! Hope to see you guys on the water.
Thanks,
Matt
87' Donzi ZB21, "She Gone!"
7644476442764437644076441764457644676447