new here, need some advice...

[ssgruvn]

hi im new here and to boating in general. my wife and i have wanted a boat for some time now and wanted something we could work on together and maybe get lake ready next summer. i dont have any experience working on boats but i am VERY mechanicanically inclined and i have a good friend that knows a lot about boats and is willing to teach me.

my grandpa suggested i buy this 19?? glastron v156 from him for the price he paid for it, which was $300. my wife and i went to look at it for the first time and we fell in love with it. its exactly what we are looking for in size and functionality and price but its gonna need some work. new floors and interior are going to be needed right off the bat. my grandpa said that the people he got it from caught the motor on fire, but that he had gotten it running about a year ago. i went back today with my friend to get an opinion from him on whether to buy it or not, and while i was there, i decided to pull the cover off the motor and check out the fire damage. what i found was an extremely clean (almost new) looking motor with a bunch of charred wires (all insulation was burned off). im no stranger to auto electrical work, so im sure i could rewire it if thats all it needs. the hull and trailer look to be in great shape (short of needing tires) considering it has sat in the same spot for the last 15-20 years...

with all that said, what i really wanted to know is based on the description and pics, should i buy it and is it possible to have it on the lake next summer? my friend said yes and yes but second opinions never hurt....

 

[ssgruvn]

Re: new here, need some advice...

if anyone needs any more info to base your opinion on, please just ask. as i said the wife and i love it but i dont want to get us in over our heads either...

 

[eaglejim]

Re: new here, need some advice...

That is what I paid for my sportcraft(it was in about the same shape) you won't be dissatisfied great boat I would buy it in a heart beat, deal is off if he doesn't throw in that kitchen sink

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: new here, need some advice...

Sorry to be the dissenting party, but I wouldn't touch that boat - at any price.

By the looks of the transom bracket, the motor is a 1972 or older model. That means it has an ignition system based on a distributor and an amplifier. In turn, that fact means lots of NLA parts and stupidly high prices when you can find something you need. If it is a 1972 85hp, for example, the amplifier assembly is still available, but it costs $377.40! The distributor cap assembly is still available, but it costs $214.33. The rotor assembly is a dealer direct item and there is no price currently listed. That means, good luck finding one and you will pay whatever a dealer thinks he can get out of you, if you do locate the rotor.

The fact that it is a 1972 or older also means that it is a hydro-electric shift motor. If the fire burned the wires that come out of the midsection, into the port side of the lower cowl pan, you have a major problem, because the wiring harness involved is a NLA item. The shift switch in the remote control is also an NLA item. I am not a person who is afraid of hydro-electric motors, because I have one, but you have to be very careful of what you buy.

That fact that this motor burned would make me very suspicious of all of the electrical/electronic systems, not just the wiring. I wouldn't trust the amplifier, the distributor, the rectifier, the diode & lead assembly, the coil .... etc., etc. You also have to be sure that you have fixed whatever made it burn, in the first place. Was it electrical, was it fuel fed?

Its hard to tell from a photo what kind of condition a trailer is in, but don't forget that there's probably money to be spent there, as well.

So, now what you have is just a boat. As you have stated, you think it is in immediate need of a new floor. Given that it has obviously been allowed to sit out in the open, full of leaves and trash, that's most likely a good assumption. If that is so, its a pretty good bet that it needs new stringers and a transom rebuild too. As a practical matter, the transom work means that the cap of the boat has to come off. All of the systems in the boat (steering, electrical, etc.) are probably junk too.

You might take it for free (unless the family relationship dictates slipping grandad a few bucks), lose the motor and accept the fact that you are looking at a total rebuild of the hull. That means you'll probably put at least a couple of thouand dollars and a lot of hard work into the boat. If that doesn't bother you, its not a terrible project to get into, but don't do it for economy's sake - you could buy an immediately usable boat for less.

Sorry to be the grinch, but at the moment, this one is a project, not a boat!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: new here, need some advice...

i have had worse, come out really nice.

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: new here, need some advice...

why are the lawnmowers attacking it???


Seriously, unless YOU are very handy and mechanicly inclined, I would walk away. I am somewhat handy, and not very mechanically inclined and i paid only 100 bucks more than that for my most recent project that was 500 times better shape than that glastron. for a few hundred bucks you can pick up something in alot better shape and have a way better starting point.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: new here, need some advice...

That boat and motor have close to no value. The trailer could be worth $200. So basically what I'm saying is I wouldn't PAY anything for it. Try to get it for free.

That being said, I DO like the hull. Nice lines and a nice stable open bow tri-hull. A perfect first boat. It will need to be completely gutted and rebuilt. There's plenty of similar projects going on here for you to use for guidance.

That motor is a potential money pit. If you can get it running and useable, great, but I'd keep my eye out for something newer to replace it with. Johnson/Evinrude made some big design changes in '73 and the parts support is better from there on out. '78 and newer is ever better.

To sum up, I'd go for it but don't pay anything for it. He'd have to pay to dump the thing anyway which would be a wash if he was able to sell the trailer.

 

[Andy in NY]

Re: new here, need some advice...

That motor is a potential money pit. If you can get it running and useable, great, but I'd keep my eye out for something newer to replace it with. Johnson/Evinrude made some big design changes in '73 and the parts support is better from there on out. '78 and newer is ever better.

.

do what i did... trade a non running piece of junk for a running good working order non piece of junk!

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: new here, need some advice...

If you can get it for less and part everything out on the engine and sell the trailer you might make a few bucks. Do not expect a quick turn over.

 

[mphy98]

Re: new here, need some advice...

I don't think he was looking to sell this boat, rather fix it up and use it. $300.00 is not a lot of money to lay out, I would say go for it and you and your wife can have a good time putting it back together. Most parts can be refurbashed or replaced. Besides it even comes with the kitchen sink!!!!!!!!

 

[PW2]

Re: new here, need some advice...

If you put $2000 into that boat, you might be able to get the value of it up to $300

 

[salty87]

Re: new here, need some advice...

grandpa knows boats....gets what he paid for it after 15-20 years? wow, i mean ouch

what kind of tree is growing in the back? lol

personally, i'd rather spend more money and be on the water sooner.

 

[henrye718]

Re: new here, need some advice...

I dont know that looks like a lot to deal with, forget about the boat for a second and think if you would rather have a boat that works right now and fix it up slowly and at the same time able to use it.

I like to pick up other peoples projects, they have already gotten bugs out, and replaced some of the major parts. Like for instance a stearing cable or got the motor squared away but the hull is still hoaky, bought a set of new batteries, rippped the floors out already etc etc.

I would say that boat is fixable, no doubt. Im sure there is a whole lot more to it than meets the eye when you really get into it.

In terms that it may and most likly will become a money pit before it ever sees the water. That is very dishartening to a first time boater more than anything.

Same reason why I see so many unfinished driveway projects forsale that were given up on, after the intial project buzz wears off, you are left with a bunch of work and money being spent with no end in sight.

So if you do not truely enjoy working with your hands and projects like this are your life and what basically keeps you going. Then I suggest getting something that will be in the water imediately or very quickly as you work on it.