My first boat! 18' 1967 Vsonic (Runs rough)

Meatslush

Recruit
Joined
Jul 7, 2011
Messages
2
I always wanted a boat and never thought I'd be able to afford one. It started up after not been run in 5 years. I probably shouldn't have started the motor after It sat for so long but, I had to know if it started up before I was to buy the thing. This guy was selling it for $600 and it looked like a good deal so I bought it. I don't know crap about boats so I will probably be posting a lot of topics about questions that I have with my new baby.

Overall she is in good condition considering her age.

Exterior - Excellent considering her age. No cracks or major dents or damage.

Interior - I'd say pretty good to fair. The vinyl seats are in good shape but the wood underneath the seats is rotted and pretty crumbly. The dash is in good condition. The floor is pretty solid except for a few soft spots that I can notice in a few area's but nothing to weak to be a concern yet. I'm also close to 300 lbs so I'm sure that factors into it.

Electrical - Well I'm not sure on alot of it but, the bilge pump works and so does the power tilt, the blower, the electronic ignition and most of the important gauges (gas, heat, oil pressure, RPM). The solenoid went out on me the first time I took her out on the water. I know I rushed things a bit being excited to see what she could do and the engine dies quite a bit so i probably put to much stress on the solenoid. I also saw there are new spark plug wires.

Lower Unit - good condition. I drained the gear lube and it looked very clear and clean. I replaced with fresh quicksilver gear lube so she should be good to go. The prop has some scratches and some small dings but, nothing bad at all.

Motor - poor condition. After cleaning the contacts I was able to get her to fire up, even after sitting for 5 years with the 5 year old gas and help from some starting fluid. I changed the oil. When I drained the old oil there was a bit of water in it. I'm hoping it's nothing serious and that it's just cause it sat for so long. She takes a few times to get her to turn over and even when she is running she's a bit touchy as well. Certain RPM's she likes and others just bog her down and she dies. I noticed a new gas line and the spark plug wires are new as well. I need to get that old gas out of the tank, check the spark plugs, and hope she does a little better.

Any advice on anything I should try to do maintenance wise and to get her running more smoothly would be appreciated. I'm reading all i can about what I can find on these boats in the meantime.
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