1989 concord. Good boat or pass?

[derek4325]

So i stumbled across this and it is very close to my home town. I dont know too much about these and was wondering if i should go for it. Here is the ebay link https://m.ebay.com/itm/Performance-...255365?hash=item4426793b45:g:muoAAOSwx0Fbhzqr

let me know what you all think! Thanks everyone!

 

[Watermann]

If that's the boat you want to spend many hours working on to repair the rotten deck, transom and stringers then go for it. Otherwise to use that rotten boat with a 300 HP V8 is a death wish.

 

[tpenfield]

We can only see the same things that you see from the pictures, so there is no telling if this is a good boat or not.

since the thing is local, you could see it first hand and take it out for a ride . . .

 

[derek4325]

Okay thanks for the responses guys. I guess i will have to look at it myself and make the call. Problem is i wont be able to look at until next week when the auction is over. But even if i win I'll show up with cash in hand and if i decide that its a heap then I'll kindly leave. Whats so confusing to me is the seats and everything look to be in good shape with the exception of the wood rot on the bench seat. Thats usually a good indication on how well it was maintained..... so why was part of the floor replaced and were the stringers underneath bad too? If so were they properly repaired? I know the quick tricks to listen for hollow spots in the hull/ transom but again, have to see it in person to make that call.

 

[Watermann]

I picked up a 1988 Chris Craft as a donor boat. It had new carpet and upholstery with a deck that was solid. I started tearing the boat down to get the belly tank out and found the whole boat was rotten to the core with scabbed dimensional lumber for stringers and 3/4" plywood over the rot. So that's how this boat could have nice upholstery yet have rotten wood.

 

[derek4325]

Ouch.... so what did you do after that?

 

[Watermann]

Stripped the boat of everything I wanted for my project boat and had it crushed at the dump.

 

[Scott Danforth]

So i stumbled across this and it is very close to my home town. I dont know too much about these and was wondering if i should go for it. Here is the ebay link https://m.ebay.com/itm/Performance-...255365?hash=item4426793b45:g:muoAAOSwx0Fbhzqr

let me know what you all think! Thanks everyone!

its a 30 year old boat with a design life of 15 years.

if you still want the boat, then buy it. consider it a project boat that will need $5k worth of work. if it needs less, consider it a bonus.

 

[wahlejim]

Lots of things going on here that scream: "run"

1) Only had it out once
2) No water test for liability reasons (not insured? Not stable?)
3) New cdi box and timer base.... How did he know this was needed? If he only had it out once, did he test it after the replacement?
4) Not registered

Even if you bought it as a project boat, negotiated it down to "steal" price of $500, you are looking at $6000 by the time all is said and done... at a minimum.

Even if that is worth it to you, registration may be a nightmare and it may never see water legally.

RUN!

 

[briangcc]

In one of the pics I see CT registration numbers on it. The listing states it now resides in NY. I think, and I'd have to check with my wife (works at DMV) that it would be issued NY registrations numbers when registered here. Which means you *may* have a title jump which *may* be a stumbling block when registering in NY.

Before going too far with this I'd find out if the seller IS the registered owner of the boat. Should the current owner NOT have the paperwork in place, my advice is to RUN!!! You don't want the registration nightmare that's about to ensue.

 

[AlabamaNewbie]

The seats look to be in pretty good shape - so you want to make sure you have a place out of the weather to store them while you rebuild everything underneath.

Sorry, but that's the reality of what you are looking at.

A 1989 that you have to spend $3,000 - $4,000 to make in to a nice, safe boat -- probably wouldn't want to go over $1,000 to purchase it. But that's just my uneducated opinion.

 

[AlabamaNewbie]

In one of the pics I see CT registration numbers on it. The listing states it now resides in NY. I think, and I'd have to check with my wife (works at DMV) that it would be issued NY registrations numbers when registered here. Which means you *may* have a title jump which *may* be a stumbling block when registering in NY.

Before going too far with this I'd find out if the seller IS the registered owner of the boat. Should the current owner NOT have the paperwork in place, my advice is to RUN!!! You don't want the registration nightmare that's about to ensue.

To this point - in his story on the listing he states he's had it a year and only had it out once... I am betting he never registered it. He may have had his own trouble getting it registered and decided to unload the problem.


(edit) Actually there is a huge red flag - the picture that clearly shows the CT registration has an 06 sticker. How many times has it changed hands without being registered over the past 12 years? You will be in for a nightmare trying to register it. Find the post with the guy trying to register a bass buggy that jumped owner/registrations in Texas and you will get a glimpse of what you will be in for.

 

[briangcc]

NY wants a clear (unbroken) chain of ownership. Short of that you are in for a world of hurt. I hear the stories every day with jetski and boat registrations from my wife. If you're into self inflicted pain...go for it. Otherwise, avoid at all costs.

 

[derek4325]

Okay so he has told me he has the legal paperwork for the boat. Still have to do the tricks with checking out the sttingers and the transom by tapping on them with a pocketknife or a small hammer. Is that a reliable method? Thanks again for the replys

 

[JASinIL2006]

The only reliable method to check stringers and transom wood is to drill holes to sample the wood. Since sellers often will not allow that, jabbing wirh a knife or bo screwdriver sometimes well tell.

 

[derek4325]

So just tapping on the transom/ hull with the back end of a screw driver then? Sharp sound with good bounce back is good. Dead "empty" sound is bad. Right. And honestly i wouldn't want to drill holes in my own boat ler alone a stranger doing it

 

[tpenfield]

You may not really be able to determine much by tapping. If the fiberglass is thick enough it may sound and feel solid.

If there are areas of exposed or even lightly coated wood you could poke at those areas with a sharp screw driver or ice pick. If it pokes through then you know.

boats tend to rot from the keel upwards, so the more wet portion of the stringers and bulkheads will be lower towards the hull.

 

[derek4325]

I think you all just talked me into passing on this one. I'm not afraid of work but im tired of huge projects. This time i just want something turn key. Going to look at a 19' checkmate wednesday. Has a 350 and an open bow. Its an 89 but it looks like its in nice shape. Will still move along pretty good and be a little better on the fuel gauge lol. Thank you for your guidance everyone!