Waves and Wheels Completes Cigarette 38 Top Gun Makeover
A 2001 Cigarette Racing 38 Top Gun recently received an interior and engine hatch makeover from Waves and Wheels in Missouri.
Between tow rig conversions, entertainment system installations and fabrication and upholstery restoration projects such as the recently completed Cigarette Racing 38 Top Gun pictured, the crew at Waves and Wheels is in the midst of its busiest winter yet.
Justin Wagner, who founded the company in 2001, is pretty good about keeping speedonthewater.com informed of projects he’s working on and the 2001 38 Top Gun that his team tackled on two separate occasions is one of Waves and Wheels latest.
 The structure for the 13-year-old boat’s engine hatch was completely deteriorated and unusable. |
 Waves and Wheels finished the new engine hatch months before starting any of the interior restoration. |
 Waves and Wheels built the driver and passenger bolsters for the 38 Top Gun in-house. |
“Everything went real smooth with the Cigarette,” Wagner said. “The customer came to us and said he wanted to update his boat. It started with the engine hatch, which had to be completely rebuilt. We did that in the spring before the Tickfaw 200 Poker Run and then he brought the boat back so we could do the rest. I designed the interior and the engine hatch at the same time and was shooting for a timeless look. The customer is happy with it, and that’s what matters.”
In the cockpit, Waves and Wheels tore out the driver and passenger bolsters and built new ones in-house with a more modern look to them. To improve upon the plain white and red upholstery without going overboard, a solid, red, white and blue color scheme was utilized by Waves and Wheels to cover the new bolsters. The three-person rear bench also was covered to match the bolsters, as were the side panels and the top of the dash.
Waves and Wheels didn’t stop with the interior, the audio system in the 38 Top Gun was upgraded to include eight speakers, a subwoofer, a five-channel amp and a new head unit with a wired remote.
Bright blue LED strips were added to the cockpit as well as the engine compartment for dockside appeal in the evening. The crew also installed underwater lights on the boat.
“The whole project took us about two and half weeks from start to finish,” Wagner said. “It’s pretty simple overall, but it made a big difference. What I think really made a difference was the entry steps we added on each end of the rear bench. They weren’t there before and they sure make a difference getting in and out. To give them more functionality we inserted LED cupholders from Livorsi in there.”
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