As the end of the season approaches I find myself wanting to overhaul my thirty year old drift boat. I have a 1972 17ft. Alumaweld, I haven't had much luck finding aftermarket parts for this boat. Hopefully I am just looking in the wrong spot, maybe there is someone on this BB who has undertaken a task like this themselves and already posesses some knowledge that would help me in the completion of this task.

The first thing that needs to happen is the boat needs to be stripped of the aging glovet that currently coats the bottom. I would think this is the easy part, just strip off the old glovet and prep the surface. Is there a recommended method of surface preparation? My plan was to clean the surface with a non-residual solvent such as MEK, or brake cleaner. Would roughing up the surface a little help the glovet stick? Would it cause more harm than good to try to hammer out any dings dents etc. in the aluminum floorboard?

Then I need to decide which of the many suggested coatings to apply: I have heard everything from roofing tar to rhino coating, I am leaning toward the traditional glovet but I also would like to hear from other driftboat owners that have tried alternatives. I have tried without success at finding glovet in the store, can someone point me in the right direction? Are there any tricks to this application or is it a follow the directions on the can type of deal??

I'd like to put in a new front seat/storage compartment, how interchangeable are Alumaweld parts? Could I just go to an Alumaweld dealership and pick one up?

Lastly I need to paint the outside. What surface prep is necessary for painting aluminum with a coat that will last? What kind of paint/primer should I use? It currently has a thick coating of marine paint, is there a good product on the market for removing that stuff?

Finally, is there anything I am missing? What else should I be paying attention to while I have the boat turned over??

Thanks in advance