ANYONE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT A 1979 21' CHAPARRAL W/ MERCRUISER 260

[chumslick]

I have been offered this boat for practically nothing, w/ trailer. It has a inline 6 mercruiser, looks just like a car motor. Has been sitting for a few years. Owner deceased, they need to get rid of it. The boat looks in pretty decent shape overall and looks like it just needs someone to care about it. They say the motor was rebuilt not too long ago.. and it needs a raw water pump..
Does anyone know anything about this boat? It looks like it has alot of potential.. Nice deep v hull, lots of open deck space, and a decent little cuddy. This is gonna be a striclty fishing boat, mostly cobia- chumming and chilling.. How bout the motor.. Will it push this boat along nicely. I really appreciate any and all responses...I really want the boat, and have good plans for it i hope, so Someone please save me if they know anything about this boat! THanks!

[uaw9fan]

I'm not sure how much practically nothing is.
But what do you want for practically nothing?
If I were you I'd inspect the mechanical things to be sure that you won't be sinking a bunch of money into it before you get some floating time.

[I/O WALDO]

I love my Chaparral,well made boat.A1979,260 should be a chevy 350 with a pre.Alpha drive.Sounds like it was re-powered.Has potential. Bee hearin from ya! Welcome!

[manykids]

I/O Waldo is right - the 260 should be the Chevy 350. I have a 1979 18' Cobalt w/ a 305 and 220 HP or so. It has loads of power for a heavy boat. A 6 banger will be iffy for a 21 foot boat. There is a reason a 350 was used originally. That said, if the boat is cheap and does not need lots of repairs, go for it. If it is underpowered, sell it and upgrade. If it is really, really cheap, it could be parted out for more than you put into it. Parts for my boat are VERY hard to come by at a reasonable price.

[Bond-o]

Being a 1979,...........

I'd be Crawling thru the Bilges with an Ice Pick,.......... Looking for Rot.........
Before I spent a Single Nickle on it..............

[chumslick]

I'm not sure how much practically nothing is.
But what do you want for practically nothing?
If I were you I'd inspect the mechanical things to be sure that you won't be sinking a bunch of money into it before you get some floating time.

By practically nothing I mean a kegerator. I have a pretty nice 4 keg kegerator, all stainless steel, and I have all the sankeys for import and domestic beers, plus many tap hadles, co2 tank, etc... I got a steal on it.. I dont really want to trade it, but for a boat?!!! I am trying to cut back on drinking.
I am gonna go look at it some more real close tomorrow. Im bringing an ice pick too! Does anyone have any suggestions for what I need to be really looking for. I have been around boats for a while, was a BM in the USCG, just have never bought an old boat myself. The hull looks good, and the floors are not soft. I can get pics of it to maybe have a pair of someones keen eyes out there give me much appreciated opions and suggestions. What should I look for?
Thanks!

[chumslick]

One other thing... I know it is a mercruiser, not sure its a 260.. Is there any other mercruiser models in six's-

I know its a mercruiser, and I know its a inline 6.. So Its supposed to be a 350? So a 260 mercruiser is suppose to be a chevy 350? Maybe its not a 260, any other possibilities?

Is the inline six in the one ive seen a chevy.. It looks just like a inline 6 ive seen in a cj jeep

[ziggy]

my L6 is a mercruiser 165 hp....stickers on the valve cover and drive i believe.......ya could always post up a serial # of the drive and engine. someone could probably tell ya what ya got then....

I'd be Crawling thru the Bilges with an Ice Pick,.......... Looking for Rot.........
Before I spent a Single Nickle on it..............

what he said.

make sure ya got a boat to work with. if ya don't, there's no point in any mechanical work at all.......till ya fix the boat part if that's what it needs........

[RubberFrog]

I'd keep the kegerator.

Old boats are a dime a dozen, but a 4 keg setup with all the goodies is a small fortune. I know, I have one myself.

[chumslick]

I'd keep the kegerator.

Old boats are a dime a dozen, but a 4 keg setup with all the goodies is a small fortune. I know, I have one myself.

Yeah.. I dont want to part with it... It is a beaut...Im trying to attach a pic

[uaw9fan]

Well, if you trade the kegerator for the boat you will have to buy the beer for the boat. Doesn't make much sense to me.
Bondo brings up the good point of wood rot. I would turn the drive from side to side and inspect the bellows(should look like an accordian) On the stb side you will be looking at the shift, u-joint bellows, and exhaust, with the shift bellows being the smaller and the exhaust on the bottom . On the port side you will be looking at the ujoint,exhaust, water hose. Take a wide blade flathead screwdriver and remove the lower drain plug just enough to relaes some fluid to check condition of the gear lube.( it should not be milky or stink excessively) next take out the top drain plug with the drive vertically and use a piece of wire to check the fluid level( a bent piece of zip tie works great)Verify that the steering wheel follows the movement of the drive and there is no slop.
Well that should do the drive. The engine takes the same checks that any engine takes.
Good luck

[I/O WALDO]

..and tap on that transom with a ball peen and hopefully it will ring!

[BRG25]

A 1979 boat looks pretty good after a few beers...

[Cptkid570]

So you want to get a boat so that you will do LESS drinking? :/