1964, 12' Jon Boat restoration 2024

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

This is the 1964 jon boat that I bought w/ trailer for $450. Took about 35-40 hours to restore. 12' long with xtra deep gunnels. Extremely stable for a jon boat. Boat stands me $1200 with 2 new monster batt's, motor, trailer tires and bearings, etc. Herculiner (truck bed liner) used for bottom, transom and foot rests. Paint is interlux brightside.

purchase day

an idea of how thick the old carpet glue was. Removed it w/ orbital sander and 40 grit paper

primer coats

carpet, floors, paint seats, handles and logo

%7Boption%7D

kirk reply :

Nice Job!!! Looks really sharp.

guest reply :

WoW

Really nicely done!

Kana reply :

nice rig! looks like its about to be used alot! nicely done.

Muddpuppy reply :

You've got it looking good! Did you ever find out who made it?

2_Poppa reply :

I like the color, what do you call it? Did you find out the name of the boat?

BASSMAN1301599783 reply :

Great boat! What kind of paint did you use? Spray gun or can? It looks really good.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Thanks everyone!

No, I still don't know the make of the boat, only that it's a 1964.

As for the paint , I used all interlux products from beginning to end. Etching primers, solvent washes, thinners, and base coat primer. The actual color is Brightside polyurethane in fire red.

On the bottom, transom and footrests, I used herculiner (blk)

I used brightside because Together the technologies create a one-part polyurethane which gives the look of a two-part polyurethane with the application ease of a one-part enamel.

Oh yea, I opted to use a brush as opposed to a roller because of all the angles and tight spaces.

Thanks again for all your comments

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

One last thing, the paint is designed to "flow" so you don't see brushmarks but this requires a lengthy process to actually be effective. First you have to use an etching primer to "bite" into the metal. This only takes about 2 hrs to dry.

Then after solvent wipe down, apply the first coat of pre-kote primer. This is the first of 3 coats of primer which each take 16hrs to dry!!!! The same for each coat of paint(3)!! Now don't forget the hand sanding and solvent washes in between each coat of primer and each coat of paint,.lol

I guess what I'm saying is the results are great but it's a very lengthy, involved process. About a week overall and thats only after all the prep work is done. Most would say that's alot for a little jon boat but I use it ,literally, a minimum of 4 days a wk. so to me it's worth it,lol.

5bass reply :

Excellent job dude.Looks great!

I like how you did the floors-made them flat all the way across......thats how mine is now.

Did you happen to notice how light the boat was BEFORE the transformation?I'm just asking beacuse when I did mine many years ago,I painted it with NAVY approved marine paint and it gained a whole lot of weight and we could barely carry it afterwards(to the hard to get places).....but I guess it doesnt really matter as long as you have a ramp.Just thought I would ask if you noticed a difference in weight.

abelfisher reply :

SWEEEETT, Nice Job, LBH!! Everything looks great, paint job, carpeting, seats. But I really like the handles on the back...Nice touch!!

Was the storage hole under the front seat always there?

Also, the foot rest areas on the top side of the boat...good idea! That is a very sweet boat, you should be proud!

2_Poppa reply :

I have a friend who has almost the same boat. He used marine wood to make a deck and cut out the middle bench seat. It has a rod storage locker on the left side and storage underneath both decks, front and back. He used to have a 9.9 Mariner on it until someone stold it off the back at Dale Hollow Lake, Kentucky. He has a 7.5 Evinrude now. His is either a 15 or 16 foot long and runs like a scalded dog on the lake, especially with the 9.9 Mariner.

He runs it mostly on smaller lakes, 10 H.P. or less, even though he has taken it to Dale Hollow, he hugged the shore-line for obvious reasons.

I noticed you didn't have a gasoline engine on the back. If there is one in your future I wanted it to be known that my buddy's boat with marine wood, accessories, two 220 pound plus guys and motor handles great on small H.P. lakes.

The boat and seats look deluxe... 8)

JTL reply :

[glb]GREAT JOB!!![/glb] :o

Just wondering, how much of the paint product was needed ( Primers & Paint) and what was the cost involved for the painting process?

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

thanks again everyone.

As to the weight, I used 3/8 cdx plywood then coated it with fiberglass resin to make my own "marine grade" plywood. This is much thinner than the wood most people use to make floors but I did the same in my friends boat 6 yrs ago and the carpet (in the front) wore out before the wood. His boat gets ALOT of use. The main weight gain factor usually is the wood that is added. The boat weighs less than 160, I am sure of this.

The place I fish primarily has no ramp. It's landowner access only and my uncle owns a chunk of land on it but it is about a 15 ft path to the water. THen there is about 6 ft of large rock that the boat has to slide across. This part added alot of wear and tear to the bottom of my friends boat so I went with the herculiner bottom which I must say, is holding up very well after 4 launches.

The lake is the backup reservoir for RI so elec motors only. I have a 9.9 and a 5 hp motor if I ever need them but really dont plan on using either. I will be going to NH for the smallie spawn next yr and will probably use one then but otherwise......

The paint cost was about $170 when all said and done. I already had the brushes, sand paper, and mixing trays so that saved me a little bit. I went a little heavy with 1 coat etching primer, 3 coats base primer and 3 coats of red. I want this thing to take the abuse we dish out. I ended up using 1/2 quart of etching primer, 2 1/2 quarts of base primer and 2 1/2 quarts of red.

When I was researching the herculiner, It said that the 1' gall kit would cover a 6' bed but another quart would be needed for an 8 ft bed. I figured If I needed another quart I would just buy it but get this..... I used 1/2 the gallon and that was 3 coats!! If i HAD KNOWN i WOULD HAVE HAD THE TRAILER READY(PREPPED) BECAUSE tHE PRODUCT IS AIR REACTIVE, MUST ALL BE USED WITHIN 24 HRS OF OPENING CAN. i DID NOT HAVE THE TRAILER READY TO PAINT SO i WASTED 1/2 GALLON! bUMMER!! (yes, herculiner can be used on galvanized trailers!!)

Yes, the hole in front seat is original to boat. They had a bit of character back in 64 I guess. Also notice how wide BOTH seats are and the lip on the edge which allows you to have a nice finished edge with the carpet.

Any other questions, I'll be happy to answer. Thanks again for all the positive responses!!! Catch 'em up.

Travlin_Man reply :

What a great looking boat. I'll bet you have to fish on cloudy days so the fish and other boaters won't be blinded. You might want to check out www.kipawapropellers.com . I fish on electric motor only lakes and the three blade prop helps with a little extra speed.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

thanks TM, I will look into it

Glenn reply :

Careful on those props, they will void the warranty. MinnKota's warranty (http://www.minnkotamotors.com/support/warranty_info.asp) says, "These limited warranties do not apply to motors used commercially, nor do they cover normal wear and tear, blemishes that do not affect the operation of the motor, or damage caused by accidents, abuse, alteration, modification, , misuse or improper care or maintenance. "

MinnKota defines these aftermarket props as a "modification" or "alteration". And that altering your propeller will void your warranty.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Thanks for looking out glenn.

I was reading how to choose the lb. thrust for a trolling motor and after doing the math, my boat can only achieve 4.3 mph anyway. Any faster without getting up on plane , and I would just be pushing water.

I'm very impressed with the new minn Kota prop also.

Mo_Tick reply :

well i just rolles into a deal, a 14' jon with trailer, trolling motor 5hp gas motor Fish Finder seat ....

all for 300.00, cant pass that up. now i want to do what you did, would love to hear about your process in detail and what products you used.

coloradobulldawg@yahoo.com

Tom

Pa Angler reply :

Great job it's like night and day from what it came from.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

mo-tick, most of the materials info is in this post. Any other questions, feel free to ask me @

fvrustyhooks@cox.net

guest reply :

Nice boat. I bet you get a lot of satisfaction from using a boat that you built yourself.

This is 'The Hooker' built on a 14ft Crestliner utility. Took me most of one summer to complete.

there are some more pictures here

http://www.myjonboat.com/gerry.htm

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Gerry, great site! Boat looks sweet!

I also did a restore job on a 92 boston whaler jet boat. (1st company and 1st model to use jet in boat hull)

They used a yamaha waverunner3 powerplant so the boat had HANDLEBARS!!! It also had a nasty graphic down the side and a 4x1 hole in the hull from an accident. We re-powered it w/a new yamaha 701, replaced rails, rub rails, removed graphic, painted, and re-did the dash w/ teak, 5-spoke wheel and gauges. This is a before and after.(not the best b4 pic)

after

guest reply :

Nice clean looking finish. Great job.

Grumpy413 reply :

WOW nice job on all of those... I love the red paint.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Thanks everybody!

fishingaddict reply :

dang sweet ride

njoynlfe reply :

Just in case you wanted to know...I believe what you have there is a great old Sears brand boat..It looks exactly like my 1964 Sears I just got that I am fixin to fix up.You have yourself one GREAT lookin boat there my friend...Enjoy it ..Happy fishin to you all..

fireandice reply :

Wow. Hats off to all of you guys. Very clean jobs. I really like that flatbottom. I saw something similar on BassTech a few weeks ago. I was just wondering if they got ideas from your boat. Very similar. I don't know if you saw it or not, but herculiner and all I'm tellin' ya. I was just wondering how the boat handles with the seats sitting so high above the boat. Does it make it pretty tipsy? Just wondering. And also, one question. Wouldn't the bedliner material on the bottom of the boat create tons of drag? I'd think you'd want to keep it as slick as possible. Anyway...beautiful boat on such a budget.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Thanks for the comments, hmm lets see..

1. The seats. No, adding the seats created zero instability. 2 points though. I had a light duty 12 once where adding the seats did make it a bit tipsy. I had 15 inch pedestals but when I changed them to 7", it was much better. However, this boat has an unusually wide beam. Extremely stable for a jon boat.

2. The herculiner on the bottom does create drag but this boat is used in a t/m only lake. There is an equation where you can see the max possible speed of your boat without getting it on plane and for my boat, it's 4.2 miles an hour so w/a 55 lb thrust motor, I get the 4mph out of it no prob. any larger of a t/m and I'll just be pushing more water till on plane.

The pic below is the old light duty w/ the higher pedestals. THis boat is a no-no. Lower pedestals were a must. This boat was like riding a skateboard on ice.

BK-SBM reply :

awsome ive just got inspired. seriously next spring il have something nice to show you.

nice work! - bk

Sam reply :

Outstanding!

You are missing your call...boat refinishing!

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Thanks Sam, I do alot of custom fiberglass fabrication for show cars. Audio, video, motorized units etc. My point is that the "talent" part doesn't exist. Not much to it, but having the tools around and the time, that's the trick. Thanks again everybody, I notice this boat has inspired a few of you to take on a jon boat. Good luck to all of you and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

T_Dot reply :

great job

im looking to do something like that in the near future with my 14 foot jon boat.

how many ribs does yours have? as im looking to take out my middle seat to free up more open space.

what is that hole in the front of the boat for?

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

3 ribs.

The hole is for storage in bow seat. It's awesome, I don't even take a tackle box anymore. In there I fit,...

4 plano boxes, pliers, a bag of plastics, a small plano terminal tackle case, scents, extra spools of line, a scale, bug spray, and drift anchor.

Fish Chris reply :

Hey LBH, you did a fantastic job on that old Jon ! When I first saw it, I was thinking, "I hope he prepped it well for paint"..... as I tried to paint my old 12ft V-hull twice, and the paint just fell off in sheets. Finally, my buddy and I sand blasted the whole thing down to bright, bare metal. Then I put the custom camo job on it, and it never peeled or chipped again ! I was really happy with that paint, and I got a lot of compliments on it.

So I read where you used "etching primer" ? That probably would have been a lot easier than our sand blasting. Of course it better be a LONG time before I have to paint my new one :-)

Peace,

Fish

PS, BTW 64' was a great year ! ;-)

GAMEOVER reply :

That is very nice, you seem pretty talented at restoring things. Good luck with it.

T_Dot reply :

great job!

where did you get the handles from?

thanks

eulerentinc reply :

thats great looking!! You should send some pics to a jon boat company. If all jon boats looked like that they would probably sell a ton more of them!!

Redlinerobert reply :

Good Lord! That is very impressive. The transformation was better than one of those before and hafter home improvement shows!

Maxximus Redneckus reply :

WOW LBH .Love the red paint if i seen that going down the rd id think its was a brand new one and around 4500 bucks easy

fishingfourfun reply :

Great job! I am sure that after people see the results of your boat that they will trying their hand at restoring their boats.

HunteR reply :

WOW! Very Nice INDEED!

kbkindle reply :

l.b.h. kbkindle here man i bet you have got some man hour's in that redo job you did a outstanding job anybody would be proud to own it kb

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

KB- the work itself is easy, the time intensive part is waiting 24 hrs before each coat of primer and each coat of paint. You need a 5-7 day window of warm/dry weather to get a good result. pain in the butt.

We are starting my partners boat the week after next. It will be identical, right down to the hardware except this one will be blue.

maxke01 reply :

Where do you get the primer/paint from and what brand is best to use? Also how is the best way to prep for painting? does it need to be completely sanded with 40 grit or just the real bad spots?

Excellent work on that boat there man. You outdid yourself

Ballpark Frank reply :

WOW awesome job. Makes me want to try fixing up my little boat and keeping it.

JayDub reply :

JEEEZ this is an old post... a good one though.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Hachie- seems like yrs ago, huh? How's the commander holding up? (we did our boats around the same time)

Max- all materials are listed in beginning of thread. (interlux yacht paint from Jamestown distributors-local but they have an online store too)

As for the sanding, any place that "shows"*, needs to be clean to the metal. I have since learned however that there are chemical strippers that work even better. I forget the name though.....CATT???

**shows= if you are adding floors like mine,....don't bother sanding the floor

Dobber91 reply :

hachiesting06 is that a lonestar boat? About a week ago I got a lonestar boat that looks exactly like that, but in horrible condition. I saw some post about people fixin up their boats and now I'm motivated too fix mine up for some serious fishin.

Low_Budget_Hooker reply :

Yes, his is a lonestar and it was in bad shape when he got it. He also made a stencil of the original lonestar decal for his restore, nice touch.

There is a club out there for Lonestar owners BTW

Dobber91 reply :

Thanks for the help. I'll check out the lonestar club. You guys have done excellent work on your boats.

Black Bass reply :

Great job! I love the color and the graphics.

Newman12Fan reply :

LBH, I have a few questions for you. It seems from the original post 3 years have now passed.

1. How is the paint holding up?

2. How is the bedliner holding up?

3. With your 55 lb TM, I think you said you have 2 batteries, how long can you go inbetween charges?

4. How is the decking and carpet holding up?

I know this is an old post, but I was just curious about it's condition today. I know you use it alot, so this would be a good example of longevity

Tennesseean reply :

i too am really curious as to how the bedliner is holding up particularly on the inside. i am considering using it as a carpet substitute.

MSPbass reply :

This is so old, but it looks like it's still being discussed so I have to ask: LBH do you have a pic of your jon on the water?

I inherited an old 11' Sears Game Fisher this summer and planned to supe it up a bit. But when I put it in the water for the first time, I found it extremely unstable. And that was just the bare boat with me and a pair of oars. I immediately scrapped my plans and decided it wasn't safe. But yours is a 12 footer, and downright sexy I have to say, so I'm reconsidering. I'd love to see it in action.

J Francho reply :

MSPbass reply :

Huh, I've never thought to look on yt for that. There's quite a few. And that's one amazing little boat. I can't believe 2 dudes are standing on it like that. I've already resumed the plans for the floor on mine. Thanks! (again)

Hung up Paul reply :

I need to resurrect this thread again because I believe I just saw this boat on Lunkerville last night.

What seats are you using?

AndyPlaysDrums reply :

This is awesome! I'm beyond inspired!

1964, 12' Jon Boat restoration 2024

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