1972 Minifish - needs TLC

[creymartin]

I have just picked up a 1972 AMF Minifish in need of TLC
I am new here, and I'd appreciate any help.

The boat is been through a lot, but I think I can bring it back to glory:

TOP DECK:

At one point the deck was "drip painted" a-la-Jackson-Polock with grey paint.
Officialy, it was stored under a backyard deck that got painted, and some of it (a lot of it) dripped into it.

Light sanding and Power washing has removed some of the lighter staining in the bow, but I could not get the larger drips. It definetely will need to be painted, if it is not to be a disgrace out there.

Do you have any recommendation as to paint brand, finnish? I think I should go with a darker coor (blue/red) for a better chance to cover the grey...

Also, do you know where I can obtain the decals in the splashguard? I surely would prefer not have to trace/cut/make them myself....

HULL:

Sun beat al shine away from it. Minor crack repair and gelcoating is all I am thinking.

BAILER:

This is completely FUBAR. Am I restricted to the OLD stye, or can I use the new (post 1973) plastic Sunfish bailer here?

Can I just leave it as it (closed position/rusted shutt)? I don't even know how to get it out.

HARDWARE:

I tried to remove the bow handle and Main Hailward cleat (covered with grey paint), but the screws would not turn. Any ideas?

DRAGGERBOARD:

Old style wood/spring. Is it worth it to barnish it? Brand recommendation?
(The rudder is a newer Sunfish, we're good here)

SAIL

A few holes here and there.... trying to pick a new one if anyone has for sale cheap (what I found online is expensive because it seems to be made to order)

BTW, it has a combination clips/line ties... I have been told ties back then (70s) broke easily... have they gotten any better? Should I just tie the hole thing and do away with clips?

 

[DanB]

Do you have any recommendation as to paint brand, finnish? I think I should go with a darker coor (blue/red) for a better chance to cover the grey...

Why not just get rid of that grey? (sounds like a hair products ad) Look up Back To Nature Ultra Strip gelcoat friendly marine paint stripper.

Also, do you know where I can obtain the decals in the splashguard? I surely would prefer not have to trace/cut/make them myself....

Sorry, long out of production. Grab some wood grain contact paper and have at it.

Sun beat al shine away from it. Minor crack repair and gelcoating is all I am thinking.

Age makes gelcoat hairline crack. Unless the cracks go deep, waxing to seal is the general procedure. Rub out the hull with rubbing compound to bring back the shine.

Gelcoat isn’t paint, it’s the top layer of fiberglass. Recoating is involved (read Bradley’s post - http://www.sunfishforum.com/much-gel-coat-complete-t4042.html ) From my experience it can run upwards of $400 depending on how much sanding and smoothing work you do for yourself. IMHO, final coating is better left to professionals who have the equipment and practice.

This is completely FUBAR. Am I restricted to the OLD stye, or can I use the new (post 1973) plastic Sunfish bailer here?

The plastic one works.

Can I just leave it as it (closed position/rusted shutt)? I don't even know how to get it out.

You can just leave it. If you want to swap for the newer one here’s the removal method - ( http://www.windline.net/BailerR.htm )

I tried to remove the bow handle and Main Hailward cleat (covered with grey paint), but the screws would not turn. Any ideas?

Paint stripper should clean things up there too. Then there’s no need to unscrew the handle.

Old style wood/spring. Is it worth it to barnish it? Brand recommendation?

Absolutely – Keep the wood well Varnished with a good marine grade. Check out West Marine or Jamestown Distributors for a wide selection of brands.

A few holes here and there.... trying to pick a new one if anyone has for sale cheap (what I found online is expensive because it seems to be made to order)

The 65 sq foot Mini sail isn't made any more. Just pick up a 75 sq foot Sunfish sail and sew it back yourself - you've got your original sail for a guide. Or find a mast and spars from a Sunfish and use the larger sail as is. Add a gooseneck adjuster so you can easily compensate for the additional weather helm the larger sail will introduce. Loook up Neil Pryde Sails - $140 ( http://www.neilprydesails.com/store/sun.htm )

BTW, it has a combination clips/line ties... I have been told ties back then (70s) broke easily... have they gotten any better?

I’ve got both rope ties and plastic clips still in service from that time period. Either works as far as I’m concerned so long as you take care of your equipment.

.
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[sailpuff223]

How much do you define as light sanding? Unless the paint has stained the gelcoat all the way through (unlikely) you should be able to wetsand/compound/buff the paint out. A good stain remover chemical for gelcoat is Y-10, it gets a lot of stains out. Gelcoat is usually pretty good about not absorbing paint spilled on top of it, especially if it's latex based. I definitely wouldn't regelcoat it unless you have a good idea of what your getting yourself into, if the minifish is put together like the sunfish, where the top is bonded to the bottom hull, and the the chrome trim is put around it, it requires a lot of patience in removing the trim, plus all of the surface prep/coating/finishing that goes with regelcoating a hull. If the cracks are superficial, leave them, unless you plan on regelcoating the hull, because if you don't you will have a big patch where you fixed them. Definitely varnish the wooden pieces, my personal favorite is interlux's Goldspar Poly, because it holds up better than a typical spar varnish, and doesn't scratch as easily. Plus I like the high gloss in the mahogany. You can get it at any west marine. Just make sure what you use is for exterior and interior.

 

[creymartin]

Thank you both

I have picked up safe-to-fiberglass Interlux Paint Stripper and some Rubbing Compound. We'll see if it does the trick.

They recommended 3M wax and heavy buffing to bring the shine back. Some new stripping and out we'll go.

After seeing the instructions to remove the bailer, it looks like wet feet for me....

 

[tomj]

If you're convinced the existing finish has to go, I wouldn't gelcoat at all--I'd paint. Gel-coating is a difficult process, while paint is pretty straightforward.

Good paint is expensive, but worth it.

I'm in the middle of a painting project right now (71 sunfish) and it's really not that bad.

 

[creymartin]

If you're convinced the existing finish has to go, I wouldn't gelcoat at all--I'd paint. Gel-coating is a difficult process, while paint is pretty straightforward.

Good paint is expensive, but worth it.

I'm in the middle of a painting project right now (71 sunfish) and it's really not that bad.

Well, I will try the paint stripper first and see how we do.
The boat has been out so long it's texture resembles actual chalk.

Do you think wax and buff will bring any shine back? If not what topside paint would you recomend?

 

[DanB]

You can try a gelcoat restore product, but from the sound of it even these could have trouble and end up being costly. Might give it a good scrubbing with a kitchen cleanser. The abrasive in them falls somewhere between rubbing compound and wet sanding which is just what it takes to polish a heavily weathered surface back to a shine. Worst comes to worst you may have to wet sand in steps from 600 to 1200. Then do a rubbing compound rub out then do a good wax job.

 

[creymartin]

Final Report: I just moved the minifish to the water... wanted to share the results

At the end it took washing with Pait Thinner (removed most of the grey paint run off), using a Gel Coat Safe Paint Stripper (Interlux Paint Stripper ) and razor blades to remove the big drops of paint and the old decals, washing with dishwasher soap, wet sanding 1200 and 600, Rubbing compounding and Power washing

Painted the new strippes Flag Blue / Fire Red topside paint following original stripping patter + a 2x sized one to cover some old fiber glass repair

The new sail is actually a cut back Sunfish as suggested

The dolly is my own design, using a go kart axel and snowblower tires with a 2x4

 

[Porpoise2]

Thank you for sharing this project with the forum. It's just the thing to inspire me to work on my own projects, and to take photos as I go.

It looks like a million dollars!

 

[creymartin]

It looks like a million dollars!

Thank you very much