St Tropez coming from Cannes

[Cracker box]

Hello,
I am new on this forum. I registered 2 weeks ago to find informations on a boat i was planning to buy. I only got 2 pictures and it was said to be a Donzi...

Thanks to this site I found it was a St Tropez.
I rode 2400 km to go and buy it. I don't know how much St Tropez are existing in Europe (very very few i think) so i have good reason to think that this one, coming 80 km from st tropez is quite funny and unique.
It was repainted but de color is exactly the same as the original gelcoat said the owner. As anybody ever seen one in this color ?

There are no serial number i found. Documents says it was build in 1970 and imported in England. (It was first a tender on a Great Britanian yacht until 1977).

It has the volvo 110 hp. Was this engine still inproduction in 1970 ? I don't know.

[Morgan's Cloud]

Hi CrackerB and welcome to the board.

I think that they did do one or two in solid colours as there was an all red brochure boat if I'm not mistaken.
Back in '70 Volvo was making the 110/125L4 and the 170 L6 engines only , if I'm not mistaken. My pops had a boat of that vintage and it had the two 170s in it and 270 (non trim) drives.

What are your plans for it now ?

I have a '66 and if you search carefully enough you can find the thread I posted with lots of pictures of it's complete dismantling and resto.
The St T's are fraught with problems and I'm pretty familiar with what they are.
It's unlikely that with a 100hp engine it would have taken much of a beating though in its previous life.

I believe that , as investigated here , the total build on the St T's was 117 with the last one being made after a long gap in production in 1976.

Look forward to hearing more about your boat .

[Conquistador_del_mar]

That light blue color gelcoat was used on quite a few early Donzis.

[mattyboy]

serial numbers on the drive and motor might help id the boat

i can check the records

102 total 19 st tropez were made

usually all white but they did make some colored hulls with white decks and a few all the same color hull and deck

for more info check our model list (note right now the server is down for routine maint.)


www.lgdonziclassic.com (http://www.lgdonziclassic.com)


judging from the transom plate that is an early aq200 plate it has the haagendaas double round rubbers stops instead of the one piece rectangular stop so that would make the boat much earlier than a 1970 i would say a 67 or older

BTW there is only one hull made in 1970 hull 91 it was tangerine and white and a 351w boat

good looking boat good luck with it

[Cracker box]

Thank you for your quick replies !

I also have the feeling the boat is older than 1970.
I will check the serial numbers asap.

Yes, I do feel the 110 hp have helped keeping the boat in one piece until now.
The engine is said to have had a "clac-clac-clac" problem on water 2 years ago, and to not have started again one year later. I think is could be a drive problem too/instead, I am going to check this out.

To answer the question, my plans are :
1) replace old drive by the same one in good conditions. (Does anyone know if it is possible the keep the aq 200 plate and replace the drive only by a model that is easier to find (ex 270)?)

2) Than, if the engine needs replacement, I think i want to keep the boat "quietly-powered", and go for a 140-200 hp max period correct engine.
The program is going to be family balads (wife and two young children), and waterski/wakeboard. The power will be decided to permit waterskiing normaly.
Previous owner said 110 was good enought for waterski but i doubt it.

3) I'm really in love with that boat and my intention is to take care of it for a long long time, ...an go for a full deck removal, new deck/transom/stringer coring if nessessary. But this seems quite ok at first look.

Tank had been replaced by a stainless steel one by previous owner.

I don't have the intention to go in a new paintjob or gelcoat for the moment.

I have to deal with the fact that my passion for boats is unlimited but my budget is. I am 32. My younger daughter is too young to go on water (1/2 year old) so i decided to give myself 3 years to restore/recondition the boat and make it ready to go on family holiday with.

Thank you for your interest and i will sure be happy to receive some advices from you Donzis great fans during my works. I have already read many many interesting things through yours threads!

PS sorry for my poor English.

[Greg Guimond]

Your English is great and you have a very nice find there. I think you will find folks here can give you a lot of real world experience as you restore it. Also, with respect to your use of the boat for skiing and hauling the family, remember that there are quite a wide variety of modern props to choose from today. Welcome and good luck, post a lot of pictures.

ps: of course everyone on this forum will agree with you going for the maximum horsepower of the period! 110 just won't cut it :lookaroun:

[mattyboy]

the 200 250 270 is pretty much interchangeable but there are some differences course or fine splined the reverse latch. it would be better to find a plate and drive for a 4 or 6 banger should be easy this way you have no issues. would be a good time to check the cutout and put a new plate seal in as well.


server is back up click on all 3 tabs info literature and member rides to see all the info on your model

http://www.lgdonziclassic.com/pages/sttropez.asp

[Cracker box]

Thank you Mattyboy.

I already know well the link you join.
These were in fact the very first info I found on the St Tropez.
The Brochures are great and full of helpfull informations. A very nice website !

I think you are wright with the drive, a new plate seal would be no luxury after 45 years.

[Greg Guimond]

Ran into this when I was out today in the late afternoon ..........

[Cracker box]

Beautiful !! So clean and class.

[Morgan's Cloud]

Wow , looks like a V-Drive too .

Next time you're out and you see the owner you know what you gotta do ..

[BUIZILLA]

if my screen isn't playing tricks, that's a single I/O El Pescador ?

[Morgan's Cloud]

if my screen isn't playing tricks, that's a single I/O El Pescador ?

Because it was you , I had to do a double take :biggrin.:

I can almost see how it might be mistaken for an El P but it's a St T . I know them curves and lines well .. lol

It looks like someone has added a high console windscreen on it ..ala El P but it has all the same hardware in the same places that mine has . Notably the horned lifting rings , position of fuel fill and transom vent grille . The distance between the steering wheel and front of engine box is correct too .

I think the dark hull and light makes the character line on the hull vanish but you can see the Hornet flare on the front .

[mattyboy]

Cracker

I know where you can get a brandy new rebuilt 289 HiPo 271 hp Rebuilt by Holman Moody

that would put a little go in your giddy up

$7500 complete turn key


one thing all the 19s need is a boot stripe to set off the lines and yes a dark hull does hide the character line

has anyone heard from Tank he had Brownie's old St T, the ride he gave me started me on the 19 may be time to get another one of the 19 models that would take care of the need for a toon

[Morgan's Cloud]

OK , the photoshop was cool but while you were at it you should have taken the tape off of the mothership's stern :kingme:
The only difference being ,the factory bootstripe would disappear underwater at about the halfway mark on the hull's waterline.

Tank's been quiet for a while . Wonder what he's been up to ?

[Greg Guimond]

Beautiful !! So clean and class.

427 V-Drive

[Cracker box]

Thanks for the engine Mattyboy.
I think I am going to search in my side of the Atlantic first...

boot stripes are always nice but are they needed ? Thoses pretty Donzis don't have stripes:

[Ghost]

Thanks for the engine Mattyboy.
I think I am going to search in my side of the Atlantic first...

boot stripes are always nice but are they needed ? Thoses pretty Donzis don't have stripes:

I think they are most important fora a dark hull. What's needed is some contrast so the curvature of the hull is visible. White bottom with colored sides is enough also. But if the bottom and sides are the same, the boot stripe will do it nicely.

When the lighting is right, just the shading is enough to show the curvature, and that's the case in the first two of the pics above. But the lighting is often wrong, as in the pic Mattyboy photoshopped, as well as the last two pics above.

I had a Nova with a waterline stripe instead of a boot stripe--same story. Looked very handsome, and great from one or two angles. But most of the time it lacked the magic where you could see the wonderful curve of the hull, especially when viewed from alongside, the most common view anyone gets of a boat. FWIW. :)

[mattyboy]

Greg

they did make a hm 290 351w vdrive


Cracker

yes the lighter colors white yellow lt blue can get away without the boot stripe or deck stripe but the darker colors i feel need the stripe



i like my stripe

it really is a mounds and almond joy thingy

[Greg Guimond]

Greg

they did make a hm 290 351w v drive

I lifted to the hatch for a quick pic. This one has a Holman Moody Marine 427 with V Drive. How many 427 V Drive St. Tropez's were made do you reckon? Ten?

[mattyboy]

Greg

none recorded but they did make a few with no power. the records do have gaps especially with early models

judging by the scripts this could be a very early model but that is speculation as the popularity of reproduction parts like scripts could complicate id'ing the boat

I would imagine that a v drive St T would be a bit tight under the console. They did make one 290 hp 351w v drive in 69 I would think this one would be and early boat more like a 66 I would think that the 110 volvo was the standard back then

the 1965 price list offers the 110 volvo OD a 165 and 200 hp interceptor with eaton drive OD that doesn't mean someone didn't order a special setup.

[Morgan's Cloud]

I lifted to the hatch for a quick pic. This one has a Holman Moody Marine 427 with V Drive. How many 427 V Drive St. Tropez's were made do you reckon? Ten?

Excellent work Agent G , that will surely get you a year's end bonus ! :biggrin.:
Now you must secretly interrogate the owner and get all other relevant information.

Matty .. in those pics you posted above , what's the story on the blue one with the 290 drive ? It's a D/P ?
Have you run it yourself ?

Plus , poor ole CrakerB is now experiencing first hand how these damn threads tend to morph sometimes .

[mattyboy]

MC
that is Tank's St T brownies old boat he came to my lake and we tested a few props he bought a spun ultra 22 from me it is a SP runs very well with a 260 hp chevy . that ride started me on the 19

[Morgan's Cloud]

Oops , I didn't even recognize it as Tank's boat.
Looks like he had cleaned it up a bit compared to the pictures I saw.

As for you getting into the whole Hornet hull thingy from riding on his , now that you have a B/S do you find that the ride / performance is still the same ?

The reason I ask is because when I got to drive/ride my friend's B/S after he accidentally ended up with it after the introduction to mine (you know , 'I gotta have ,get , find one of these) it was a completely different boat than mine .
Really different in terms of handling/planing/ center of balance , everything . I couldn't believe it .

I wouldn't give mine to anyone to drive but his was as docile as can be.

[Cracker box]

I do agree with the boot stripes theory ! I had never noticed the difference between light and dark colors was so visible.
I think i am going to keep mine unstriped at first, and see how it looks on the water later. No stripe gives a feeling that the whole boat is a one piece carved in the mass object.

ha ha ! threads always morph. No problem with that, keep on secretly investigating the v drive dark hull ! Love his Holman Moody look too.

[Morgan's Cloud]

Cb , one thing you can always try , and it's cheap , is tape , even if only on one side, to confirm whether you like it or not.

Of course , someone very good at photoshop could also put one on a good photo too. (for free ! )

Can't argue with the 'one piece' look though .

BTW , I have a feeling that because of its Euro styling the bow rail was added on ever on your side of the pond. The factory bow rail didn't look like that at all.

[mattyboy]

MC

I never drove tank's st t just went for a ride as I recall it was the weekend and my lake is like a washer machine very confused water and the st t got up and over it with ease much different from the 16 which would cut thru some of it but then would be launched every which way buy loose. that started me on the wider flatter 19 hull.

CB

the light blue would have maybe three color stripes and the color stripes would be picked up in the interior color the most common colors would be white and christina blue ( a darker blue) with the same color interior as an uncommon choice they would have red in the mix like this brochure boat

[olredalert]

----I have always liked that blue/red brochure St. Tropez. Classy!.......Bill S

[Cracker box]

Thank you for free photoshop MattyB ! This blue stripe is a nice possibility.

The pic on the brochure is great but the interior is white so red seats fits well. In my blue interior red won't fit. I'm going to do all the seats, etc in white. The boat is going to be all light blue and white. i also like marine blue seats like in the v-drive hull but again it fits with white deck/interior only.

I am also interested in donzi stickers at the back of each side. But i still don't know which to choose the be period correct. I'm waiting to identify the serial numbers of engine and drive as soon as i can ( the boat is not at my home for the moment).
An another idea is to write DONZI 19 exactly the same way it is written on the racing benchseat hornet n°69 on the brochure.

I would like to find plans or good pictures so i could make the cushions/ seats look like the originals. Example : The bow seat, i don't even know how it hold in place.
I am aslo looking for close pictures of the pilot folding seat (picture). I don't know how it fold up and how it is attached.

MC : the bow rail is effectively way different than the factory one. Strangely, when I look closely, it seems to have been there since the beginning.
Even if it is not original, it is not ugly (my opinion) or cheap quality. It is open in the front so it is interesting. I still don't know if i am going to keep it or not. I do prefer hull without rail bow but as soon as I don't want new paint job for the moment i will keep it first i think.

[Morgan's Cloud]

When you run the boat you'll find that rails and anything else to grab onto will be very handy . The St T is very much a 'stand up' type of boat for the occupants and even though it has a very respectable amount of interior freeboard for a 19 footer you'll still feel a little vulnerable at planing speeds.

Mine actually had a custom made one piece stern rail put on it before I got it and it adds an incredible amount of 'peace of mind'.

The fold up helm seat was gone when I got mine but the original mounting holes were still on the front of the engine box. They appeared to be a pair of 'T' shaped hinged brackets.
Because I'm reasonably tall I just sit on the engine box cushion and extend the arms a bit , but 95% of my driving time is spent standing.

One thing that did occur to me about the fold up helm seat was that for it to work properly and securely the engine box tilt forward hinges would have to be properly installed AND the box would need to have strong and secure locking latches at the rear as well.

By the way , do you know how many fuel tanks yours has ? I've always been a bit curious about this because in the past it seems some people have only one tank while mine had two .

[olredalert]

----Cracker Box,,,You might consider a darker blue vinyl for the piping for all your interior vinyl. It adds a bit of class.......Bill S

[Cracker box]

MC : I have only one fuel tank located under the main hatch in front of the console. The previous owner replace the original(s?) by a stainless steel one.

The folding seat is an option but is is clear that it will possibly comes after all i have to do.
The work you made on your boat is incredible, MC. what a resto ! Thank to the pics of your work, I found how and where to attach the vinyl seating.

olredalert : indeed, I spoke too fast, darker blue vinyl could make it too.
the white/light bleu is the easiest association. But light blue/darker blue could be quite special. Any picture of example ?
The Bertram 31 is an example of lighter blue/blue color association.

[olredalert]

----Nice Bertram! We have one near here that's been a fresh water boat all its life and is in near spectacular condition for sale. Somebody in Florida would kill to have it!!!........Bill S

[Morgan's Cloud]

MC : I have only one fuel tank located under the main hatch in front of the console. The previous owner replace the original(s?) by a stainless steel one.



OK , I believe this isn't the first time I've heard someone with a 'used' St T say that .
Are you talking about the hatch on the c0ckpit sole in front of the console ? The thing is , there shouldn't be a tank there . It's a storage lazarette .
OR are you talking about under the little hatch ON the front of the console where a cushion might fit ?

So the question now is , can you see any evidence of old tanks that are still in place but not plumbed for use if the tank is in the lazarette under the floor ?

I also wonder if I made that clear .. :biggrin.:

[Cracker box]

My tank is located here ( yes it is a picture of your boat MC !) in the storage that is open on the floor imediately in front of the console ( not IN the console under the cushion, and NOT under the bow under the cushion). I know it shouldn't be there...

i will check for evidences of the old tank location as soon as i have access to my boat ( aaarghh frustrating).

[Morgan's Cloud]

Then my guess is that when the original tank/s went bad someone went the easy route and dropped a new one in the lazarette and left the original/s in place seeing they're very hard to get out without a deck/tub liner removal.

The stated fuel capacity for the St T was 42 gallons I believe and my forward tank (right in the bow under the forward seating/storage area) combined with the tank under the console (on a platform and not 'in' the bilge) is 42 gallons .
I can't see where they could have installed a single 42 gallon tank anywhere that would not interfere with the under the sole storage areas and still give the balance that they needed .

So, my belief is that you might find at least one old tank still in place , at least under the forward seating area .

[gcarter]

Welcome Crackerbox.
I wish you well w/the new boat. I'm sure it stands out in the Med.
I think you've mentioned twice that a former owner had a stainless steel tank installed.
I was surprised to read that. Here in the US, the Coast Guard doesn't allow for stainless tanks (w/a very few exceptions) due to safety considerations concerning welds cracking and splitting.The only stainless tanks that are allowed are tubular (made from pipe w/formed dishes welded to the ends, and are not larger than 10 gallons). I think the only materials that are allowed are aluminum and polyethylene (HDPE).
But that's not to say someone can't install a stainless tank if they can find someone to fabricate it. Also, different countries have different regulations.
Anyway, if the tank is stainless (could it actually be aluminum?), it would bear watching.
Good luck!

[Morgan's Cloud]

Welcome Crackerbox.
I wish you well w/the new boat. I'm sure it stands out in the Med.
I think you've mentioned twice that a former owner had a stainless steel tank installed.
I was surprised to read that. Here in the US, the Coast Guard doesn't allow for stainless tanks (w/a very few exceptions) due to safety considerations concerning welds cracking and splitting.The only stainless tanks that are allowed are tubular (made from pipe w/formed dishes welded to the ends, and are not larger than 10 gallons). I think the only materials that are allowed are aluminum and polyethylene (HDPE).
But that's not to say someone can't install a stainless tank if they can find someone to fabricate it. Also, different countries regulations have differences.
Anyway, if the tank is stainless (could it actually be aluminum?), it would bear watching.
Good luck!


I passed on that one (correctly) assuming that someone more experienced in the subject would pick it up .

[Cracker box]

In fact the owner said it was stainless. I'm not sure at all. The only think i saw is that it is not rusted on the exterior and that it looks like stainless steel.
one more think to check soon.

Thank you Gcarter, it is good to know that there are points to pay attention if it is stainless.

[gcarter]

An aluminum tank can be quite shiny for a number of years. It might be easy to mistake one for the other.
You might look for a label something like this:

[Greg Guimond]

It looks like the 19' St Tropez hull design is very capable in rough water .......



IF YOU NOTICED THE BOAT NUMBER ON THE HORNET, IT WAS 19-35H, WHICH IS THE 35TH HORNET AT THAT TIME. WE USED A DIFFERENT NUMBER ON THE ST TROPEZ, WHICH IS THE SAME HULL WITH AN OPEN, CENTER CONSOLE DECK. THE FIRST HORNET WAS MY RACEBOAT, #69. I SOLD IT TO GEORGE NEWMAN, WHO MADE ME PROMISE TO RIDE WITH HIM IN THE AROUND ST PETE RACE IN 1965. HE WASN'T QUITE UP TO THE TASK, AND WHEN WE CAME OUT OF THE BAY IN THE GULF, WE DID TWO CHANDELLES, AN IMMELMAN, AND A TEXTBOOK END OVER END FLIP. HE BROKE BOTH COLLARBONES, (COMPOUND) AND I GOT A FINE SPIRAL CRACK IN MY RIGHT FEMUR. OTHER THAN THAT, IT RAN PERFECTLY. IT WAS THE FASTEST STOCK PLEASURE BOAT IN THE WORLD, AT 70MPH WITH A 327 TURBO DAYTONA CHEVY ON V-DRIVE.

[Cracker box]

So, the little volvo engine is well blocked and the collector is cracked.
i'm looking for a new engine/drive and i finally don't necessary look for a period correct one, and neither a (too) small one.

i'm hesitating between the 4,3l v6 or 5,7 v8
First I was looking for volvo parts ( to have the drive painted in in white and with the old school look, in fact) but all the dealers here in Belgium say it is very hard to find parts and that they are very expensive. There is no real volvo network here. But there are plenty of mercury's... I haven't made my choice yet.

I read somewhere on Donzi.net that the v6 is wider than the v8, so that there is a risk that it can't fit into the St T ?! Is that true ? I thought the v6 was a 3/4 cut of the v8 ( same v angle,...).

The new engines are taller than the old small blocks, I read. What is the best solution ? Is there height problem if i choose a Mecruiser V8 from the 90's for exemple ?

other questions :
- what is the weight of the boat ? Are the 2600 lbs from the brochure correct ? with which engine ??
- what is the angle of the v of the hull at the transom ? Is that 22 degree or 23degree, or... ?
- as soon as the interior bottom is painted in grey, how can i make sure the stringers are not rotten ? When I knock them with my hand it sound like like it is very strong everywhere. I will check in the existant holes in the stringers if I see rotten wood but as soon as I currently have no engine supports on the 4 cylinders (!), i'm not sure about the engine bay area.
I also read that if the stringers aren't perfect, it is usefull to bolt in cross braces in 3 or 4 places to stiffen up the boat. are there some pictures of this job somewhere ?

These are a lot of questions. Thank you all for your usefull advices until now.

[mattyboy]

deadrise is 19 degrees

you might want to drop David Hartmann a pm here he just re did his St Tropez he went to a 5.7 chevy merc setup

[BUIZILLA]

the V6 is the same overall width as the V8, the length is 4 1/4" shorter though

i'm not sure you can get a stock V8 Chevy under the original hatch but others with more experience can answer that..

if you could find a complete 302 or 351 Volvo setup that would solve a lot of issues and probably retain your original hatch

[Morgan's Cloud]

Crackerb ,

Pay attention to Matty and Buiz ! 19deg right and so is the v6 info .
When I got mine in '87 it had the Ford 351 marinized in Merc trim. That's a 5.8l v8.
In the process of my resto I had some tough choices to make. I was switching from old Ford / Merc technology to the latest Volvo stuff and the transom had to be completely replaced and re-cut . No problem in the big scheme of things.
To be honest ,I think you'd be pleasantly surprised what a modern v6 would do for you. You'd be going up from about 90pshp to around 205 , plus with modern hydrodynamics and power trim.
Your stringers should be at about 29.5 - 30'' spacing , ready for the new v block configuration with custom fabbed mounts. (no big deal)
As has been said here before , and Matty is quite outspoken on this , the early Donzis aren't exactly built like 1950's Mercedes and if you do go up in that type of power number the bottom should be looked at as well incase strengthening is needed.
(I put a few extra layers of glass in mine when I redid it and I'm glad I did because the quantum leap in engine power output since the old 351 went in is very sizable. )
In my case a 351 (5.8) came out and a 350 (5.7) went back in. The 350's (5'7s) all weigh the same as the 5.0L and take the same amount of room so I went with the cubes .
Maybe a few points to help guide you .

[Cracker box]

Thanks a lot.
i am very interested in the v6, indeed.

There are adaptator transom plates to switch from volvo to Mercruiser without changing any cut out ( the Merc cutout is smaller than the volvo). Any experience in that stuff ?

Are the 2 big hooks on the deck capable of hanging the boat in the air to put it in the water ? I guess they were at first. But what about 45 year later?
Any idea for the weight ? I have the feeling that 2600 lbs is a lot (compare to other boats of this size) But i guess it is the weight including v8 ?

[Morgan's Cloud]

I've seen those transom 'fill in plates' before and they're quite large. One would have to be done properly and sealed well , not to mention the differences in thicknesses that would have to be made up .
In the end, you might find that if you went that route it would have been better just to replace the transom and cut from scratch , 'cause the transom might need replacing after all these years anyway. And there's no cheap way to fix a boat.

As for the lifting rings , even if the rods are in good shape and the attaching brackets are good would you trust the wood in the transom ? If you can see the bolts sinking into the glass on the outside of the transom , then no .

[Cracker box]

MC : First picture : the tank that was installed by previous owner.
There is a rusty metal vestige of something that could possibly be an old tank in front of my hull (see pictures 3 and 4). I can't figure how it worked with the little round glass in the floor (picture 2) because I think the top of the tank should have been closed with metal too, so how to see through that ?

picture 5 : under the console there is a second vestige of some metal parts, a second tank perhaps ? from this point until the engine location, there is no piece that join the 2 stringers together to renforce them.


8085780858808598086080861

[Cracker box]

The last picture of the deck side shouldn't be there.
In relation with the deck sides, i would like to know if there is wood cored only in the front part of the deck or if there is also wood cored all around the deck piece ?

[Morgan's Cloud]

The sight glass on the c0ckpit floor at the front would have allowed someone to look at a manual fuel gauge on top of the tank that would have been under there . That rusty thing in pic 4 ? is it I would guess.
The other picture looking rearward from the new tank under the console shows the area where I had a factory tank installed on a platform. If it's still there it ought to be clearly visible when you open the hatch on the front of the console .
It was held in place with 4 L shaped brackets that were bolted to the stringers and that may explain some of the rust discolouration you see in that area.
It sure looks to me as if the tanks went bad and the owner simply installed the new one in the lazarette to keep it simple. If that is indeed the case the old tanks are more than likely still in place.
Some of the early boats had tanks made of terne steel (did I get that right Matty ?) and that would explain the rusty monstrosity in the picture .

When you ask about the wood coring in the deck , do you mean the 'deck' or the cockpit sole ? Actually , it doesn't make much difference , they are both fully cored on all flat , upright surfaces.

Like yours , mine had only two bulkheads between the stringers . The front one that also created the compartment that the front fuel tank fitted in was totally rotten and the one that was at the aft end of the lazarette , partially under the console , was intact and sound but really only about 45% effective .
If you refer back to the pics I posted you'll see what it looks like now in comparison .


Far be it for me to tell anyone what to do with their boat , BUT , seeing these pictures I would say that if you want (plan) to have this boat for a long time this would be a great time to consider a full deck off/floor tub out resto. I can tell this that gem in the rough needs a lot of stuff done to bring you peace of mind when it comes time to using it .

[Cracker box]

Thank you MC for your help

The front tank under the bow is still in place and there are clear things that shows that there was a second one under the console.
By the way, all of them must be removed...

The hull needs undecking, new stringers, new transom, recoring... everything has to be restored or replaced :party:

i will take my time to do it properly. it is not the very best moment in my life to spend 15 hours a day restoring a boat, so i will go slowly, step by step.

But i'm sure that a large part of the readers here can understand that ...hem ..it was absolutely necessary that i got that boat immediately:)
My intention is to keep the boat for a lonnnng time. This blue thing is totally unique here !

[Morgan's Cloud]

That's what I want to hear ! :shades:

If you're a handy person not afraid to face a challenge and learn as you go along you'll find that it's a very satisfying experience. Just don't rush any aspect of it. You'd be amazed how many times if you're tired but want to hurry you'll end up cutting corners ,when if you waited a day or two you figure out how to do the same task even better if you've slept on it.
When I did the 'big one' on mine it took 5 years and no stone was left unturned. That's not being in a hurry .. although I think George has us all beat here with his 22C project.

Incidentally , my front tank was original and unusable when I got mine in '87 and it is an aluminium tank . So I think that yours may proceed mine .
Oddly , the tank that was under the console in mine was very nearly new and I think that was what the seller was using even though he never said (admitted) that the front tank was leaking and no good.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record , you'll find the pics I posted on that old thread of mine very helpful as a guide in terms of what to expect when you start breaking everything apart.
Getting the deck off is quite easy . The floor tub can be interesting to say the least (once you have the console and everything attached to it out) but if and when you get to that stage I can tell you exactly what to expect.

(ps , this 'timing out thing ' is getting on my last f'n nerve)

[Cracker box]

Thank you MC, and you're not sounding like a broken record, i think i already know every single picture of your st t restoration by heart !

I'm having difficulties in finding a database to identify the production year of the engine.
I need it to have informations on the year production of the hull.
it is a Volvo penta AQ 110/200 engine.
the serial number is 4968 07 17314 818
4968 means it is a 1800 cm3 displacement.
The real part number is 07 17314 (the other numbers are molded in the block) but i can't identify it yet.

Is there somebody who can help me finding it ?

[Cracker box]

Same song with the I/O Volvo AQ200 drive.
I am trying to find the production year of it but I can't find it anywhere on the internet.

The numer is :
US part n° 2977.923 (the last digit could be a "5" insted of "3" too)
PZ NR 203606 (the real part number)

Thank you for helping me.


I already read somewhere that the AQ 110 engines were produced from 1963 to 1966. I guess that the boat is from 1967 maximum.

[mattyboy]

I will see what I can find but VP only keeps the last 20 yrs on file the drive would be pre 1966

[Cracker box]

MC asked for some news of the St T project.

Nothing very hot. The boat is still waiting for his deck removal ( necessary to recore side floor)
But as soon as we are moving next year, i don't start with it for now.

I lost hours and hours on a boat with a good looking 5,7l Volvo AQ271c that I found. The idea was to use it for 1 or 2 summers before swapping the engine into the St T.
But I finally discovered some hidden freeze cracks on the block. It was a proffesionnal seller (!) so I got my money back. But still no engine.:mad:

The good news are that stringers are goods. So i'm going to add bulkheads on each sides of them. I need to determine tank location before.
I'm in the process of determining what type of tank i'm going to use and where to locate it.
I'm interested in plastic tanks.
With what i read here from the St Tropez owners, it seems that the lazarette location should be the best for boat balance ( with small block v8) But i will loose storage place. On the other hand i don't really like the idea of having 2 tanks (KISS principe).
maybe i'm going the locate a -as compact as possible- 120l tank under the console as far forward as possible to keep some storage in lazarette.

[Morgan's Cloud]

Hey Cracker B

It's been a long while. Are you still around , and anything to report here on this project ?