ummmmm....why.... were you licking it ?????

Sounds like you wrenched a little too much. Try spending a few minutes learning how to use the forum and you just might come across a project or two of mine.

I'm just a little confused as to what in the hell you expected from going to look at a 28 Pantera with power, drives, and trailer for what was priced around 7-8K when you probably looked at it (real selling price was probably closer to 5 or 6K) If I was to go look at a 28 twin engine pantera for that price I'd be suprised if the transom and stringers didn't need to be replaced. Its expected maintenance for a boat this old and only a dreamer would expect otherwise for that price. This forum is chalked full of much newer model boats needing new transoms and stringers. Didn't realize the hull has no core, which only makes it worth more IMO. The owner is a friend of mine, thus the sympathy for IMO a worthy project. He says its not wet and his word is worth a lot more than yours. If I didn't have a beautiful 18 month old daughter and another one on the way I'd of already helped put this boat back together. These used hulls go for $10-15K in good sound condition. Sounds like you were looking for a free lunch, which most in this sport know does not exist. Its worth the price you can get it for.

Feel free to argue over it some more. I'm certain the owner enjoys the free advertising.

i will sell mine as a bare hull for 15k!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its not far from me. I'll try to take a few pics and a video of what damage I can find to the wood, if any. If its a solid hull (no core) then there is no doubt its worth restoring. Just look at all the old solid bertrams restored that are out there on the market. You can't find an old restored antique 20-24 moppie for under $20K. Nobody said boat restorations were cheap. All boats eventually need refurbishing.

Exactly! Say it is wet. Replace the wet wood with catoosa or some other composite material and you'll never have to worry about moisture problems again. It will be better than new and much much cheaper. Or just leave the stringers in there; good treated wood can maintain its strength for a long time even if it is wet. I've seen some people just reinforce the stringers by laying or bolting stringers onto the existing ones and not tearing anything out. Adds a little more weight, but works and much cheaper than ripping the old ones out. I'm sure the naysayers wouldn't approve.

Seriously, wet wood that still has strength Maybe I should leave the mulch in my transon next time

Leave them in and bolt a second set to the existing wood ones I have to admit I did something similar on my boat, but I glassed them in.

BTW, WTF is Catoosa??? and how is it cheaper than wood???

http://coosacomposites.com/

LOL, your right that was pretty far off. Thanks for the correction. Coosa composite, got mixed up with Catoosa, OK cause I pass by there sometimes. I said bolting/glassing a supporting stringer would be cheaper than ripping the old ones out. Or atleast thats what I meant to say. Also big difference between wet wood and rotted wood. Surely you have a wood deck that gets rained on.

Be cheaper than restoring one.

One the floor/stringers, we're guessing at their condition. Because the boat had water in it don't mean they're toast.
As to redoing one, yeah it's a long nasty job but can be made better than new easier than you think.
There's nothing wrong w/wood either. Still used in most of the best race boats in the world. If you use foam stringers they're mostly a mold to wrap glass around and don't add much strength. Marine plywood on the other hand......, very difficult to beat lb for lb.
Most rotten floors, transoms and stringers (assuming constructed properly) came from the boats idiot owners and not the wood.
Owner mounts a new set of seats and just runs screws in the floor. Speakers in seat bases, battery box's, any accessories to/on the transom etc, etc.
Most "non wood" construction claims are marketing playing to all the horror stories we've heard for the last 30 yrs.
I read a really well written/researched story on this argument several yrs ago. Was targeting the bass boat industry and talked to the best of the best from both sides. These are very highly loaded, over powered, over stressed boats that get more use per season than most others.
The end of the story concluded that if done right, a wooden framed/cored boats is as good as anything out there.

I raised the transom on an old 1967 Whaler I used to own. The transom was wood core. I peeled the skin off and it was 100% bone dry and rock solid. Key here was that all of it's previous dozen or so owners sealed every bolt used in every re-power that was ever done to the boat.
That boat was over 40 yrs old when I did that kids.

Does the fukkn boogie monster live below deck?

I been watchin u hunt for the perfect 28

Drive cross country to get it

And a month later pimp it like a $10 wh0re

Wzup?????

LOL NO BOOGIE MONSTER

i love my boat. just got done getting it ready for storage actually. its fun handles incredible. has a great paint job. starts and fires like its efi. turns all kinds of heads. get alot of "sweet boat" comments but i want to go faster. 68 with 4 big guys and a full tank is what she has in her reliably. instead of butchering it let someone else enjoy it. i found my new twin 28 pantera so mine has to go. i run with a fast crowd here in buffalo and im the slowest of my group and being a "motorhead" thats uncool lol. if it doesnt sell right now not a huge deal. im still going to buy the twin but i dont want to be a 2 pleasure boat owner for long