New to StarCraft boats and this forum. Looking for help on restoration project

[71Superglide]

I'm helping my adult step son restore his deceased fathers 16' StarCraft boat. It was found next to a relatives shop full of garbage and weeds after sitting for 9 + years. The specification plate is missing, The model number/name and HIN on the title do not match any of the HIN look up sites. The title has a seven digit number without letters, Model has five letters with no numbers. Have tried to run both numbers in several ways. Always comes back "invalid" or "nothing found".
I think its a 1969 16' seafarer but not sure. Any tips on how to confirm?

Pulled it home and cleaned it out. Pulled the rotted floor and seats out. Hull seems solid. floats no leaks. Rivets all seem tight. Very few holes through gunwale. Transom wood needs to be replaced. Trailer seems solid (needs wheel bearings and tires), 1969 25 horse Evinrude sportster not sure of condition yet. was running when parked, all the usual boating accessories in various condition.


Now for the questions, Is this boat worth the time and money to restore? , Motor will need going through, boat will need interior. Can do most of the work myself.

Thank you
71Superglide

willing to provide HIN and model number if helpful

 

[gm280]

Well first of all, :welcome: to iboats. Always glad to have a new member join us...

Now to try and answer your question, nobody can tell you the true value of such a boat because most of the time, such value is more of a personal issue then a monetary one.

However, if you like the boat and think you would like to make it nice and very usable again, then you come to the best place ever to get help suggestions and ideas. There are tons of such boat restoration projects on these forums doing basically the same thing you are talking about.

If you don't mind doing the work, you can make it very nice again. I suggest two things. Take tons of pictures before getting too involved with gutting everything out and post some on here so we can see what you are working on and asking questions about. If you are going to give it a go, let's get started...

 

[71Superglide]

Thank you for the warm welcome gm280. Here are a couple of pictures of whats going on so far.

 

[Watermann]

Welcome aboard :wave:

Looks like you have the largest fishing/utility boat in the Starcraft fleet, a 16'r that I've not seen here before, most prevalent are the 14' models like I have and yes the Seafarer is the only model I know of that is a 16' fishing/utility with the bench seats.



Interesting rail that someone added to the gunnel. I see there looks to have been a hack job on the transom too, someone felt the need to notch it out for a short shaft motor. A very common hack, my 22' Islander suffered as well from a saws all savant.

 

[71Superglide]

Morning Watermann,
Thank you for taking time to reply. That is the same add I found too. The transom wood needs to be replaced, should I notch the new wood to match what I am replacing or should I replace it straight across?
The title says Model AOEPR any idea what that might mean?

 

[Watermann]

The notched transom can be repaired somewhat easily but it depends on the shaft length motor you want to put on. For instance my Islander has a factory OB transom height of 25" and someone wanted to use a 20" shaft motor so out came the saws all. I will be returning it to 25" but I don't have a motor for it yet so I'll hunt for a 25" XL shaft motor.

Similar to your case, it looks like the motor was a short shaft 15" and the transom was 20" for a long shaft. So it's up to you if you want to find another LS motor then return the transom to 20".

I have no idea what AOEPR means, it's nothing I've seen before so it could be some abbreviation used by the state that titled the boat.

 

[71Superglide]

thank you Watermann. Other than possible sentimental value is there any monetary value in the boat, motor, trailer? The trailer needs tires and wheel bearings, the motor will need a head to toe, inside and out service, the hull will need paint, and interior. It will be easy to get upside down. The kid doesn't know how much he wants, the wife doesn't want us to keep it bla bla bla.

 

[mattsteg]

If you want a monetary value, look at cost on craigslist etc for good-condition equivalents as well as new boats. Don't restore it as in investment. Restore it because you want to run it.

 

[Watermann]

thank you Watermann. Other than possible sentimental value is there any monetary value in the boat, motor, trailer? The trailer needs tires and wheel bearings, the motor will need a head to toe, inside and out service, the hull will need paint, and interior. It will be easy to get upside down. The kid doesn't know how much he wants, the wife doesn't want us to keep it bla bla bla.

What's it worth is no way to look at bringing an old boat from the brink, it will still be an old boat and trailer no matter what. Prices on old AL boats is subject to location and desirability of the style. AL utility type boats are in high demand here in the PNW if they're re-done right and have a newer motor they go quickly for top dollar.

 

[71Superglide]

I would like to thank everyone for their input on this project, The step son and his mom have decided not to keep the boat (too many memories I guess) so he is going to sell it as is. Kinda disappointed. Think it could have been a fun project. Oh well there's all sorts of projects to spend time and money on.

 

[Watermann]

Who knows maybe it'll show up here in the future.