If this is the boat your want, get a survey from a pro. Much better that just guessing.

With a boat of that vintage, the powertrain wouldn't be my only concern. Make sure the transom, stringers, floor, etc is not soft.

I would only buy a 1000 hour boat with the idea of a full restoration as the rigging is also almost 30 years old. You replace the motor but then the trim pump dies and then the rams leak and then the control cables are junk and need replaced etc etc. All of that stuff happens at the beginning of every other weekend that you invite your friends and family out. I'm not saying that it needs a full resto, but that boat could easily suck up another $10-15k and still be problematic.

Yup.

Rebuilding and replacing a low hp engine is easy compared to that. Both labor and $$$$.

Concur...and I will add that IF the hull, deck, stringers, TRAILER etc. are all in good shape doing a re-power or freshening up the motor is relatively straight forward.

Sometimes it is better to spend a little more to get a little more boat. In boating, you will spend the money it is just a question of when.....

I am no stranger to turning a wrench, fiberglass is not rocket science. But am trying to avoid to much of It right off the bat. I really want somthing I can enjoy and not work on constantly. I do have a garage big enough to work on it in the off season. I know nothing about boats other than I love being out with other's on theirs.
Lol
Thanks

As a new boat owner, structural fiberglass repairs will turn you off from the whole thing in a heartbeat! Stripping out the inside layers and wood, then putting it all back together again is not something for the newbie (no offense).

I have a late '80s boat, and it has been one big labor of love from the get-go. My thing was that I"knew" it was going to need work and be a headache when I bought it, but I had two other boats to use and this was the boat that I had wanted for years and years. Five years later, I'm still working on it (but just about done). This was not a basket case either... it had been pretty well taken care of, had all of its service documentation for the 450 hours it had on it, and had a number of newer parts on it.

With the above said... get a survey even if the boat is inexpensive. A moisture meter reading from critical areas can tell a lot.

Post some pictures!

Well there you have it, lol. A boat 15 years old or less will give you a lot less hassle. A motor with 500hrs can be a bargain if the heads were already rebuilt and give you maybe another 500 before you need anything major. A nearly 30 year old boat with 1000 hours is pretty much shot.

This is $12000.00 almost twice as much as the one with 1000 hours. But it has only 40 hours on new motor still a 89 thou.
But man is it sexy
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