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Author Topic:   T-Top on a Montauk Before and After Photos

Fishcop posted 06-03-2012 09:47 PM ET (US)
I recently had occasion to put up for sale my 1986 Montauk with a Salt Shaker Marine Aluminum T-Top. The top has been a permanent fixture on the boat for the past 26 years. It has been mounted to the console only, with no points of attachment to the deck. It has been trailered all over at highway speeds, been offshore with two or three big adults hanging on for dear life and has had several rod/reel combinations sitting in the rocket launchers during the sea going adventures.
As it turns out, the new owner did not need the T-Top, so I removed it prior to delivery. Here is what I found upon removal. There was no damage to console of any kind. No cracks, loose screws or any type adverse wear on the boat. The floor where the console attaches had all the screws intact and no stress cracks. This leads me to believe that the console was designed to support a great deal of weight and shifting as would be standard on the sheppards crook with persons holding on during the voyage.
Here is the photobucket link with before and after photos of the boat and console. Note there were only three small bolts per leg attached to the console. The grey round marks are the residual aluminum and some type of adhesive that I have yet to clean.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Waha/

Looks like a different boat with the top gone...
Anyway, just wanted to give my .02 of some real world experience with a Montauk and a T-Top.
Andy
littleblue posted 06-04-2012 01:18 AM ET (US)
Wow, beautiful Montauk. Don't see too many with t-tops installed.
Jkcam posted 06-04-2012 05:09 AM ET (US)
Beautiful: Boat,house, truck, fish. Living the dream!!
kwik_wurk posted 06-04-2012 03:21 PM ET (US)
It looks to me that the base of the console was fortified. As most Montauks i have seen do not have the extra piece of "L" bracket connecting the console to the floor. (Yours happens to have the teak overlay on top of this bracket. Which makes it look very clean.)
Good T-top life though, how big were the backing plates on the interior.
Sourpuss1 posted 06-04-2012 03:38 PM ET (US)
Nice Montauk, thank you for posting. Is that a Ford Currier? In the midwest these trucks disolved after their second salty winter!
Fishcop posted 06-04-2012 03:40 PM ET (US)
Thanks again for the kind words. I am going to miss her.
There were only 1" washers with locknuts. Not much room back there for anything else. Three bolts per leg of the top.
Andy
Fishcop posted 06-04-2012 05:11 PM ET (US)
1979 Ford Courier with original 86K miles. It just sold her. 2.3L motor and a 5 speed. Towing was not a problem, just stopping!
TTopless posted 06-09-2012 06:25 AM ET (US)
Many (most?) of the older Montauk 17 consoles were screwed into a pair of wood rails (about 1.5" x 2") on the inside of the console. These wood rails were in turn screwed to the floor.
On many older Montauks (especially those stored outside), this wood can begin to rot, and its common to replace or supplement them with a piece of Aluminum "L" bracket or new Teak rails. We recommend all of our customer check this and replace or beef them up as needed.
Our 85 Montauk 17's rails were rotten, so we cut a pair of Aluminum 1.5" x 1.5" "L" rails and put them inside. The must be aligned and screwed to the floor (use same holes in floor if possible) with the console removed (use 5200). Then the console can be fitted, and the same holes on the side of the console can be used to align and drill through your aluminum "L" rails on the inside. Its tight, but you can get your hand inside and put on a large stainless washer and lock nuts inside with 1/4-20 screws (1.5" to 2" long) and trim washers from the outside.
I've see a couple of boats with the "L" rails bolted to the outside of the console (much easier) and covered with some wood trim, and that doesn't look bad either.
After that, you're good to go, and the console will be sold for years!

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Author	Topic: T-Top on a Montauk Before and After Photos
Fishcop	posted 06-03-2012 09:47 PM ET (US) I recently had occasion to put up for sale my 1986 Montauk with a Salt Shaker Marine Aluminum T-Top. The top has been a permanent fixture on the boat for the past 26 years. It has been mounted to the console only, with no points of attachment to the deck. It has been trailered all over at highway speeds, been offshore with two or three big adults hanging on for dear life and has had several rod/reel combinations sitting in the rocket launchers during the sea going adventures. As it turns out, the new owner did not need the T-Top, so I removed it prior to delivery. Here is what I found upon removal. There was no damage to console of any kind. No cracks, loose screws or any type adverse wear on the boat. The floor where the console attaches had all the screws intact and no stress cracks. This leads me to believe that the console was designed to support a great deal of weight and shifting as would be standard on the sheppards crook with persons holding on during the voyage. Here is the photobucket link with before and after photos of the boat and console. Note there were only three small bolts per leg attached to the console. The grey round marks are the residual aluminum and some type of adhesive that I have yet to clean. http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v219/Waha/ Looks like a different boat with the top gone... Anyway, just wanted to give my .02 of some real world experience with a Montauk and a T-Top. Andy
littleblue	posted 06-04-2012 01:18 AM ET (US) Wow, beautiful Montauk. Don't see too many with t-tops installed.
Jkcam	posted 06-04-2012 05:09 AM ET (US) Beautiful: Boat,house, truck, fish. Living the dream!!
kwik_wurk	posted 06-04-2012 03:21 PM ET (US) It looks to me that the base of the console was fortified. As most Montauks i have seen do not have the extra piece of "L" bracket connecting the console to the floor. (Yours happens to have the teak overlay on top of this bracket. Which makes it look very clean.) Good T-top life though, how big were the backing plates on the interior.
Sourpuss1	posted 06-04-2012 03:38 PM ET (US) Nice Montauk, thank you for posting. Is that a Ford Currier? In the midwest these trucks disolved after their second salty winter!
Fishcop	posted 06-04-2012 03:40 PM ET (US) Thanks again for the kind words. I am going to miss her. There were only 1" washers with locknuts. Not much room back there for anything else. Three bolts per leg of the top. Andy
Fishcop	posted 06-04-2012 05:11 PM ET (US) 1979 Ford Courier with original 86K miles. It just sold her. 2.3L motor and a 5 speed. Towing was not a problem, just stopping!
TTopless	posted 06-09-2012 06:25 AM ET (US) Many (most?) of the older Montauk 17 consoles were screwed into a pair of wood rails (about 1.5" x 2") on the inside of the console. These wood rails were in turn screwed to the floor. On many older Montauks (especially those stored outside), this wood can begin to rot, and its common to replace or supplement them with a piece of Aluminum "L" bracket or new Teak rails. We recommend all of our customer check this and replace or beef them up as needed. Our 85 Montauk 17's rails were rotten, so we cut a pair of Aluminum 1.5" x 1.5" "L" rails and put them inside. The must be aligned and screwed to the floor (use same holes in floor if possible) with the console removed (use 5200). Then the console can be fitted, and the same holes on the side of the console can be used to align and drill through your aluminum "L" rails on the inside. Its tight, but you can get your hand inside and put on a large stainless washer and lock nuts inside with 1/4-20 screws (1.5" to 2" long) and trim washers from the outside. I've see a couple of boats with the "L" rails bolted to the outside of the console (much easier) and covered with some wood trim, and that doesn't look bad either. After that, you're good to go, and the console will be sold for years!