On my 25OL(01') there was plywood, not balsa coring, that was not covered in glass and had no sealer on it, most was undr the dash area. This is a place for water intrusion and will allow rot. You should never have unsealed balsa as it will act as a sponge, and there is nothing wrong with wood construction as long as it is sealed properly. Inside of the hull behind the liner was all unpainted glass and not very pretty or smooth. Although these are not neccessarily structural issues it does show the attention to detail in the build proccess. I am in the marine business and mostly deal with larger Yachts and sailboats and the Formulas are closer in build to the higher end stuff than your average trailer boat. I have not found any unpainted or bare edged wood(unsealed) in my Formula(04'). I just feel that if a company goes to the trouble to paint and make the stuff that you normally do not see look right that they made everyhting right and did not cut corners, if they don't do that was else did they miss???? I am not bashing Baja, just trying to show differences.

What king of money you looking to spend. 50K or 70-75K.
the 70-75K range should get you a nice 29OL yr 2003-2004 with HO's. Mine should still be on boat trader from where I traded.
Dennis

Thats where I will be at yes 70-75 k.

I saw that a year or so ago, I still think there is more to that story, I agree, it can happen, any boat can do it, they are just fiberglass and glue, I have a 320 Baja that is new to me 2 weeks ago, I was tole that they were very well built back then and still now, I am friends with TEAMBAJA and he works for them, I also have a friend with 2 Formulas, a 88311 anbd a 98 353, both are great boats, I will say the 353 rides great at the 97 MPH it will do, they have a nice deep Vee and ride pretty level, I like them both, it is more a cost or prefence thing I guess.

I do like my old school 86 320 though, 21 yrs and still goin!

then you haven't run it hard yet , like I said my friend ran 2 38 formulas in f2 he didn't have to tighten screws just replace stringers and add more weight to the boat by fixing it. he got roid of both after by 06slod the 02 for 75,000just to get rid of it .most race boat teams are retighting chit after every race or your not running hard nuff art

like I said you don't run it hard nuff art

well if your in the business you should know formulas had bare wood under the floors wear you can't look at a boat show, as jon audiofn had found out in his QA STRINGER REPLACEMENT glass on the sides put not on top wear water gets in READ IT ITS LONG, and thenwhen he ripped up the carpet in the cabin that was bare wood so read it there were a lot of other guys with the same problem and if my bud gets back in to racing he won't have a formula. oh the price is what sold him the 1st was 150,000 with the cabin shipped aside for resale, the 2nd one was with full race no cabin 01 02 175,000. he sold both for around a 75,000

there was a 27 or 29 formula a yellow one from cape cod and a red 357 that I would run against every summer and in smooth water I would kill them in rough sure I would get some air but always stead 150 in front of them. I would see them coming out of the canal on buzzards bay side the rough side I felt bad for the yellow boat I think we each up grade doing the winter and then theres was a 242 with twin 350s I would smoke him even more we was at the marina next to mine, that was in the 90s before my kid was born and I use to tell the wife fast is smooth . so test ride both if you can 29ol is 29ft 29formula is 27ft. and if you pay near full retail on any boat shame on you. I know my buds 1st formula came with the full cabin but not installed, 500s and in 99 he paid 150,000 because he was racing it. the 02 was race only and was 175,000 with 525s.

I do have to say that we run my friends 353 pretty hard all summer, does 97 and has not fallen apart yet! ran the last poker run in 4-5 footers at 93-95 MPH most of the time running a 36 Apache! we are Lake Erie and if you have ever heard, it is not exactly a calm lake, worse ride then the ocean I am told by many due to the shallow waters and chop, when it is 6 footers here they are 6 ft high and 6 ft apart, makes for a rough ride.

I have had my 320 Baja for a week and already the bolsters are pulling out of the floor!

Doesn't even compare to anything out there. By far the roughest, especially on the south side.

By 245 did awesome in it for the year I had it up there though!