Thanks to this forum, I RAN, not walked...RAN from a Bayliner Capri with a Force 150 engine. Being a newbie with boating, this site has been a godsend with information.
Also with some guidance, we opted to up our "starter boat" budget a bit and purchased a 20' 1993 Thompson Calae with a MerCruiser 5.7L V8. We knew the person trading it in towards another boat and were offered the trade-in price + $100 if we also agreed to store it at that same marina over winter and do a slip rental there in 2014. We planned on being at this marina anyhow, so it worked out great and we saved a bundle of cash.
We had it looked at and tested by a professional and were told the engine is rock solid with great compression, but that a tune-up was recommended before the start of next season. Mechanically, the boat is sound...all gauges work, bilge pump works, motor growls as it should. I'm told it's obvious that it was well cared for.
The seats were all redone, the floor/decking is solid except for a 5"x5" soft spot underneath one of the rear seats (which we're fixing), and the carpet was replaced 3 years ago.
All this said, it does have some imperfections (as expected) that we'd like to remedy, but we're not sure it's possible or even worth it to bother. So, reaching out for some direction on where to turn.
Forgive me for my newbie questions.
1. The paint is sunfaded a bit after 20 years so it lacks that shiny, glossy appeal. Is it possible to just repaint the striping and accents without having to paint the entire boat?
2. The wall cushioning on one side of the boat has a 3-4" tear and another 1-2" tear beneath it. We don't want it to get worse. What's the best way to tend to this? Duct tape?
3. The glovebox works fine, it's just ugly and faded and scratched. Is there a place that sells cosmetic replacement parts like this?
That's it! Everything else looks to be in sound order, we're just thinking of plunking in some bucks to fix the few cosmetic blemishes since we saved so much on the purchase.
Thanks all! We appreciate you!
Also with some guidance, we opted to up our "starter boat" budget a bit and purchased a 20' 1993 Thompson Calae with a MerCruiser 5.7L V8. We knew the person trading it in towards another boat and were offered the trade-in price + $100 if we also agreed to store it at that same marina over winter and do a slip rental there in 2014. We planned on being at this marina anyhow, so it worked out great and we saved a bundle of cash.
We had it looked at and tested by a professional and were told the engine is rock solid with great compression, but that a tune-up was recommended before the start of next season. Mechanically, the boat is sound...all gauges work, bilge pump works, motor growls as it should. I'm told it's obvious that it was well cared for.
The seats were all redone, the floor/decking is solid except for a 5"x5" soft spot underneath one of the rear seats (which we're fixing), and the carpet was replaced 3 years ago.
All this said, it does have some imperfections (as expected) that we'd like to remedy, but we're not sure it's possible or even worth it to bother. So, reaching out for some direction on where to turn.
Forgive me for my newbie questions.
1. The paint is sunfaded a bit after 20 years so it lacks that shiny, glossy appeal. Is it possible to just repaint the striping and accents without having to paint the entire boat?
2. The wall cushioning on one side of the boat has a 3-4" tear and another 1-2" tear beneath it. We don't want it to get worse. What's the best way to tend to this? Duct tape?
3. The glovebox works fine, it's just ugly and faded and scratched. Is there a place that sells cosmetic replacement parts like this?
That's it! Everything else looks to be in sound order, we're just thinking of plunking in some bucks to fix the few cosmetic blemishes since we saved so much on the purchase.
Thanks all! We appreciate you!
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