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The Coon Toon Project (pic heavy)

Nice job Maynard, you have been busy.     B)
 
The project is really coming along! Keep the pics coming man, its really looking good.

I have been looking around and need to start saving for a new fishfinder. I want to upgrade to something like what you have there so I can see structure on the bottom.
 
The Garmin is really nice. Was going to install their 301dv but the screen is a bit smaller than the one on my old F85 and my eyes aren't what they used to be. The kit for surface mounting it came from Radio Shack and was only $10 shipped. Saw it sold elsewhere online for 3 times as much.  Haven't seen everything the new unit does yet, I was in such a rush to get on the water I left the owners manual at home.

Forgot to mention the motor mod. After seeing a video on Youtube showing how to remove the restrictor from the intake on the T50 I went out and yanked that little sucker. I've been wondering what the difference was between the 50 and 60 hp engines. It seems Yamaha just chokes the air intake on the 50 and (possibly) lets the ecu rev an extra 200 rpms. Really runs well, just a slight 1 mph increase on the top end but the holeshot has more oomph.
 
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I'm sure that would void a warranty, not sure its worth it though for 1mph difference?
 
No, you shouldn't do anything to risk the warranty. In my case though, I have no warranty and it only takes two minutes to return it back to stock if I didn't like the way it ran.

 My previous post wasn't quite clear, the 60 has the higher rev limit so there's no chance of harming the 50.
 
Nice progress on the toon!
 
How is the under deck wave shield holding up?  What size screws did you use exactly, and what size did you pilot?

I was considering tackling the under deck wave shield project myself.  The boat I had before the Q had this, and it was a NOTICEABLE difference.    I was just afraid of learning a new trade and buying a rivet gun, but I hand handle the project if the screws hold up.
 
I have a pneumatic rivet gun (Bostich) if anyone needs to borrow it, just pay shipping.
 
The shield is holding up fine, if I were to do it again I wouldn't change a thing. The thickness of the material and mounting method paid off when I needed to move it for the transducer cable. cwag911 said back on page one that the 60" width of the material would be ok and he was right. When I crawl through the tunnel with a drying towel I always notice that the exposed plywood above each log is completely dry.

The screws are stainless hex head tek screws. 1/8" diameter x 1/2" long shanks and take a 1/4" socket. I stepped down one drill size so a 7/64" bit was used.

It's worth mentioning again how useful the playpen cover's expanding poles were when I did the underskin. Using three of them in a triangle pattern while installing the screws made the job so much easier. I was working alone and don't know how I would have managed without them.
 
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Thanks for the detailed info.  What is the gauge of the aluminum you used?  I might run to Home Depot this weekend and see if can make this a reality.  Is there another factor regarding quality?  I'm noticing 5052, and 3003 aluminum sheets...  I don't want to get the wrong kind.
 
I don't think you'll find it at a big box store.
 
No, you'll have to go to a steel supply yard or something similar. The thickness I used was .032" but others have used material in the .064-.080 range. There's more detail in the "Lining the struts between the pontoons" thread. Can't post the link with the phone I'm using at the moment.
 
Kells said:
How is the under deck wave shield holding up?  What size screws did you use exactly, and what size did you pilot?

I was considering tackling the under deck wave shield project myself.  The boat I had before the Q had this, and it was a NOTICEABLE difference.    I was just afraid of learning a new trade and buying a rivet gun, but I hand handle the project if the screws hold up.
Click to expand...
I'm surprised a Q doesn't come with the wave shield standard.
 
JTaylor said:
I'm surprised a Q doesn't come with the wave shield standard.
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Me Too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of all the stuff, I look under the deck and there is NO WAVE SHIELD.  The dealer of course tells me "You don't need it".  But I think they have just grown accustomed to telling people that because I've seen a few other instances on this forum of the dealer saying the same thing to other people.

It should be mandatory on any pontoon...  It's a huge difference.  
 
Try metalsupermarkets.com for sheet metal goods. All types available, custom cut to you dimensions, and they ship if there is not one in your area.
 
A couple more mods I've been meaning to do and finally got around to taking care of.  

The two stock Dual speakers were crap, probably the worst speakers I've ever listened to. I'm pretty sure they were the same speakers used in Kenner's Close 'N Play stereos made for kids back in the 60's. Yanked them out and installed a pair of Polk db651's. What an improvement!  Clean, clear sound all the way to max volume and a good match for the Pioneers I installed earlier. At 55 watts rms (165 peak) they won't handle the big amps some of you guy have but they're perfect for the Alpine I'm using.



The other thing that bothered me was the helm seat was too low. It forces me to look through the windscreen which gives a distorted view of what's ahead. I always feel like I should be playing Low Rider on the stereo when I'm cruising around the lake. Ordered a taller pedestal after putting different books on the seat to figure out the right height. An increase between 2-3" would be good so after a quick measurement of the old riser I ordered a 12" pedestal to replace the stock 9" riser. Well, that quick measurement kind of bit me in the ass so to speak. The actual measure was a half-inch shorter than I thought and the new pedestal was 1/2" taller than what was listed so I had a 4" increase in height. Doesn't sound like much but it made a huge difference when sitting at the helm.

Rather than dealing with an exchange, I took the new pedestal to the band saw and lopped off 1 1/4". Of course, it's never just that simple. I also had to make the three holes near the top that allow the seat to lock into position so I spent some time with the drill press as well. Got it all back together and am happy with the new view. It feels much safer looking over the top of the windshield rather than through it.

 
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Those speakers looks sharp. I'm pretty jealous of that taller seat pedestal. I'm 6'4" and I feel like I'm squatting sitting in the captain's chair. I wonder how much work that would be with an elevated helm and wave shield to get to the other side of the bolts...
 
Somebody did a replacement with the wave shield and wrote about it. It was a PINA and one bolqqt was hidden on the other side of a

beam. You might find it in search. I was going to replace my adjustable pedestal till I read the

thread
 
I think my boat is a little different from most in that there's nothing on the outside, below the deck and above the logs, to prevent me from reaching in between the wave shield and deck. Most (or all?) of the newer boats have some aluminum strips to give the hull a cleaner look.  Changing the pedestal would have been a 10 minute job if I didn't have to modify it.
 
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