'73 tri hull

hi everyone,

new to the site and to boat restoration, so i need so advice. found, what i think, is a decent boat in ok shape for sale for 500$. its a 1973( i think) tri hull with a 140hp 4 cylinder inboard/outboard that was rebuilt by a shop 50hrs ago. im goin to look at it this weekend. the add says it needs new floors and seats. haven't seen it in person yet, goin to check it out this weekend.

so what i'd like to know is:

is this a good deal? what should i look for or where should i look on the boat to find damage ?

any feed back will be greatly appreciated !!!

Re: '73 tri hull

Here is a "Craiglist Translation" for you; "needs new floors and seats" means every piece of wood on that boat is probably rotted. You are looking at a gut-and-rebuild. You will probably find rotten stringers underneath the rotten floor. You will also probably find a rotten transom. Having to replace sole, stringers, transom will set you back over $1K in supplies, plus a bunch of evenings of grinding, sanding, mixing, laying cloth, etc. After all of that is done, then its the seats, which can be had relatively inexpensively or can be expensive depending on what you want to do with the boat (two pedestal seats can be had relatively cheap. Two back-to-back seats can set you back a couple hundred dollars or more. Given the cost of the boat, plus the cost of rebuild, you are looking at over $2K in costs before you get on the water, and that is assuming that the motor and outdrive are in good shape as the ad claims. For that kind of money you can get something much more reliable and water-ready.

On the other hand, if the motor and outdrive are in good shape, $500 could be a pretty good price for that motor (I have to claim a bit of ignorance on the costs of I/O motors). I would just be realistic in terms of what needs to be done to get an almost-40-year-old boat in water-worthy conditions.

Rgds

Re: '73 tri hull

If you want a project and are handy like eavega said the motor should be worth the 500....plus a trailer... What size is the boat?

Looking for problem areas.... The deck... we know thats bad.... The transom.... look for dark spots under the glass.... that would be rot....If it has a ski locker look for signs of rot in there..... The stringers are the side walls of the locker....Cracks in the hull....Worn keel....just to name a few....

Re: '73 tri hull

thanks guys, the add says its 18'. and that it was rebuilt with only 50 hours on the engine but the only way id believe him is if a see a receipt/work order. I love working with composites and i am looking for a challenge but 2gs to get it done is a bit discouraging. any idea how much a boat like this restored could sell for ?

ps, keep forgeting bout the random questions lol ... so which US state has the highest population anyways ???

Re: '73 tri hull

oh another quick question. any pointers on spotting troubles with the motor or outdrive? i plan on doing a compression test, my friend has the tool but im not sure what good compression is for the 4 cly merc

Re: '73 tri hull

Cooolrado said:

any idea how much a boat like this restored could sell for ?

Click to expand...

Depends on where you live. Around here (N. GA) you could maybe get $2K-$3K for a 40 year-old 18' I/O in water-ready conditions. That would be if the boat was pristine. Usually we see much more recent vintage of boat (bowriders, not tri-hulls) in the $2K-$5K range that claim to be water-ready.

Again, if you enjoy working with composites, enjoy being itchy, breathing through a mask and wearing goggles for hours on end, then this might be for you. Once again, it may be worth it just for the motor if it is in good shape. It can be the starting point of putting together a usable vessel. If the motor is good, you can buy the boat for the motor and trailer. Estimate the costs of the gut and rebuild, then use that as your budget to find another boat that may be in usable shape with a blown motor. Drop the motor into the new hull and you are on the water probably in a shorter time than if you did the rebuild.

Rgds

Re: '73 tri hull

My take on this is if you do rebuild it you would know what you have....if you buy another hull you still don't know what lurks under the deck....Ya know how many boats are out there that people just throw a piece of plywood down and glass it to the hull...Looks great on top but the stringers are rotten and the foam is waterlogged.... just my .02

Re: '73 tri hull

so after seeing the boat and doing a quick estimate and really not having enough space to the rebuild decided to pass on the boat. but i do have a late 80's surfjet that is in some serious need of a good restoration so hopefully that'll keep me busy

thanks everyone for the great advice !