cafe racer
 

What can you guys tell me about an '88 35ft cafe racer??? I am relatively new to cigs but I am looking seriuosly at restoring a cafe racer. It used to be a drug smuggler boat. The whole thing is painted gray to help hide the big boat out in the ocean. I mean everything is gray, interior, guages, upholstery, everything. Obviously it needs to be stripped down and painted, the 502 need rebuilding, and the bravo drives need going through. The guy wants 25,000 for the boat. Am I crazy to get into something like this? I dont mind the restoration part, I restore early broncos occasionally, but I dont know alot about the costs of restoring boats. Unlike my other restoration experience most of the boat restoration would be hired out. I know its difficult to say without seeing it but what do you guys think???

Thanks!

at 25k you should be ok!!!

contact Sean. He just restored one.

Problem is I am very new to this site and have no idea who Sean is. I did search and there was a guy from Colorado who did one. Is that Sean?

Follow below link

follow this link

I've been working on mine over the past three years. Go to http://www.geocities.com/greshah/Cafe35.html and you'll see my progress. Next winter will be painting the boat and dash. If you have any specific questions let me know.

I would do a complete hull and stringer inspection. Paint and vinyl are easy, stringer and bulk head work is not. I looked at 4 Cafe's before I settled on the 89 I bought. All the others had loose stringers, bulkheads or some sort of loose tabbing. If the boat your looking at was a smuggler, it was probably ridden hard and put away wet a few times. Pay real close attention to the structure! If the hull is tight, you could have a good "project" boat. If not, it may end up being more expensive than you think...

Mongo

clc900,

I've seen pics of the boat you are looking at and I don't believe it is a Cafe Racer. The deck looks all wrong. Compare that deck to Cignificat's deck and you'll see what I am talking about...

Here's a Cafe project on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2427168490

Here's a 38 SE that may go cheaper than the 49K...it's been for sale for a LOONG time.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2427669942

best of luck in your search.

Show us pictures of this 25K Cafe...

Mongo

mongo,

i think this is the boat he is looking at

http://adcache.boattraderonline.com/6/7/6/53603176.htm

Yeah, I don't think that is a Cafe at all. Mistress, Flat Deck, not a Cafe. Radar arch and bow rails? Straight across cowling? Don't know what it is, but not a Cafe. I would get the hull I.D. and do a little research...

Mongo

thats the one
 

Yeah thats it. I didnt realize he had it on boat trader. I am no expert on cigs but something just doesnt look right about it. Even the dash, guages, and steering wheel location look diffrent.

CLC
 

Be careful, that looks like a "US Government" special or a drug boat.

It may have been used by a branch of the government or used for smuggling because of the radar arch and paint. These tend to be very abused boats, run hard with no pride of ownership. That boat needs a lot of work.

Wannabe

35 cafe? NO !
 

I had a 35 cafe. It is not a Cafe. Many Cigarette hulls were purchased (plain hulls, no liners or decks) in that era and outfitted with different decks and rigged by a company in Michican. That looks like one of them. I am sure a couple other people tooks shots at doing the same thing. That is an old boat. Find something else.

Yeah. I don't know what the hell that is. It definitely isn't a 1988 model Cafe Racer. Maybe an old Mistress hull, which wouldn't be an 88. Cigarette didn't build that thing. Looks like you would be buying a nightmare.