Old boat, would like some recomendations...

[andrew61987]

Hi, I'm new to these forums. My dad has an old boat in our backyard and we are wondering about its potential and wanted to get some suggestions. Its a 1959 Glasspar Lido, 14 foot. I dont think its the "Sport" edition or whatever, it doesnt have the little extra area back towards the motor. Just has two seats, plus provisions in the back for another board to ad 2 more seats but its not used. It has the yellow trim. It has a 1976 35 hp Johnson 2 stroke outboard motor. The hull is in pretty decent shape and the motor runs good. Also has a brand new blue cover that folds up to cover the two seats for shade. Has a good trailer with a brand new axle. Everything is in overall great shape. The problem is there are very few options on where we can launch the boat due to the fact that most reservoirs and lakes have outlawed the use of two stroke motors. Because of this we rarely use it. He's at a fork in the road, either sell the boat or re-power it. We are mainly considering re-powering it, which is my REAL question in this post.

About selling it. How much is it worth? Is it common or rare? What should I ask for if I list it, and what should I expect to get? Is it something that 20 years down the road he'll be kicking himself in the ass for getting rid of, all emotional attachment aside?

About re-powering it. What can this hull handle power wise? Would a brand new 40hp motor be safe? We want to keep this as CHEAP as possible, so if a drop in power means a big drop in price, we'll do it. I should also note that his has to be a 100% full-emissions legal motor for California, dont want any restrictions like what we have now with the two stroke. Would you recomend the used market for outboards?

Any help would be excellent.

Thanks
Andy

 

[roscoe]

Re: Old boat, would like some recomendations...

If you like it, keep it and repower.
Doubt it will ever have any real collector value.
If you are in a 2 stroke restricted area, you won't get much for it, as the buyer will have the same restrictions.

Best option is to move to a state with real lakes and no restrictions on the motors.

Lots of used 4 strokes showing up on the market.
$4,000 + for a late model used 35-40 hp 4 stroke !!!
Iboats has a bunch of them here:
http://www.boatmotors.com/rebuilt_outboard_motors/

One problem you may have is finding a motor with the correct driveshaft length. Many of these old boats have a 15-16" tall transom, and most of the motors you find are built for a 20 " transom.

 

[andrew61987]

Re: Old boat, would like some recomendations...

I just went out and took al look at the transom...its bowed outwards slightly but I always thought this was original design. I give it a good strong hit right around where the motor is mounted and it sounds solid as a rock. I'll have to measure it..

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Old boat, would like some recomendations...

ther are uscg guidelines, that you can calculate the max hp. JTexas posted it in the thread 'max hp for aluminum boat' it's on this forum.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Old boat, would like some recomendations...

You are kind of stuck. You won't get a lot of money for the boat, especially if you are in a 2 stroke prohibited area. The odds are very high that boat has a 15 inch transom, therefore a shortshaft motor. You would have to find a shortshaft 4 stroke 40 hp motor, that may not be easy. The other factor is the cost. You could easily buy a small used I/O boat for the cost of a used 4 stroke motor so you would have to really love this boat.

Another option, especially if you have to rebuild the transom, is to build it to accomodate a 20 inch motor. That would not be that hard to do, and the end result would be a boat that could better take following seas. The downside to that is the center of gravity for the motor is a bit higher, but at the hp and speeds you are dealing with, it would not be noticeable. Also, if you did rebuild to a 20 inch transom, you could look for a Homelite/Bearcat 55 outboard. This is a 4 stroke 55 horse motor that was built in the 60s. They can be found fairly cheap, they work well, and they weigh about 250-ish pounds. That is a noticeable increase in weight from your 35 horse Johnson, but if the trasom is built higher to accomodate the motor, then the fact that the boat will be a bit stern heavy won't be as much of a problem.

Another solution is a bracket. At the hp and weight level you are dealing with, you could build a bracket from 6 inch aluminum channel and have a 20 inch motor no problem. Of course, we are back to weight placement, and setting an already heavier 4 stroke motor farther back could give you handling issues.

If you have a 20 inch transom, go find a Homelite/Bearcat 55 for $500, mount it up, and happy boating. I had one, it worked great. I sold it for $250 or something like that because it started to lose compression in a cylinder. Otherwise, it always ran great and sipped gas.

Also, go to Fiberglassics.com. They are dedicated to the classic glass like yours. Your boat is well represented there if I remember rightly. They may have better suggestions. I hung out there a number of years ago when I had my 63 Pacific Mariner.

I feel, in the end, if you have a 15 inch transom, you will probably be best served in getting another boat, but if you decide to keep this one, good luck repowering....

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Old boat, would like some recomendations...

there is a Homelite/Bearcat 55 on ebay right now item # 290016126941. just a heads up.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Old boat, would like some recomendations...

They are a lot of money but the new Evinrude etec 40 hp 2 stroke is cleaner than any 4 stroke.