Possibly Purchasing an aristocraft 9teen

[Ageek]

Been reading some topics and figured Id introduce myself, I am located in Spokane Washington I am a big jeep guy who would love to play on the water and is just looking for a great boat to play and explore up here. I'm looking at a 9teen that has sat for 6-7 years it has a 140 hp 4 banger, with a mercruiser outdrive blue and cream color and is said to have run and been on the water 6-7 years ago.
What exactly should I be looking for on this thing? I read about this foam thats no good if it gets wet please explain
I am glad to see aristocraft is still around as the rt side of the front windshield is gone.
so what else should I be looking close at before I drag it home?

thanks
Bryce

 

[chevymaher]

If foam is full of water it wont float. And the bigger issue is water below the deck rotting the wood all out. So the framework of the boat is compromised.

Has it ever sat outside? If it has then well you know it got water in it.

Honestly for the age of the boat. Best just plan on alot of work and rebuild it.

 

[Ageek]

In my reading I have seen that theres hardly any wood in these 9teens, the boat has been outside so I know it has been wet, is it possible to dry the foam or must it just be replaced

 

[chevymaher]

That would be a big bonus for you then the no wood. Just replace the foam.

 

[Woodonglass]

Where did you get the notion that the old Aristocrafts did Not have wood in them. I'm pretty sure the stringers and transom are wood cored. Not 100% sure but seems like I saw an older restoration somewhere showing wood in these areas. Is the Motor an OMC Stringer Mount? If so these are getting harder and harder to find parts for. This is one of my all time favorite boat designs. If you decide to take on this project, I'll for sure be coming aboard.
:nod:

 

[Ageek]

Every post about the 9teen says how great they are to restore because of the lack of wood

 

[GA_Boater]

Welcome aboard, Geek.

As a former Aristocraft 9teen owner I can confirm there is wood, but very little.

Two pieces in the deck for a ski locker and built in cooler sort of thing. One itty-bitty equilateral triangle shaped filler piece between the deck and bow with about 12" sides. The lounge seats have plywood seat bottom and back to to attach the foam and vinyl, same with the two jump seats on either side of the doghouse. Some 9teens have a thin plywood horse collar for spacing the Mercruiser transom assembly, which is not needed for an OMC White Leg of Death.

Oh, can't forget the fake wood-grain applique trim, but this is vinyl like Contact paper.

That's it! No wood stringers and the transom is not wood cored. The transom is extremely thick resin/cloth construction, as well as the hull.

These boats have a fiberglass liner which is bonded with resin and cloth to the hull, sealing the underdeck. Unless the liner has been breached, water shouldn't soak the structural flotation foam.

 

[Ageek]

One more question anyone here very familiar with the mercruiser outdrive, its in the down position obviously the battery is dead, and i have no idea where the switch to raise it would be, how do i get this thing up to tow it home?

 

[GA_Boater]

Don't worry about using a battery to power the trim pump.

Take off the nuts on outer ends of the rams above the prop. Your drive looks a little different, but the nuts are in the same place;



Pull the rams out off the shaft, lift the drive and securely tie up the drive and rams. If the ram doesn't clear the stud, tap the stud in. It should slide in the housing. Put the nuts back on the ram mounting stud so it doesn't fall out during the recovery trip.

 

[Ageek]

thats what i was thinking just wondering if there was an easier way i may still stick some jumpers on the battery and see if it'll pull it self up not sure what im going to tie it up to with all the fiberglass

 

[GA_Boater]

It's easy to lift and tie the drive. If the trim hydraulics are not in good shape, the drive may sag down anyway.

Plenty of things to tie off on and if the fiberglass is in such bad shape, then it would be best to let the boat sit because the poor thing is past the resto stage. I doubt that cuz AC's have one thick transom.

 

[Ageek]

Where would they have put the trim lift button on these boats from the factory? I saw a switch infront of the gas tank under where that seat cushion should be and i also saw a 4 way switch on the dash that could have been it, going to pick it up tomorrow

 

[GA_Boater]

My 1972 9Teen looked like this, on the dash;

 

[mickyryan]

Where did you get the notion that the old Aristocrafts did Not have wood in them. I'm pretty sure the stringers and transom are wood cored. Not 100% sure but seems like I saw an older restoration somewhere showing wood in these areas. Is the Motor an OMC Stringer Mount? If so these are getting harder and harder to find parts for. This is one of my all time favorite boat designs. If you decide to take on this project, I'll for sure be coming aboard.
:nod:

ME too! loved the hartop!, post some pics , i did see one hull that was not any wood in the core it was already defloored and for sale but it had almost like corrugated stringers real shallow , i guessed they weren't there for strength as much as a seperation between floor and hull.

 

[Ageek]

well its in my yard now ill be starting a thread soon in the aristocraft section with my questions compiled

 

[GA_Boater]

Did the drive tilt up with a battery or did you do the tie up thing?

Better give you this link - http://aristocraftboats.com/

The son of the original owner of Aristocraft has kept the business going and they still have some parts for the 9Neens. Kind of a rare thing because most old boat companies blow away in the wind.

 

[Ageek]

The drive didn't go up with power, solid solenoid click, that was with the old battery have not tried it with my new battery yet, I got this boat running with some points and now have found the foam is wet in one side of the hull, are the side connected in this? seems to me that the storage seperates the two sides. and what would i use to get it out and refill it with?