Hi guys I'm considering purchasing a high hour but very clean 1988 formula 292 sr1, 454 mag boat, but Im going to inspect it myself, but what and how do I get access to the locations that may show cracks or rot in the stringers/bulkhead or transom. Ive never owned one, so I don't want to poke around this guys boat to much unless I know where to look. Also on the bravo drives, what else can I look for as far as wear and tear. The boat looks great well cared for, but I'm not hiring a surveyor, so just looking for some tips!
Thankyou

One thing to check for sure is the steering pin behind the engine isn't leaking! I got bit on that one and it lead to the engine removal which lead to a rotted stringer and shot transom assembly and finding a blown head gasket which lead to my bank account VERY UNHAPPY!!!

I would post this in the Formula section to get some added traction. Someone there may be aware of the boat. Also, fb has a Formula SR1 group that has a lot of activity.

With the above said...

You really need to be able to get down into the boat to figure out what kind of shape it's in. The 292's engine room is tight! Really tight! You'll become well versed in curse words the next time you go to replace water pump impellers.

Areas to check:

• Transom - especially around Silent Thunder (swim platform) mounting points inside and outside the boat, and the drives. Tap on the transom looking for areas that do not sound the same. Dull thuds need to be looked at more closely.
• Stingers - same thing - listen for anything that doesn't sound consistent. The center stringer is the one with the most issues.
• Bulkheads around the gas tank (this can be a real mother to get to in this boat). Water gets trapped in the foam around the tank. Formula did not encapsulate the wood on the inside of these areas - the wood gets wet and then rots. The main stringers usually survive, but the grid doesn't. The wood is only half-inch ply and my understanding is that the boxed in fiberglass is the main support structure - anyway, it can be a problem.
• Look for water under the cabin step - another telltale sign of issues. You can check the bulkhead here much more easily. Water can leak from the windshield screws as well as from the bow rail attachment points (look for water stains on the cabin walls - trickle lines).
• Look for signs of water staining the cabin carpet - if the cabin floor has remained wet, it can damage the floor and forward stringers.
• Look for any spidering of the gel coat on the deck above the head - can be a sign of things moving around in the cabin (my 311 had this but was from cabinetry that worked its way loose from kids opening and closing doors, etc - very dry wood).

Those are probably the biggest things to lookout for outside of general mechanical and electrical issues (that you can count on with a boat that's well over 30-years old).

Hope this helps.

TZ

I agree with what Was said for looking for water leaks.

the upper swivel shaft as well as mentioned, check for leaks and also check drive for wear and excessive movement around the pin.

I found when I picked up my 311, I could pull the speedometer pitot tube outside boat or any transducer, use a pick and poke in the hole. If it’s wet, you will easily pull some fiber out.

the same goes for that main center stringer…… there is usually that bilge fume sensor mounted to it, a great spot to pull a screw and check. Can also pull a stew from the step and check it. Will tell you how badly soaked the stringers are.

the formula had though bolted alum. Plates bolted to outside stringers and center stringer….. you will note that if the stringer gets wet, caused folks over time to tighten those bolts and you end up with the alum plates pulled into the stringer and no longer flush with stringer but sunk into it if it’s bad.

good luck.

chris

Ok thanks for taking the time to tell ,me this info, Ill check it out next weekend.

Chris, I had that same issue with my 242. I saw what was happening and knew it needed to come apart… I had already started looking at the transom - case of confetti after drilling for a water pickup. Ended up redoing the entire aft section of the boat.

My 311 has offshore mounts making the engines part of the structure. Nothing moves around - solid as a rock.

I don’t think that was an option on 292s and 272s, at least I haven’t seen any (probably a 420 TRS thing).