Re: Look what I bought today!
I paid $1400 for the whole thing - boat, motor, trailer and cover. It was on Grand Rapids Craigs List. It had been there for about a month for $1800 and I kept going back to the ad. Finally decided to take the 55 mile drive and check it out. I literally couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the condition of the boat. I went over the whole boat. Literally, there is not a scratch on the hull. Hull is shiny like new. No patches anywhere. The seat cushions are actually life preservers and have the original Coast Guard tags on them. I can't believe the upholstery can be original, as it seems the vinyl would be dry and cracked after 48 years. Is it possible someone recovered them and left the original tags on them? Upholstery was manufactured by a company in Goshen, Indiana, where Starcrafts are made. The seat platforms are plywood, and I looked underneath, and the plywood looks like perfect. The tops of the plywood have the matching "spatter" paint which is original on the floor, so they must be original, unless someone has redone the spatter paint. But I don't think so, as the floor of the boat shows typical foot wear. The guy I bought it from had only had it a short time, so history is unknown. I paid a little more than I normally would (I'm basically cheap!) but just couldn't pass up such a find. Since I'm a lifetime Johnnyrude owner, I've got a lot to learn about Mercs!
