Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

[rbryant1492_mfb]

I saw a post on another site and it really made me think.
The post told a guy that boats over ten years old are to much trouble.
When I saw that and thought about all of us restoring older boats I had to wonder who was right.

** I have a 1979 187xl my boat is a summer project and by it being older I got more boat that I could have gotten new.

I do realize some people get older boats not realizing you will have to do some work on them

 

[merc1]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

To me its worth every ounce of time it takes to do it . But it takes a lot of work and i mean a lot of work. If you watch this site and read and do a littel serching on here any qustion's you have are most likely here. Or you can post and most of the time someone will help you. There are folks on here that have never worked on a boat a day in there live's but with all the fine folks on here thay have talked them though it. I have been helped many times with things i new nothing about and did alright with it. It takes wanting to do it to get it done. It is a labor of love hand's down. I am sure there will be other's with a lot more input than i can give you. That will help out. God Bless merc1

 

[External Combustion]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

Several things that I have learned in life.

Play hard or pay hard.

A boat is a hole in the water you pour money down. The bigger the hole the more money.

Golfcarts and their attendant expenses are more money than comparable boats.

Just some observations from here in the Nations.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

as you said you can get more boat for less, it is also a matter of pride, and the love of taking an old hag, give her a bath, a little love, and she blossoms into a beautiful ride. it can be an addiction. i have done so many i can't count them anymore. i find them cheap, or something i just have to have, and spend a couple of months to a year, periodically working on them. then use them for a while, till something else comes along. i realize it is not a monogimus relationship they all must go sometime, as there are more still out there. i have a disease called MBS (multiple boat disease).

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

I grew up with boats. My wife did not. When I wanted to get my first boat my wife would never have approved spending a couple thousand on a boat. She did however, seem to approve of spending $200 on a beater boat and then me slowly spending a couple thousand on it. Take from this what you will

 

[thunderroad]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

I love my old (69) boat. I've thoroughly enjoyed bringing it back to life. I know what color every single wire is and where it goes. I've had lots of compliments on it's looks, but no way do I feel that I'm "done" with the project. I've got lots of ideas for future improvements. I was offered more than twice my total investment for it this summer but declined. I hope to always own a boat, but I don't want to own a more expensive or bigger boat. If I had a more expensive one, I'd feel the need to use it all the time and there are other things I like to do also. If I had a bigger boat, everyone would want to go along. I'm at the time in my life where I can have fun without a "party". My old boat is perfect for me. I'll take "character" over payments anytime.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

i agree 100% these are my babies right now. the black one i paid $200 and the one with red $76.00, i had the trailers. they are now being rigged. the pwc is a 1993 that runs better than the new ones, and i've never spent a cent on it.

 

[MikDee]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

I guess, I find, I've been doing this all my life with cars, boats, motorcycles, sometimes I feel as though a vehicle, or item, has alot of life, and good years of service left in it, Why throw it away? I guess I'm actually a recycler, also usually due to economic reasons. I find sometimes, New, is not necessarily better, Fresh, yes,,, but not as well made, or designed. So, I feel it is worth it, sometimes you get lucky, sometimes not, either way it's a learning experience, while being useful, and a sense of pride if you, & maybe others appreciate the vehicle, or what you've done to it.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

i was just in the Keys week before last. but, this time i really noticed how many older 20 years or more boats had brand new engines on them. cheaper to repower, especially if you have a good boat, and like the way it handles.

 

[i386]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

i agree 100% these are my babies right now. the black one i paid $200 and the one with red $76.00, i had the trailers. they are now being rigged. the pwc is a 1993 that runs better than the new ones, and i've never spent a cent on it.

Do you have any pics of the inside of the red one? It looks similar to my project boat in the way the console is installed. Any idea where it was made?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

the red one is a 1978 Collins, made in Largo, Fl. here's a couple of pics. i've done nothing to the hull, it's original.

 

[i386]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

Well it's not as similar as I thought. It's a little more like my working boat except mine is smaller and it's tiller steered. Thanks though.

 

[Tom 47]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

I have a 30 year old 26 ft Pacemaker sportfish with a cabin and large cockpit for fishing. Very few boats in the 26 foot range have decent size cockpits. It really depends somewhat on what you want and weather it available new in todays market place. The hual and stringers are fiber glass, no wood was used in the haul construction. It does need some additional work as the prevous owners did not up grade anything. The engine engine, transmission, fuel tanks and hoses, water system and wiring are orginal and will need to be repaced.

 

[FFScott6]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

I just picked up an oldie... 1963 AristoCraft Funliner with a 1960 Gale Sovereign 60... The wife thought I was nuts! But she is cleaning up nicely, the boat too Seriously though, it is cleaning up great and I'll have to do a few more things but when the impeller and plugs arrive I'll set out to get the motor runnning With the help of this forum I might add.... and get the shine back on it... I'm hoping to get into conowingo or elk neck in a couple of weeks for "MY" maiden voyage.

Good Luck on your rebuild! I'm having a blast!

 

[redfury]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

Are they worth the pain.....That is a really good question. If you can tolerate the itching from grinding fiberglass, or the aluminum splinters, deal with the smell and mess of resins and the sweat you'll put into it, then yes. Otherwise, no it is not, because if you can't handle the heat, you are going to get out of the proverbial kitchen and never finish the boat.

For me, it was the way to get a bigger boat in order to save money. I've been working on it for 3 years now. I'm finally ready to replace my transom. However, the cost of Sea Cast ( my choice of replacement ) and the need for 9 gallons of the stuff has put me on hold on that dept....So, I will start working my stringers while I find a way to get my seacast. It's fun and frustrating. In the end, when I'm done, I WILL KNOW the integrity of my boat when I'm done and I will KNOW the integrity of my boat 10 years from now, because I know how it was made, and how it was repaired/updated.

Worth it? Every tear, scrape, bruise, curse word and dime I put into it is worth it to me the day I float that boat and scream across the lake and drop a line in the water.

 

[Peaceful Pirate]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

If I may add my $.02 worth ? You can go to your nearest dealer and they will gladly take your BIG $$$, or, you can watch something like Craigslist, find a ?junker? that has been sitting in a field for a while, complete with varmint nest in the power plant, and pick it up for $150.00! Then spend your time and your small $$$, and end up with something reliable, cost effective and a source personal pride.

 

[tallcanadian]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

after all the sweat and tears...it's well worth it. my boat is a 1976 model sunray. now it will outlast me. good luck.

 

[drewpster]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

When I bought my first beater boat I was looking to buy a dune buggy. Here it is 10 years later and I have never regreted the choice. The water is where its at!

 

[freddyray21]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

I have had two older boats and the gawk factor alone is worth it to me. I "restored" both of them to my liking and I think everytime I go out I get compliments on the old boats. I am currently in the process of building an old wooden one from plans out of a 50's boatbuilder magazine. Do I need it? No, but think of the gawk factor. I already have a 50's motor to go on it as well.

 

[kubikman]

Re: Are older boats worth all the pain u get restoing them?

I've seen boats a year old that need restoring because of the way they've been taken care of. It's not the age of the boat, but it's the guy/gal who owned it previously and how they maintained it, that matters.

Having said that, if money's no object buy new, but if you're willing to spend some time and muscle restoring a neglected or forgotten craft, you'll get alot more boat for your money. And if you do it right, you and the boat will form a bond and you'll become friends before you know it. Who knows, maybe the two of you (you and your boat) will have a love affair that won't make your significant other jealous.

My advice is know the limits of your abilitiy and don't attempt a project that's too over your head. A little stretch is good, you'll probably learn something.

Similar to the post above, I too am building a 16 ft mahogany outboard runabout and I have a 1959 Mercury Mark 35A that's going on the back.

I've owned flybridge sportfishermen, Cigarettes, and others (I lost count at 20 or so boats) over the last 36 years so I've had some experience.

Here's a parting thought.... whether a new boat, restored boat or any boat, it has to be a labor of love because all boats require "pain" (as originally asked) to maintain. If you aren't willing to maintain your boat, do it a favor... leave the poor boat alone!