Cougar H225 inboard diesel conversion

[PerformanceDodge]

Well things have been a bit slow, boat top was supposed to go to be painted in November whilst we had warm weather but my painter was flat out and it takes up the whole work shop, so have been waiting for the warmer weather and finally got a call last Monday “can you get you boat hear today as want to start it tomorrow” Yippy.

Filled any defects with epoxy filler, then epoxy high build primer and then and epoxy white base coat. Hopefully flatting then top coat in International Perfection Rochel red top coat tommorow.

It will be great to see it all in one color after two years of mod’s and ready for final assembly.

[larby]

Awesome. That turning point when you start assembling is the best feeling ever! If you're anything like me though you'll still keep changing little bits and bobs as you go!

Can't wait to see how she goes, it's one of my favourite boats changed in a way I really like!!

Larby

[PerformanceDodge]

Hi James, thanks for your kind words of encouragement. Likewise can’t wait to see your boat finished too, really looking forward to meeting up.

The problem with these projects as I am sure you will agree is when they are built over a long period the projects almost become organic as in, as you build the boat they grow into more work. As the original concept what you intended changes and you come up with more thoughts and idea’s, and what was intended to be a year’s project becomes a two and a half year project. I would also say that when you build a boat yourself, it is built to a specification and most factory built boats are built to a budget.

The up side is, you end up with a boat that ticks all your boxes and has everything engineered to your specification which makes it unique. But you are right that once painted you can see the end in site.

Keep up the good work on yours too, with every post I see it looks better and closer to being in the water.

Regards David

[PerformanceDodge]

Forgot to post, did etch all the aluminium parts with caustic soda, etch prim and paint all the aluminium parts whilst it was snowing. Thought I would paint them petrol blue. Just got to paint the engine to match now.

[PerformanceDodge]

Was planning to spray the top coat Saturday but decided to wet flat it as the undercoat was a bit orange peely. Was advised by International paints that red must have a white base coat as most red paints are slightly opaque and don’t cover well.

[john walmsley]

Originally Posted by freddy21

Was planning to spray the top coat Saturday but decided to wet flat it as the undercoat was a bit orange peely. Was advised by International paints that red must have a white base coat as most red paints are slightly opaque and don’t cover well.

Hi. Looks like the project is going well
Wet flating is messy and time consuming.
I would use a DA sander with P400 on it,if you got one.

I paint cars for a living if you need any advise

Regards John

[PerformanceDodge]

Hooray its red at last was beginning to think the day would never come.

Started at 9.00am Sunday morning, everything had a dust coat then a gripper coat, followed by two top coats which were nailed on to get it to flow out . The temperature was 10 deg C which is the lower limit for applying International Perfection paint, luckily we had a gallon of fast thinners and it took about half an hour to tack dry.

The problem with painting something of this size is you can’t just start one side and work you way round as by the time you come to start at the center line of the boat on the opposite side it has tacked off and wont flow out and will end up like overspray dusty finish. So it was a case of start at the bow paint about six feet then change sides and paint another six feet until you get to the screen and then paint all the way round. Much tea was drunk and finish at 3.30pm, my painter said he could not feal his arm anymore from holding the spray gun for so long.

Next job is to paint the inside of the engine bay so I can start fitting it out.

[PerformanceDodge]

Originally Posted by john walmsley

Hi. Looks like the project is going well
Wet flating is messy and time consuming.
I would use a DA sander with P400 on it,if you got one.

I paint cars for a living if you need any advise

Regards John

Thanks for the advice John, the base coat had gone so hard P400 would hardly touch it wet with a DA so we went to P320 and it was absolutely smooth with no swirl marks, it took 2 of us with 2 DA's 4 hours to do the boat and all the parts. I ended up looking like the Pink Panther by the time I finished and soaking wet, I have never known a primer to set so hard. There is no chance of the paint sinking or moving.

Once the top coat flowed out it has come up like glass. There are some dust marks but they will nib out with P1200 and then we will mop it with some compound, but am going to wait a week for it to harden fully as the paint is quite thick.

The International Perfection paint we used was £45 quid a tin and only had 750ml per tin when mixed + thinners, but the coverage was amassing and we did the whole lot with 4 tins.

[Ph@ntastic]

Wauw that looks stunning

[john walmsley]

Originally Posted by freddy21

Thanks for the advice John, the base coat had gone so hard P400 would hardly touch it wet with a DA so we went to P320 and it was absolutely smooth with no swirl marks, it took 2 of us with 2 DA's 4 hours to do the boat and all the parts. I ended up looking like the Pink Panther by the time I finished and soaking wet, I have never known a primer to set so hard. There is no chance of the paint sinking or moving.

Once the top coat flowed out it has come up like glass. There are some dust marks but they will nib out with P1200 and then we will mop it with some compound, but am going to wait a week for it to harden fully as the paint is quite thick.

The International Perfection paint we used was £45 quid a tin and only had 750ml per tin when mixed + thinners, but the coverage was amassing and we did the whole lot with 4 tins.

Looks like all the hard graft payed off,boat looks great in the photos.
Good luck with the build.

[larby]

That looks really great mate, you must be really pleased! Well done!

[PerformanceDodge]

Originally Posted by larby

That looks really great mate, you must be really pleased! Well done!

Hi James

Yes I am very please with it, but have had a few sleepless nights and visions of having to strip it and start again. When I went to see it Tuesday if you pressed your finger on the paint it left a finger print. However the weather has been very cold over hear in the UK. It does say not to spray in less than 10 deg C and it was a bit marginal. So stuck the heater today for a few hours in it has gone a lot harder. Hoping tomorrow if it's hard enough to flat and mop it.

[Ph@ntastic]

Hope it will cure at a higher temperature , acording to the (dutch) specs it takes 7 to 10 days @ 15degr to completly cure , it also says it is not to be sprayed but only to aply by roller or brush ......

[NorwegianBoater]

Wow, looks great, love the engine hatch

[john walmsley]

Originally Posted by freddy21

Hi James

Yes I am very please with it, but have had a few sleepless nights and visions of having to strip it and start again. When I went to see it Tuesday if you pressed your finger on the paint it left a finger print. However the weather has been very cold over hear in the UK. It does say not to spray in less than 10 deg C and it was a bit marginal. So stuck the heater today for a few hours in it has gone a lot harder. Hoping tomorrow if it's hard enough to flat and mop it.

Dont worry.
Had the same problem recently with my friends hill climb race car.
He had loads of sleepless nights.
It's made of Kevlar and couldn't be baked, took a couple of weeks to go really hard.
If its a 2 pack product it will go hard eventually.


When the suns out roll it out side.

[PerformanceDodge]

Spent the last two days flatting and compounding the Cougar and today gave it two coats for Super resin polish and brought it home. It was great to see it outside with the engine cover in place and all one color. Next job is to paint the engine bay and inside all the lockers so its ready for fitting up. Would like to have used flow coat but again Polyester does not stick to Vinylester so epoxy paint again it is.

[daze]

Great looking boats,

Not shore i would park it next to that wall ?
Mark.

[PerformanceDodge]

Hi Mark

Thanks yours looks great too, was great to catch up with you the other week.

They are a lovely shape almost a shame that they were never developed further. I was told a lot of it was because were very expensive to produce and gained a reputation for rolling in racing, but I am sure that if they had been developed further these issues could have been overcome.

From what you was telling me may be it’s a shame that the series never moved on to the Merc 200 engine as you have fitted, slightly less power, much lighter and same if not slightly more speed. It would have been a much more level field than when some changed to the 300hp engines.

Its going to be interesting to see how it goes with an inboard, if I can get it up to 70mph I will be very happy, it will make a great weekender boat and if I can do the occasional basic race would be great.

You was saying that another one has been converted to inboard, have you any information on it ?

Regards David

[PerformanceDodge]

Things are a bit slow as usual, this time because of the weather. Every time the boat dries out and I get the tools or paint out to paint the engine bay so I can start fitting up it starts to rain, so went and bought a Boat sock and a poly tunnel. The Polytunnel has a galvanized frame and rip stop polythene cover, its 3 x 6 meters and was only £140 inc postage from eBay item no (200680529530). I thought it was excellent value for money, might buy another when the winter comes and join them end to end for winter boat dry storage.
Was going to put it up today but guess what, its raining.

[larby]

Ooh, I really like that boat sock, where's it from and how much?

James