Buying a 1995 Chris Craft Concept 18 - Need Input

[Robertpel9]

I wish i found this forum before i made the deposit but please let me know what you think of this deal

It is a 1995 Chris Craft Concept 18 teal / white
89 hours (yes it is that low - i have continuous records)
One owner garage kept
condition exterior = 9.5 / 10
condition interior - 9/10
Includes boat cover,and bimini top
4.3 Volvo
Trailer is mint double axle
Location = Lake Norman NC

Had it inspected today out on the water with a independent mechanic only needs were a new battery and new struts to hold the engine cover open, he could not find anything else and said you just dont see 13 year old boats in this condition

I paid $8500

I see a lot on the web cheaper now - did i get ripped off??

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Buying a 1995 Chris Craft Concept 18 - Need Input

in that condition, no. i have a 1999 Chris Craft 230 deckboat. 5.7 Volvo drive. super boat. but if the bellows etc have not been changed. it is time to change them.

 

[fixb52s]

Re: Buying a 1995 Chris Craft Concept 18 - Need Input

If the boat is as described, you did very well. 89 hours is like a new boat. It would be tough to find another one with those hours and condition for less. Sometimes, it is better to pay a little more for a boat and have it tip top than paying less and having to sink another few thousand to get it right.

I believe in 95, Chris Crafts were all fiberglass (no wood) and that is is a major plus. No rot to deal with.​

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Buying a 1995 Chris Craft Concept 18 - Need Input

i thought the 90's Chris Craft were all glass also. but just had to put a transom in the deckboat. i did not do the repair myself, had it professionally done over $2000.00 but you can not tell it was ever touched.

 

[Robertpel9]

Re: Buying a 1995 Chris Craft Concept 18 - Need Input

How do i tell if they are all fiberglass. I am new to boating and i got all over the bot over, under, inside and out and everything seems perfect but i can't tell. The mechanic said everything was tops, no issues, i called about the bellows today per this thread and he said they are mint too.

He said the fact the boat got used for ~ 7 hours a year and was garage kept under cover and maintained well basically puts it as a new boat, am i getting good info here??

 

[45Auto]

Re: Buying a 1995 Chris Craft Concept 18 - Need Input

Sounds like a good deal on a nice boat.

If your mechanic is judging the bellows on how it looks you may want to consider another mechanic. Doesn't matter how "mint" the bellows looks. It's a flexible plastic product that will loose flexibility with age. If it's never been changed, it would be much cheaper to change it now rather than wait till after it splits and ruins the gimbal bearing, u-joints, input shaft and upper outdrive bearings - that's if your lucky and the boat doesn't sink sitting at the dock. Kind of like if your car has a timing belt - change it every so often as routine maintenance or pay the price when it breaks and trashes your engine.

 

[Robertpel9]

Re: Buying a 1995 Chris Craft Concept 18 - Need Input

I am picking the boat up tomorrow night (They are detailing it and updating some items for me)

I am still having some buyers remorse. I see Larger Chris Craft Vessels of the same vintage for only a little more. There are 24-27 footer for 11-15k and I am paying 8500 for a Concept18. When i look in the NADA, KBB, etc it seems i am paying high retail. Is that to be expected given the condition of the boat or have i been taken for a ride.

I always do a tremendous amount of due diligence when buying cars (Sports cars are a fetish of mine) but i did not here, i just went with my gut that said this is a like new boat that easily meets my budget, etc. Should i be holding out for something better in the 8-10k range? I always thought chris craft was a great name and now i am reading this boat was produced during a somewhat bad time for the company.

Any thoughts before i pay the rest tomorrow night are appreciated. I know it is a cheaper boat but i just dropped 500k on lake norman and was going to wait till next year to get a boat as i dont believe in debt and did not want to stretch myself so this is a big deal to me, your thoughts are appreciated

Robert

 

[roadrunnr]

Re: Buying a 1995 Chris Craft Concept 18 - Need Input

It's difficult at best to compare the value of a 24' plus boat to your 18' without seeing the condition of both. The condition of older boats dictates their value. Those 24-27 footers may require alot of money and work to bring them up to the condition of the 18 footer you have your money down on. I find that the average boat owner takes extremely poor care of their investment, which probably accounts for NADA and KBB being poor resources when trying to figure used boat prices on older boats. See if you can find similar boats to the one your looking to buy on iboats or other used boats for sale sites. Keep in mind that a mint boat will demand that higher retail price. Boat prices can also differ somewhat on what part of the country your living in. It sounds like a nice boat! Keep us posted on what you decide and remember to post pics of your new boat if you go through with your purchase.