Advice on boat repair!!!!

[FireAndIce17]

Decided to get what money we could and set out to find a "decent" first boat. Got a great deal on a 1989 Maxum Bowrider 1700 with Force 85hp motor.

Motor is close to being good to go and trailer is in good shape. However upon demo of the boat, the stringers, floors, and transom all show signs of rot.

I've seen all the info on here on how to do this, my question is, is it worth it? On a boat like this, is it worth it put the money and time into a full restoration?

I've never worked on boats, but do have the room to do so and I have experience that allows me to use the tools and processes, but it will be a learning curve.

Any advice or heads up or anything is appreciated, as we try to figure out where to go with it

 

[Teamster]

It's an old boat with an old outboard that isn't made and has no support for parts,...

 

[CrazyFinn]

No, and yes.

It is not "worth it" if you are adding the cost of materials, your labour, etc, and then want to recoup your money by selling it. Not gonna happen. It will never be worth (to other people) what you put into it.

But... everybody on this forum knows this but we all end up restoring old boats anyway. Why? Because, to us, it's worth it.

Despite the lack of resale value, once I'm done my boat, I will essentially have a "new" boat built inside an old hull. Built better than it was when new, and I can also have the pride of knowing I built it. And all for FAR less than the cost of a new boat (or even a newer used boat that I know is rot free). And I'm not doing it for resale.

In your case, being an outboard, once you get the boat solid, it's not difficult to swap that Force for something with parts availability if it does cause issues.

If you like the boat, go for it!

 

[ezmobee]

If the motor can be made to run reliably well for not a ton of money and you really like the boat then it could be worth it for a boat for you to use. It will not even sorta be worth it as far as resale value goes.

 

[FireAndIce17]

Thanks for the replies so far! I appreciate it! I'm certainly not looking for resale value. I'm looking to make this boat right for me and the family to get out fishing and cruising for the summer lake trips.

I've had people tell me that you can do all the work and it will never be as strong. But threads here tell me otherwise. Hull and fiberglass are good, but total swap for transom, stringers, floors, and seats.

My "worth it" is making sure if I dedicate to doing this I won't be financially in the hole for the price of a newer boat and it's going to be strong and solid

Thanks again!

 

[sphelps]

I've had people tell me that you can do all the work and it will never be as strong. !

Believe me if you follow the advice here the structure of your boat will most certainly be stronger than most all factory produced boats ....
As far as finishes go it's hard to beat factory done gellcoat ...

 

[ondarvr]

If it was "free", it wouldn't be worth it, find another boat and motor combination as a first boat.

 

[Woodonglass]

I agree with the others. The Motor and the hull are NOT ideal for restoration. IF you really like the style of the boat and you feel it will fit the needs of your family, then WE CAN and WILL guide you to a successful restoration. If she's not the Ideal boat for you then, I'd also recommend to keep on looking. The bottom line is restoring an Old Boat is only worth what you're willing to invest. Time and Money can and will bring her back to life.

 

[chevymaher]

If you like the look of the boat. I do it is a good looking boat to me. If you plan to keep it it is worth it.

I knew what I was getting into with mine. I knew I was going to have to do this stuff eventually. I was just planning on using it a year or 2 first. But I was shown the light. Just do it and get it over with. In my lifetime anyway. These guys been there done that. And I am just a little fish still.

Question is only if it worth it to you. It wont be easy or cheap. But it will be basically a new boat when done. And alot cheaper than buying one new enough to not have problems yet.

What I am finding taking mine apart. Most of its problems were just poor sealing from the factory. Open untreated wood in hidden water prone areas. That won't happen if you do it.

Watch these guys videos and learn. Frisco Boater is a good teacher. Watch his Sea ray series. That will tell you if you want to do it.

 

[Grub54891]

I'm in year 3 of restoring an 85 Larson, 175 I/O mercruiser 140. Is it worth it? Yes for me it is, I've spent more than I should have so far, and it's coming along well, It won't make a splash this year but It'll be wet next summer, I rebuilt from the bottom of the keel to the top of the windscreen. Working on paint stuff now. It's all spare time work so it's taking awhile. I have other boats to use while this one is being done which will be sold when the Larson is complete. I-boats are a big help when rebuilding them!

 

[ondarvr]

The reason it's a poor choice is the motor, you have a motor that's no longer made and nobody will work on, parts can be found, but they aren't at a local dealer, you'll need to search a bit for them, and the retail value of the motor even running well is almost nothing. Now there are a few people that love them, mainly because it's a romanticized love affair with the idea of keeping something running well that others don't want, they can be easy to work on though.

​The hull will be like any other from that era, it will need a total gut rebuild, and since it's the same for any brand or model the cost will be the similar, so the only thing that matters is you buy the size and style that will suite your needs. You will be into it several thousand $$ by the time you're done, and may not be boating this summer, when you're done you'll have boat that's most likely better than when it was new, but has little value. I'm not saying it that's bad, just that it's what you should plan on.

 

[Scott Danforth]

if you havent read it, read link 14 http://forums.iboats.com/forum/boat...r/295740-how-to-s-and-other-great-information

 

[FireAndIce17]

Thank you to everyone who commented and weighed in this far! Busy season at work has me running ragged, but finally was able to read them.

We are weighing our options and doing some research on the boat and a lot of looking at other jobs performed on here. Thanks again all and I will surely update asap!