1996 chaparral 1930

[jkust]

Thanks guys, I just called progressive to get a quote so I can easily start the coverage if all goes well tomorrow. I also have the marine mechanic lined up that is near the lake, he wants $85 for an inspection that includes most things, except for compression test which takes the price to $150. I am optimistic but know how these things can go, could be driving all the way for nothing!
The seller mentioned to me that a 'mechanic' is interested in seeing the boat on Saturday too, although he is letting me have first crack at it. I hope it's not one of the mechanics that I have contacted about it.

If it is meant to be, it will work out. The thing is, there's always another one out there as hard as that can be to swallow once you think it could be the one.

 

[wrvond]

Thanks guys, I just called progressive to get a quote so I can easily start the coverage if all goes well tomorrow. I also have the marine mechanic lined up that is near the lake, he wants $85 for an inspection that includes most things, except for compression test which takes the price to $150. I am optimistic but know how these things can go, could be driving all the way for nothing!
The seller mentioned to me that a 'mechanic' is interested in seeing the boat on Saturday too, although he is letting me have first crack at it. I hope it's not one of the mechanics that I have contacted about it.

I always assume that "somebody else is looking at it" is just a tactic to manipulate you. Take your time looking at that boat. The seller should have scheduled the next guy for Sunday. Remember, he wants to sell it more than you want to buy it.

 

[harleyman1975]

Right, don't be pressured, just put other guy out of your mind and do business as usual. if you want to offer 4,800 then offer 4,800 if he says other guy looking might pay 5 remind him he might not offer at all.

 

[SeaDooSam]

This is cool, thanks for all the input. My wife, friends, and co-workers are tired of all the boat talk so I am appreciating this forum.

Sounds familiar to me too

 

[SeaDooSam]

Right, don't be pressured, just put other guy out of your mind and do business as usual. if you want to offer 4,800 then offer 4,800 if he says other guy looking might pay 5 remind him he might not offer at all.

Well said +1

 

[pangolin]

Unfortunate turn of events, I got a text message this morning right after I got on the road informing me that he is going to be too busy to deal with all of this today. I called him up and he basically said some "things with the kids popped up last night and this is going to take up too much time". So basically he doesn't want to deal with a test drive and going to a mechanic. He thinks he has an easy sell at this price and doesn't want the hassle.

Well the search will continue. As the season is ending I am hopeful that more boats will hit the market. I am going to go back to my original search and try to stay a little newer, maybe 2000 and up, we'll see.

 

[pangolin]

OK, even weirder, he just called me and said he got his mother in law to watch the kids and do I still want to see it. This is about 2 hours after the original text.

 

[tpenfield]

OK, even weirder, he just called me and said he got his mother in law to watch the kids and do I still want to see it. This is about 2 hours after the original text.

I guess the 'other' deal fell through

 

[Pete_a]

If it helps when i got my boat being my first boat i w?s so excited and wanted it in my driveway to start working on it. At the time, i only knew it needed a good buffing, some minor oxidation. I got a great deal so after hearing it run on muffs i paid and towed it home.

There it sat for 3wks or more wasting precious summer weather away while i played phone tag to get the title for boat. Getting trailer on road was another fiasco as the previous title never listed empty trailer weight and my dmv requires that. It took another 1hr drive to get title and boat registered.

Finally on the water and realized it had bad intake gasket. More downtime but the good news was another wk or two later i got it on the water mid aug to atleast enjoy some of the season.

Moral of my story is always lake test, figure unregistered boats will need work, and never hand all your money over until you get a title.

Seems like there's always a slimeball out there and go with your gut instinct. For all you know guy couldve been struggling to get it started before you came out.

It does look like nice boat, are you going to look elsewhere than?

 

[SeaDooSam]

That's ubfortunate. Are you going to still follow up or run away?

 

[pangolin]

I did not take him up on his offer to go to the boat today. It is a decent drive and my plans had already changed after he canceled on me. I'm not feeling too good about it now and will most likely steer away, if he contacts me later I will see what he has to say.

So onto the next one, I will try to be patient and find a good boat. Right now there isn't really anything near me that I want in my price range. There are some 3.0Ls, but we talked about that, don't really want to go down that road, yet. I do enjoy the hunt.

 

[wrvond]

OK, even weirder, he just called me and said he got his mother in law to watch the kids and do I still want to see it. This is about 2 hours after the original text.

Not weird at all. As you said, he thought he had an easy sale and didn't want to put any effort into it. Now he's likely got no one looking at it.

 

[JASinIL2006]

The fact that another buyer fell through, might mean that you have a better chance. On the other hand, it might mean that the other buyer saw something that made him or her nervous?

 

[pangolin]

I am done with this guy for now. We had a time scheduled to meet for a week and we had several discussions throughout the week about it.

Wow, I see that you had to repair a lot of wood in the transom or your Larson, looks like it turned out great. That is one of my fears with an older boat though.

 

[tpenfield]

Sometimes what you save in getting an older boat gets eaten up in the additional work that may be needed.

Boats have a way of pushing your budget beyond your best intentions

 

[harleyman1975]

Maybe he will meet you half way at a lake closer to home? But yes if you have a bad feeling "follow your gut" that little voice is telling you something...listen to it.