'73 Chris Craft Lancer

[jbing81]

Hi guys,

I came across this beauty this afternoon! My uncle had one some years ago (though his was a '78 i/o) and have loved them since. This one is a inboard with just over 500 hrs. full FG interior with what looks like a new seats. The deck is in very good shape for its age with only minor spidering in the gel coat. And the hull looks perfect. I have not heard it run yet but have made plans later in the week to do so.

Im looking for advice and things to look for when buying a FG boat of this age. Ive only delt with aluminum boats in the past which I havent paid much for. The asking price on the CC is $7500 and would need a trailer. Anyone have any input? Im really kind of nervous with spending that kind of money so Id like to be very informed before I make a purchase. Any help would be great! Looking forward to hearing everyones thoughts!

Thanks
Jeff

PS Anyone have an extra couch I might be able to sleep on? lol The wife wasnt too happy to hear about the 4th boat idea today, but Once she sees it in person I think she might warm up to the idea. Its 23' so it would truly be a family boat.

 

[Willyclay]

Re: '73 Chris Craft Lancer

Can you find the HIN and post it? Also, what engine does it have? That info may help others provide meaningful comments for your decision. Also, the "tunnel-drive" is a bit unusual for inboards and Penn-Yan had some issues with their design. You should probably search the forum for info about it. An adequate trailer trailer will probably be well over $1K. Also, do you have a tow vehicle capable of pulling and stopping that beauty? Good luck!

 

[jbing81]

Re: '73 Chris Craft Lancer

its not being mean, that's why I asked. I'm used to paying a few hundred for a aluminum boat so I have no idea of the value of a fg one.

Did this model CC have issues with rot?

What would be a decent counter offer if $7500 is a bit high?

Tow vehical shouldn't be an issue. We have a new V8 Mountaineer and the launch is less than a 1/4 mile away. Plus after talking it over with the boss we might just keep it at the marina anyway. The marina its at has rack storage for only 1100 a year compared to others in the area that charge 1800+

 

[zip34788]

Re: '73 Chris Craft Lancer

Looks like a nice boat, but the price is a little to much for my tastes. Several months ago on eBay a 1975 23' Lancer on a roller trailer sold for less than $3000.

Several things you need to check before making any offer:

Was this boat dry stored or did it set in the water? There was a blistering problem on a lot of Chrisy's. If you have to peel and re-glass the bottom you may have to invest more in repairs than the value.

What condition is the fuel tank?

What condition is the flooring and stringers?

Can you get it insured?

 

[Willyclay]

Re: '73 Chris Craft Lancer

What would be a decent counter offer if $7500 is a bit high?

NADA lists the average retail price for a 1975 inboard model Chris Craft 23ft Lancer figured with no options at $1,690.00 for the boat only, no trailer. Here's a link to NADA so you can run the numbers yourself with options. FYI, 1975 is as far back as they go. Good luck!

http://www.nadaguides.com/default.a...m=10387&y=1975&ml=C&gc=MR&gtc=MR&d=1600041183

 

[keelhauled]

Re: '73 Chris Craft Lancer

That's a lot of money for a Lancer. It'd have to be perfect.

Yes, they rot. Usually the floors where they meet the bulkheads in front of the transom and at the rearmost part of the cuddy. Of course the transom and stringers, too.

I can tell you for sure you aren't pulling it with a mountaineer. That boat is 4500 pounds dry and with a trailer, fuel and gear it's going to own you. The inboards tow a bit better than the I/O but my Lancer teaches my 3/4 ton diesel a lesson on every trip!

Now that the gloom and doom is out of the way, the Lancer 23 is an excellent hull. It was designed by Jim Wynne, powerboat racer and 'father' of the deep-v. It was built by the Corsair division in Cortland, New York which was a Thompson factory (not the Thompson of Wisconsin), a wholly owned subsidiary of Chris Craft.

What's really interesting is Chris Craft, by their own admission, didn't know how to build a fiberglass boat. Therefore the Lancer hulls, particularly the earlier ones, had extremely thick hulls. That's why they are so heavy. This gives them tremendous strength and great big-water capabilities, but hurts speed and time to plane a little. The large lifting strakes on the hull work to counteract this somewhat, but don't expect a lot more than maybe 40 mph.

In my biased opinion, it's a timeless design and performs as well as many of today's powerboats. If you do buy it, keep a lawnchair handy so you have a place to sit while every 3rd person stops you to talk about your boat!