crack in back

MAXXIE

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
556
You guy's are probably getting tired of me by now, but... I'm looking at a 17' Thundercraft with a 150HP 6 cyl. Johnson O/B. The issue is (beside being out of style, interior is way out of style,but in great shape) there is a 8" crack in the stern to the right of where the motor bolts on. The ad reads, "Crack in fiberglass from being backed into". I know everyone will respond with " just walk away & go buy a new boat" I can't do that. Is this type of damage repairable? Everything else on the boat is in perfect condition & I think I can get it very cheap with a nice trailer. I know everybody looks down on repairing things like this, but has anyone done this type of repair? How did it hold up? Thanks for feed back good or bad.......
 

heiliges

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
47
Re: crack in back

I think the theory is that anything is repairable. The question is how much work is involved in the repair.
 

avimgod

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
Messages
90
Re: crack in back

If OOPS can cut a boat in half and add 5 feet, the cracked transom can be repaired... it is just a matter of how much time and $$ are you willing to invest?

in his case 2 years, and roughly the cost of a newer boat...

nice thing about glass is it can be repaired to as good or beter than teh factory made it, but some repairs take time and $$ to fix...

pics might help
 

ezmobee

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
23,767
Re: crack in back

Very repairable. That's a heck of a motor. I'd buy it if the price was right.
 

Robert4Winns

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 28, 2009
Messages
146
Re: crack in back

I know everybody looks down on repairing things like this, but has anyone done this type of repair? How did it hold up? Thanks for feed back good or bad.......

I don't think people on this forum would look down on fixing just about anything. What most would advise against is just patching that kind of damage without doing a proper repair. With a crack that size in the transom it may be an indication that the plywood needs to be replaced. It could be that either it was hit hard enough that the plywood was damaged as well as the fiberglass, or that the plywood was already rotten and allowed the fiberglass to flex too much and crack.
 

heiliges

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
47
Re: crack in back

If the transom has a crack, I would be interested to see if the motor took any damage from the impact. If not, the trailer and motor are worth a substantial amount of money.
 

jonesg

Admiral
Joined
Feb 22, 2008
Messages
7,198
Re: crack in back

A V6 johnson on a 17 footer?
That would crack a lot of transoms.
Thundercarft, sounds like an older boat, they go back a few decades.
Unless its a newish boat and rated for 150 hp I say the transom is rotten and the damage is not from impact.

The outboard could be worth $1500-2000 depending on yr and if it runs.
 

MAXXIE

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 26, 2009
Messages
556
Re: crack in back

jonesg, that is the same thing I was thinking. It's a big honkin' motor, it doesn't look too big for the boat in the pictures but that a big motor. I'll try to post a picture. ezmobe, were talking about $250 for the trailer-boat & motor. The motor runs fine, I'm not sure of the year but it does look older. I think the boat is an '83, not sure of the motor.
 

jonesg

Admiral
Joined
Feb 22, 2008
Messages
7,198
Re: crack in back

Buy it and take a chainsaw to the boat. hahaha
seriously, that engine will power a nice boat if theres any question about the boat its on.

Get the outboard model number and punch it into google, the year will come back.

I have a 1994 J150 hp on a 20 center console, lots of power.
 

109jb

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
1,590
Re: crack in back

Crack in back
I hit the sack
Its been so long I'm glad to be back ....

Sorry, couldn't resist.
 
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