Hi, I am new to the site. I have a friend that has just given me (really given my kids) a 85 VIP boat project. It was a boat that was dropped off at his machine shop to do some engine work, but eventually signed over to him. He since then was given an entire running engine and drive for the boat. (4.3L V6). He decided that he didn't have time for it. It had just had the upholstry done when it was dropped off, but it has been uncovered and looks pretty bad (some cracks in the seats). I climbed in it yesterday when he was giving the kids the title and the floor feels like it is soft right in the middle. I did see that there was also a quarter size hole in the fiberglass on the top of a corner right at the back of where the windshield attaches. Everything is there and most of it looks pretty good, just really dirty. The trailer looks solid other than the fenders being really beat up. I was doing some searching on here and saw how extensive some of these projects can get. Is there really any chance that I will be able to get away with just replacing the deck on this and installing the new motor or am I going to end up with several thousands of dollars in new stringers, deck, ect. before it would hit the water? I was a mechanic (in car restoration) and or machinist for 17 years before I became an engineer so I was not too woried about the engine/drivetrain, but I have not done a lot of fiberglass work. I have done some bodywork so I think I can learn it, but I know materials for that kind of thing can get expensive fast. Thanks for any help. Trying to decide if this is really a project we need to be taking on right now. With the two car and one motorcycle projects going on right now, I would have to have a pretty decent project plan for this thing before my wife would be on board with it. Right now the tone of her voice still goes up one octave any time it is brought up.
