Fair price on a 32' Active Thunder Hull & Deck??????
 

Okay guys,

What do you think is a fair price with fuel tanks, interior in cockpit/cabin, cabin lites, cockpit lights, navigational lites, transom X dem cut for Bravos, no water, no frig, no radio, no trailer.
I will supply and rig: engines, mounts, exhaust, coolers, drives, steering, all hydraulic pumps, etc. and dash with all the wiring.

Basically, I will supply everything and rig it from the steering wheel/dash back to the transom. I will also supply my own trailer to haul it around with.

How much do you think is fair for a new hull & deck? I understand the labor involved and how it's put together, but remember it's still only fiberglass and resin.

What do you guys think???---I'm VERY curious!

If I owned a small custom boat company trying to build/maintain a reputation for quality, I doubt I would sell them like that. Not that I am saying you wouldn't do a good job rigging it, but if a bunch of substandard home rigged models got on the used market it could damage the reputation of the manufacturer and the hurt the resale value for the other customers. As a manufacturer though, I would sell them completely rigged letting you supply your own power instead of using mercruiser though.

Just my 2 cents. Good luck with the project, though.

Mark I think you should be able to get a hull and deck for 50k but thats my opinion and you know what thats worth.....

The end product is just fiberglass and resin but that is not why you are buying it. Active Thunder boats have been built based on physics, hydrodynamics, engineering, R&D, testing etc, education and experience. The end result is what determines the value. To answer your question.......I don't know.

You have to try and work it backwards.
Whats a new complete boat cost?
What is the cost of the parts list you are in for?
How many hours (labor value) are you estimating?
Add up your anticipated investment subtract it from a new boat and what you have left is the most you want to pay for the hull.

I would only want to rig a boat myself if I thought I could do a better job than the mfg. AT biulds boats, real nice well biult boats.
Why do you want to try and rig it yourself?

okay, so then with all the research, testing, engineering, R&D---blah-ba-blah-ba-blah----and I know it's important. Maybe it's worth $1,000,000 ....maybe $2,000,000....sounds rediculas doesn't it? I think you can see where this is leading here. It's not a stepped hull...just a conventional V-bottom---been around for years.

Dyno, off the mark or not, you provided more of an answer that I was looking for, however I respect the input from the others as well.

Many have looked at this thread since posting and only a few have responded. It's probably more of a difficult question to answer than what I anticipated. Perhaps I should have worded my question more like; "what is a fair price for a hull/deck on a conventional V-bottom 32' boat?" Still may not have done any good. Maybe the better idea is to ask some competitiors for some pricing on comparably lengthed boats...just to get an idea. But then Mach1Shorty maybe correct in saying that a boat manufacturer may not even be willing build a boat the way I am asking. Oh well...thanks for your input guys. Mark :)

Well Mark I'll give you a little more of my infinate wisdom......well or moron support. If I had to build the boat like your thinking I would lean twards a hull built locally, for one thing you can get the support your going to need in the assembly process any advice or technical help will be great the further away you are from the manufacturer the less help your going to get...my opinion... If the manufacturer is marking the price of the hull to discourage you then thats what you are going to deal with. They make money on complete boats not selling a hull and deck, the only thing you have in your favore is the current economy they may need the work. If it were me I'd look real hard at Saber if you can get them to build you a 34 hull and deck for a reasonable price it could be good for you and them...I havent seen a 34 ever....they cant sell them if there arent any around. I would pitch them the idea that if they make you a good deal and hep you rigg it that you will let them use it for a demo or show boat... its worth a shot...my .02
Don

Warlock Powerboats 32 Euro V-hull.
 

Kaama, email me or call if you would consider a Warlock Powerboats 32 V-hull. It has a twin serpentine step bottom and runs 89 mph with a pair of HP500. I can't provide the hull bare but I can offer it complete less power, drives and exhaust. The boat would be ready for you to install your power, I can coordinate graphic's and interior packages, offer composite lay-up schedules, and we will also cutomize the X-dimension if you want to retain your extension boxes. Powerboat magazine has a nice article on the boat in the April 1999 edition. :D

If it were me I'd buy just the hull and use the existing deck. I know Powerquest has done this in past years as my stepson has a PQ that had only the hull replaced. If the deck is 'glassed to the hull I'd spend the time to grind away the glass and separate it from the hull. To me a hull would be worth 20k-30k. Maybe more depending on what came with it.

First, why are you looking to get a 32 AT without rigging? Don't you already own a 32 AT?

I guess if I owned a boat company, I would not sell a boat that way unless it was going directly to a race shop that I knew of and where I was comfortable with the level of rigging quality. I would not provide a boat to a customer and then let them rig it for fear that the rigging might not be on par with my expectations and as such, prospecitve customers may see the finished product and think that it was reflective of the factory work when it wasn't. I guess if KR Racing, Marine Performance, Doller Offshore, Tres Martin Offshore, TNT Custom Marine, Boostpower, Archer Marine or someone like that was taking delivery and would be responsible for the rigging and install I'd do. Otherwise, the small profit made would not be enough to risk turning off prospective customers and damaging the brand's reputation.

Yeah Mark...thats just what you need...another project:D
Sounds like you found an old AT hull layin around goin to waste...I'd offer 15k and go from there..doubt if I'd go over 20..depends on the condition of whats there...take a good hard look..if your thinking of resale, think about what its worth finished. and like someone said..work backwards.
It was about 80 here today:cool: :cool: :cool:
Dan

Kaama,

I'm suprised the guys at AT haven't been on here to ask you what colors you wanted.:D :D

Seriously, everyone is always talking that Active Thunder is a Custom builder. They will make the boat however you want. If you dont want it rigged, there shouldn't be a problem. I'm sure with ThunderDan and Jassman bugging them daily with changes to their boats, it would be nice to pop something together for you that involed less decisions:D :D
Where you have the boat rigged and who does the rigging shouldn't be a problem. These big name places that were mentioned before had to start somewhere and they used to be nobodys too. From the looks of your AT last summer, you wont have any problem finishing up a boat. You might not get the same warrenty as the guys that had there boats completely done at AT but other than that it should be a go.
As fas as price is concered, I have no idea!! Start with subtracting the going rate for the items that you dont want them to put in your boat. Add some labor at the going rate and shoot them a number. Who knows, they may make you a very happy man!!

Good luck in your search!
Todd

Listen you guys, I appreciate all your input. I didn't really want to say this on the board, but to be quite honest with you the transom in my 1990 32'AT is wet and the stringers were just starting to get wet. The engines were out for upgrading and my cousin and I removed the drives, K-planes, steering, etc, etc and all the hardware inside and out of my boat and we cut out most of the damage to save some cost. This was certainly not anticipated, but it can obviously be repaired. I planned on having the glass work and all repairs done professionaly. And in ALL fairness I do want to say that this boat was NOT built by Pat and his current Active Thunder company. This boat was built in Chicago in 1990 BEFORE he bought it out. I just thought I would ask Pat/Steve at AT how much for a new 32' hull/deck without grahics but with interior...pretty much as I have described in the begining of this thread. I had an idea in my head of how much the cost might be...they priced it at 2/3's MORE than what I had anticipated. I guess if they feel like that is definately what they have to have then that's their price....Pat owns the company and he calls the shots. Hey I love boating and my AT and I know that if you wanna play you gotta pay. Let's face it, boats aren't exactly the best investment one of the worst as matter of fact and when something breaks you either sell it the way it is and lose or pull your checkbook out lay down the SMACK! Either way you LOSE! When they run they're great and everybody is your friend...but when they break no one is around but they want you to let them know when you get it running again. The offshore boats are sold with a lot of hype and emossion...a person sees some of the colors/graphics these boats have, the looks and sounds of Hi-Zoot engines, the periodic smell of fuel and fiberglass and the power you have at your finger tips when they're on those throttles gets you all excited...where speed is emensley satisfying and extremely addictive.....and...and...and at this point I think I'll lick my wounds, stick with the boat I have, fix it and buy the house that I am currently looking at. Mark (KAAMA)

After I finish wiping up my big crocodile tears with extra-large Kleenex I'll come up with a crushing reply to your "there's nobody around when it's broke" comment.:D Just kidding, Mark. You know you can count on Team Chaos. Like they used to say in the old west, just fire 3 shots and we'll come a'runnin'.

KAAMA, If you already have the boat dismantled I could do the wood and glass repair at a very reasonable price !! I'm only a couple of hours away, And i'm just getting ready to open the doors on a new shop! Pulling a 37' outerlimits in this wed. for some bulkhead repair !

Crazy, yeah pass the crying towel :( ...I think I need it. Hey, do they have an annual award for whose the biggest cry baby? If I don't win this year perhaps I'd be at least a good runner-up. :)

Kaama, sorry to hear about your hull/stringer problems. That sucks. Have you thought about buying a used 32 AT and re-rigging it with the equipment you have from your existing machine and then selling any extras (like engines, steering gauges, etc.) to defray the costs? I know that Doller Offshore (www.dolleroffshore.com) is brokering a used '96 I believe that is priced pretty reasonably and has been listed for some time. Perhaps you can get a good price on that hull and deck and sell the parts out of that boat.

Or, did you talk to Pat and Steve about either doing the repairs/re-rigging for you and/or sending them all the parts and the deck and having them affix the exising deck to a new hull and re-rigging the boat with your existing equipment? Perhaps those are two options that you might want to explore if you haven't already. Just be sure to post some pictures when you are done with your project. Sounds like it will be a machine worth drooling over.

Good luck!

Miller, I asked Steve at AT for a price on just a hull and perhaps have them re-attach the deck on my 1990 to the new hull and he basically said it would be more trouble than it's worth. And that's when I asked him for a price on a hull/deck. Believe me, I was TOTALLY UNPREPARED for their answer...caught me off guard by a long shot! A friend said he called Active Thunder about 1.5 years ago and asked for a hull/deck and from what he told me, the price they gave him then compared to what they told me now (1.5 years later) the price has gone up by about 25-30% or so. The marine industry is marked up high enough the way it is....and I certainly did NOT need to hear that! Even the price my friend was given was suprising...and he said AT was reluctent to just sell a hull/deck in the first place. He ended up not purchasing the boat because he felt it was way overly priced. Money certainly doesn't grow on trees for me. I guess it depends on your priorities and standard of living.......plus it sounds as if business is going very well at AT. But for the price that Active Thunder wants for a 32'AT Hull/deck I think I can find a reasonable piece of realestate for that amount. I do appreciate your input Miller.

Thanks, Mark (KAAMA)

I don't know you guys.....maybe I'm blind and way behind the times here-----I honestly just don't seem to understand it all I guess.