HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

[bearsallday]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

Not to derail your plan, but go get your hands all over that Bayliner:

then go see this boat:
1974 starcraft 18ft fishing boat - $2000 (antioch )
You might offer $1250, and drag it home for less then the $2K asking, if the motor runs & the interior looks decent, it'd be a better 'deal' then that Bayliner.

But what exactly do you intend to use the boat for? Cruising, skiing/tubing, friends/family/kids, fishing? And where, Lake Michigan?

Don't hold me to it, but if I had to guess, that wood slat between the consoles on the Capri isn't original, nor is the 2-tone carpet, it at least warrants a very close inspection.


I like those sloped windshield Bayliners & the Capri's, and because they sold millions of them, many suffered poor maintenance & storage at the hands of inexperienced owners. They weren't exactly the VW bug of boats, but Bayliners were definitely a volume volume volume production runs.

Thanks for the help yeah im looking for something that i can go witj family for skiing and friends for fishing. I dont want to run into huge problems. Any help and directing me in the right direction is always much appreciated.
Thats a good eye you have i didnt see that and ive been looking at these pictures everyday trying to decide if i want it.
My price range is really low but i feel i can get something nice for 2k possibly even 2500 if its a good deal.

 

[bearsallday]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

Way too much money for that boat. If the tilt fluid wasn't an issue it would be a $1500 boat, but I would bet money the lift rams leak and that's why the fluid is low. There are tons of better deals in the Antioch/Fox Lake area, keep looking.

I see your from the same area as i am. I live in gurnee. Where do you recomend looking for a boat around this area.. Ive tried craigslist but i see the same guys with the same boats.

 

[bearsallday]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

I agree, keep looking, but w/out getting my hands on it, IMHO, $1500 is still too high.....

Where else can i look?

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

Unfortunately, most $2-2.5K boats will likely need work. How much work & how expensive depends on each boat. Glass or tin, they'll need work...

Jig & my suspicions about the Bayliner are not based in fact, but if you scan some Bayliner threads, most, or at least many, end up requiring lots of work. Even many boats costing more then $5 or 6k..........

Tin or glass, if you buy a $2k boat, & spend $2k on a resto, it will very likely be a MUCH BETTER boat then any $4k boat you could buy. Of course, that $2k is just in materials only, your labor will have been free......

Friscoboater new what to look for after his 1st resto, and still ended up spending alot of time & money on a fairly expensive boat, he drove cross country to buy. It happens......

 

[Woodonglass]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

My first boat would NEVER be a Bayliner!!! Look for a WellCraft!

 

[akorcovelos]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

I'm in Antioch, literally boats all over the place for sale up here right now. Take a ride down 59 between McHenry and Antioch and you'll see lots of them on the side of the road.

This one looks interesting: 1989 Wellcraft 18.5 ft Boat Forsale or Trade - $2800 (O'Hare)

 

[jimbo_jwc]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

Paint off of motor from leaking hydraulic fluid that PO has been adding for awhile , might of used brake fluid in pinch ,pump run dry a few times ? Have fill back up as i'm sure he has done before .

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

You need to go see several boats and spend some time going over them to learn how & where to look. Reading thru some resto threads can help w/ that...

there are lots of boats for sale sites online..

freeboatshopper
boattrader
oodle (some connection to facebook)
craigs

and others..

 

[bearsallday]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

Here's a potential problem I might have found with the Bayliner:

It looks like that walk-thru winshield is mismatching in a couple of places. At the top in the circle it doesn't look like it lines up straight accross and at the bottom in the square it looks like there is a gap.

If this is the way that walk-thru is, it's probably caused by a rot weakened deck. If the deck is strong and the consoles are set right that swinging glass will match up perfectly.

If you go look at that boat be sure to check for soft spot in the deck in the console area and around those seats.

What problems.will i be facing if i do go thru with this boat? And what exactly does the hydraulic lift do?

 

[akorcovelos]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

Look up some Bayliner threads in the resto forum, you will quickly see why everyone is telling you to run from this one. You would likely end up gutting the entire boar, removing the cap, rebuilding the stringers and transom, and putting new deck and interior in it. Figure that engine needs work too since it at least has tilt leaks. A $2k boat will quickly become an $8k boat that will never be worth $8k.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

You can probably count on a full restoration... gutting your boat of decking and replacing the stringers, foam, and maybe the transom.

 

[bearsallday]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

Look up some Bayliner threads in the resto forum, you will quickly see why everyone is telling you to run from this one. You would likely end up gutting the entire boar, removing the cap, rebuilding the stringers and transom, and putting new deck and interior in it. Figure that engine needs work too since it at least has tilt leaks. A $2k boat will quickly become an $8k boat that will never be worth $8k.

What boat is good to do water skiing/wakeboarding i can fish off any boat so thats not an issue. The thing i really want is looks

 

[bearsallday]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

I'm in Antioch, literally boats all over the place for sale up here right now. Take a ride down 59 between McHenry and Antioch and you'll see lots of them on the side of the road.

This one looks interesting: 1989 Wellcraft 18.5 ft Boat Forsale or Trade - $2800 (O'Hare)

That one looks really good. Ill give the guy a call thanks for the help much appreciated. Any specs or info that you know of of this boat

 

[jbcurt00]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

Don't forget it too is a 24yr old boat. careless storage is often worse on a boat then poor construction

 

[bearsallday]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

I'm in Antioch, literally boats all over the place for sale up here right now. Take a ride down 59 between McHenry and Antioch and you'll see lots of them on the side of the road.

This one looks interesting: 1989 Wellcraft 18.5 ft Boat Forsale or Trade - $2800 (O'Hare)

Ill be sure to drive in antioch. Name an intersection by where your at. Ill plug it into my phone

 

[tazrig]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

I wouldn't buy a 24 year old Bayliner at any price. In fact I'm not sure I'd take one if you gave it to me for nothing. Bayliner's are a price point boat meaning they are built as cheaply as possible so they can sell them for as little as possible. A 24 year old Capri is most likely going to be a money pit for you. With no experience in boating just know that this is not the boat you want to start out with. Try to find a reputable boat yard near you and start looking there. Then try to find a friend, relative or even a friend of a friend or a relative of a relative that knows something about boats to help you look at something that catches your eye. Quite literally, the least expensive part about buying a boat in that price range is buying it. The maintenance and upkeep are expensive after the fact, and thats assuming the seller did all the scheduled maintenance he was supposed to do. Keep us posted with what you are looking at and we can help you by telling you specific things you need to ask about and check out etc. Best of luck!!!

 

[Alwhite00]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

Yeah ive heard that also i will do my homework before buying a boat. Thats a very nice boat you have on your signature
.

Thanks, My first boat was a 86 Sea Ray Seville 210 Mid Cabin and I loved it, I put a lot of work into it but did not have to do the stringer / transom deal - Just cosmetics. Great boat and I would still have it if the cockpit layout was better. Older boats can be great but they can be very bad also. There are a lot of red flags on that boat you are looking at, Take whatever advice comes with this thread, Everyone has been around the block and been there/done that - You don't want a full blown re-hab.

LK

 

[bearsallday]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

I wouldn't buy a 24 year old Bayliner at any price. In fact I'm not sure I'd take one if you gave it to me for nothing. Bayliner's are a price point boat meaning they are built as cheaply as possible so they can sell them for as little as possible. A 24 year old Capri is most likely going to be a money pit for you. With no experience in boating just know that this is not the boat you want to start out with. Try to find a reputable boat yard near you and start looking there. Then try to find a friend, relative or even a friend of a friend or a relative of a relative that knows something about boats to help you look at something that catches your eye. Quite literally, the least expensive part about buying a boat in that price range is buying it. The maintenance and upkeep are expensive after the fact, and thats assuming the seller did all the scheduled maintenance he was supposed to do. Keep us posted with what you are looking at and we can help you by telling you specific things you need to ask about and check out etc. Best of luck!!!

Well im glad i came across this site.. Hows that 89 wellcraft that they told me to buy? whats your view on that?

 

[akorcovelos]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

lol, I didn't tell you to buy it, just said it looks interesting. I would email the seller and try and get some better pics, but in general Wellcraft are well built boats. What it comes down to with any boat is how well it was cared for. Even the best built boat will turn into a pile when neglected for a couple years. My parents had a 21' Wellcraft cuddy when I was a kid, and other then the OMC drive it was a very nice boat. We took that boat all over Lake Michigan and the Fox Chain.

 

[tazrig]

Re: HELP! buying my fist 89 bayliner capri

Well im glad i came across this site.. Hows that 89 wellcraft that they told me to buy? whats your view on that?

That particular Wellcraft is a heavier, more solid boat than that Bayliner. It has an inboard outboard motor which is a whole different propulsion system than the outboard the Capri had. Basically it has a small V-4 4 stroke truck motor on the inside of the boat and the lower half of an outboard on the outside. The Capri has an outboard which is a 2 stroke motor. Apples to apples a more solid boat but could also have a bunch of problems waiting for you because of its age. Here is a link to the NADA blue book for boats. It will at least give you an idea if the seller is in the ball park of what the boat is worth:

Boat Manufacturers, Used Boat Values, Prices & Specs for Power Boats | NADAguides

If and when you find something, there is no substitute to spending $200 and having a professional marine surveyor go through the boat for you and let you know if it is a good deal or if there are expensive problems waiting for you.