Power boat, any opinions?

[capt jake]

Does anybody have any thoughts on this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31270&item=4553670076&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW#ebayphotohosting

A friend of mine has been looking at this, but now I am thinking about it. (I am not sure if that is good or bad). :oops:

Thanks.

[Tim Diebert]

If you have to have a motor boat I figure that one is pretty cool.

I often thought if I ever got another one I would want a vintage runabout or better yet, a wood/steam powered launch.

I say go for it fireman, it will be fun to take it to your local boat show when you are done.

Plus the damn thing is right where you live, how often is a chance like that going to come around?

My two sense.

[Guest]

Quit lusting after the boat. Make sure the heart has all valves working. Call the guy and go physically look and touch, taking a wrench and attempting to turn the flywheel to see if in fact it turns and if it does, how hard is it to do so. The boat is aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......no big deal in my opinion without a good engine. The fine print says like a chris craft. The hull is aged plywood with wood strips covering the inside and trailer is no good. 1,500 max, from a distance, if you want to gamble, Bet the wife says no, if she goes with you. He said you could inspect it before buying it.

Edited for the dang old eyes. :roll:

[BobSmalser]

A friend of ours that is experienced with boats (because we obviously are not) looked it over and said that it appears to be solid and there was no evidence of dry rot!

If the knowledgeable friend used the term "dry rot"...then he's not very knowledgeable.

Production boats of that era had so many shortcuts taken that I'd go over that hull with an icepick, awl, and catspaw in max detail...specially around the stem-keel and transom knee areas and all the deck framing.

That old GrayMarine will also eat your lunch in fuel....if the fuel supply pipe is as big around as your ring finger, you can figure out why.

[capt jake]

Thanks all. I appreciated all of your input. I will have to think about this one for a few days. I may stop by there and look at it again in a few days.

Thanks again, I may end up leaving this as 'wishful thinking'. ;)

[Craig]

Jake when I was young I worked in the Continental factory that made those engines. Bobs right, there are hell on gas and expensive to fix today. A lot of folks up on the lakes replaced those Grays with marineized 283s. That boat was an el cheapo when it was new. Be careful, might be cheaper to build a new boat of that style then rebuild that one. You'd get the best of both, clasic style and modern materials.