My concern wouldn't be the work needed for this boat.....my concern would be someone coming to get. The actual history and origin of this boat is missing which means it could be stolen or hacked up from some other vessel (they could have grafted the hull # from a salvaged/destroyed hull to hide the true identity of this one.)
The chance you take isn't the $5-10K in repairs you plan, the chance you taking is every dime you spend buying AND restoring it to your liking if it does get repo'ed, etc. Just ask a number of the members here that had boats wrapped up in the National Marine mess. These guys are still making payments (or are out alot of cash) on boats they had to give back to the legal owner.

How can one find out before he buys! I would think if the HIN was messed with I think it would be very noticeable. I dont know though, I do not have the boat in front of me. I agree with the whole repo and give it back to the right owner. The thought has crossed my mind.


HELP!!

No one knows....you would be presented a title that says it's a 42 ft long, 15 ft wide , 14 ton vessel. We all know tht isn't the correct hull to match that ID number. It's also obvious someone has done alot of cosmetic work to dress up the boat. Would have been easy to graft a hull number in it during that process. A potential best case is the title is clean but the actual boat was destroyed, a busted up heap was used as a donor ID # and the destroyed "Stinger" was restored. They could have done a good job but if someone is trying to hide the identity it could be that the structure is garbage with a "fresh coat of paint".
Do you like Vegas....this is just too much of a gamble for me and I'd walk away.
Good Luck

Maybe look to see if you can track state registrations going back at least 5 years to give you an indication where the boat has been.

I talked to Chris Craft. They said the HIN is for the right boat.

CC= Chris Craft
B=Plant location
AL= 39' Stinger
116= Hull #
J= month built
686= made is 86 but 97 model year

So maybe the title is wrong (15 ft beam) but everything else is OK, if that's the case proceed but make sure you get an extensive SURVEY!!!!! Could be the best $500 you ever spent.....so when do you pick it up???

AL= 39' Stinger ??? We KNOW it's not that! So, Not Chris Craft, Not Formula. Take that "Stinger" off the side and change it to "Mystery"

you are right it is 14 thousand sorry

take the vin# to dmv and ask them to do a check or the troopers

The bolsters look like Powerquest maybe a 257 that would explain why they needed to lift them.

Based on the pictures of the Stinger that were posted, this boat seems to be a modified Stinger. It had a Formula type windshield installed which goes farther forward than the original straight one. This brought the compass inside the glass and necessitated the cutting of a notch in the center ridge. The part of the deck that used to be just in front of the windshield is now part of the dash behind the window. Look at the side panels to the rear of the bolsters, they are identical to the Stingers. The panels directly along side of the bolsters, where they used to wrap into the seat were replaced with flat panels when the bolsters were changed which is why those panels don't match the ones behind them. Also look at the raised edge along the edges of the cockpit floor and the relationship of the wheel to the controls. The reasons why this does not seem to be a Formula are too many to list. It just looks like one on the surface because of the use of Formulas two most noticable traits, the curved windshield (which isn't quite right) and the exhaust through the swim platform (which also isn't quite right for a silent thunder). So you've got a boat that seems to be a Stinger and a VIN that says it is a Stinger. But why the mistake on the beam and weight ? I think I would be more concerned with why this work was done and its quality. Your state seems to require police documentation for boats without a title and some boats with a title, so make sure all the paperwork is good.

This boat was Documented for one year from Sept. 98- Sept. 99. It was under the name Stinger and the vessel ID was D1069034 out of Ft. Wayne Ind. It also seems to have had a Ind. reg # IN2582BG. The owners name was Brian P. Greiner and the boat may have previously been called "Greiner". On the documentation the manufacturer and the year are unknown. The beam and weight are listed incorrectly as previously noted.