Hey there!
Well, the wife and I got the itch to go boating thanks to a coworker, who has a very nice Bayliner 185 I/O. We started doing some research, went to a boat show and then yesterday, I stumbled across what appeared to be an interesting find on Facebook Market (of all places!)
So my brother and I drove over to Arlington, TX looked at it. Everything appeared to be in good functional condition. The seller was the second owner. He was asking $750, but after looking at it, and checking it out, I offered $500 and he agreed. The boat was made just a few miles from our home, by Delco Fiberglass Products Inc, in Joshua, TX. They made boats (fishing, ski, runabouts, deck boats and tri-hulls) in '78 '79 '83 and '84 then went out of business. There really aren't very many around and most are in Texas. Their designs were pretty much copies of other popular brands at the time, but they were considered to be pretty good boats. After quite a bit of searching the internet, I still can't find a single picture of our model. So, I guess we have a pretty rare boat.
Anyway, here's what we found...
The negatives were:
? Soft area in the deck flooring (not the hull) between middle seats (easy fix on this boat)
? Wood rot under two left seat bases (another easy fix)
? Weathered (dry, somewhat dirty, faded) upholstery (useable for now, but should be replaced)
? Weathered (faded) clear coat on top of deck (might buff out, if not, repaint will fix)
? Dead battery (but appeared to be new and cells were full)
? Light surface rust on trailer and wheels (clean and repaint)
? Registration and trailer tags expired (but have all paperwork, clear and signed, ready to transfer and renew)
The positives were:
? Good tires on trailer (Michelin)
? Good runners, guides and rollers on trailer
? Good winch / strap on trailer
? Good lighting / wiring on trailer
? Boat hull sound with no visible damage, scratches or cracks (including the transom)
? All controls working (steering a bit stiff, should be able to clean and lube cable though)
? Electric tilt/trim working
? Lights and horn working
? Engine is very clean, plugs perfect, fuel filter clean, carbs not leaking, started easily, sounded very good, excellent throttle response, smooth idle, no strange sounds, rattles or knocking. Starter was a bit slow (see dead battery, above) and the bendix was sticking (not engaging at times)
So what did $500.00 buy?
? 1984 Del-Magic Infinity 16 Combo (title says 1983, but it's really an '84)
? 1985 Roadrunner trailer (heavy duty)
? 1988 Mercury PowerTrim Oil Injected 100 HP outboard motor (in good working / running condition)
? Seloc Mercury Outboard Motor Service Manual
? Transom saver motor support
? 2 tie downs and 1 bungie cord
? Aluminum folding rear entry ladder
? Removable ski/boading pole
? New rope and slip ring boat anchor
? 2 new ski ropes
? New dock / beach rope
? Fire Extinguisher
? New (unopened) 201 piece First Aid kit
? New Bass Pro Shops x-large Fish n Ski vest (still has tag on it!)
? 2 new oars
? 2 Featherlite oars (nearly new)
? Motorguide Energy 39lb thrust trolling motor (like new)
? Eagle Cuda 168 illuminated fish / depth finder
? Duralast 24MDSL 875 CCA Marine battery (like new, charged and passes load test)
? Revolution knew board
? OTE Addicted knee board
Well, the wife and I got the itch to go boating thanks to a coworker, who has a very nice Bayliner 185 I/O. We started doing some research, went to a boat show and then yesterday, I stumbled across what appeared to be an interesting find on Facebook Market (of all places!)
So my brother and I drove over to Arlington, TX looked at it. Everything appeared to be in good functional condition. The seller was the second owner. He was asking $750, but after looking at it, and checking it out, I offered $500 and he agreed. The boat was made just a few miles from our home, by Delco Fiberglass Products Inc, in Joshua, TX. They made boats (fishing, ski, runabouts, deck boats and tri-hulls) in '78 '79 '83 and '84 then went out of business. There really aren't very many around and most are in Texas. Their designs were pretty much copies of other popular brands at the time, but they were considered to be pretty good boats. After quite a bit of searching the internet, I still can't find a single picture of our model. So, I guess we have a pretty rare boat.
Anyway, here's what we found...
The negatives were:
? Soft area in the deck flooring (not the hull) between middle seats (easy fix on this boat)
? Wood rot under two left seat bases (another easy fix)
? Weathered (dry, somewhat dirty, faded) upholstery (useable for now, but should be replaced)
? Weathered (faded) clear coat on top of deck (might buff out, if not, repaint will fix)
? Dead battery (but appeared to be new and cells were full)
? Light surface rust on trailer and wheels (clean and repaint)
? Registration and trailer tags expired (but have all paperwork, clear and signed, ready to transfer and renew)
The positives were:
? Good tires on trailer (Michelin)
? Good runners, guides and rollers on trailer
? Good winch / strap on trailer
? Good lighting / wiring on trailer
? Boat hull sound with no visible damage, scratches or cracks (including the transom)
? All controls working (steering a bit stiff, should be able to clean and lube cable though)
? Electric tilt/trim working
? Lights and horn working
? Engine is very clean, plugs perfect, fuel filter clean, carbs not leaking, started easily, sounded very good, excellent throttle response, smooth idle, no strange sounds, rattles or knocking. Starter was a bit slow (see dead battery, above) and the bendix was sticking (not engaging at times)
So what did $500.00 buy?
? 1984 Del-Magic Infinity 16 Combo (title says 1983, but it's really an '84)
? 1985 Roadrunner trailer (heavy duty)
? 1988 Mercury PowerTrim Oil Injected 100 HP outboard motor (in good working / running condition)
? Seloc Mercury Outboard Motor Service Manual
? Transom saver motor support
? 2 tie downs and 1 bungie cord
? Aluminum folding rear entry ladder
? Removable ski/boading pole
? New rope and slip ring boat anchor
? 2 new ski ropes
? New dock / beach rope
? Fire Extinguisher
? New (unopened) 201 piece First Aid kit
? New Bass Pro Shops x-large Fish n Ski vest (still has tag on it!)
? 2 new oars
? 2 Featherlite oars (nearly new)
? Motorguide Energy 39lb thrust trolling motor (like new)
? Eagle Cuda 168 illuminated fish / depth finder
? Duralast 24MDSL 875 CCA Marine battery (like new, charged and passes load test)
? Revolution knew board
? OTE Addicted knee board