ChineWalker

Happy Holidays fellas, I'd like to ask some of you Scarab guys if you have any opinions to offer regarding the 34' Raider? I will be looking at a 86 Raider later this month, it was the boat Wellcraft displayed in the Miami Boat show of that year. As the story goes the boat (I have seen pics, its a nice boat) has all original gelcoat, all original interior, original O/B brackets, original trailer, you get where im comin from but, (original fuel lines original wiring .. New it was sold to a man in the mid Atlantic region who brought the boat down to south fla to run it, he blew two 3.5 mercs and merc refused to honor warranty after that iirc and he promptly put the boat in storage out of disgust.. The man who owns the boat now is the second owner whom I have talked to, when he bought the boat he brought it back up north and it has been a fresh water boat since. First off this will be my first bigger powerboat, well currently im on the companies tug it's 110' and 5000HP but its not mine.. Im no stranger to powerboats, I grew up on a salt water river and have been at it for a while. I always thought my first boat was going to be a Cig flat deck or a KV Scarab but I'm buying a house in the early summer so no can do on the deep pocket dig.. I actually never thought I'd be an O/B guy, I really wanted to hear those dry pipes! Dammit! But plans change and here I am..
Question; what would you look for on/in this particular model when surveying it? From my last survey experience (I briefly held a check in my hand for a 38 Cig flat deck about 4 years ago) I remember the Flat decks suffered from a slightly off hole for the Kplane where water could seep into the longitudinal stringer. Do any of the Scarab O/B models suffer from any ailment in particular? Any words of wisdom? Thanks again and Merry Christmas.
P.S. I'll add some pics today when I upgrade my membership..

machloosy

Yup... Scarabs are big on rotten transoms. I'd go with a high quality moisture meter IF you're going to survey yourself. To be honest, if you are paying more than 10K, I'd have the thing professionally surveyed. And I think many members here would agree. Some even get survey's for boats priced lower. Check the cabin pretty well, occasionally they have forward drain issues. ANY boat this old could and quite possibly will have fuel tank issues depending on how it was stored. Good luck!

ChineWalker

Thanks, Im not opposed to having a survey done, I've payed for them in the past. I did ask about the fuel tank, he said he believes it's "galvanized" and it has a small amount of fuel in it that's 7 years old. Seems to me even though it's gotta b drained isn't that prior to ethanol fuel? If I buy it the whole fuel system will be addressed anyway but id hope not to pull the tank, decks are real nice...
Btw machloosy, is that on I/O boats or all of that era?

Tinkerer

Would you be interested in a 34 Scarab with big blocks?
1992
It does need some work but probably a LOT less than that one - and a lot faster.

ChineWalker

I appreciate the offer, but if I were to go I/O in a Scarab it would be a 38 KV, 38 AVS, or a 50 Meteor. Don't have the ching currently so this o/b will do if its clean. He's not asking that much.. Again thanks for the offer though..

ChineWalker

Are these too few and far between to have a database of knowledge?

phughes69

Actually the fuel tank should be aluminum. If the fuel is 7 years old I do not think you will have a problem with any ethanol. What I would do is brain all the fuel out into 55 gal drums. I would also try to see if the fuel level sender is accessible. My boat is an 80 and I had to replace the fuel sending unit. I put a bore scope in the hole to check out the tank and it looked good.