Got a 'new' 1986 Invader 17' I/O- The Journey to Refresh

Hey Y'all...

Well I did it... I impulse bought a boat. It's my first boat (i've been around boats from pontoons, to 90k Ski Nautiques, to 50ft twin cat diesel Custom Carolina fishing boats) but this is the first one I can say is mine. To my knowledge it's a 1986 Invader with a 3.0 I4 140 Mercruiser Engine. I got it, the trailer, tube, wake board, eopes and jackets for 2k.

With that said, I am new to the boat world. Any help along the way would be much appreciated.

I'll post pictures as I go, I spent the last two nights (I'm night shift) scrubbing her down.

Previous owners didn't have it covered, but all things considering for a 33 year old boat I think it's pretty decent.


List of known issues

-No wood left in the captain's chair seat cushion insert.
-Soft spot in the fiberglass area to the right of the engine
-Back to back folding lounge chairs are rough... woods rotting out and vinyl is ripped up
-bilge and underfloor storage is rank... full of rainwater, nasty life vests, rope and cockroaches
-dirt
-dirt
-more dirt
-Probably needs tunes up and fluids changed
--- Yes, it has a cracked plug. Needs tune
-exterior shows it's age. Hello Oxidation
-Radio is not marine grade, and instead of installing it in the glove box deal, they cut it into the side of the console area... so it turns on, but it's fried
-Speakers probably don't work
-Wiring is a bit too cluttered for my taste
-needs a battery
-bilge and blower don't work
-Trailer only has brake lights and turns. running lights and lights on when the headlights are one are not functional

 

You are not the only one that takes on projects. You are among friends.

Waiting on pics.

 

Before. The night I tugged her home

 

let the cleaning commence .. sorry for the bad lighting. I did this all at night, as I'm nightshift. As such, I didn't want to wake my neighborhood up so I did it by hand. Simple green and water...

 

More cleaning. Simple green and purple power citrus foam.

I didn't get any pictures but I reinforced what was left of the lounge chairs and pulled the vinyl and restapled it and for the time being used some duct tape... I mean... It's 33 years old. Won't be perfect yet. I just didn't want some ones legs getting cut up by nasty vinyl and rusted Staples (plan on having some bikini babes onboard...)

 

Nice! It's cleaning up really well

I'm a newish boat owner myself, and actually think mine is an 86 too lol. But it's a 16' Fisher aluminum boat w/ a 77 Mercury Merc 500 thunderbolt (50hp).

Let the money pit commence

 

The bulk of the interior initial clean is done. I didn't touch the captains chair because it needs some structural help. I sprayed everything down with mothers VLP for some mild protection for the time being. I also shop vac'd the floor, cleaned out all the storage cubbies and washed out the underfloor storage and bilge... Gross. They had probably 12 life jackets chilling in nasty water in there. Cockroaches running everywhere. I salvaged the jackets that were on top and not nasty and cleaned them down with purple power boat/RV was. Highly concentrated .Haha.

Next I want to do a basic extraction of the carpet with degreaser, a brush and shop vac. I also need to temporarily fix the soft spot before I go through it... It's right where the swim ladder is... As soon as you step down....

 

Picked up oil, plugs and a battery. And seafoam. Lots of it. Haven't done the fluids or anything yet, but all the gauges and nav lights work. It fires right up! It does choke and stall at higher RPMs though. I'm hoping a tune and carb clean will fix that. (One of the plugs is cracked ) I didn't check the others.

 

Going to be a struggle registering it... Previous owner never paid their taxes on it so I couldn't transfer the title. I. HOPING they will come meet me and square up at the parks and wildlife office..

Also... She didn't have the title to the trailer so this will be interesting. Newbie mistake on my end.

Of course, the numbers for the trailer ratings and everything are worn off of the plate on the toungue.. so even if I went the bill of sale route, I'm not sure of the ID number and ratings....


An option for the boat half is a bonded title.... But if the previous owner will come square up, it's still got a clean title after 33 years of being owned in South Central Texas... Amazing .



For you boat guys what is a good online resource for parts diagrams references etc I don't even know what model this boat is LOL

 

I'm starting to think Alum would of been the way to go lol. I really dig this boat's lines, I guess it's a "classic" by today's standards... but I can already tell it's going to be a constant project.

I'd love to re-do the interior. But I guess that depends on if the engine stops choking and how the stringers and such are...

 

Yea, you'll get more bikini babes on board with your style boat. So it's a solid choice lol

That's been my issue, just constant chasing of little problems that I haven't had time to re-do the seats or floors like I want.

However, I can't argue much. My father in law bought it years ago (did a ton of work) and replaced it with a nice bass boat and pontoon, so he just gave it too me

Hopefully you don't have too much issue titling everything, I worried about it a ton but the process was super easy (though he had a title in hand, albeit incorrect as the boat was listed as an alumacraft)

 

Thanks!

Anyone put a fumoto valve on a 3.0 mercruiser? What model number?

 

I know next to nothing about the fiberglass end of things but I'm assuming the outdrive is a mercruiser alpha one, make sure your gimbal housing bellows are not torn or you will get water coming in the boat. If you run it out of the water use muffs and try not to run it with the lower unit up at an angle, its a good way to destroy u joints. I started avoiding I/O because theyre such a pita lol. Theres a ton of info on mercruisers out there such as sterndrives.com. I'm amazed at how well the vinyl came out, looks good! Oh yeah, go ahead and change the water pump impeller too

 

Now that you have it looking much, much nicer (good job), recommend selling it for $3k and run. I mean you'd have paid $3k if it looked that good, right?

Buying a boat w/o a full on test run and clear title, when boats aren't your thing, is like buying an 150k Tacoma from a salt state sight unseen.

High risk.

Otherwise, best of luck!

 

Thought crossed my mind... I didn't know it wasn't a clear title. Literally all they have to do is pay the 100 bucks taxes and it's good.

 

I definitely plan to change the impeller, I'll do that when I change the outdrives fluid. It looks to be an alpha 1. It came with muffs for the intake luckily. It starts right up, just needs tuned and I'm going to check the timing.

I have faith that it'll float. If not, I'm a great swimmer lol.

 

Well. The storms while I was at work wreaked havoc on my tarp... Filled the boat full of water....

It was just trying out too..

On the plus side. The bilge is extra clean now, and the previous owner is agreeing to meet me at the office to pay the taxes and sign the title over the right way.




*Yes drain plug was out... My driveway is tilted and I had the boat backed in, so it the bow was downhill....*

 

Update: Haven't done too much work, I worked the past few nights. I started it up after letting it dry out a bit, started right up, and I figured out why it was bogging out when I pushed the throttle... I learned there's a kill switch for when the boat shifts. It was sticking and causing it to die. I also need to go through the shift cables and adjust them... I don't have R or N.


What Marine Radio do y'all use? Was looking at a few cheapo-china ones on Amazon, but not sure it's worth the 20 bucks savings over say one from Wal-Mart or other box brand

 

This here be the problem.... Someone destroyed this shift cable... So I'll be doing a lower shift cable.


Amazon to the rescue, I ordered a boat cover, received it the same day and then put it on in the middle of a torrential downpour with lightning hitting across the street. I also ordered a shift cable and gasket/shift bellow kit. when I drop the lower I'll see if the main bellow and bearing are decent. My initial plan was to go boating this weekend... but I'm going to have to push that back

 

Did some work on the boat tonight while I wait for transmission and engine parts. Explored the soft spot below the swim lafder on the floor, I cut 3/4 treated plywood that I sealed as well to place over the area/under the carpet for now. Since that's where everyone will be climbing on and off the boat, and it'll see the most water. I also tore into the captains chair, it's plastic thank God, so I'll be replacing the wood for the xushions and back rest. The vinyl is still in really good shape with lots of material left to staple. I'll be re-doing the lounge seats as well once I figure out the hinges and how to make some folding supports.

I refinished all the wood on the boat and sealed it. I think it adds another look to it, really freshens it up. Overall, this boat is in pretty good shape. I don't have many qualms about putting a few hundred into it to get it on the water, properly and safely. Hopefully 1-2 weeks away from taking it out!