In local paper.... 37 BAY BUILT WORK BOAT: 455 Buick. freshwater cooled. Depth finder, VHF, CB, etc 827-8861 Curious to check out but don't want to waste the guy's time.
If you've ever owned a boat, you quickly learn the boat itself , isn't worth much, it is the motor which drives the price. Jim
Yup. They say for outboard moters a good rule of thumb is 100$ per HP. Example you'l pay 1000 for 10hp motor.
I've owned boats for 15 years now.......I have 2 expensive hobbies, racing a buick, and fishing. I was once told a boat owners happiest day's is the they buy it, and the day they sell it. Never seen a boat come with a 455 in it before, seen several jet boats come with 430s.......almost bought the manifolds just incase I ever got crazy one day. Seen several jet boats that came with Olds 455 get switched to 455 bucks I would love to see that link just to see it
If you know what you are doing with boats they don't cost that much for the enjoyment you can get out of them. I bought a 15yr old boat for 30k that would cost 220k new. 31ft Stamas hardtop with twin 200 Yamaha 2 strokes. 13 years later I haven't spent that much on it. Probably never sell it.
I don't see selling mine either, but I sure was happy the first day I bought it. Felt like an accomplishment, I Rememebr saying "I'm a boat owner" can't wait to paint it up with a name on it.
I bought a 17' aluminum bassboat , 1978 vintage , when I was 25, still own it 29 years later. One engine rebuild, by me and all new electrical and carpet. Carpet is getting replaced again this year and like BQUICK , I'll never sell it . Replacing it would cost me 4 to 5 times what I paid and have into it. Jim
Yeah I was always told the best boat is the one your friend owns. There are two best days of owning a boat: the day you buy it and the day you sell it. BOAT: Bust Out Another Thousand
Like I said....if you know what you are doing.... Same thing with cars....people spend ungodly amounts getting ripped off if they are clueless.
Last season when my Sea Ray needed an engine (recirculating) water pump for it's 4.3L, the difference in cost of the pump from an automotive pump vs the marine (corrosive resistant brass internal parts) was ridiculous. I currently use the boat in freash water but it may see salt water use at some point. So after more than 31 years of owning my automotive business I had to ask myself, ..... is it more practical to buy a pump rebuild kit and spend time in the shop pressing it apart, cleaning, pressing back together, and painting it, or pony up for the new one (marine version) and turn a profit in a working shop stall. Then rotting wood in the bow seats comes to rear it's ugly head. Local marine upholstery shop wants over $1000 to rebuild them. Lucky the hot rod shop I help out at has one of if not the best former boat upholstery specialist in the Midwest, too bad he only does cars now but he walked me through the repair process and I did it myself in the shop. With the time I spent doing the rebuilding of the seats I probably would have been ahead paying the $1000 but I wanted to make sure it turned out right (it did). So again after 31 years of owning my automobile restoration/performance business I can honestly say that I have never had or seen a car with rotted wood seats. Don't forget any time I break out a fastener for marine use, it's gonna be stainless steel. So I feel no matter how much someone thinks they "know what they are doing", .... sometimes you're gonna find "marine only" applications will have you over a barrel. I feel some of us in the northern climates joke about the costs of owning a boat is amplified because it's a seasonal toy. Still love my Sea Ray though, ..... maybe even more if it was Buick Powered. Larry
Larry Hate to say it but if your seats rotted, you might want to check the core on your Searay. They are balsa core and famous for turning to mush. You can use a moisture meter or tap with plastic handle of screwdriver and listen to tone change. Obviously transom area is of most concern.
Good point. I checked the stringers and transom thoroughly before I bought it and they are solid. The only wood core that I found bad when checking it out was a small section in the center of the panel between the fuel tank and engine. Not enough to cause structural issues. Also the panel on the port side of the engine, which Sea Ray has the center opened up anyway to access the engine. If there were rear jump seats with an engine cover then that panel on each side wouldn't even exist, ..... so that didn't bother me. One day in the near future I will cut those sections out and replace them as I don't want them to wick water and spread. I was looking into the epoxy injection repair method but I feel like I would never really be satisfied unless I cut it all out. Now the front seats totally took me by surprise, when I bought the boat there was no visible sign but within a few months the piping and their staples started to slightly pull back. At first I thought it was just a few loose staples until I talked to our upholstery guru and he assured me the wood was rotten, .... he was obviously right. It's old but with only 169 original hours on it when I bought it, I really like the boat as it's a 1995 signature series which is the last year before they went to the plastic kind of cheap interiors. Though I'm sure the newer ones used the composite stringers and composite in place of the upholstered wood for good reason, cheaper looking or not. Larry
Watching with great enthusiasm Larry! If yer ever up this way again, I fully expect to give you a tour AND buy you lunch! We can even discuss tactics! The last pic here is today; thats officially 8 coats of varnish thats just the "primer" stage. Then the 400 grit starts and the "good" brush comes out. ANYTHING made from wood on a boat gets at least 3-4 coats of 50/50 thinned paint or varnish for a sealer on ALL 6 sides, THEN, start top coating it. ESPECIALLY if you dont see it. Dont forget the bedding compound on EVERYTHING. ws
My 95 regal 8.3 ventura is having some of those piping and loose staples It only has 300ish hrs, bought in SC with a cracked block 3 years ago. 27ft bow riders on Lake Erie are hard to find. Guess I better start looking for an interior place. But all boats that old have water somewhere, just the nature of a boat . 4 yrs ago we replaced the transom on dad 200 four wins Candia, not najor hard, just no way to rush it. It only needed a section say 3x3 replaced, we were going to just replace it all but couldon't get the good stuff to separate out off the fiberglas......figure if it that good that piece I set in there won't go anywhere. Hardest part was getting the angle if the holes for the transom assemble at the right dangle
Bill is the "Nautical Man of Knowledge". I'll let you know when I'm passing through, ..... may be going to Steve Reynolds soon. Larry
I forgot I had these pictures of a 1960 16' Runabout that I was checking out last year at the Milwaukee Boat Show. This boat was so cool in person that my pictures can't do it justice. I really wanted to see the engine bay but couldn't find the owner anywhere. .....Buick Powered No Less!! Larry
Here's my old boat....supposedly only 12 made with the hardtop since a forklift or something ran over the mold according to factory.
