Console question on 20 footer

Bmoney1209 · #1 03-12-2009, 06:58 PM

Hey guys, been working to get my 1970 20 footer up and running for a few months now (lack of $$ of course). well I finally splashed her for a sea trial last week. Boat ran outstanding except for one thing. Fuel in bilge. Not much, but still not safe. Ended up cutting the floor and pulling the tank. Leak on the corner, and the tank was made in 96'. Long story short I'm getting a new tank. Question is I want to put a new or newer console in the boat with a higher back for electronics. The original was 39" wide and 36"H. I would like to go to about 36"W and 42-45"H, not much more narrow but enough. The console did not have an outer flange, but had the raised lip to bolt to on the deck. So I need to somehow flatten or cut the lip out for a new console to work. Any ideas on how to approach this situation? Thanks

Caymanboy · #2 03-12-2009, 07:21 PM

Break out the ol' sawzall and grinder, if it is like mine there is wood inside of the glass to screw to, then you will have to figure out how you want to seal that wood and either move the lip or bolt the new console to the floor.

Bmoney1209 · #3 03-13-2009, 10:35 AM

Thanks. I was thinking that or just cutting that part of the floor out since the tank area is cut already. I will be paying for the re-glass of the floor so I wasn't sure how much that would add to the tab

ROBCAR · #4 03-14-2009, 01:51 PM

can't exactly get a visual of your problem. But I had somewhat similar situation where I ended up modifying my center console on my 20 MA, narrowing it by about 6" and leaving just enough clearance to remove and/or access the gas tank. This by the way did involve some fiberglass and creative work. I had cut the console right down the middle and in 4 different sections....Its hard to explain, so let me know if you want me to send you some pics.

Caymanboy · #5 03-14-2009, 06:36 PM

Hey fishndaze,
i thought about this some more, I'm not sure you will need to do anything with the wood, you will have cut most of it off already, the rest you can grind off, fill and fair the mistakes and paint the deck, you will need to do some filling where the cable hole is, and if your new console has a flange you are good to go, if it doesn't you will need to build a new lip on the deck. Give you any thoughts?

Bmoney1209 · #6 03-15-2009, 06:31 PM

I got ya. After more investigation one of my stringers has a crack in it almost from top to bottom. Ugh. Sooo, I am cutting the floor out past the stringer to fix on the one side. Looking where I cut through that lip I dont see wood at all. Looks like glass, or it's white whatever it is. Plan is to get rid of the lip all together and get a more narrow console with a flange. Thanks for the tips.