92 Doral Monticello 270...Should I?

[Brian WV]

So I happen to come across a Doral Monticello 270 for sale. It was listed for 16k and it looked interesting so I decided to run up and take a look. Heres the run down of the findings

The Good
It has a rebuilt 454 mercruiser and the drive is a bravo 1 I believe
New generator
Most other important systems work such a trim tabs, trim pump, blower etc
nav lights work
galvanized trailer in good shape

The bad
I will have to completely rehab the gelcoat and fix many areas of small damage and poor repair efforts with silicone
its a 92 so the dash will need redone
2 of 3 hatches leak
Port windows leak
Due to those leaks there is water down below. I poked around and its certainly wet but I didn't find rot.
On board water heater not working.
Toilet not working
needs some vinyl work
I drilled into the transom and it seemed damp. Wouldn't say rot
Info on the boat such as service manuals is pretty scarce

After a few days of talking back and forth he offered it up at 8k cash.

ill attach some pics.. I guess for 8k.. would you take on this project?

edit: went down to 6500

 

[tpenfield]

Quite a project . . . The trailer is probably worth $2K and a working 454 is probably worth $2K and a Bravo outdrive is worth $2K . . . so at $6500, you could part it out and break even.

Your choice as to if you want to take it on as a project. It really depends on how much stuff you can do yourself and not pay the full price of getting things professionally.

Vinyl upholstery
Engine/outdrive work
Structural repairs (assume some stringer work in addition to the transom
Replace hatches, etc.

 

[Brian WV]

Thanks for the response! I have followed your projects for quite a while and love the look of your Formula

I rehabbed a 24 ft Sunrunner cabin cruiser and did pretty well. At 6500$ i did the same figuring as yourself and decided it was worth the risk. I am certainly going to get very familiar with fiberglass repairs.

Heading to grab the boat now. I'll be sure to start a thread in the restoration forum

 

[harringtondav]

^^^ Same as Ted above. If you see a little rot you probably have a lot of rot. The only way to find out is to remove the engine, transom assy, and start demolition and stop when you find good structure....if it exists. DIY would give you a nice project boat for the cost of materials, and your free labor. If this is over your head, walk away and spend your money on a sound boat.

 

[Brian WV]

^^^ Same as Ted above. If you see a little rot you probably have a lot of rot. The only way to find out is to remove the engine, transom assy, and start demolition and stop when you find good structure....if it exists. DIY would give you a nice project boat for the cost of materials, and your free labor. If this is over your head, walk away and spend your money on a sound boat.

Thanks for the response. I have reglassed some panels in my Sunrunner so I believe this is possible for me to accomplish. Also the forums are great if i run into a conundrum. Buckle up should be a fun ride!

 

[harringtondav]

PS: This restoration forum is a gold mine of info. Another good source is "Frisco Boater;s" "Big Mistake" YouTube series on a similar project. ...you may find yourself fast forwarding past his windy back stories, but his techniques appear to follow generally accepted restoration practices.

Make sure the hull is well supported in a cradle before you remove much structure so you can work back up from the intended hull contours. Mechanicalmike08 documented a full resto on iBoats. Smaller boat, same process.

 

[tpenfield]

Also check out the thread from bigdirty . . . He had to do some stringer work on a 25 foot cruiser, which will be a good reference for your boat, vs. the typical bow rider or runabout.

 

[Brian WV]

Made it home after a 45 minute tow on the highway. Got lucky and had no issues. Trailer brakes and lights work which is a nice bonus.

Squeezed it in between by side drive with inches to spare on both sides. I did a quick walk around and the exterior will need some major rehabbing from the fiberglass perspective with a lot of chips and such but thats ok

Going to a new thread now. Thanks for all the references as I have been checking those out.