Buying a used boat with major repairs

[cincy_cosmo]

Tonight I'm going to look at a 18" Imperial that the owner says on the phone has had the transom and stringers rebuilt (by him) and re-fiberglassed, a new floor put in etc. He said he has worked in a body shop and that is where he learned to do fibergl.

Does this make the boat a better buy or a worse buy? What can I look for to check the quality of his work? He has priced it above NADA value, so I assume he sees value added in his work.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

I wouldn't want to have a boat that had transom repair in the first place, let alone one that was done by a person I didn't know. There are plenty of boats that have perfectly good transoms. I suggest finding one of those.

 

[rheyboer]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

I certainly wouldn't pay up for it. What year and how much? You must be leary of floor and transom rot on any used boat. Even if things seem fine a serious problem could surface in a year. So if these areas have been taken care of those concerns could be greatly reduced. Having said that, can you trust his workmanship? Can you trust him? Any pictures of the renovation while it was ongoing. Look for details. Look at his car and garage. If your gut says this guy does good work, and you get a deal on it, it might be worth a chance.

My 84 Century had floor and transom rot. My decision was to junk it and look for something else or fix it. I was very concerned if I pick up a 10 y/o boat I could be looking at rot down the road even if all seemed Ok at purchase. I had a pro redo it for about 2k. Engine pulled out and all. Now I figure that should not be a concern for a long long time. Of course my guy was a boat pro. Take your time, the water will be there next year. A bad purchase will haunt you. Maybe spend a few bux and a get survey of some type.

 

[new_boater]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

then what about all the boats that everyone rebuilds ? i think that you must go over the boat carefully and decide on a case by case basis

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

To me its the equivalent of buying a car that has been in a wreck. Sure, many have been fixed properly and will continue to give good service...but why take the chance? You certainly would not want to pay the same amount of money of one that has not been repaired.

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

He brought up closer to the NADA price, and if you can't see the repair it's closer than if it's obvious. He definately didn't surpass the NADA price. That would require customizing, etc, not repair no matter how involved. NADA is based on good mechanicals, structure, and cosmetics. It doesn't have to be showroom condition, just good average no-problems condition.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

irrelevant.

Inspect the transom. If he hadn't told you about the new transom, you'd still inspect it. You'll inspect the transom of every used boat you look at. Some of 'em will have been rebuilt, some will have original. If it's soft don't buy it. It's a go/no-go kind of thing, not a value-added kind of thing.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

NADA values are useless.
Most are 30-50% off compared to real market values.

Local market and current boat condition are what counts.

Upper midwest boat prices are a lot higher than nada.
Florida boat prices are generally lower than nada.

 

[bassboy1]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

NADA is useless. Generally when selling a boat, and a buyer tries to bargain using the NADA value as an example, we don't even bother.

Also, if the boat checks out, there is no reason to bother not buying cause of the repair. Many folks on here restore boats, and I am sure many folks restore them who aren't on here. What I am saying is, many folks know the right way to do it. If it was done wrong, it will be obvious given you do a major go-over.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

If it was done wrong, it will be obvious given you do a major go-over.

I couldn't disagee more. How are you going to see the quality of the repair from the outside? How would you know if he cut corners, cut out the majority of the bad wood and left it at that. How is the repair bonded to the existing transom. I could go on and on.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

then what about all the boats that everyone rebuilds ? i think that you must go over the boat carefully and decide on a case by case basis

Ayuh,.......... Exactly.............

Crawl thru the ole girl,+ give it a Real Good Lookin Over.................


Bruce,..........
Most of what you state is usually quite obvious to a Real Good Lookin Over.........................

 

[cincy_cosmo]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

I went over last night and looked at it and the hull/transom/stringer all seem to be in good shape. The current owner has kept it in a garage since his rebuild of it. He seems to love fiberglass and I understood him to say he encapsulated the deck wood with glass and gelcoat before putting on the carpet. He said the boat never takes on water, never needs the bilge ran and I could see no evidence that made him seem to be lying.

The boat is an "Imperial 182 Euroclass". Imperial went out of business in the early 90's. It has a Volvo 120hp engine. The boat itself is visually kinda plain but looks to be easy to clean/maintain. The current owner seems pretty knowledgable and has had it for three years (6 months of which were doing the decking, transom and stringers). He seemed pretty honest. The only downside is the lounge chairs are in pretty bad shape and need replaced and the jump seats in the back could use upgrading. The stereo is gone too.

I'm thinking of giving an offer on it tonight.

 

[Dakota47]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

Make sure you go for a 1 hr test ride before any cash changes hands. check everything out real good.

 

[cincy_cosmo]

Re: Buying a used boat with major repairs

I'm going over tomorrow morning with Admiral Wife to see the boat again and possibly work on a price. The sell will be pending a in-water check and ride. I may leave a small token deposit on it to have him declare it as sold or sale-pending. I also ran the HIN number for a Boat History Report and it was clean. Not sure if that means anything truely or not, but it gives a little more peace of mind.

I talked today with someone who runs a fiberglass repair place and they told me what to look for as far as a transom repair...mainly....look for soft spots, cracking around the engine mounts and water marks. They also emphasized getting UNDER the boat and checking the fiberglass hull CAREFULLY for cracks as well as checking out the floor. They did not consider a home made job on the transom a red flag, which surprised me. They are far more concerned with fiberglass repairs that effect the outer hull and water tightness. I guess glass is not that hard to lay.