Bad Upholstery a Deal Killer?

[LaqueRatt]

Yeah, I know. It's and old glass boat. Well past it's prime. The floors are bare though so no hidden rot. Thing is the upholstery looks pretty worn out. Any idea what it could cost to get it redone? I've made covers for some snowmobile seats, if I bought a decent sewing machine would this be a DIY project maybe?

It has a Force 85 on the back and I can get it for less than a thou. A good buy or a hard pass? Sorry, but I'm pretty much a noob, bought my first boat last year. Looking to upgrade to something with a steering wheel.

 

[dwco5051]

It appears that that floor was recently replaced. I would be more worried about the structure below that floor being rotted than the upholstery.

 

[JASinIL2006]

Yeah, that looks a lot like they just slapped some new wood over the old deck. That is generally not a good sign...

Everything about those pictures screams "Run, Forest, run!"

 

[LaqueRatt]

My thinking is this is like buying a car with fresh paint and a bunch of bondo underneath. Not a forever ride, but maybe good for a few years? If the floor starts feeling weak, out comes the For Sale sign!

I'll likely pass on this even though it seems worth the money, but a lot of boats I'm looking at need upholstery work. Is that a big deal or no?

 

[Lou C]

nah that looks like a 'deck over' meaning a deck laid over an old rotted deck, pass.

 

[nola mike]

Those seat bases are rotted. Guaranteed that the stringers are shot. Wouldn't be jumping at a Force 85 either if it's me. Hard pass.

 

[LaqueRatt]

I appreciate all you old salts weighing in on this one and I know you're all right. It's just such a pretty boat and is priced at 1/4 what similar boats are listed for. Maybe not for me, but a bargain still I'm thinking. I'm not a fan of Force either, although to be honest I don't know much about them. Is this motor a real turd?

 

[racerone]

Had 4 bucket seats to be done.----Was quoted $700 / $400 and $250 each.-----Had them done at $250 each as a fill in job for the shop.----Took nearly 2 years and not a perfect job , but I am happy with it.

 

[JASinIL2006]

My thinking is this is like buying a car with fresh paint and a bunch of bondo underneath. Not a forever ride, but maybe good for a few years? If the floor starts feeling weak, out comes the For Sale sign!

I'll likely pass on this even though it seems worth the money, but a lot of boats I'm looking at need upholstery work. Is that a big deal or no?

I think you're wise to pass on this; it's less like new paint over bondo than it is is a nice coat of wax on a car whose frame and suspension is rotted out and is one hard turn away from killing you and all the occupants.

Bad upholstery by itself doesn't HAVE to be a deal stopper, but very often the upholstery gives you some indication of how the boat has been treated. If the upholstery is beat to heck, there is a very good chance there are problems elsewhere due to poor storage/maintenance.

 

[LaqueRatt]

Had 4 bucket seats to be done.----Was quoted $700 / $400 and $250 each.-----Had them done at $250 each as a fill in job for the shop.----Took nearly 2 years and not a perfect job , but I am happy with it.

Wow, that's a bit pricey. Then you got all those upholstered pieces along the gunwales. In a former life and in another century I worked in a custom van shop and did a whole lot of upholstery work. Is this beyond the scope of somebody willing to tool up who has at least some skills?

 

[racerone]

Many boats were marketed with Force engines.------Entry level pricing to " newbies " so to speak.-----New owners / rookies did not take care of them.

 

[LaqueRatt]

Bad upholstery by itself doesn't HAVE to be a deal stopper, but very often the upholstery gives you some indication of how the boat has been treated. If the upholstery is beat to heck, there is a very good chance there are problems elsewhere due to poor storage/maintenance.

That makes a whole lot of sense. Thank you.

 

[LaqueRatt]

Many boats were marketed with Force engines.------Entry level pricing to " newbies " so to speak.-----New owners / rookies did not take care of them.

Gotcha. I'm beginning to think you guys may have saved my ass on this one. The cheap price really got me thinking. It even has a title! What a rare and wonderful plus! LOL

 

[airshot]

Boat and motor appear to be "turds" as you call them. You will easily spend a couple grand getting it seaworthy and never be able to recoup your money. You would be much further ahead to look for an aluminum boat, far less to repair and replace, far less wood to rot out. Stay with motor brands that you can get parts for, if you were a skilled boat/ motor rebuilder then a project boat like this might be possible, but as a newbie, start with something workable that you can handle. Your gonna find that there is no such thing as a cheap boat, boat means " Break Out Another Thousand" is a true statement !! Looking for a bargain will usually cost much more in the long run!!! I speak with experience as a boater for well over 60 years....good luck..

 

[72fj40]

Upholstery's not a big deal. You need a decent machine designed to handle the heavy material. A home machine will likely struggle. The 1st yr or 2 we thru towels over the bad spots, then I got a industrial sewing machine and redid it. I sort of like doing it and since then I found other projects to do. It's clean work. I think we would have paid 2 or 3 times the cost of the used machine, foam and material if we paid someone to do it. There's a lot of how to video's to get you started.

 

[Bondo]

Gotcha. I'm beginning to think you guys may have saved my ass on this one. The cheap price really got me thinking. It even has a title! What a rare and wonderful plus! LOL

Ayuh,.... Unless you do 100% of the repairs yerself, yer lookin' at many, Many thousands of dollars to bring it up to snuff,......

 

[havoc_squad]

Umm, no way I'd touch that thing. You would be better off focusing on an aluminum bowrider boat that has a bad engine/no engine needing restoration.

Much cheaper to re-do the transom, floor, and fix any superficial small leaks than a fiberglass boat.

The challenge with aluminum boats is fixing structural issues/major damage to them if you are not a professional aluminum welder/fabricator, that's where the restoration costs rise really fast depending on what is needed to be fixed by a professional.

For example, a major gouge that made a 2 inch sized hole in the bottom keel of the aluminum boat.

 

[Lou C]

Anyone who questions if they want to resto an old rotted fiberglass boat has to really read through some of the resto threads in the resto forum here. You will find that:
It’s always a lot worse than it looks
It often involves pulling the engine & transom mount if an I/O
you have to wear full safety gear because fiberglass work is definitively hazardous to your health (dust, resins, sharp power tools etc)
It takes months & sometimes years to complete
For all those reasons I’d not advise taking on these projects unless you know full well what you’re getting into.
You’d be better off saving till you can buy a modern composite boat powered by a modern late model 4 stroke outboard

 

[airshot]

I know you think it is a bargain, but in my area, it is way over priced for its condition !!

 

[Scott Danforth]

That boat is a $6000/2 year project before it's safe and useable. And that is with you doing 100% of the work

Remember the stringers are equivalent to your spine. Rotten stringers are like a broken back. A bondo buggy car may run and leave you stranded. A rotten hull will sink and may leave you drowning